Archives for December 2012

Your final MPFree of the week comes from Harper Simon, who is, as you may already know, the son of Paul Simon.

He released his debut eponymous album back in 2009, and this new track, Bonnie Brae, comes from his second album which is due in early 2013. It's good, and you'll find the download link below with the rest of this week's offerings.

Your downloads this week are:

Los Campesinos! - A Doe To A Deer

Deptford Goth - Union

Emily and the Woods - Small Song

Shaun Keaveny - Cheddar Cheese (National Treasure)

Harper Simon - Bonnie Brae

Some tracks may no longer be availabe for download.

Today's Christmas Memory Taper is one Andrew Sibley who writes...

"I started this mix what must be approaching 10 years ago, and through the marvel that is iTunes I've been able to tweak it each year. It's a mixture of usual subjects, cheesy favourites, and some much less well known. Hope you like it."

Luckily, we do. Here are the tracks:

Eels - Christmas Is Going To The Dogs

Wizzard - I Wish It Could Be Christmas

The Beach Boys - Merry, Christmas Baby

Darlene Love - White Christmas

The Ronettes - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

Elton John - Step Into Christmas

Paul Simon - Getting Ready For Christmas Day

Bob Dylan - The Christmas Blues

Wham! - Last Christmas

Otis Redding - Merry Christmas Baby

Brook Benton - Soul Santa

Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)

The Crystals - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Please Come Home For Christmas - James Brown

Back Door Santa - Clarence Carter

Ain't No Chimneys in The Projects - Sharon Jones

Soulful Christmas - James Brown

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - The Beach Boys

Must Be Santa - Bob Dylan

Solomon Burke - Presents For Christmas

Al Green - Christmas Song

Prince - Another Lonely Christmas

Mud - Lonely This Christmas

John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

Slade - Merry Christmas Everybody

The Pogues - Fairytale Of New York

Eels - Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas

Hey, you; email Lauren your Memory Tape now! We just need tracklisting and the story behind it. It can be made by you or for you.

As an extra special Christmas treat, today’s MPFree is from our very own Shaun Keaveny. This track features a plethora of music legends; Mark King from Level 42 on bass, Craig Potter and Guy Garvey of Elbow on keys/backing vocals, and Matt Everitt of Brit-pop sensations Menswear on drums. Feast your ears!

Shaun Keaveny – Cheddar Cheese (National Treasure)

You can also watch a special behind the scenes video - Rattle and Bum: The Making of Cheddar Cheese (National Treasure)

The midweek MPFREE this week comes from London solo artist Emily and the Woods. Emily has just concluded a UK tour, and new recorded material is coming from her soon. In the meantime here’s a little something to whet your appetite:

Emily and the Woods – Small Song

We continue with the free festive downloads this week, the difference is we had nothing to do with this one.

It comes from Los Campesinos! and is a one-off stand-alone single for Christmas. The band have had a pretty quiet year and didn't release an album, so expect something from the band in the new year...possibly.

Los Campesinos! - A Doe To A Deer

Your third and final festive MPFree comes from the Haim sisters. They were a lively bunch when they came in to see Lauren; possibly our liveliest ever.

Haim with Lauren Laverne

They finish a brilliant year of touring with Florence & The Machine releasing excellently received EPs, with a place on the Sound Of 2013 list. Congrats!

Download:

Haim - The Chanukah Song (MP3)

This track will be available from 11.15am on 14 December 2012 until 11:15am on 21 December 2012. To download, right click on the links and choose 'Save Target As' (if you're using a Mac it's Ctrl+click).

This week's festive Memory Taper is Ruth Bond, who writes...

"Last year, my Christmas obsessed, heaven-sent, festive angel of a friend Ross, compiled me a Christmas song advent calendar.

"Every morning throughout the month of December my inbox was stuffed with an MP3 and a Christmas picture. It's definitely the best Christmas present I ever had."

Nice one Ross. Here's the tracks

December 1st - Santa Claus - The Sonics

December 2nd - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Bright Eyes

December 3rd - White Christmas - Otis Redding

December 4th - Come On! Let's Boogie to the Elf Dance - Sufyan Stevens

December 5th - Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) - Arab Strap

December 6th - Back Door Santa - Clarence Carter

December 7th - Merry Christmas Baby - Ike & Tina Turner

December 8th - Little Drummer Boy - Lou Rawls

December 9th - Are You Coming Over for Christmas? - Belle & Sebastian

December 10th - Snowboardin' - The Pearlfishers

December 11th - Little Donkey - Camera Obscura

December 12th - If I get Home on Christmas Day - Elvis

December 13th - Hard Candy Christmas - Dolly Parton

December 14th - What Christmas Means to Me - Stevie Wonder

December 15th - Last Christmas - I LIKE TRAINS

December 16th - Everybody's Waiting for the Man With the Bag - Kay Starr

December 17th - It's Christmas - Jimmy Wakely

December 18th - Purple Snowfakes - Marvin Gaye

December 19th - Gee Whiz, It's Christmas - Carla Thomas

December 20th - White Christmas - Idiot Glee

December 21st - The Christmas Song - The Raveonettes

December 22nd - Christmas On Riverside Drive - August Darnell

December 23rd - It's Christmas Time - Yo La Tengo

December 24th - Merry Christmas Baby - Charles Brown

December 25th - Grandpa's Christmas Wish from the Walton's Christmas Album.

