Sound Sunday is a regular feature offered weekly here at MakeUseOf where we promote free album downloads. Every edition presents various genres and artists from around the world. This week we have a mix of rock, punk, electronic, and hip hop music. Don't ever dismiss an album for its genre, but do take a sound bite and prepare to be surprised. This edition highlights the Free Music Archive, a website that offers free downloads under Creative Commons and other licenses.

Please share your thoughts and post your feedback in the comments. Album submissions, suggestions, and genre requests via email [tina at makeuseof dot com] are most welcome!

M.W.D. - Singing Forest [Broken Link Removed]

Genre: downtempo, jazz, hip hop

From FMA: "Like his other label mates on Budabeats Netlabel M.W.D. loves Hip Hop, samples, Jazz and crackling vinyl. His approach on instrumental Downbeats is more cinematic and relaxed. The DJ from Hungary (...) knows how to melt funky guitar licks, short brass sounds and organ chords together, as clearly demonstrated on this record!"

Singing Forest is a free download from the Free Music Archive.

State Shirt - This Is Old

Genre: experimental, indie, rock, pop

From State Shirt's Homepage: "My real name is not State Shirt (it’s Ethan Tufts), but I do wear a lot of state shirts. (...) I’ve been told my music is kinda like if The Postal Service, Radiohead, Beck, Elbow, and Folk Implosion all got in a bar fight then make up over frosty Newcastle Ales. All of my music is open source and available for free. (...) If you like what you hear, please spread the word and consider buying a CD, MP3, or a t-shirt. It allows me to continue to make music. And I appreciate that so much."

This Is Old is a free download from the Free Music Archive.

Kyoto [Broken Link Removed] - Lo Que Vuelve Para Vengarse

Genre: experimental, pop, shoegaze, hardcore

From their FMA profile: "Kyoto was born in Zaragoza in late 2006 formed by Ivan Fanlo (drums), Isaac Moreira (bass and keyboards) and Alicia Puebla (vocals, keyboard), supplemented with small arrangements and influenced by bands like Slowdive, Isis, Red House Painters or Décima Victima, mixing different styles from shoegaze to more experimental hardcore, with lyrics in spanish. After two EP's, “Cuatro finales terroríficos” (2007) and “Tan sólo la muerte es definitiva” (2008), each with four songs on mini CD and a carefully designed, they released their first LP, "Lo que vuelve para vengarse" (2010) recorded, mixed and mastered by Hans Krüger (Delorean, Half Foot Outside, El Columpio Asesino), with a luxurious design and completely handmade. In fall 2011 they released a split vinyl 7" EP with The Fractal Sound, where we can find two of their songs in acoustic format in a limited edition in multiple colors."

Lo Que Vuelve Para Vengarse is a free download from the Free Music Archive.

The Underscore Orkestra - No Money No Honey All We Got Is Us

Genre: jazz, big band, swing

From their FMA profile: "The Underscore Orkestra is a Portland OR based band, playing a blend of Balkan, Klezmer, Gypsy Jazz and Swing, with a repertoire consisting of both original and traditional material. The Underscore Orkestra has been performing for the past 5 + years, touring all around the western U.S., Mexico and Guatemala and has been seen from intimate coffee shop setting all the way to huge outdoor festivals. We are also working with and interested in continuing to meet performance artists, jugglers, poets, storytellers, clowns, actors and tech folk alike…"

No Money No Honey All We Got Is Us is a free download from the Free Music Archive.

Jonah Dempcy - Syncretic Beliefs

Genre: instrumental, jazz, piano

From his Blogger profile: "I'm a musician living in Seattle. I make electronic jazz music under the moniker Revolution Void. My music is a mix of electronic breaks and jazz improvisation, featuring solos from some of the top players in modern jazz such as Seamus Blake, Lucas Pickford and Matthew Garrison."

Syncretic Beliefs is a free download from the Free Music Archive.

