Spooky Spanish Tunes for Day of the Dead

The radio show Alt.Latino has put together a playlist of scary Spanish tunes.

UPDATE, Oct. 31st, 2017: For some non-Spanish tunes, check out this Spotify Halloween playlist from NorthJersey.com that includes classic (though overplayed) songs such as Monster Mash, Thriller, etc. If you want some less conventional Halloween music, see "10 Songs that Actually Give Us Chills" from San Francisco radio station KQED.

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UPDATE, Oct. 31st, 2014: L.A. radio station KCRW has put together a Dia de los Muertos/Halloween Playlist that you can stream on Spotify or listen to on YouTube. It includes spooky tracks from Kinky, Ozomatli, Los Carniceros Del Norte, and more. Enjoy!

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A few years back I did a post pointing out a great podcast of spooky Spanish-language pop songs appropriate for Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) parties or commemorations. That podcast was an episode of Ritmo Latino, the great show of Spanish-language music that, sadly, later came to a close.

However, the public radio show Alt.Latino has an article this week with videos for 11 scary Spanish songs for Day of the Dead (and descriptions of some spooky stories from Spanish-speaking countries). The article is called "¡Que Miedo! Terrifying Tales And Scary Songs From Latin America."

Granted, clicking on each video to see it isn't as easy as just playing the continuous music of a podcast. But you can always create a playlist on YouTube (or Spotify, Rdio, or other streaming service) of these songs. (You can also stream or download the show's podcast, which includes clips of each of the songs as well as introductions and discussions of the songs, at the link above.)

Here are the songs in Alt.Latino's playlist of spooky Spanish tunes for Day of the Dead (which is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd):

"La Bruja" by Tien-Huicani
"Witch" by Dani Shivers
"El Fantasma" by Tijuana No
"Tango de Pecado" by Calle 13
"Diablo" by Davila 666
"Lobo Hombre en Paris" by La Union
"Diablo" by Gobia
"Monster" by Guarco
"Calaveras y Diablitos" by Fabulosos Cadillacs
"Llorona" by Chavela Vargas
"Yo Soy la Muerte" by El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico

Some videos are spooky, others are funny or silly, but they should help set the mood for your Halloween, All Saints Day, or Day of the Dead commemorations.

Concert Notes: Yo La Tengo at Maxwell's, Devo, Phish, & More Going on Sale

Tickets for Yo La Tengo's annual Eight Nights of Hanukkah run at Maxwell's in Hoboken will go on sale Friday, Oct. 28th at 12 Noon. This is more than a month later than last year's Yo La Tengo Hanukkah shows went on sale, and the shows themselves are later in December.

Yo La Tengo (shown here at a 2007 show) will perform their annual Eight Nights of Hanukkah shows at Maxwell's in December.

The Yo La Tengo Hanukkah shows for 2011 will take place on December 21st to the 27th, including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Tickets for each show are $35 and are available online at Ticketfly and in person at Tunes in Hoboken (225 Washington St.) and Other Music in Manhattan (15 E. 4th St.).

As usual, Yo La Tengo will be sharing the bill with a different opening acts and special guests each night. And in another Eight Nights of Hanukkah tradition, the proceeds from each night's show will benefit a different charity.

Other concerts of interest that are going on sale soon:

• Devo returns to the New York for a pair of shows, Dec. 13th at Irving Plaza and Dec. 17th at The  Paramount in Huntington, Long Island. Tickets for both shows go on sale Friday, Oct. 28th at 10 a.m.
  
  
• Phish will be back at Madison Square Garden for a run of shows at the end of the year. The concerts take place Dec. 28th, 29th, 30th, and 31st, and tickets for all shows go on sale here Saturday, Oct. 29th at 10 a.m. 12 Noon (note corrected time).
  
  
• Cyndi Lauper and a variety of guests from music and show biz are performing at the "Home For The Holidays" show at the Beacon Theatre on Dec. 4th. The concert "will feature a night of music from Cyndi Lauper as well as appearances by Norah Jones, Amy Lee, Rosie O'Donnell, Wanda Sykes, Carson Kressley, Chely Wright, Skylar Grey, Vanessa Carlton, Angelique Kidjo, Harvey Fierstein, Deluka, Debbie Harry, Alan Cumming and Clay Aiken.
  
