free music is the best music

this is probably old news, but I just found about the amazing slabco.com, a label located in los angeles. Information on slabco is scarce, but i've managed to learn they're home to at least eleven artists and over fifty releases. in addition, slabco creates customized tracks for commercial use.

the best thing about slabco? they have a rotating cast of absolutely free 100% legally downloadable albums. right now, some gems from bands i've never heard of like dynomite d, sukpatch (i like them), the wonderfully named sientific american, casiocore, and steven are up under the "mpfrees" link. steven, by the way, is the only artist who seems to have albums for sale, probably because he seems to be the label head and founder.

Interviewed in 2006 for drama magazine, steven (last name nereo) disses interpol and the rapture like an old-timer. His most recent work seems to be making music for a napster ad, and his last album titled, mystery of attraction cancelled, was released october 2005.

slabco has recently branched out into clothing, apparel, and bikes.



i think the best word to describe the catalog is "restrained." populated by djs and songmakers, slabco's sound is complex and integrated, each of its artists incorporating electronic and vocal elements into a textured and subtle albums. sukpatch sounds cute without being twee, a rare distinction these days, and the dynomite d album features a guest spot from none other than my personal favorite, kid koala. the slabco51 sampler includes tracks from both the cassette and vinyl years. each band has a unique sound that simultaneously blends into the larger slabco aesthetic, a comprehensive seamlessness that few labels can boast of.

i've posted sukpatch's "fleet" from their honky-tonk operation e.p. and dynomite d's "stick 'em" from by the way as two examples of some of the fine work that's available for free at slabco. hope you enjoy them like i do.

sukpatch - "fleet"
dynomite d - "stick em"