DOWNLOADS OF THE WEEK: Lollapalooza Mixtape, J Cole, Youth Lagoon

I’m not going to bother with reviews out of 5 or stars or “likes” or any of that rubbish. If it’s on here then its because I think it's good…as well as it being stinkingly FREE! You might not like it, but the beautiful thing is you can download it and take a listen and all it will do is take a nibble out your bandwidth.

So here is a peek at what has come out recently that is free and legal to download and feels so good in your ears.

A Lollapalooza 2011 Mixtape
It can be hard living all the way in the isolated island that is Aotearoa. Festivals with epic international acts are hard to come by. If you want a free taste of what it is like to be at something as massive as Lollapalooza then here is a treat you. A 14 track selection from amazing artists featuring at Lollapalooza 5-7th August. Here is the full track listing and hit the link to grab your set of FREE jams from these big hitting artists. (Just have to enter your email).

1. Foster the People, - Pumped Up Kicks (Hood Internet Remix)
2. The Chain Gang of 1974 - Undercover"
3. Ratatat - Party With Children

4. Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers
5. Patrick Stump - This City
6. Black Cards - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Fame
7. Skylar Grey - Dance Without You (Monsta Mix)

8. Ximena Sarinana - Different
9. Phantogram - As Far As I Can See
10. Jay Electronica feat. Jay-Z and The-Dream - Shiny Suit Theory
11. Black Lips - New Direction
12. Titus Andronicus - A More Perfect Union
13. The Mountain Goats - High Hawk Season
14. Beirut - East Harlem

DOWNLOAD HERE

J.Cole – Any Given Sunday EP
Signed to Jay-Z’s label, appeared on tracks with Talib Kweli, toured with Rihanna and Drake – this guy is already doing massive things and is pretty set up to dominate when his album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, finally drops on September 27th. And yet, despite this he has drawn in even more fans by releasing mixtape after mixtape. This is his latest offering and there should be more to come it seems, with him saying “Every Sunday til the album drops I’ll be back with something. Maybe just 1 song, maybe a video, depending on how I’m feeling.”

Here is J.Cole’s own words giving a break down of the EP track by track:

1. Like A Star - "Was saving this for the 2nd album. Due to some other s--- beyond my control, I'ma let this out now.
"
2. Knock on Wood - "One of my fav. freestyles. OG Dreamvillains gotta be reminded, new fans gotta get put on."
3. Pity - "Brand new J. Cole, Omen, Voli. Produced by Voli."
4. How High - "At one point this was guaranteed to go on the Sideline Story."
5. Unabomber - "Just heard this today for the first time in a longgg time. Love these raps."

The EP really does demonstrate just how easily he can lay down a lyric and flow sweeter than a bon bon. With samples being used from Common and Kanye as well as more jazzy numbers from Corinne Bailey Rae, he is able to use any production to his advantage. The best thing about his style is that he avoids (almost entirely) falling into that “bitches, hoes and money” stuff. His raps focus on uplifting, real storytelling. Great tone, effortless cool, give this a click and regret nothing.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Youth Lagoon – July (single) & Cannons (single)
This is the solo project of Trevor Powers from Boise, Idaho, USA. He put 'July' up as a free download a few months ago and is quickly beginning to take momentum as a result. These singles show a complexity to his song writing. The tracks are sparse in parts but delicately rise to full on chanting choruses. Electronic beats cleverly woven within squeaky airy vocals, it is a great way to escape to the peacefulness of far away mountains without actually going anywhere.

DOWNLOAD HERE

By Oli Holmes