  Tickets go on sale Friday, Oct. 28th at 10 a.m. The show is to help raise awareness about LGBT youth homelessness.

Dum Dum Girls Wrap Up Their Tour at Maxwell's (Photos & Album Stream)

Dum Dum Girls singer and guitarist Dee Dee.

California's Dum Dum Girls concluded their 2011 U.S. tour last night with a show at Maxwell's in Hoboken, and I've posted a few photos here. If you're not familiar with the band, they mix the girl-group vibe of the late 1950s and '60s with garage, lo-fi, and punk sounds, often with twangy surf guitar, reverb, and echo.

The band's second full-length, "Only in Dreams," came out on Sept. 27th on Sub Pop. Earlier this year they released the EP "He Gets Me High." (You can stream "Only in Dreams" at the end of this post, or at the Onion AV Club here.)

In addition to recalling the old girl-group days, the Dum Dum Girls actually have a connection to that era: Richard Gottehrer, who produced both of the band's 2011 releases, is a pop legend who co-wrote the songs “My Boyfriend’s Back” and “I Want Candy.” In the past he has worked with Blondie, the Go-Go's, and The Raveonettes.

Dum Dum Girls guitarist Jules.

Besides their nod to the sound of a bygone era, the band members have a distinctive look, too; a kind of girl-group-meet-Goth appearance featuring dark eye makeup and mostly black outfits with short shorts and black stockings. The band's leader (and singer and rhythm guitarist) is Kristin Gundred, who goes by the stage name Dee Dee; the other band members are referred to simply as Jules (lead guitar), Sandy (drums), and Bambi (bass).

The Dum Dum Girls played a number of songs from "Only in Dreams." They opened their set with the leadoff track, "Always Looking," and also played songs including the title song; their latest single, "Bedroom Eyes;" "Wasted Away," and the slow, sad ballad "Coming Down." Other songs from their older releases that they played: "Bhang Bhang, I'm a Burnout," "He Gets Me High," and their great cover of the Smiths tune "There is a Light that Will Never Go Out."

Preceding the Dum Dum Girls on the Maxwell's stage were Crocodiles, a noise-pop band led by Brandon Welchez, who happens to be Dee Dee's husband (she came on stage to do vocals on one of their songs). Welchez played in an early lineup of Dum Dum Girls.

Dum Dum Girls will be playing in Europe in November; see their tour dates here. 

Dee Dee.

Free Album Streaming: New CDs by Tom Waits, Girl in a Coma, Deer Tick, Surfer Blood, & More

The new album by Girl in a Coma is streaming online this week. Above, they cover David Bowie's "As the World Falls Down," from their covers album.

If you're looking for some new music to help ease your post-CMJ hangover, there are some good new streaming albums this week that may well do the trick. Many people will be glad to hear "Bad as Me," the new Tom Waits album, but I'm looking forward to a few listens of the new release by the blues-influenced Texas rock trio, Girl in a Coma. I saw them this summer at Coney Island, opening for Joan Jett (the band is on Jett's label, Blackheart Records).

Other releases I'm happy to dig into: new albums by Surfer Blood (now on tour with The Pixies) and Deer Tick, and a new album by Dntel, the electronic music project of Jimmy Tamborello (best known as half of The Postal Service).  And as a fan of Rock en Espanol and Latin pop music, I'm glad to see a new album by the Mexican-American singer-songwriter Lila Downs.

NPR First Listen:
"Exits And All The Rest" by Girl in a Coma
"Bad as Me" by Tom Waits (also streaming at KCRW)
"Pecados Y Milagros (Sins And Miracles)" by Lila Downs

KCRW Album Preview: 
"Handmade" by Hindi Zahra

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"Tarot Classics" by Surfer Blood
"Tides and Tales" by Hurricane Bells
"Divine Providence" by Deer Tick
"Life Is Full of Possibilities" by Dntel

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"If You Were Me" by Bear Lake

Music Notes: Stream Wild Flag & Zola Jesus Concerts; CMJ's Last Hurrah; Dum Dum Girls Play Maxwell's

Stream Wild Flag's Washingotn, D.C. concert at NPR Music (below).

