Free mixtape from Juan Huevos

Triangle MC and producer Juan Huevos has released a free digital mixtape, Fliptape, comprising 15 tracks of Huevos' pop-song re-imaginings. He writes in a Myspace blog post, "While it functions as a "mixtape" in design, it has been noted as a fliptape for the nature of the animal that it is: these are not so much songs constructed from samples, rather, actual songs re-arranged to have either the same vibe or a different one and then blessed by myself." Artists "flipped" include Masta Ace, Wolf Parade, Prince, M.I.A., Pinback, Radiohead, Kelly Clarkson and Depeche Mode, among others.

You can download Juan Huevos' Fliptape by clicking here.

New Death Becomes Even The Maiden: "Closing In"

As a special, wintertime treat, Columbia, S.C.'s Death Becomes Even The Maiden unveiled an exclusive new track, "Closing In" via the band's Web site. Some lucky fans caught first wind of the download from a handbill distributed at the band's Dec. 13 show at The Whig in Columbia. Others, including Shuffle, saw the following post in the band's Twitter feed.

if you didn't get a handbill last night at the whig, go to http://dbetm.com/december and enter "cuernavaca" to download "closing in."

Others are just hearing about it now. Regardless, enjoy the new jams.

Free song from Chris Stamey and Yo La Tengo

Honoring the election of Barack Obama, Yep Roc Records and Chris Stamey have decided to release the song "V.O.T.E.," from Stamey's 2004 LP with Yo La Tengo, A Question of Temperature. The half-minute noise-pop PSA plays like "Schoolhouse Rock" facing its amps, reminding the populace to exercise its civil duty through a haze of blazing guitar. Voting never sounded so fun.

Download the track here.

Free mixtape from 9th Wonder and the M1 Platoon

The Durham-bred young guns in M1 Platoon just released We Not Them: Part One, the group's second mixtape of the year, with the guidance and beat production of none other than 9th Wonder. Expect soulful boom-bap with the Platoon's army of rappers swapping drawled, energetic rhymes.

Check out the mixtape here.

Free music from Transportation

In conjunction with the release of its long-awaited LP, Daydreams, Chapel Hill trio Transportation has decided to release the out-of-print fan-favorite Transportation Hour CD-R as a free download via its label, Fractured Discs. All 18 tracks of arena rock and power pop finesse are once again available by directing your browser here (or by downloading the tracks, as listed below).

The Transportation Hour
01 Baby You're So Young
02 Let it Out
03 Distance
04 Better Love Somebody
05 Stormbringer
06 M16
07 Lady Moon
08 Metal
09 Pocketful of Sun
10 Heva
11 Perfect Vision
12 Our Song
13 Sold My Heart
14 Beautiful Woman
15 Be Good (All You Sinners)
16 Hold Your Ear To The Shell
17 Let The Water Take You Down
18 Long Walk Home

Free music from The Apple Juice Kid

Chapel Hill beatmaker extraordinaire, The Apple Juice Kid, has released Miles Remixed, a free instrumental album built around Miles Davis samples. The release is sponsored by Okayplayer.com and Illroots.com. The album also features musical contributions from Matt Brandau (The Old Ceremony), Mark Wells, DJ Merlin and Daniel Hart (The Physics of Meaning, Polyphonic Spree, St. Vincent).

The Apple Juice Kid says the following:

This is an instrumental album using only Miles Davis samples, that was originally intended to be a modern soundtrack to a movie about the life of Miles Davis. The last track features Yahzarah and Raheem Devaughn, two very talented vocalists that I loved working with. I have been a huge fan of Okayplayer for a long time, ever since my former band Sankofa was opening for The Roots, and am extremely excited to have Illroots partner with them to release this album for FREE!!!

Download Miles Remixed here.

James Taylor shows and ticket distribution announced

By now you've probably heard that Grammy-winning singer/songwriter James Taylor is putting on five free shows in North Carolina in support of the Obama campaign. What you might not know is the where and when of all this.

Recently announced details--which are listed below--should remedy the situation.

Sunday, October 19th

Charlotte Concert for Change
Ovens Auditorium
2700 E. Independence Avenue
Doors Open 1:30pm

Charlotte Ticket Distribution Locations

South County Regional Library
5801 Rea Road
Friday Oct.17th
11am-7pm

Plaza Midwood Regional Library
1623 Central Avenue
Friday Oct.17th
11am-7pm

University City Library
301 E. W.T. Harris Boulevard
Friday Oct.17th
11am-7pm

Sunday October 19th

Asheville Concert for Change
Martin Luther King Park
50 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
Doors Open 6:30pm

Asheville Ticket Distribution Locations:

UNC Asheville, Zeis Building
1 University Heights
Friday Oct.17th and Saturday Oct.18th
10am-6pm

West Asheville Library
942 Haywood Road
Friday Oct.17th and Saturday Oct.18th
10am-6pm

Asheville Senior Opportunity Center
36 Grove Street
Friday Oct.17th and Saturday Oct.18th
10am-6pm

Monday, October 20th

Chapel Hill Concert for Change
Fetzer Field – behind Carmichael Auditorium on South Road
UNC Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill NC
Doors Open 5:00 PM

Chapel Hill Ticket Distribution Locations

UNC Chapel Hill Planetarium
250 E. Franklin Street
Friday Oct.17th, Saturday Oct.18th, and Monday Oct.20th
9am-4pm

Carrboro Town Commons
301 W. Main Street
Carrboro, NC
Friday Oct.17th, Saturday Oct.18th, and Monday Oct.20th
9am-4pm

Orange County Public Library
300 W. Tryon Street
Hillsboro, NC
Friday Oct.17th, Saturday Oct.18th, and Monday Oct.20th
9am-4pm

