so, it can be a tough thing to break into the music business – maybe not as hard as it once was when labels and contracts ruled (and when hopes disappeared when demos were tossed away without even a tiny listen), but tough none-the-less.

which is why something like strummerville: the joe strummer foundation for new music is a very cool thing.

a brief bio on the organization:

Strummerville is a registered charity that gives support to aspiring musicians and help to projects that help change the world through music.

Set up by the friends and family of Joe Strummer in the year after his death, the charity seeks to reflect Joe’s unique contribution to the music world by offering support, resources and performance opportunities to artists who would not normally have access to them.

even better, strummerville has an annual free album they give away each summer to help celebrate some of the artists they’re supporting. this year’s album, songs for the summer 2011, features:

The Joker & The Thief // Be The Boy
Bastille // Icarus
Dark Moon // Blackbird
The Welcome Committee // Rich Kids
Shooting Star Poets // That Boy Don’t Dance
La Rebla Fam // A British Morning
The Vagabonds // John Mellor
The Lights // Mostly Water
The Great Whale // Don’t Lost Your Mind
The Barker Band // Chapel
Benjamin Folke Thomas // Thoroughly Alone

i’ve recently written about bastille’s icarus, a song i like very much (you can read about it HERE). in addition, the album has several other standout songs, including be the boy, a folk-y homage to cat stevens, rich kids, a quasi-shoegazing throwback to 80’s/90’s pop, and mostly water, a sweet, catchy song ala the ocean blue (no pun intended!).

have a listen to the entire album below – and YES, it’s ALL TOTALLY FREE! you can download all or any of the songs you want.

Songs For The Summer 2011 by Strummerville

for those of you lucky enough to be going to glastonbury this year in late june, you can check out some of these bands/artists in the strummerville campfire sessions. go HERE to learn more.

want to know more about the album? go HERE to do so. then go HERE to learn more about strummerville and what you can do to help emerging musicians!