Intrepid rock fans are preparing for the final day (and night) of CMJ 2011, but in the New York area the live music continues every day. A few CMJ-related items of note...

• If you missed Wild Flag at CMJ or their other NYC appearances, you can still get a feel for what their live show is like because NPR Music has posted a stream of the gig they played in Washington, D.C. earlier this week (it was webcast live).
  
  The setlist is pretty similar to the one from Tuesday's CMJ show at Bowery Ballroom, including one of their cover tunes (Television's "See No Evil"). The web page for the Wild Flag concert stream has the setlist as well. It doesn't appear than you can download this show, however.
  


• The singer known as Zola Jesus performed at Le Poisson Rouge on Wednesday as part of CMJ, and you can stream or download the set here from NPR Music.
  
  
• The Dum Dum Girls show at CMJ last night sold out well in advance, but the good news is that they're playing at Maxwell's in Hoboken on Monday night the 24th, and as of this writing there are still some tickets left. Crocodiles and Royal Baths are also on the bill. (Link to Dum Dum Girls tickets at Maxwell's.) You can stream "Only in Dreams" by the Dum Dum Girls here at TheFader.com.
  
  
• CMJ 2011 is going out with a bang on Saturday, with more than 12 hours of live music at venues all over the City. Check the CMJ Music schedule for listings by time, or search CMJ gigs by artist, venue, etc.
  
  And don't forget, a lot of the CMJ shows won't cost you a thing (see the Oh My Rockness listing of free gigs, CMJ and otherwise). Bands performing on Saturday include DOM, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Shonen Knife, Givers, Wavves, Purity Ring, Nicole Atkins, Wise Blood, Casiokids, Memoryhouse, Cold War Kids, and a couple of bands with two of the more inventive names, Diarrhea Planet and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs.

Review: Wild Flag Plays Bowery Ballroom (Photos)

Wild Flag: Rebecca Cole, Mary Timony, Carrie Brownstein (not visible: Janet Weiss on drums).

The CMJ Music Marathon kicked off at Noon yesterday, but for me it began at about 9:30 p.m. when Eleanor Friedberger took the stage at Bowery Ballroom. She and her band played a fine set of catchy tunes, a good warm-up for the main event, Wild Flag.

I've long been a fan of Sleater-Kinney and of Mary Timony's various musical efforts (Helium and her own band), so I already liked the songs on their self-titled debut album—which sound like, well, a blend of S-K and Helium. The good news is that Wild Flag has all the energy and excitement that made Sleater-Kinney one of my all-time favorite acts to see live (not surprising, since Wild Flag features two members of S-K).

Eleanor Friedberger at Bowery Ballroom last night.

Eleanor Friedberger and band.

Mary Timony, with Janet Weiss in background.

Carrie Brownstein in a more restrained moment.

 Carrie Brownstein jumped all over the stage as in her S-K days, with her now-familiar windmill guitar flourishes and leg kicks. Her Sleater-Kinney bandmate, drummer Janet Weiss, was as always notable for her solid, powerful playing. I'd never seen Mary Timony live before, but she matched Brownstein for guitar chops and energy, though in a less flamboyant style.

One of the downsides of seeing a brand-new band on its first tour is that it doesn't have a large catalog of its own songs to play. Wild Flag played most if not all of its debut album, including extended versions of "Glass Tambourine" and of "Racehorse" (which ended the regular set). The band chose covers of two '70s punk classics for its encore: Television's "See No Evil" and Patti Smith's "Ask the Angels."

It's an odd coincidence perhaps that Wild Flag is staging its first full-fledged tour during CMJ this year, and a year ago the third member of Sleater-Kinney, Corin Tucker, made her first tour with her new band at last year's CMJ.

Having played three shows in the NYC area in four days (Bell House, Maxwell's, and now Bowery Ballroom),  Wild Flag continues its inaugural tour in Europe. It will return to tour the U.S. in spring 2012. (See the latest Wild Flag tour schedule.)

2011 CMJ Music Marathon Kicks Off Today

Yes, it does! The 2011 CMJ Music Marathon kicks off at noon.