Tuesday, October 21nd

Raleigh Concert for Change
Moore Square
200 South Blount Street
Raleigh NC
Doors Open 11:30 AM

Raleigh Ticket Distribution Locations

Raleigh for Change HQ
130 E. Morgan Street
Raleigh, NC
Friday, Oct. 17th, Saturday Oct.18th and Monday Oct. 20th
9am-6pm

Boleyn Heights for Change HQ
600 St. Mary’s Street
Raleigh, NC
Friday, Oct. 17th, Saturday Oct.18th and Monday Oct.20th
9am-6pm

Galaxy Theater
770 Cary Towne Boulevard
Cary, NC
12pm-6pm on Friday, Oct.17th, Sunday Oct.19th and Monday Oct.20th
9am-6pm on Saturday, Oct.18th

Tuesday, October 21st

Wilmington Event Location
Greenfield Lake Ampitheater
Third Street & Park Street
Wilmington NC
Doors Open 5:00 PM

Wilmington Ticket Distribution

In Government Center Plaza- Patio of Sombrero Azul
127 S College St
Wilmington, NC
Friday, Oct.17th and Monday Oct. 20th
2pm-5pm

Free mixtape from Big TReal

Big TReal, the self-proclaimed "best MC in 17% of the world," has released The Return of Joe Grizzly, a new18-track mixtape as a free download. Production credits include N.C. heavyweights Khrysis and 9th Wonder, while guest verses come compliments of Skyzoo, Kam Moye (Supastition) and Big Remo.

Download The Return of Joe Grizzly here.

I Was Totally Destroying It announces free digital EP

Triangle power-pop quintet I Was Totally Destroying It has announced details for the free online release of the follow-up to 2007's self-titled LP. The seven-song Done Waiting EP will be posted as a free download at ReverbNation.com on Oct. 28.

The EP was recorded at Warrior Sound in Chapel Hill, concurrently with the band's yet-to-be-released second full-length, Horror Vacui. The EP's title track is already streaming at the band's Myspace and ReverbNation sites.

Done Waiting
1. Done Waiting
2. Teeth
3. The Masquerade
4. Get In Line
5. Like Cavalry
6. I'm Broke And So Is Everything I Own
7. Radar Song

Rosebuds Mash-ups

The Hood Internet, a mash-up blog, has recently posted two mash-ups of The Rosebuds. The first, from August, is a remix of "Get Up Get Out," from The Rosebuds' Night of the Furies, featuring verses from Aesop Rock.

Most recently, though, is The Hood Internet's T-Pain & Lil' Wayne vs. The Rosebuds track "I Can't Believe It's Not Life Like," which borrows the title track to the Raleigh duo's just-released fourth LP.

Stick that in yer earhole.

Free Kooley High compilation

Compiled by bloggers Zillz (of zillasays.com) and Travis (of wydublog.com), Burn After Listening, is a compilation of tracks from the young Raleigh hip-hop group Kooley High, a group whose music the two bloggers found they shared a common love for. The collection draws from Kooley High's Summer Sessions EP, Raleigh's Finest mixtape and rare tracks as well. Burn After Listening also features contributions from Median, Chaundon, Edgar Allen Floe and 9th Wonder.

Kooley High - Burn After Listening

Titus Andronicus covers The Spider Bags

New Jersey indie rockers--and P4K favorites--Titus Andronicus recently recorded a session with Daytrotter that includes a song familiar to fans of boozy, mildly twangy, garage rock debauchery in Chapel Hill: "Waking Up Drunk," by The Spider Bags, from their 2007 LP, A Celebration of Hunger on Birdman Records.

The members of Titus Andronicus had the followng to say about their song selection:

This song is not by Titus Andronicus, but actually by a band from North Carolina called Spider Bags, who are the greatest band in the world. This song was on an album called A Celebration of Hunger,which was the best album of 2007 by a wide margin. That album has been unequaled by any album which came since, with the exception of the early mixes we have heard of the new Spider Bags album, Midnight Moving Skies, which is also profoundly amazing. It is staggering to me that Spider Bags are not exponentially more popular, since they are the greatest band in the world and everyone who hears them falls in love with them. We have played with this band quite a few times, and sometimes we have to play after them, at which point we in Titus Andronicus feel very embarrassed. Also, whenever we are in North Carolina, Dan McGee, who is the singer of Spider Bags, lets us stay at his house. Very gracious. Spider Bags are number one.

Download Titus Andronicus' version here.
And download The Spider Bags' version here.

FREE music from Portastatic

Since, apparently, two CDs with 22 tracks each isn't enough to satisfy Portastatic fans, Merge Records has decided to offer a companion piece to the recently released Some Small History, for free at the Merge Webstore. Particularly noteworthy, though, is the option to download the 11-song bonus collection in either high quality mp3, or lossless FLAC format.

And for all you cover-song fanatics who were undoubtedly ecstatic over Some Small History's takes on The Undertones, The Magnetic Fields, Ryan Adams, Galaxie 500 and Hot Chip, among others, the digital companion piece won't disappoint with it version of Elvis Costello's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love & Understanding."

Download Rapper Big Pooh's 'Rapper's Delight' mixtape for free

Rapper Big Pooh, half of the acclaimed Durham hip-hop duo Little Brother, has released a solo mixtape entitled Rapper's Delight as a free download.

Fittingly, the mixtape's title track finds Pooh, along with Hall of Justus compatriot Chaundon, copping a sample from the Sugar Hill Gang classic, and giving it a fresh Carolina twist.

Production credits go to, among others, 9th Wonder, Khrysis and the late J Dilla. The mixtape also features guest spots from Joe Scudda, Naledge and Talib Kweli.

Download Rapper's Delight here (via zShare).

Visit Rapper Big Pooh on Myspace.