A couple of years before Radiohead shocked the world with their 'pay what you want' model for In Rainbows, Jeff Rosenstock started the donation-based mp3 label Quote Unquote Records. The label's mission is to release good music for free with no strings attached in hopes that fans will support the label's bands in other ways (going to shows, giving them places to crash after shows, buying merch, and so on). It's been an uphill battle, but 2009 saw Quote Unquote at its most active, releasing nearly twenty albums by a wide variety of artists, from hardcore bands like Chotto Ghetto to singer/songwriter fare like Laura Stevenson and the Cans.

With no signs of slowing down in 2010, here's a list highlighting five releases from the label worth listening to right now. Feel free to donate if you dig what you hear, but certainly check these bands out when they play at your town – more than most musicians, the people involved with Quote Unquote believe music is best heard in a live setting with other fans.

Bomb the Music Industry! - Scrambles

What else is there to say about Scrambles at this point? It was my personal favorite album of last year and still remains in heavy rotation despite 2010's early onslaught of excellent albums. Is that because I'm still a broke twentysomething looking to see the bright side of life while wading through a world of debt and disappointment? That might have something to do with it, but it's mostly thanks to the sweet, sweet songwriting that I'm still consistently listening. Scrambles has just the right mix of punk, ska, and more traditional rock to hook music lovers of all sorts while featuring plenty of unexpected sounds to keep things fresh even after multiple listens. And fun fact: Scrambles was downloaded over 20,000 times in the first two months it was released on Quote Unquote! Jeff Rosenstock et al. may not have made much in donations from the album, but you can safely bet that a good portion of those 20,000 people have paid to see the band live since the album's release, proved by some sold-out shows on the band's 2009 country-wide tour.

We Versus the Shark – Murmurmur

The title and cover of Murmurmur perfectly represent the goal of We Versus the Shark's album of cover songs: to reinterpret the band's favorite songs rather than simply replicate them like most bands are apt to do. Not many bands would be daring enough to take on “Idioteque” by Radiohead, let alone transform it from a glitchy dance track to a slow-stomping seven minute march of doom. And when they're not taking on musical royalty, the band manages to uncover buried melodies in Future of the Left's abrasive “Suddenly it's a Folk Song” and unleash the beast hiding within Pattern Is Movement's pretty “Right Away.” This collection proves that covers can be original and not just novelty.

Shinobu – Strange Spring Air

Strange Spring Air is another album title that should be strongly heeded - there must have been something strange in the air of San Jose responsible for the weirdness that permeates the album. The music is reminiscent of 90s alt rock touchstones - think Jawbreaker (especially on “Tiger!”) and Pavement (especially on “Antarctic Stare”) - which in and of itself is not very strange. But then there are songs like “Sometimes I Wish I Were a Cat,” which details the life of a cat in a more straightforward manner than The Weakerthans ever have. And then there are the song transitions, which are unique to Shinobu and border on the bizarre. Half-hearted horn blowing, MIDI-esque noises, and short form acapella aren't sounds you might be used to hearing on punk albums, but they sound totally natural in the context of Strange Spring Air. If you're looking for a little variety with your nostalgia, look no further.

The Brass – Homosapien

There's a pretty respectable mix of musicians involved with The Brass, including members of two now defunct Long Island local favorites: Latterman and Of the Might of Princes. Though The Brass states that fans of those two bands should be pleasantly disappointed with what they hear, that statement is only half true. Ex-OTMOP member Jason Rosenthal takes on guitar and some vocal duties on Homosapien, and it's difficult not to be reminded of On the Might of Princes at times – his guitar playing is fairly distinctive and his singing also sounds deeply impassioned. But aside from that, The Brass concentrates more on moody instrumental passages that provide excellent tension and release, especially in “Pubis Mons” and “Fix Until Broken.” As is typical with volatile hardcore bands, The Brass recently called it quits after releasing Homosapien and an earlier, similarly styled four-song demo, but their small body of work provides more rallying moments than the lengthy discographies of many other bands.

The Wild – The Wild

If you think the song “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros is one of the best songs you've heard this past year, then you'd be remiss not to check out The Wild's debut EP: its five songs are each, in certain ways, basically a more punk rock version of that song. If you couldn't care less about “Home,” you'd probably still find something to like about this EP. Featuring five energetic folk rock songs complete with harmonica, group singalongs, and tales of nostalgia and hope perfect for nights drinking with friends around a bonfire, The Wild is a band that can create and nurture positive feelings with their music. Now that the group's had a chance to flex their muscles recording and touring, the upcoming full-length (to be appropriately released this summer) promises to soundtrack even more awesome moments.