Courage by Jim Tyrrell

My own experience suggests a huge lot of the music on the internet falls into one of two categories: repetitive electronic dance or folky acoustic of the sort you hear at every open mic in the neighborhood. Jim Tyrrell's Courage fits pretty well into the latter. If I heard this at an open mic, it'd be a surprisingly good night.

http://www.songfight.org/music/courage/jimtyrrell_courage.mp3

Cream by General Fuzz

General Fuzz has so much good downtempo electronic music, it can be intimidating to sort through. I didn't pick Cream as a place to start because it's my favorite. It makes a great starter because it's short, pretty, and accessible.

http://www.generalfuzz.net/mp3/Cool%20Aberrations/cream.mp3

Sometimes You Hear It Coming by Deceptikon

Sometimes You Hear It Coming is ambient hip hop chillout music.

http://aurgasm.us/music/Deceptikon%20-%20Sometimes%20You%20Hear%20It%20Coming.mp3

Rick Flare Instrumental by The Real Estate Agents

I've recently been opening up songs in my browser's movie player applet while I had music playing in another application, forgetting that my browser starts playing the song right away instead of waiting for me to start it. The result: a cacophony that sounds like oddly structured experimental music. It's a challenge to sort out while it's playing, a challenge I enjoy.

Rick Flare Instrumental is a great track to try this with. Start it out of sync with itself or with some other song and enjoy some confusion. By itself it sounds like so many repeating loops fighting with each other for your attention.

http://www.africandope.co.za/downloads/audio/misc/real_estate_agents-rick_flare_instrumental.mp3

Passive aggressive ia all we have. You Can't shout underwater by Cherly KaCherly

The most user-friendly act I've come across on birdsong is Cherly KaCherly. The song titles are wonderful; witness Passive aggressive ia all we have. You Can't shout underwater. The track are interesting experimental chillout instrumentals.

And they are available in even tinier vorbis format.

http://www.archive.org/download/birdsong028/03_Cherly_KaCherly-Drop_vbr.mp3
http://www.archive.org/download/birdsong028/03_Cherly_KaCherly-Drop.ogg

More Cowbell by Marco Raaphorst

Today, a bit of eerie Dutch electronica by Marco Raaphorst. Despite it's title, this one might not satisfy your desire for More Cowbell.

http://melodiefabriek.nl/audio/mp3/Melodiefabriek.nl_-_More_Cowbelll.mp3

Einhorn 22 by Ugress

Ugress just put out another EP, Schizophonica. He takes a stomping electronic tune and twists it over and around itself for Einhorn 22.

http://ugress.com/media/mp3/Ugress-Einhorn22.mp3

Wedding Day by Marla Hansen

Marla Hansen plays viola and writes "quiet songs for quiet people". If you feel quiet for a moment, spend that moment listening to Wedding Day.

http://aurgasm.us/music/julija/Marla%20Hansen%20-%20Wedding%20Day.mp3

Brownie Points by The Bovine Recyclery

Silly fun pop songs are Plat's specialty. It gets Bovine Recyclery Brownie Points with the nur ein judges: enough to come within one point of winning the Brownie Points back in 2007.

http://noise.dillfrog.com/audio/nurein2/bore_brownie_points.mp3

Hiding Behind The Moon by Jeff Hanson

Jeff Hanson has a beautiful voice perfect for sensitive pop. It matches the simple solo guitar of Hiding Behind the Moon wonderfully.

http://i.listentokrs.com/bands/jeffhanson/audio/HidingBehindMoon.mp3

Out Of Digital Squareheadz by Sleepy Town Manufacture

Out of Digital Squareheadz is one of Sleepy Town Manufacures faster, darker sounding tunes. It's on that half of For Me and for You that's not for you.

http://www.archive.org/download/mtk126/mtk126-stm-cd2-for-me-04-out-of-digital-squareheadz.mp3

Stuck Down A Mineshaft by Real Frogs

Song Fight! is a rich mine for amateurish rock, and Real Frogs have a winner Stuck Down a Mineshaft.

http://songfight.org/music/mineshaft/realfrogs-stuckdownaminesha.mp3

Sunny Again by The John Benjamin Band

The JB is full of sensitive pop tunes like Sunny Again. Here's hoping his part of the story behind yesterday's song doesn't go like his poor narrator's experience with Sunny.

http://www.songfight.org/music/sunny_again/jb_sunny.mp3

I Command You To Be My Woman by Brad Sucks

There's a little story behind I Command You to be My Woman that might be worth reading. It's a pretty dumb song, and Brad Sucks is terribly good making dumb charming and fun.

http://www.bradsucks.net/music/demos/Brad_Sucks_-_I_Command_You_to_Be_My_Woman_(demo).mp3

Seasong by The Apartment

Seasong tells you what it's all about in its title, starting out with sounds like waves crashing on a beach and incorporating sounds that remind you of the deep via cheesy vintage sci-fi film. Best of all, it was composed as part of the soundtrack for a movie about a boy who falls in love with a fish.