Fabrizio Paterlini - Viandanze

Genre: classical, piano

From his FMA profile: "Fabrizio Paterlini’s music has been defined as ambient, minimalist, graceful, sweet and relaxing: “a glass of red wine on a summer evening”, as he himself defines it. Recently, he released an EP - "Viandanze" a small preview of the entire full album that will be registered in 2009. In 2007, on the “Music Center” label, he released his debut CD, “Viaggi in Aeromobile” (Aircraft Trips): a delicate and elegant album that catapults the listener into the intimate world of the artist where he willingly allows himself to be transported by a sound of rare beauty.

Born in Mantua, Fabrizio started playing the piano at the age of 6. After many years studying classical music, he started perfoming with a number of bands, playing everything from progressive to hard rock, from jazz to pop. It was not until the end of the 90s that he decided to explore new musical paths, concentrating on the piano, the instrument that best expresses his inner world."

Viandanze is a free download from the Free Music Archive.

Evgeny Grinko - Cinematic Melodies [Broken Link Removed]

Genre: minimalism, composed

From his FMA profile: "Evgeny Grinko aka Greendaizer is best known for his work as a drummer for several Moscow-based underground bands, namely V.O.M., WOGULOW TAROUTZ VERMO, and MONROE'S PILLS. «I once did an arrangement of Joy Division's song Love Will Tear Us Apart for a Military Brass Band. I changed a bit their original. So, it sounded somewhere between ska-music and fast-tempo military march. We performed it at a street festival and it was just great! I've been dreaming of my own Street Orchestra since that time…» – says Greendaizer."

Cinematic Melodies is a free download from the Free Music Archive.

Chan Wai Fat - Children of Soul Mountain (Original Soundtrack)

Genre: folk, soundtrack

From his FMA profiles: "Chan Wai Fat is a musician from Hong Kong. He is a self-taught musician in his early year. (...) composed this original soundtrack for the play CHILDREN OF THE SOUL MOUNTAIN (LING SHAN) inspired by the daoist pilgrimage in Gao Xingjian's Nobel winning novel SOUL MOUNTAIN (LING SHAN). [He] visited the minority tribes along part of the Ling Shan path, resulting a re-interpretation of two traditional folk songs and seven new compositions with a mix of native recordings. This album is a selection of songs from the play, sung by elderly blind folk singer Po Sun-yi. Sun-yi was born and raised in Guizhou. This is the same region of southwestern China where composer Fat visited the Ling Shan Path and where Shamanistic customs and traditions still flourish."

Children of Soul Mountain (Original Soundtrack) is a free download from the Free Music Archive.

Blue Sausage Infant - Confessions of a Rogue Taxidermist

Genre: experimental, melodic, drone

From the project's FMA profile: "BLUE SAUSAGE INFANT is the work of Chester Hawkins of Washington DC. Since 1986, BSI has produced music that combines aspects of noise, drone, Krautrock, sample-plundering, dark ambient, and kosmische electronica to produce a multi-layered feast for the brain. Hawkins describes his music as "mean-spirited euphoria," a complex breed of long-form psychedelia with a hint of paranoia to augment the bliss."

Confessions of a Rogue Taxidermist is a free download from the Free Music Archive.

Spinnaface - Music For The People

Genre: disco, electronic, funk

From his homepage: "Spinnface first stepped on the scene in 2007 with his debut song & video Spinnface. Since then he has independently released 2 full length albums and over 58 original tracks. (...) Spinnface's diverse sound meshes a wide variety of genres to create his own unique style that has been described as "an 80s vission of what dance music might sound like in the future, super-smooth liquid digital funk" - Jason, FMA Admin (...) Spinnface is 100% independent! Just a man with an all chrome face who loves to make music, party and keep it spinnin!"

Music For The People is a free download from the Free Music Archive.

New to Sound Sunday? Past editions of Sound Sunday are available here.

Feel free to get in touch with me [tina at makeuseof dot com] to share free material, suggestions, and feedback or simply add your comments below.