That annual unwieldy explosion of live music known as the CMJ Music Marathon kicks off today, and in all there will be more than 1,000 bands playing between now and the end of the festival on Oct. 22nd. How to find out what to see amid all those offerings? One way is to check out the picks of various critics and publications (see some selections after the photo), and decide what sounds interesting to you (and which gigs you can get to, dashing between various far-flung venues in Manhattan and Brooklyn).

If you want to just plunge into the massive listings, see the CMJ Music home page here, view the CMJ daily music showcase schedule, or search the CMJ site for artists, venues, or tags. You can also get an official CMJ 2011 smartphone app. And don't forget to download CMJ's 19-song sampler playlist.

Puerto Rico's Davila 666 (shown here at 4 Knots) plays the Knitting Factory Wed.

Here are some guides to help you choose what to see at CMJ:

• Spin offers "30 Can't-Miss Acts at CMJ 2011" (annoyingly presented in one-band-per-webpage format). Among their picks: Pujol, King Krule, Davila 666, Jacuzzi Boys, Machine Gun Kelly, and Stepkids. (Download Spin's free 20-track CMJ 2011 mixtape)
  
  
• NPR Music offers a stream of selections from this year's CMJ bands, with songs by acts including Balkans, Capybara, Davila 666, Dum Dum Girls, Neon Indian, Peelander-Z, Portual. The Man, Shonen Knife, We are Augustines, We Were Promised Jetpacks, and Wild Flag.
  
  
• Brooklyn Vegan will have frequently updated coverage of CMJ 2011; currently you can checkout its picks for the daytime Tuesday shows (most, if not all, are free). Brooklyn Vegan is also sponsoring its own CMJ showcase once again.
  
  
• TimeOut New York has a CMJ 2011 guide with tips on how to get the most out of the festival, staff picks for the best shows to see, and photos from the gigs.
  
  
• NYCGO.com offers its own day-by-day list of recommended CMJ acts, along with a guide to CMJ venues throughout the City. Among its choices: Shonen Knife, Titus Andronicus, and Wild Flag (all playing tonight), as well as The Wombats, Metronomy, CSS, and Dum Dum Girls.

As for me, I'll be taking in Wild Flag and Eleanor Friedberger tonight at Bowery Ballroom and just winging it after that. I'm hoping to see The Duke Spirit in a daytime show tomorrow, and at least one show on the 22nd: CSS, Peelander-Z, or Shonen Knife.

If you're going to CMJ 2011, what acts are you going to see?

Music Notes: Bangles on "DWTS" Tonight, Wild Flag in Town, Throwing Muses Played NYC (Photos)

The Bangles will play a medley of their hits on "Dancing with the Stars" tonight.

From concerts to TV appearances, this is a "women who rock" edition of Music Notes. Here are a few music news items of interest:

• The Bangles appear on TV tonight on "Dancing with the Stars," where it's said they will play a medley of their hits. This is a timely gig for Susanna Hoffs and the band, who are currently on tour to support "Sweetheart of the Sun," their first new album in eight years (which was streaming recently). (Update: You can find videos of the Bangles doing "Eternal Flame"/"Walk Like an Egyptian" here, and "Manic Monday" from "DWTS" here. If those videos get removed, you watch the entire "'80s Night" episode featuring the Bangles here.)
  
  
• Wild Flag plays Bowery Ballroom tomorrow night in the second half of the New York leg of its inaugural tour. The band played Brooklyn's Bell House on Sunday. Both shows sold out long ago, but there might still be a handful of tickets on StubHub or other ticket sites. Eleanor Friedberger of Fiery Furnaces opens both shows. (Read rock writer Caryn Rose's review of Wild Flag's Bell House show.) Note: Wild Flag's self-titled debut album is only $3.99 at Amazon.comtoday, Oct. 17th.
  
  
• Throwing Muses returned to New York last night for a show at Bowery Ballroom. Although not sold out, the show had a large crowd of enthusiastic Muses fans. (Ticket sales may have been affected by the fact that the band hasn't released a new album in eight years, unlike when it played in town back then.)
  
  They played a a selection of songs from their long career, including "Bea," "Devil's Roof," "Shark," "Limbo," "Start," "Shimmer," and "Bright Yellow Gun."
  
