Describing his band’s rapid rise to fame, frontman Luke Pritchard said, “It was really quick how it all happened, we did a demo with a mate of ours in London, which we sent off to one guy to get some gigs, and he turned out to be a manager. He rung us up and it kind of went from there.”

What the guys may have lacked in experience, they clearly made up for with natural star power. To wit, when trying to land their first gig, Pritchard and drummer Paul Garred walked into a venue and talked with the manager with nothing more than the clothes on their back to land themselves a spot on the bill. Surprisingly, it worked.

“So we went in to get a gig, we don’t have a demo,” said Garred, “And this guy told us, ‘Well, you can’t get a gig if you don’t have a demo, but I like your hats, so I’m going to give you a gig.”

Must have been some hats!

If you’re attending Bonnaroo this year, be sure to check out The Kooks in what’s sure to be one of the highlight performances of the festival.

For more information on this year’s Bonnaroo and free music from the musicians that will be there, check out our past Bonnaroo coverage.

Things start out with Mackintosh Braun‘s remix of Chromeo‘s “When the Night Falls.” An excellent dance remix with an added flavor of 80′s synth pop, the remix is definitely one to get the night going. The female vocals provide a nice counterpart to Chromeo singer Dave 1′s seductive lyrics and are a nice reference to the sounds of 80′s New York synth stars likeMadonna, Lisa Lisa and 9.9.

Quantic & Alice Russell bring us back to Earth with the gorgeous soul track “Here Again.” With a incredible wind section (jazz flute!), funky drums, and strings, it’s a track that really lives up to the name of its genre – one of those songs that you feel deep down inside you.

Brooklyn R&B singer Blood Orange has been release tantalizing glimpses of his upcoming debut album. Class Actress gives one of the best of these songs “Forget It” a lush remix. Blood Orange‘s hooky vocals (what a chorus!) and slow-burn tempo are left intact but some heavy drums and snakey synth lines are added to great affect.

Leo Zero does a spaced out remix of The Golden Filter‘s song “Kill Me,” creating an ethereal atmosphere for singer Penelope Trappes’ sensual, breathy vocals to float in. The track moves with purpose though, driven by a steady drumbeat and throbbing bassline. It’s the kind of track that  lures you onto the dancefloor without you even knowing it.

Classic electronic group The Chrystal Method are back with a remix of MEIKO‘s “Leave the Lights On.” This one’s pure dance pop, with a baroque arsenal of synthesizer melodies swirling about. MEIKO‘s vocals really sell the track, her tone and lyrics setting a slightly ominous edge to her lyrics.

California garage rocker Ty Segall has been on an absolute tear lately, releasing music at a breakneck pace. What’s most impressive is that everything he does ROCKS. The guy can write guitar riffs in his sleep. “Wave Goodbye” is no exception, with heavily distorted licks that level everything in their path.

Chet Faker wraps things up on a high note. His cover of Blackstreet‘s classic anthem “No Diggity” is sublime. His subdued, hazy take on the original  is guaranteed to make you feel good.

That’s it for this week! Enjoy the tunes and enjoy your weekend!

For more free music, check out our past RCRD LBL Essential Playlists.

Or grab a Free MP3 of the Day!

Today we have some free music for you from a couple of bands looking to make it to the big time this year – City & Colour andMiMOSA.

City & Colour

Canada-based City & Colour (a.k.a. Dallas Green) is a singer-songwriter blessed with a beautiful voice and a strong sense of melody. His songs, like “Northern Wind” blend soft acoustic melodies with subtle production flourishes to support the main attraction – his rich vocals and literate lyrics.

His new album, 2011′s Little Hell explores the little heavens and little hells that comprise a relationship and, as Green explains, “the things you do to get through them both.” The theme of ups and downs runs throughout the album. Green has found that life is not one constant thing, but rather a balance of both the blissful and harrowing experiences. “You have to go through those little hells,” he says, “To get to the really great parts of love and life.”

MiMOSA

San Francisco producer MiMOSA has a unique style, creating tracks that are somewhere between hip hop beats and UK electronic styles like garage and dub. With a keen ear for sonic experimentation his tracks manage to be loads of fun while sounding like little else out there.

In just a few short years he’s shared the stage with standard-bearers likeBenga,Skream,Rusko,Datsik, Glitch Mob, Pretty Lights, Bassnectar and Flying Lotus. He’s also played festivals and shows across North America, including Coachella, Symbiosis Gathering, Burning Man, Decibel Festival, and Red Rocks Amphitheatre. This will be his debut at Bonaroo!

For more Bonnaroo Spotlight coverage, click HERE.

The label continued to grow its artist roster and create some landmark moments in dance music history with the success of tracks like Space Cowboys ‘I Would Die For U’ and Chamonix ‘How Did You Know’ along witha string of Armand Van Helden “bangers” as he likes to call them!

As well as keeping the dance floors of the world busy Southern Fried has continued to work with new artists on albums and projects. The past two years  has been as exciting as ever for the label with new signings The 2 Bears impressing with their first EP and recently released album, Italian Cosmic wondersLuca C & Brigante, French blog favorites The Shoes as well as Kashii with his 2 step ethereal sound.