Are you gonna send us your Memory Tape? Go on... email Lauren.

Welcome to the second of our trio of exclusive festive MPFrees. All this year, we have been asking our session guests to record us a festive track on the quiet. Some did, and now we are bringing you the results, for free.

Yesterday we gave you Stubborn Heart’s version of White Christmas, and today, young Mr Sital-Singh presents God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

Luke Sital-Singh with Lauren Laverne

He’s had a great year, with the release of an excellent EP and positive noises in all the right places. His debut album is expected in early 2013.

Download:

Luke Sital-Singh – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (MP3)

This track will be available from 11.15am on 13 December 2012 until 11:15am on 20 December 2012. To download, right click on the links and choose 'Save Target As' (if you're using a Mac it's Ctrl+click).

Across the year, we have been asking our session guests to record a secret extra festive track. Today, we can give you the first of these for free! Yes, free! I know...

Back in early November, Stubborn Heart performed live on Gilles Peterson’s programme. As well as performing Starting Block and Need Someone live, they also recorded a version of White Christmas which you can download or listen to below.

The duo have had an excellent year, which was capped with the release of their eponymous debut album in November.

Gilles Peterson with Stubborn Heart

Download:

Stubborn Heart - White Christmas (MP3)

This track will be available from 11.45am on 12 December 2012 until 11.45am on 19 December 2012. To download, right click on the link and choose 'Save Target As' (if you're using a Mac, it's Ctrl+click).

Your MPFree today is a big sound from LA. The Radar Bros. are a five-piece who're just about to hit album number eight and have called the album... Eight.

It's released in January and follows 2010's The Illustrated Garden which was released, like Eight, through Merge Records.

Radar Bros - If We Were Banished

Your MPFree today is a song which Lauren played last week and triggered a massive reaction.

Nils Frahm is a Berlin based pianist who has collaborated with Efterklang and counts Thom Yorke and Kieron Hebden as fans.

A week ago he released his latest album Screws which he is giving away for free. This track is the opening track to that album.

Nils Frahm - You

We have a free Christmas song on the EP this week which may well become a regular thing across the coming weeks.

Your tracks this week are:

Dutch Uncles - Flexxin

Team Me - Sixteen Steps

The Cornshed Sisters - A Very Cornshed Christmas

Beach Fossils - Careless

Atoms For Peace - What The Eyeballs Did

Some downloads may no longer be available.

This week's guest is Dan Howarth in London, who writes...

"Thought you might like a little perusal of this compilation I made for my friend Rose when her daughter Miranda was born a few years back. The thinking behind it was to accompany a late afternoon into evening and bedtime for the baby, starting off nice and upbeat, fun and kid friendly with a bit of dancing round the room and getting a bit more chilled and winding down and a touch emotional along the way!

"It must be noted that this was before the birth of my own daughter and the understanding that comes with that that there is no such thing as a smooth transition from fun times to sleep time! We played it in our house when my daughter Kit was born 2 years ago so a good few of the tunes now hold a special place in our history too.

"Looking back some of the subject matter is not quite as appropriate as I thought at the time, but hey, great tunes all the same! Hope you like."

And here are the tracks...

I'm a Cuckoo - Belle and Sebastian

Jump - Kid Carpet

Teddy Bear - Elvis Presley

His Majesty King Raam - Lemon Jelly

Three is the Magic Number - Bob Dorough

Hello Sunshine - Super Furry Animals

Ooh Child - The Five Stair Steps

Beast For Thee - Matt Sweeny & Bonnie Prince Billie

The first time I ever I saw your face - Roberta Flack

Sé Lest - Sigur Ros

Cool Waves - Spiritulized

Bird Gerhl - Anthony & The Johnsons

Email Lauren a tracklisting and the story behind the mix and next week it could be you!

Hi there, your MPFree today is a new track from Brooklyn three-piece Beach Fossils.

Beach Fossils released their debut album back in 2010, but because of other bands such as Diiv getting in the way (Diiv singer Cole is also in Beach Fossils) it's taken until now to get a second album off the ground.

Next year will see the release of Clash The Truth through Captured Tracks Records, and this is an early taster.

Beach Fossils - Careless

As you may have noticed since December 1st, we're fully embracing Christmas on the show. Today is no different, as the MPFree is 100% solid Christmas.

It comes from the Cornshed Sisters who are releasing a double A-side single which was recorded by Pete Brewis in Field Music's studio. You can download both tracks for free below.

The Cornshed Sisters - A Very Cornshed Christmas

Your MPFree today comes from Norwegian five-piece Team Me. The band have just release an EP which is sort of a Christmas EP with directly being about Christmas; it just sounds like Christmas.

It's called the Female Lead EP and features some songs which were written during the recording of their debut album. Merry Christmas!

Team Me - Sixteen Steps

Your MPFree today comes from Dutch Uncles.

The Marple five-piece release their third album on 14th January which will be called Out Of Touch In The Wild. The band will then hit the road in February for a full UK tour.

This is an early taster from that album which will be release through Memphis Industries.

Dutch Uncles - Flexxin