  The band next heads off to Europe for a slate of shows. Below are a couple of photos from last night's Throwing Muses show at Bowery Ballroom.

Kristin Hersh opened the show by playing a few songs solo.

 

Throwing Muses: Hersh, Rob Ahlers, and Georges Bernard.

Concert News: Jeff Mangum, Matthew Sweet, Throwing Muses, & More

Jeff Mangum singing at the Occupy Wall Street protest last week.Watch live streaming video from globalrevolution at livestream.com

There are a lot of great live shows coming up in the NYC area this fall, and you'll want to act soon to get tickets for some of them. (I'll add more shows as I find out about them and ticket info becomes available.)

Matthew Sweet is playing multiple shows at City Winery, and all are sold out except for an 11 p.m. show on Nov. 2nd. Tickets start at $35. Sweet is touring to promote his new release "Modern Art" and to mark the 20th anniversary of his classic album "Girlfriend."

Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel is playing a second show at the Landmark Loew's Theatre in Jersey City on Nov. 5th. His show there on Nov. 6th has been sold out for months, but if you missed out on that gig you've now got a second chance. You can get Nov. 5th Jeff Mangum tickets here; they went on sale Oct. 7th. Tickets are $35. (Read about Mangum playing at the Occupy Wall Street protest last week.)

The Jeff Mangum shows seem to have been booked by or in conjunction with Maxwell's, since the gigs appear on the club's website, and there are plenty of good gigs in the near future at the famed Hoboken nightspot. Wild Flag on Sunday is sold out, but here are some of the Maxwell's gigs for which tickets are still available. All tickets available through the Maxwell's website.

• Thurs., Oct. 13th (tonight):  Jon Spencer Blues Explosion/The Baxx SiSi'
  
• Fri., Oct. 21st:  Freedy Johnston/The Health & Happiness Show
  
• Sat., Oct. 22nd:  Pat McGee/special guest
  
• Mon., Oct. 24th: The Dum Dum Girls/Crocodiles/Royal Baths
  
• Sat., Oct. 29th: Dead Meadow/Star Anna and the Laughing Dogs

Above: Throwing Muses playing "Bea" in Barcelona, 2009. 

Indie rock pioneers Throwing Muses are playing Bowery Ballroom this Sunday, Oct. 16th, and amazingly, tickets are still available here. Kristin Hersh and band are legends who have been making music on their own terms for more than 20 years, and they don't tour often. So go see them now. (See all Throwing Muses tour dates here.)

The hMag Music Festival in Hoboken also takes place on Sunday, from 12 Noon to 10 p.m. in Pier A Park. The Walkmen and School of Seven Bells are the top draws, with Wormburner, the Kickdrums, and other bands on the bill. Get free hMag Festival tickets here.

Acclaimed Irish singer Lisa Hannigan is at Hiro Ballroom on Saturday, Oct. 21st. Gavin Glass is also on the bill. 

The Jayhawks and Rosanne Cash play the Beacon Theatre next Saturday, Oct. 21st, and some tickets are still available here.

Gillian Welch plays the Beacon the next night, Oct. 22nd; you can find tickets here (if there are any still available).

If you're looking for a concert by big-name rock star (but taking place in a non-arena venue), Sting is playing Roseland for two shows in what he's calling his "Back to Bass" tour. The shows take place Tuesday and Wednesday Nov. 8th and 9th; tickets go on sale tomorrow, Oct. 14th.

Free Album Previews: New CDs by Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, the B-52s, & Many More

Above: Peter Gabriel performing "Solsbury Hill" live, one of the songs on his latest release, "New Blood."

This is one of those "when it rains, it pours" weeks for online album previews. You can hear the new releases from a number of big-name veterans artists, including one who's no longer alive (that would be Johnny Cash, represented in the new "Bootleg Volume 3: Live Around the World"release).

Among the artists who are still with us (and have been for a long time), there are new albums for preview from Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, the B-52s, and even Erasure and Judas Priest. The Gabriel release, "New Blood," is a collection of songs from different eras of his solo career performed with an orchestra and some guest musicians—an arrangement he's been touring with this year.

