Music knows no boundaries, and neither does this site.

Here you can find music from across the globe : rock music alongside Celtic folk music; hip hop and west African kora music; reggae and drum n bass. Some will be familiar to you and some won’t. Every song selected has a link to a music video, and I hope that as many of you as possible will click on some of the links and discover a track that brings a tingle to your spine.

Recent lists include my list of favourite female vocalists 2000 – 2009 (September 2009), and my top 50 songs of 2009.

All the lists here are my personal selections (though I’d be quite happy to host your own lists, following the same general format – contact me if you’d be interested in this). So I’ve tried to pick out songs that do something for me and which I really want to listen to again and again, but I’ve also seen to it that each list is properly researched and genuinely representative of the subject genre. Each time that I do this, I discover a whole host of great songs that I’d never heard before, so that I’m constantly expanding my musical knowledge !

Music to die for is also proud to showcase some of the most exciting new music being made across different genres. As well as checking out the main lists, I hope you’ll spend some time reading about my bands of the month and giving them a listen, as well as the young artists featured in my acoustic showcases.

A major recent addition to my site is my mp3 corner. For those of you who have an mp3 player, I provide free tunes to download by new or emerging artists and provide up to date links of places where you can get more free and legal music courtesy of the artists and the record labels themselves.

Finally, it’s great to get reactions : please leave a comment at the bottom of the page when you’ve had a good look at one of the lists (and let me know of any links that no longer work).

Nick

December 13 2009

Two more MTDF exclusives. Brooklyn based Amber Rubarth is a cut above other emerging singer songwriters : she writes with great sincerity and always finds the emotions to fit the song. This is Real is from her latest album Good Mystery. Cloud Nothings are a new band from Cleveland Ohio and this song from their debut release Turning On is two minutes of unbridled freshness and energy.

Amber Rubarth – This is Real

Cloud Nothings – Can’t Stay Awake

This month’s tour of free and legal downloads begins with a few record label websites. Sub Pop is one of the most famous indie labels, and the downloads on offer here include an exciting new artist, Avi Buffalo, who’s an 18 year old singer songwriter from Long Beach California; a track from the new album from Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba (whose previous album won Album of the Year at the 2008 BBC3 World Music Awards); and a song from the new remastered Nirvana album.

Serious Business Records offer tracks from a few lesser known names : I recommend The Unsacred Hearts who describe themselves as “American-styled old-school rock and roll. Riff-happy power trio fronted by one shoutin’ drunkard. Weird chords. Songs about airlinebottles, Dylanology and giving up on rock and roll.”

Bad Influences say “We are a new label based out of Bristol [UK]. As a taster of what we have lined up in 2010, we are currently giving away 2 free tracks both vocalled by Bristol 7 piece party animals Central Spillz.” If you enjoy a bit of raw UK grime the tracks are worth a download.

And finally to a couple of artists websites. Mississippi born folk country singer songwriter Caroline Herring is offering a selection of free tracks.

And you can also download for free Portofino, the hot new trippy trance track from the Ohio duo Teengirl Fantasy.

Older posts – with more mp3s – are now on the mp3 corner page

DECEMBER 2009

2009 has been an amazing year for White Belt Yellow Tag, the duo from Newcastle. They signed up with Distiller records, did their first tour dates in March, and have since released three singles (You’re Not Invincible, Tell Your Friends (It All Worked Out), and The Remains EP) together with three videos. Their latest myspace blog entry shows them all excited about the airplay their latest release has been getting and the response they’ve had at their November tour dates (“playing to loads of really responsive and cool people who seemed to get in really early and right down the front”).

If you liked the new Echo and the Bunnymen album, you’ll love WBYT. The soaring guitars and pummelling drums make it feel as though Britpop has never been away. Look out for the debut album Methods, dropping in early 2010.

You’re Not Invincible
Tell Your Friends (It All Worked Out)
Remains