[Disclaimer: I say this every year, but only because it’s important] Thanks to the generosity of these wonderful artists and indie labels, you can get all of these releases for free if you wish, but there is often the option to make a financial donation. For those of you that can afford it, a few pounds/dollars to reward all the hard work that goes into making a record seems like a fair deal. Plus, it really is a win-win situation as most of these independent bands put the funds they raise towards touring or making new music. So if you like an artist’s music, give a little something and they’ll make even more music for you to listen to, or even come to your town/city and play it for you in person.

That said, we know times are tough and albums many. Remember, money isn’t the only way to reward someone. If you like an artist and can’t afford to give them some money, why not write to them? Send an email or a tweet or whatever you can to say that what they’re doing makes you happy or sad (in a good way) and thank them very much for being so lovely/amazing. Better yet, spread the word too. Tell family and friends and strangers about them. It doesn’t take five minutes to write a nice message or share an album and you can really make someone’s day. Remember it feels really good to make someone else feel good – kindness makes the world go round after all.

We will be posting part of the list each day this week. As in previous editions, the music has been alphabetized by artist. In an attempt to reduce loading times and technical issues, we have decide against embedding a track from each release. But fear not, each post will include an 8tracks mixtape with a song from each artist, so all you need to do is press play and see what takes your fancy.

If you are an artist who makes great free music, or fan of an artist who you think should be included, why not get in touch? Perhaps we will decide to feature your music in the new year.

Part one – A – D
Part two – E – H
Part three – I – M
Part four – N – R
Part five – S – Z

The post Favourite Free Music of 2014 appeared first on Various Small Flames.

It may not be wise to judge and album by it’s cover, but in this instance the lovely artwork is a good indictor of the lovely music within. The songs are a gentle brand of ambient music, filled with interesting quirks and nuances that give the soundscapes a sense of the natural world. The title is also indicative of the atmosphere, each song filled with a gentle optimism of a bright morning. The album captures that feeling of being on holiday in a sunnier clime, the relaxed, carefree nature you fall into as if it is your default setting.

You can buy the album over at Bandcamp, and be sure to check out the newly added Geotic back catalogue which is now available while you are there.

The post Geotic – Morning Shore (Eon Isle) appeared first on Various Small Flames.

You can stream/buy the EP from their Bandcamp page and see a video inspired/taken from the film of the same name below.

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