The Paul Simon release is a two-disc retrospective, including live versions of songs including "The Sound of Silence" and "The Boxer."

And for fans of the Pixies and Frank Black (like me), there's a new album that Black has (under his Black Francis moniker) with Reid Paley, called simply "Paley & Francis."

Among the younger artists with new albums are the New Jersey band Real Estate, Ben Lee, Rachael Yamagata, and Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers. If you liked the music of The Swell Season from the movie "Once," you'll want to check out the debut album from the female half of that duo, Marketa Irglova. And The new Ryan Adams album is previewing on Spinner this week, in case you missed it at NPR Music last week.

I usually give multiple listens to new albums that I'm interested in, but that should to be quite a challenge this week.

NPR First Listen:
"Days" by Real Estate

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"Songwriter" by Paul Simon
"Deeper Into Dream by Ben Lee
"Anar" by Marketa Irglova
"Norman (Music From the Motion Picture)" by Andrew Bird
"Paley & Francis" Reid Paley & Black Francis
"New Blood" by Peter Gabriel
"Liberty Bell" by Kate Miller Heidke
"The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective" by Ben Folds
"Chesapeake" by Rachael Yamagata
"Bootleg Volume 3: Live Around the World"by Johnny Cash
"With the Wild Crowd!" by the B-52s
"Tomorrow's World" by Erasure
"The Sound of His Voice" by John Wesley Harding
"Ashes and Fire" by Ryan Adams

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"Evanescence" by Evanescence
"The Chosen Few" by Judas Priest
"Free EP" by Graffiti6 
"Gift Horse" by Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers

Nicole Atkins Plays Free Show at City Winery Monday

Above: A backstage film of Nicole Atkins performing a live version of "My Baby Don't Lie."

The free Nicole Atkins City Winery show that was cancelled in August has been rescheduled for Monday night, Oct. 10th. As you may remember, that show was to be part of City Winery's outdoor Hudson Square music festival series, but heavy rain forced the show to be scratched.

Unlike the summertime show, Monday's gig will be indoors at City Winery. Showtime is 8 p.m. and seating begins at 6:30; the show is first-come, first-served. Opening for Nicole Atkins and her band the Black Sea is an act called My Best Fiend, which I'm not familiar with. 

The Neptune, New Jersey native has been playing in her home stomping ground quite a bit recently, having performed at the Union Country Music Fest a few weeks ago.

You can get a free download of an EP from a show that Nicole Atkins and the Black Sea performed at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. The EP is called "Nicole Atkins and the Black Sea... Till Dawn." The EP features five songs: "This Is For Love," "You Come To Me," "Hotel Plaster," "My Baby Don’t Lie," and "The Tower."

Atkins will be playing in New York again on Dec. 8th at Symphony Space.

Live Shows Saturday: Screaming Females, Bear Hands, Jaymay, & More

Screaming Females headlines at Bowery Ballroom on Saturday.

Saturday is a good night to see some indie rock in the NYC area. Here are a few of the highlights:

• Screaming Females from New Brunswick, NJ play Bowery Ballroom in a show starting at 9 p.m. Also on the bill are Shellshag, Underground Railroad To Candyland, and Hilly Eye (featuring singer and guitarist Amy Klein from Titus Andronicus). If you like female rockers, this show should be a good one. And it'll get you in the mood for the upcoming shows by Throwing Muses and Wild Flag.
  
  
• On the other end of the female musician spectrum is Long Island native Jamie Seerman, who performs under the name Jaymay, and is playing at Bowery Electric in a show that starts at 7:30.  The show also features Lou-is and My Cousin The Emperor. I first heard of her more than five years ago when WFUV played her funny, quirky pop song "See Green, Sea Blue." Although she's appeared on some of the late-night TV shows and had a song or two featured in popular TV programs, she's stayed below the radar.
  
  
• Indie rockers Bear Hands play Maxwell's in Hoboken Saturday with Grandchildren. Showtime is set for 9 p.m. Bear Hands has gained a following over the last few years while opening for acts like MGMT and Vampire Weekend. Their debut full-length is 2010's "Burning Bush Supper Club."

Apple Co-Founder Steve Jobs Dies at 56

Screen shot of Apple's home page on the night of Oct. 5th, after the death of Steve Jobs was announced.