http://www.gondolamusic.com/mp3s/newstuff/seasong.mp3

Un Été Sans Fin Kira Neris

Romantic hearts will cherish Un Été Sans Fin. It brings me to long summer days with gorgeous downtempo jazz mixed topped off with perfectly placed vocal samples.

http://aurgasm.us/music/kyle/Kira%20Neris%20-%20Un%20Ete%20Sans%20Fin.mp3

From Dust To Dust by Brother Machine

From Dust to Dust is one of those pop songs that Brother Machine seems to put out so effortlessly. If you can't get enough auto-tuned singing you should especially love this one.

http://bromachine.msspro.com/music/across%20the%20pond%2008%20from%20dust%20to%20dust.mp3

Open Your Eyes by ADD

The electronic synth pop of Open Your Eyes ends Divider Why Are You Doing This? much noisier than it started.

http://actdead.com/mp3s/divider_10_eyes.mp3

Huah by Podington Bear

Huah starts you with a strong beat and moves into familiar Pod Bear melodies. But about halfway through something else happens. It's still playful and recognizably Podington Bear, but the melody takes a back seat to fuller percussion punctuated with forceful "Huah!"

http://podingtonbear.com/podcasts/JulyOriginal/Huah.mp3

The Butterfly On The Snow by Masguda Shamsutdinova

Masguda Shamsutdinova has a handful of fascinating compositions to download. The Butterfly on the Snow is definitely the shortest, and it's a beautiful piece that ended up in overplay back in the day over at oddio.

http://www.tatars.com/music/Masguda%20-%20Butterfly%20on%20the%20Snow.mp3

I'm Confused by Handsome Furs

Another new Handsome Furs album means more sample songs, in this case a dirty electro-rock tune called I'm Confused. The video starts off in the band-performing-the-song formula, but quickly becomes a zombie chase that culminates in exchanging horrible black ooze.

http://subpop.com/assets/audio/5264.mp3
http://subpop.com/assets/video/5373.mov

Soldier by Slumber Party

Kill Rock Stars free sample page is well worth plundering. Among Slumber Party's songs there you can find Soldier, a down-tempo rock tune with some spacey guitars.

http://i.listentokrs.com/bands/slumberparty/audio/Soldier.mp3

Glass Eye by c hack

A thirty second chain gang chant for you: Glass Eye by c hack.

http://www.songfight.org/music/glass_eye/chack_ge.mp3

I Was Wrong by Trost

Trost unloads a torrent of things she did wrong over shuffling muffled beats and piano triplets. It all sounds wonderfully right in I Was Wrong.

http://aurgasm.us/music/Trost%20-%20I%20was%20Wrong.mp3

Pictures From Stanford by We Vs. Death

Post-rock can get boring, but We Vs. Death have a way of moving around in a piece that keeps me interested. They also have a knack for titles, such as today's song, Pictures from Stanford.

http://www.beepbeep.nl/wp-content/music/we-vs-death/we-too-are-concerned/02%20Pictures%20From%20Stanford.mp3

Pompa by El Circulo De Willis

El Circulo de Willis offer a fine blend of jazz and rock styles with songs like Pompa. As usual, I recommend getting the song in ogg vorbis format. Real audiophiles even have a lossless FLAC version for full CD quality sound.

http://www.archive.org/download/Cuadrado/1Pompa_vbr.mp3
http://www.archive.org/download/Cuadrado/1Pompa.ogg
http://www.archive.org/download/Cuadrado/1Pompa.flac

Jewish Women by Panic Ensemble

Jewish Women always promise you everything and then cut off your hand. If you don't believe me (and you shouldn't), believe Panic Ensemble. With a name like that, how can you not trust them?

http://aurgasm.us/music/julija/Panic%20Ensemble%20-%20Jewish%20Woman.mp3

Edison's Medicine by State Shirt

Edison the dog needs his medicine. This inspires State Shirt to do a lovely tune for his companion canine, Edison's Medicine.

http://stateshirt.com/audio/dontdie/07%20Edison%27s%20Medicine.mp3

Satomi Matsuzaki by Tiny Creatures

The Birdsong netlabel is "specializing in creative home recordings". It makes me expect experimental lo-fi sounds, and that's exactly what I find in songs likeSatomi Matsuzaki. Great for when you want to hear something really different and don't need it to sound pretty.

http://www.archive.org/download/birdsong024/03_satomi_matsuzaki.mp3

Pass/Fail by All Night Bakery

The votes for Pass/Fail gave All Night Bakery a pass, but the lyrics tell a story of failure.

http://www.songfight.org/music/pass_fail/allnightbakery_passfail.mp3

20/20 by Josh Woodward

20/20 is a pretty little down tempo pop tune of the sort that Josh Woodward seems to have an unending supply of.

http://www.joshwoodward.com/mp3/JoshWoodward-2020.mp3