Much has been said recently about how political turmoil and social instability will provide fertile conditions for great art, and whether or not you subscribe to this idea, we’re pretty sure that paying artists makes for even better soil in which to sow creative seeds. The title to this post says ‘free’ music because it’s snappier than ‘name your price’ music, but really that’s a convenient/attention-grabbing misnomer. Bandcamp provides pretty much the most direct way for us to connect directly with musicians and support their work from all over the world, so why don’t we utilise this tool and ensure that art perseveres in the face of everything else that’s going on?

Anyhow, here’s the first segment of the list, covering artists beginning with A – D. We don’t pretend to be in any way comprehensive, so let us know if we missed your favourite and maybe we’ll add it to the list.Albosel – Container
(RIYL: folk, dream pop, magic woods)

Alexandra Gordon – Rain Songs
(RIYL: bedroom pop, folk, Free Cake For Every Creature)

BB Cream – s/t
(RIYL: pop punk, bedroom pop, lo-fi, grrrl power)

Bedbug – if i got smaller grew wings and flew away for good
(RIYL: experimental, twee, sincerity)

Betty Becky – s/t / All the Boyfriends
(RIYL: bedroom pop, punk, lo-fi)

Blue Smiley – Return
(RIYL: garage rock, fuzz, dream pop)

Bois – Asleep with Songs of Longing
(RIYL: pop, soul, indie rock)

Boy Scouts – Homeroom Breakfast
(RIYL: bedroom pop, folk, self-reflection)

Cabbage/Oxblood – Split
(RIYL: bedroom pop, post-grunge, slacker rock)

Candy – Azure
(RIYL: jangle rock, dream pop, lo-fi)

猫 シ Corp. – News at 11
(RIYL: vapourwave, 90s TV, mass media)

Cayetana – Tired Eyes
(RIYL: indie rock, jangle pop, punk)

Cereal + Sounds & Z Tapes – FRY YR BRN
(RIYL: indie rock, covers, TV theme songs)

Coping Skills – Relatable Web Content
(RIYL: lo-fi, bedroom pop, Millennial angst)

Constant Companion – Curious Design
(RIYL: pop punk, lo-fi, indie rock)

Corvus B. – France, Later
(RIYL: poetry, spoken word, haunting banjo)

Crabapple – Further Out
(RIYL: indie pop, summer jams, lo-fi)

Daytime TV – DAYTIME TV 2
(RIYL: indie pop, lo-fi, rock)

Deer Scout – Customs
(RIYL: folk, singer songwriter, Gregory and the Hawk)

Dogbreth – Second Home
(RIYL: pop punk, Cloud Nothings, Joyride!, rock ‘n roll fun)

Dowsing / Ratboys – Split
(RIYL: indie rock, pop punk, emo)

Dying Adolescence – Dear you, It can’t wait.
(RIYL: bedroom pop, lo-fi, teenage feelings)

The post Favourite Free Music of 2016: A – D appeared first on Various Small Flames.

ACAB Rocky / Kneedlez (split) – ACAB Rocky // Kneedlez

(RIYL: punk rock, lo fi, bedroom pop)

Ahava – Steal, Kill, Destroy EP

(RIYL: folk, acoustic, ambient, Julianna Barwick)

Alexia Avina – Kind Forest EP

(RIYL: dream pop, folk, intimate)

Ant’lrd – Biblioteca Nod Out

(RIYL: experimental, ambient, fuzz)

Arrange – Their Bodies in a Fog

(RIYL: bedroom pop, ambient, Orchid Tapes)

Art Contest – Math Major

(RIYL: math rock, punk, Cap’n Jazz, Dananananaykroyd, Abe Vigoda)

Astroskeleton – you are not alone

(RIYL: Nintendo, 8-bit, chiptune, power pop, Space Boyfriend)

Aunt Sis – 9 Tracks

(RIYL: indie, folktronica, Broken Social Scene)

Baby Mollusk – Baby Mollusk and the Big Babies

(RIYL: bedroom pop, indie rock, lo-fi)

Balacade – From Memory

(RIYL: indie pop, Cataldo, Grandaddy, Sparklehorse)

The Bank Trail / Lake Michigan – A Split EP

(RIYL: bedroom pop, lo-fi, ambient, covers)

Bellows – Blue Breath

(RIYL: bedroom pop, Small Wonder, Why?)

Blush Response – Dead Air

(RIYL: shoegaze, dream pop, indie rock, Pains Of Being Pure At Heart)

Bois – Blank (out) EP

(RIYL: dream pop, soul, Bon Iver, Praything)

Boosegumps – Leave Me Alone EP

(RIYL: bedroom pop, lo-fi, sad)

Born Standing Up – Born Standing Up

(RIYL: country, folk, The Wooden Sky, The Head and The Heart)

Boy Spit – Everyone Is Cool

(RIYL: lo-fi, garage rock, Quilt, Cloud Nothings)

Broke For Free – Petal

(RIYL: chillwave, glitch, trip hop, summertime)

Camping In Alaska – Bathe

(RIYL: punk, indie rock, post-hardcore, At the Drive In)

Captive Portal – Somethign Abbadat EP

(RIYL: electronic, experimental, collages of chopped up sounds)

Cellulist – Holocene

(RIYL: ambient, drone, experimental)

Chips Calipso – I Walked Outside and Felt the Sun 

(RIYL: dream pop, surfy vibes, pysch, Evangelicals)

Cold Foamers – All Cold Everything

(RIYL: indie rock, lo-fi, Built To Spill)

Contron – Before I Hated Things

(RIYL: lo-fi, acoustic, weird old-timey folk)

DAILON – Transitions

(RIYL: electronic, beats, “future soul”)

Dead Folk – It Won’t Take Long

(RIYL: grunge, shoegaze, the 90s)

Dear – Dear EP

(RIYL: bedroom pop, lo-fi, acoustic)

We have selected our favourite tracks and made a mix for your listening pleasure. Check out the player below and be sure to tune in tomorrow for the next installment.

Favourite Free Music of 2014 (A-D) from Wake The Deaf on 8tracks Radio.

The post Favourite Free Music of 2014 (A-D) appeared first on Various Small Flames.