Sound Sunday is a feature offered every week 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.

Note that name your price albums can be downloaded for free by entering 0 in the price field. That said, we strongly recommend you to donate a few dollars for music you enjoy!

We welcome you to submit your music, send suggestions with free albums you have discovered, or request genres we haven’t covered in a while. For all Sound Sunday related inquiries, please contact Tina [tina at makeuseof dot com].

Cats Park - Face the Future

Genre: psychedelic, rock, trip hop

From their press kit: "Cats Park is a Saint Petersburg-based music band founded in 2010. The band's music is not strictly tied to any specific genre. The style that the band works in can be characterized as "trip rock", since elements of psychedelic rock and classic trip hop are the more prominent ones, among others. However, an attentive listener will spot indie, ethereal and many other stylistic facets in the mix.

Everything notable and important to know about the band, will be told by its music itself. The band communicates with their audience using a universal language of pretty and flexible melodies and laid-back ambient rhythms. These songs tell stories both eternal and ever-relevant: they're about love and human relationships, which is why they can touch anyone's heart."

Face the Future is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Marlon Penn - Independence?

Genre: independent, alternative, ambient, pop, rock

From his Last.fm profile: "In the fall of 2007, the first recordings were made for his debut solo album ‘Independence?’. Marlon Penn made all recordings in Roermond, at the Moon Studio. In the process of recording, both Marlon and producer Wouter Budé showed vision in pursuing an all anolog sound that would still appear to sound like the modern age.

‘Independence?’ offers a variety of atmospheres for everyone to enjoy.

The unique way of recording every sound helped develop an identity to all twelve tracks on the album. Without vocal auto-tuning. Without the use of any electronical instruments or VST instruments. But with a lot of diversity.

With songs of hope, love and consideration, Marlon Penn’s ‘Independence?’ could be the new Indie hit of the decade.

Even before releasing the album, Marlon Penn’s voice was being compared to Ryan Adams, Ben Harper, Jeff Buckley and even Thom Yorke in live reviews."

Independence? is a free download from Bandcamp.

The Riot Scene - Pride Like Lions

Genre: post-punk, rock

From their Facebook page: "The Riot Scene has been around since 2009 when they released a small collection of songs that were recorded at Matchbox Studios here in Texas. (...) [They play] well thought out, hard hitting, creative Punk influenced Indie Rock with an insatiable desire to get you off your ass and dance while looking at the world around you with a skeptical eye."

Pride Like Lions is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

The Manly Deeds - Flockheart EP

Genre: folk, roots

From their Facebook page: "Formerly known as The Middle East, The Manly Deeds plays a style of old-timey American roots music shaped as much by the landscapes of their Baltimore, Maryland, home as by the musical traditions they aspire to. Their songs reflect lives lived in the shadow of the Appalachian Mountains and pulled by Chesapeake Bay tides; nestled at the top of the south and the bottom of the north.

The five members use simple string and found instruments to create timeless songs that sound as comfortable plucked from a mountain porch as a city street corner. The band makes no claim to have lived all the lives they sing about, from road-weary travelers, bitter and battered sailors, to workers and lovers. In stead, they search out the common themes in our ordinary and extraordinary moments and the uncertain providence they all lead to."

Flockheart EP is a free download from Bandcamp.

Pity Sex - Dark World

Genre: indie, emo, punk

From their label page: "Hailing from Ann Arbor, MI, Pity Sex specialize in foggy, lo-fi noise pop and fuzzed-out, blown-speaker walls of sound, all with their own midwestern emo subtleties. Situated somewhere at the convergence of Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth and Hum, the bands quietest moments are defeated reflections with plaintive instrumentals. It's loudest are desperate cries washed in searing, reverby overdrive."

Dark World is a free download from Bandcamp.

Gumshen - Everything What We Recorded

Genre: alternative, pop, progressive rock

According to their Twitter profile, "Gumshen sounds like King Crimson and Weezer adopting Elton John, renaming him Prince, and celebrating with a sunbeam of absinthe." In other words, they are diverse. I guess Seattle does that to you.

Everything What We Recorded is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Beats Antique - Cat Skillz REMIXES [No Longer Available]

Genre: experimental, electronic, blues, remix

From their Facebook profile: "Growing like wildfire under the canopy of live electonica and world roots music comes Beats Antique, a masterful merge of modern technology, live instrumentation and seductive performance. Beats Antique combines the sounds of the Middle East and orchestral gypsy music with the styles of hip-hop, brass band, downtempo, glitch and dubstep in a new collage of music that is mixed and broken down with clever breakbeats for an adept international flair. Beats Antique is producing an un-charted style of music by adding live horns, accordion, glockenspiel, viola, string quartets, kalimba, clarinet and various unusual instruments to their big beat arrangements."

Cat Skillz REMIXES is a free download from Bandcamp.

Thomas Prime - The Night & Day EP

Genre: ambient, chillout, lounge, chillwave, jazz, jazzy hop hop

Thomas Prime is a hip hop and jazz-hop producer form London, UK and the co-founder of the netlabel Cult Classic Records.

The Night & Day EP is a free download from MediaFire (direct URL!).

Weird Science - The Lo-Fi Experiment

Genre: independent, lo-fi, soul, hip hop, rap

From the album page: "Prosthetik Intelligentz' own hip-hopper Ezzie B. teams up with Fayetteville North Carolina-based producer R8dr to form "Weird Science." As a Hip-Hop offering, they present "The Lo-Fi Experience." Produced entirely by R8dr, and completely two-track recorded. Underground Hip-Hop at it's finest."

The Lo-Fi Experiment is a free download from Bandcamp.

And More...

Enjoyed one of these albums? Pay it back and share this article or the albums you liked. If you really appreciated a particular album, please donate to the respective artist, so they can continue releasing great music.

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.