Steve Jobs, the masterful innovator of Apple, has died, it was announced Wednesday, Oct. 5th. When he stepped down as the company's CEO a few weeks ago you knew things weren't going well for Jobs, but it's sad that the end came this quickly. The brilliant and demanding technology leader who changed the way people around the world interacted with computers, listened to music, and even used the telephone finally succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the age of 56.

Jobs was interested in computers in high school and took after-school classes at Hewlett-Packard, where he later got a job with Steve Wozniak (Apple's other co-founder). The details of Apple's beginnings, growth, and success have been well documented so I won't rehash them here.

But it's interesting to note that the path of Jobs and Apple took some unusual twists, from the launch of the Macintosh in 1984 to Jobs's departure/firing from Apple just a couple of years later, and his triumphant return in the mid-1990s, when Apple bought NeXT, the company Jobs founded after he left Apple. Also notable was Jobs's formation of Pixar from an animation company he bought from Lucasfilms, which gave a shot in the arm to the world of animated films.

With its co-founder back in the fold as CEO, Apple went on to innovate not only with further versions of the Macintosh computer but with the iPod, the iTunes music store, and most recently the iPhone.

Apple posted a brief message about Jobs on its website, along with an e-mail address where people could send their condolences or remembrances (rememberingsteve@apple.com).

The impact of Steve Jobs can be seen in the outpouring of messages from millions of everyday people on Twitter and Facebook, and the reactions and tributes from leaders in technology and government, who can attest to his impact much better than I can.

• Reactions from Pres. Obama, Steve Wozniak, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown, and more
  
• Tribute from Disney president Bob Iger
  
• Statement from Apple CEO Tim Cook, Jobs's successor
  
• Thoughts from MySpace founder Tom Anderson
  
• The life of Steve Jobs in photos, from the L.A. Times

(An authorized biography titled simply "Steve Jobs" had been in the works; its publication date has been moved up and it will now be published on Oct. 24th. (Buy the Steve Jobs biography at Amazon.com.)

Even if you never used an Apple product, Steve Jobs probably had an impact on the way you work or use technology. Apple's innovations often forced competitors such as Microsoft to make their products and services more user friendly or intuitive.

One can only imagine what more Steve Jobs could have accomplished with another few decades of life.

Free Album Streaming: Radiohead Remixes; New Music from Indigo Girls, Dan Mangan, & More

The remix album of Radiohead's 'The King of Limbs" is one of the albums you can preview this week.

The new Radiohead remix album called "TKOL RMX 1234567" heads up the new releases that are up for online streaming this week. It features songs from the band's most recent album, "The King of Limbs," remixed by artists including Caribou, Four Tet, SBTRKT, and more. I'm generally not a fan of remixes (they generally come across like novelty songs to me), but since it's Radiohead I'll be giving a listen. OK, probably a few.

Paste says that the band had released a series of vinyl singles over the summer, each featuring a few of the remixes, and it is now assembling them into one double-length album, to be released Oct. 10th. To celebrate the occasion, Radiohead is holding a record release party the next night in London, featuring Thom Yorke and other artists playing DJ. (The article says it will be streamed online.)

What other new albums are streaming online this week: "Beauty Queen Sister" by Indigo Girls, "Reverie" by Joe Henry, "People and Things" by Jack's Mannequin, and "Oh Fortune," the latest by rising Canadian singer-songwriter Dan Mangan.

There's also the promising-sounding collection "Batman: Arkham City - The Album"with tunes by some of my favorite groups of the last few years: the Duke Spirit, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, the Raveonettes, and the Boxer Rebellion, as well as Coheed & Cambria and Panic at the Disco.

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"TKOL RMX 1234567" by Radiohead
"Batman: Arkham City - The Album"by Various Artists
"Oh Fortune" by Dan Mangan
"Beauty Queen Sister" by Indigo Girls
"People and Things" by Jack's Mannequin

KCRW Album Preview: 
"On the Water" by Future Islands (streaming until Nov. 1)
"Reverie" by Joe Henry (streaming until Nov. 1)

Alright, what new albums are you looking forward to hearing or buying this week?