Friday Freebie goes to Mexico

Five years have passed since The Bronx burst onto the hardcore scene, in this time they have released three self titled albums and evolved their sound into a swaggering blend of punk and hard rock.

Now let us introduce El-Mariachi Bronx: the band’s horn-spiked Mexican alter-ego.

Both The Bronx and El-Mariachi Bronx will be playing the Breeders curated ATP festival, before then please help yourself to this week's fridays freebie Young Bloods taken from The Bronx (the bands third self-titled album)

Assault charge dropped, charge of being a Phil Collins fan “no comment”

The assault charge against England and Liverpool star Steven Gerrard was dropped yesterday but he will still face trial charged for being a Phil Collins fan.

The charges relate to an incident at the Lounge Inn in the early hours of 29 December last year. Gerrard had been in the bar with friends celebrating Liverpool's 5-1 defeat of Newcastle United earlier in the day, which had strengthened the club's bid to win its first league title since 1990.

Lounge Inn DJ Marcus McGee, 34, not a Phil Collins fan, suffered a broken tooth and cuts to the face during a melee which reportedly broke out after he refused to play Gerrard request for the Collins classic In The Air Tonight.

Liverpool football club issued this their only statement on the issue back in December:

"Steven has been an outstanding servant to Liverpool for the last 10 years and the club will give him all the support he needs at this time."

What support would you give to Steven Gerrard to help him beat this violent Phil Collins addiction?

NIN|JA make it 3 for Friday

Last month we told you Nine Inch Nails and Jane's Addiction were teaming up for a series of farewell|welcome back shows. It seems there is more to the NIN|JA relationship than we were led to believe, Jane’s Addiction have been re-recording some old tracks and working on a few new ones with Trent Reznor acting as producer.

You can get a free taste of these tracks plus previously unreleased Nine Inch Nails and Street Sweeper tracks on Seed 5 the NIN|JA tour EP. Download from http://ninja2009.com

NIN|JA EP track listing:

1. Jane's Addiction - Chip Away
2. Nine Inch Nails - Not So Pretty Now
3. Street Sweeper - Clap For The Killers
4. Jane's Addiction - Whores
5. Nine Inch Nails - Non-Entity
6. Street Sweeper - The Oath

With 3 Friday Freebies from 5 Artists giving you 107 mp3s there is no excuse for you not to enjoy the weekend.

first taste of the new Art Brut record

Art Brut are back!

New album 'Art Brut Vs Satan' (thanks, Hummer!), produced by Frank Black is out April 20, but the first taste has come in the form of forthcoming single, 'Alcholics Unanimous'

It's no radical departure, and it's not their finest work, but it's entertaining nonetheless.

Retro Friday Freebie

How's this for a bit of Friday Freebie ante-upping?  Ooberman were very slightly popular in the UK for about five minutes back in about 1999.  They did that twee, quirky indie pop thing very well and scraped the top 40 once or twice. I thought they were great.  Then they disappeared off the radar.  

I rediscovered them recently and was delighted to find that they are offering their entire back catalogue (10 years, 100 tracks)  for free download, in excahnge for an email address.  Here.  Check them out.  Start off with the Shorley Wall EP and work forwards.... The chances are you'll hate them, but you never know.....

All I Know Is That You're Perfect Right Now

The sound of The Pains of Being Pure At Heart self-titled debut album is totally familiar but totally awesome.

Opening track Contender draws the listener in with a trial of warm distortion, jangly guitars and delayed vocals before the pop perfection of Come Saturday and Young Adult Fiction use off kilter boy/girl harmonies and thumping toms to great effect.

While every track on the album sounds kind-a the same it is small variations that keep it interesting This Love is Fucking Right! is a speed up tale of incest (and a nod to The Field Mice’s This Love Is Not Wrong) while The Tenure Itch scratches all the right places.

Teenager In Love: sweeter that an sugar glazed candy centred lollipop with sprinkles, leaves you a tooth ache that is only slightly relieved by the albums weakest track Hey Paul before the tumbling closer Gentle Sons.

They (1,2,3,4,5) said it is not be possible to review this album without playing spot the obvious influence; I agree: My Bloody Valentine, Jesus And Mary Chain, Ride, The Smiths, Lush, The Pastels, Teenage Fanclub.

Can't Get Enough Intimacy

On the 11th of May Bloc Party will release Intimacy Remixed.

The remix version of Intimacy will join the download, premium download, standard, standard plus bonus tracks and deluxe versions of Intimacy. You might remember that Bloc Party’s debut Silent Alarm was released in about 92 different formats each with a slightly different track listing and/or cover art.

I look forward to seeing how many more different versions of Intimacy we will be asked to buy.

For now it is Intimacy Remixed; the album’s first single will be Armand Van Helden's reworking of Signs will be out on April 27th. Before then Signs is this week’s Friday Freebie – download the mp3 here.

The full Intimacy Remixed track listing:

1. Ares – Villains remix
2. Mercury – Herve is in Disarray remix
3. Halo – We Have Band Dub
4. Biko – Mogwai remix
5. Trojan Horse – John B remix
6. Signs – Armand Van Helden remix
7. One Month Off – Filthy Dukes remix
8. Zephyrus – Phase One remix
9. Talons – Phones RIP remix
10. Better Than Heaven – No Age remix
11. Ion Square – Banjo or Freakout remix
12. Letter To My Son – Gold Panda remix
13. Your Visits are Getting Shorter – Double D remix.

The Breeders Fate to Fatal

The Breeders are readying themselves to release Fate to Fatal a four track EP containing a Mark Lanegan collaboration and (strangely) a Bob Marley cover.

Just confirmed the Bawley team will have a notepad in the crowd reviewing the new tracks as the band plays them at this May’s All Tomorrow’s Parties festival (which The Breeders also curate).

The Breeders hand-picked line up will also include sets from Melt Banana, Bon Iver, Deerhunter, Gang of Four, X, The Soft Pack, Tricky, Holy Fuck, and CSS.

Your The Voice: Farnplay perform Australian Anthem at Sound Relief

Harmless Lover's Discourse

This week’s Friday freebie is a piece of sun drenched dream pop that is guaranteed to leave you feeling good.

Harmless Lover’s Discourse is taken from the Indiana group Odawas’ debut album The Blue Depths.

The track can be downloaded here and The Blue Depths should be in Australian stores around April.

If you like you can download some older tracks from http://odawas.net/music

Sound Relief: The Burning Question

The devastation of the 2009 Victorian bushfires has left few unaffected. In response a stellar list of Australian and International bands have come together for two benefit concerts to run simultaneously in both Melbourne and Sydney this Saturday March 14th.

The Melbourne show will include a short set from Kings of Leon, who play their own sold out show that same night.

The burning question is will Kings of Leon play their all smash hit Sex On Fire?

New tickets have just been released via ticketek, can’t make the show but still want to show your support donate here.

(belated) Friday freebie: 4AD sampler

Bawley has been a bit quiet of late, with the Bawley crew on international jaunts or snowed under with various other projects. Normal service to be resumed shortly, but in the mean time, here's another friday freebie, a 10 track sampler of the best tracks released in 2008 by 4AD artists. It features a full three tracks from the 2008 Bawley 100 (from TV On The Radio, Deerhunter and Bon Iver) alongside tracks by The Mountain Goats, The Breeders and others. Enjoy .