Fine recordings by local musicians, yours for free

I can tell all the way from over here that your music collection is seriously lacking.

So, how about some of Vegas’ finest bands improve it for free? Lots of locals have albums available for download at no cost. Here are but a few that you need:

■ TIMOTHY STYLES (timothystyles.com/music): Timothy Styles’ recorded output is kind of like the goop in a lava lamp: formless, pretty neat. First, there’s Styles’ records fronting mildly glammy, way hammy rockers Skorchamenza. Then, a pair of albums with indie prog popsters The Big Friendly Corporation, easily one of the city’s best bands. Besides all that, Styles also has put out solo records, most recently “Experiments,” an album with a pretty acoustic sing-along about how unicorns pee grape soda and crap cupcakes. Now that’s more Styles than any of you deserve.

■ SHE TURNED US INTO TREES! (facebook.com/sheturnedusintotrees): This band broke up last year, just as it had sharpened its alternately sweet and Satan-voiced pop punk to the point that it could slice through tin cans. Bummer. But you can still grab their three releases and relive their alternately heartbroken and heart-palpitating catalog — and then pine for more.

■ AVENGER OF BLOOD (avengerofblood.bandcamp.com): Avenger of Blood wants to murder your face off, slap it back on, then murder it some more. You shouldn’t have to pay to die, right? Well, yes, when it’s such relentless glass-gargling death-thrash as this. But with a free download of their comeback three-song EP “Spawn of Evil,” these dudes are throwing you a bone — and then proceeding to break a crapload more.

■ TOTESCITY (totescity.com): The most recent mash-up mix from this DJ-producer duo, “Ouvrir//Format,” is a dance party for people bored with dance parties. Splicing Weezer with Rick Ross, bleeding the Wu-Tang Clan into Radiohead, cross-pollinating 50 Cent and Sufjan Stevens, it’s some sharp, knowing fun. Get it along with numerous remixes ranging from Aaliyah to Lana Del Rey for no charge and then take all the money you saved and buy these two a drink at their weekly Friday night residency at Artifice.

■ ALASKA/ORANGES (facebook.com/teamalaskalv): Two of Vegas’ more promising young bands, Alaska and Oranges, united for a split EP, “The Summer I Joined The Harlem Globetrotters,” in July 2012. Its title may be cheeky but the playing here is dead serious. These kids have some chops, as evidenced by Alaska’s equally explosive and textured postpunk and Orange’s variegated, come-at-you-from-all-angles math rock. Study on, dudes.

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com
or 702-383-0476.