Further outings with upcoming DJ’s and producers like Keith & Supabeatz, Sticky K and NT89 have kept our floors and minds rocking whilst The Whip are busy with album two, The Black Ghosts make whispers about new music and Armand promises new music soon. Whilst many worry about the ‘state of the industry’, Southern Fried Records continues to thrive…

Crookers – Hummus

Crookers are an Italian DJ/production duo (Bot and Phra) who have worked together since 2003. When the two artists met, both were trying to branch out of their genre and explore dance music. ‘Hummus’ is taken from ‘Dr Gonzo’ the duo’s recently released second album.

Click HERE for a free download of “Hummus”

The 2 Bears – Ghosts & Zombies

The 2 Bears are a London-based musical duo formed in 2009 composed of Joe Goddard (of electronic band Hot Chip) and Raf Rundell. The duo produces original material amalgamating various styles including 2-step, house, hip-hop and soul. ‘Ghosts & Zombies’ is taken from their debut album titled ‘Be Strong’.

Click HERE for a free download of “Ghosts & Zombies”

The Whip – Keep Or Delete

The Whip is an electronic rock band from Manchester, UK, formed in 2006. Consisting of Danny Saville, Fiona “Lil Fee” Daniel, Nathan Sudders and Bruce Carter the trio released their debut album in 2008 to critical acclaim and last year followed that up with ‘Wired Together’ which this track is taken from.

Click HERE for a free download of “Keep Or Delete”

Click HERE for more Label of the Week features.

Ramona Falls kicks things off with the dar, moody “Brevony.” An ominous piano line and skittering drums compliment the quietly menacing vocals. The track steadily builds to an all out rocker of a chorus with an all out assault of distorted guitar on the chorus. Somewhat reminiscent of tracks off of Radiohead‘s OK Computer (“Climbing Up the Walls,” perhaps).

Up next is Baths‘ beautiful remix of Emily Well‘s song “Piece of It.” A quiet, atmospheric track, it features Well’s chopped vocals and pillow-soft synths that give it a dream-like quality. Listening to it is an experience akin (as the album art suggests) to remembering some far off childhood memory. You can’t remember exactly what happened but small details are distinct details and there is a strong sensation of the overall emotion you were feeling.

Mohn‘s “Saturn” is like a modern day Krafterwek track – propulsive synth lines and a steady beat, perfect for speeding down the Autobahn.

Anika and BestMate team up to remix Bear In Heaven‘s “Sinful Nature.” Post rock guitar riffs weave in and out of a thumping electronic beat as distorted vocals float in and out of the mix. Taken separately the pieces are discordant, but Anika and BestMate weave them together expertly to make an intriguing, original sound.

SL Jones spits bars over a hot beat provided by DJ Burn One on “Dare”. Chronicling his daily struggles, SL Jones tells it like it is. “I do anything risk everything, it still ain’t enough,” he laments.

Noise punks Dope Body are pure energy on “Weird Mirror.” An awesomely catchy track, it’s like a musical 5 Hour Energy.

YACHT wrap things up with their funky, futuristic dance track “Le Goudron.” Le goudron translates to “the tar” in English, which is appropriate because this song makes me think about long nights out at the discoteque with lots of cigarette breaks.

That’ll do it for this week’s playlist! If you’re looking for more free music be sure to check out past RCRD LBL Essentials Playlists or grab some Free MP3′s of the Day!

And for a little taste of the man himself, here’s the video for Licensed to Ill classic “Fight For Your Right”:

Looking for more free music? Check out our other Playlists

Taking place every year in the beautiful Great Stage Park in Manchester, Tenessee, Bonnaroo attracts some of the biggest names in the music industry every year. The lineup generally focuses around the jam-band, folk, and rock genres, but in recent years has expanded to include a wider variety of music. This year the festival will host what may be its most diverse range of acts, with everything from Santigold to Skrillex making an appearance.

Classic Bonnaroo favorites likePhish, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Avett Brothers and Dispatch will all be playing on the main stages, ensuring that everyone gets their fill of feel good Americana rock n’ roll.

If you are there to party, however, there will be plenty of shows where you can get your dance on. Diplo and Switch’s Jamaican dancehall project Major Lazer will be playing, as will the inevitable party starterLudacris.

To get you in the Bonnaroo mood, we’ve got tracks from two bands who are surely high up on the list of must-see shows.

Fitz & the Tantrums

First up is California blue eyed soul group Fitz & the Tantrums. Exploding onto the music scene last year, Fitz & the Tantrums have taken the music world by storm with their infectious soul revival.

Michael “Fitz” Fitzpatrick was inspired to start his band one day after he bought an old church organ and found himself enthralled by the instrument’s sound. The very first night he had it, he wrote the song “Breaking The Chains of Love,” the first track on their album.  “Sometimes, the Music Gods just give it to you,” Fitz says.

White Denim

Next up is Austin rock group White Denim.  White Demin have been cranking out quality energetic guitar rock for a number of years now, but their new album D, their first on Downtown Records, takes their sound to the next level. The track “Street Joy” is an expert exercise in creating power through subtly and restraint. Quiet guitars, a lonely organ and singer James Patrelli’s plaintive vocals mesh to create a true sense of atmosphere.

To kick things off, David Lynch, the esteemed director (who apparently also dabbles in music?!) gives Moby‘s track “The Poison Tree” a dark, moody remix in the way that only the man behind such twisted films as Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive could. Featuring a heavy, plodding bassline, the track has a nocturnal, film noir quality to it that is complemented by the sensual female vocals. Not exactly dancefloor material, but utterly captivating nonetheless.

The Phenomenal Handclap Band ratchets up the energy level with their plucky “Radio Girls.” The funky bassline and strong female vocals give this track a serious disco groove.

Stalley and Curren$y chill things out a bit with “Hammers and Vogues.” Two of the hottest up and coming rappers in the game, the results are always stellar when these two get together. For further evidence check out “Address,” one of the highlights off of Curren$y’s excellent album Pilot Talk.

Indie pop godhead Dntel (aka Jimmy Tamberello, who is one half of The Postal Service and Figurine) opened up many indie rockers ears to the allure of electro-pop with his classic track “(This is) The Dream of Evan and Chan.” “Bright Night” is a brand new track that features his signature lush, melodic electronic production.

Keep Shelly in Athens turns Tycho’s “Dive” into an atmospheric track that sounds like the soundtrack to slow-motion underwater footage (in a good way).

Felix‘s “Oh Thee 73″ features more lovely female vocals. The track starts off sparse and contemplative, and slowly buildings with more instrumentation to a beautiful crescendo.

Cities Aviv wraps ups the playlist on a completely manic note. Squalls of distortion fire off at regular intervals in something that comes close to resembling a beat. Heavily reverbed rap vocals float around in the mix, creating what is wholely original sounding track.

After closing the store in 1997, the label was born. Early releases from the Icelandic trio of Bjork, Sigur Rós and múm brought the label much success and paved the way for other new acts including indie rockers The Twilight Sad, as well as experimental powerhouses; Animal Collective and Black Dice.

Fat Cat also has an imprint label called 130701 (named after the date of its inception: 13 July 2001), home for ‘post-classical’ music, the imprint was later appended with the signing of pianist/composers, Sylvain Chauveau, Max Richter, and most recently Hauschka.

Fat Cat’s current roster of artists includes the likes of Mazes, Milk Maid, The Twilight Sad, We Were Promised Jetpacks,  Breton, Vashti Bunyan, Nina Nastasia, Max Richter, Gregory and the Hawk,Brakes and Maps & Atlases among others..

Milk Maid – Do Right

Fronted by Martin Cohen the ex-bassist of Nine Black Alps. Milk Maid champion a DIY aesthetic with recording produced in his apartment. Cohen’s take on pop melodies with a twist of noise is reminiscent of acts such as Lovvers and Kurt Vile. ‘Do Right’, is taken from the forthcoming Milk Maid album titled ‘Mostly No’ out on Fat Cat, July 9th.

Click HERE for a free download of “Do Right”

Maps & Atlases – Winter

Winter is the first track to surface from the Chicago quartets recently released second album titled ‘Beware and Be Grateful‘.  Mixing tight math-rock guitar lines and pulsing drums ‘Winter’ couldn’t remind you more of summer festival sing-alongs.

Click HERE for a free download of “Winter”

Odonis Odonis – I’d Prefer Walking

Odonis Odonis was formed a little over a year ago by prolific bandleader Dean Tzenos. Now a three-piece found in Toronto they create their own take on lo-fi surf, punk and shoegaze. ‘I’d Prefer Walking is a non-album track.

Click HERE for a free download of “I’d Prefer Walking”

Click HERE for more Label of the Week features.

Penguin Prison‘s remix of Miike Snow’s single “Paddling Out” gives the track an effervescent groove. Bubbly synths and a bouncing bassline keep things moving nicely. When Miike Snow’s vocals come in singing “There’s someone here that laughs too hard at everything” it gives the dance party-oriented track an extra level of meta-social commentary.

Dive provide some earnest indie rocking with gorgeously layered guitar textures. The reverb laden production makes it an ideal track for those long hazy summer days that are almost upon us.

Fool’s Gold gets the party started back up with their finger snapping remix of Walk the Moon‘s “Anna Sun.” A bit more moody and atmospheric than the Penguin Prison remix, this track’s building song structure should nevertheless get people out on the dance floor.

NIHITI takes us off the deep end with their dark, ethereal track “Ghosts and Lovers.” The track is spare and haunting (as you might imagine from the title), and then explodes into a a track that is massive and still haunting.

Cadence Weapon lives up to his name on “Conditioning” lapping with some serious flow on an interesting beat that mixes and matches a wide range of different samples.

Father John Misty lets us down easy, wrapping up the playlist with lovely vocals and some brilliantly produced chamber pop. Just the thing you needed to wind down on Sunday.

Looking for more free music? Check out past RCRD LBL Essentials Playlist or grab some Free MP3′s of the Day!