Free Album Streaming: New CDs from Nada Surf, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Craig Finn, & More

This week there's finally a meaty selection of new albums for you to preview online. The releases include Craig Finn of the Hold Steady stepping out for a solo album, Nada Surf with the latest effort in its 20-year-long career, the second album from the duo Chairlift, and a lot more.

There are new albums from First Aid Kit, Ani DiFranco, and singer-songwriter Jessie Baylin, and a change of pace for the flamenco guitar-meets-hard rock duo of Rodrigo y Gabriela. On "Area 52"the  pair revisit nine of their previously recorded songs, but with an orchestra from Cuba filling out the sound. (See the album trailer below.)

To add another twist to the album, "Area 52"is produced by Peter Asher—yes, the one who produced many of Linda Ronstadt's 1970s albums and before that was half of the 1960s recording duo Peter and Gordon.


One of the album trailers for Rodrigo y Gabriela's "Area 52."

Some albums I mentioned in last week's post are now streaming at other sites (shown below), including the releases by Cate Le Bon and Kathleen Edwards.

As usual, most of the albums are streaming for a week unless otherwise indicated (KCRW seems to be the only streaming site these days that actually gives dates).

KCRW Album Preview:  (all streaming until Jan. 24)
"The Lion’s Roar" by First Aid Kit (also streaming at NPR Music below)
"Area 52" by Rodrigo y Gabriela (also streaming at NPR Music)
"The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy" by Nada Surf (also streaming at NPR Music)
"Something" by Chairlift

NPR First Listen:
"Clear Heart Full Eyes" by Craig Finn
"Emotional Traffic" by Tim McGraw

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"Which Side Are You On?" by Ani DiFranco
"Beautiful Things" by Anthony Green
"We Don't Know Any Better" by Black Taxi
"Little Spark" by Jessie Baylin
"CYRK" by Cate Le Bon
"Voyageur" by Kathleen Edwards

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"All Our Heroes Drank Here" by Hannah vs. the Many
"Buena Vodka Social Club" by Leningrad Cowboys
"Strange Ways of Going Home" by Sep7ember

Free Album Streaming: New Music from Kathleen Edwards, Cate Le Bon, Howler, Laura Gibson, & More

New CDs from singer-songwriters Kathleen Edwards, Cate Le Bon, and Laura Gibson are most notable of the relatively small crop of albums available for streaming this week. Edwards burst on the scene a few years back with her song "Six O'Clock News," and the Canadian has gotten some solid critical and commercial success with her debut album "Failer" and subsequent efforts. You can hear her latest album "Voyageur" (produced by Edwards and Bon Iver's Justin Vernon) at NPR Music below.


"Change the Sheets" by Kathleen Edwards from "Voyageur," streaming free at NPR Music. 


Welsh singer Cate Le Bon has a new album, "CYRK," coming out on next week, which coincides nicely with her first headlining tour beginning early in February (she plays at the Mercury Lounge on Feb. 9th and at Maxwell’s in Hoboken the next night.) You can hear"CYRK" at the at the Paste Magazine preview below.

The Minneapolis band Howler has been racking up critical acclaim despite its youth (in the age of its members, and in its existence as a group). On the heels of EP earlier this year, it's out with a full-length, "America Give Up," that's full of short, catchy power pop tunes.

Singer-songwriter Laura Gibson hails from the Portland, Oregon area and has appeared with other well-regarded performers from that area, including Colin Meloy of The Decemberists and Laura Veirs. Her latest album, "La Grande," is also streaming at NPR Music, and the title song is today's free song download from Minnesota Public Radio's The Current (download the song "La Grande" here).

There's a modest number of other albums for free preview, most from artists I haven't heard of, but I'll check out some of them. Based on a quick first listen I enjoyed the self-titled album from Grand & Noble and "Normal" by Run Dan Run.

NPR First Listen:
"Voyageur" by Kathleen Edwards
"La Grande" by Laura Gibson
"America Give Up" by Howler

Paste Magazine Album Stream:
"CYRK" by Cate Le Bon

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"Dark Matters" by Expensive Looks
"Normal" by Run Dan Run
"Grand & Noble" by Grand & Noble
"Passenger" by Kalyn Rock

AOL Music Listening Party:
"From the Vanishing Point" by Red Wanting Blue
"Peace of Mind" by Rebelution
"Garden Window" by O'Brother

The CBC Summer Road Trip Mix Tape is Out

If you want some great traveling music, head over to the CBC Radio 3 podcast Web page and download the Summer Of 2008 Roadtrip Mixtape Special (show #163). As in years before, it's a virtually nonstop playlist of great Canadian indie music tunes just right for driving down the endless highway with the windows down. Host Grant Lawrence keeps the talk to a minimum so you can enjoy the songs almost nonstop, nearly one and a half hour's worth.

U.S. audiences may recognize artists like Sloan, Kathleen Edwards, and Matt Mays on the mix tape, but there are also great lesser-known (in the 50 states, anyway) Canadian indie artists such as Ladyhawk, the Wet Secrets, and Malcolm Bauld.

And while you're at the CBC Radio 3 site, download podcast #164 too, which announces the 10 finalists for the Polaris music prize, and features a song from each artist that made the final cut.

Kathleen Edwards, The Hives Perform at Hockey All-Star Game

Somebody at the National Hockey League has good taste in comtemporary music. It's All-Star Game on Sunday night featured the Canadian national anthem performed by Canadian alt-country/rock singer Kathleen Edwards, who I've liked ever since I heard her first single Six O'Clock News" in 2003.

Kathleen Edwards first became known with her 2003 debut album, "Failer," which featured the hit song "Six O'Clock News." It also contained the songs "Another Song the Radio Won't Like" and "Hockey Skates" ... being a Canadian I guess she likes hockey, so she's a good choice to sing the national anthem before the All-Star Game.

The second Kathleen Edwards album, "Back to Me," came out in 2005, and she's got a new one on the way in 2008 called "Asking for Flowers."

Unfortunately, I couldn't see the performance because I don't have the cable channel that televises the NHL. So not only did I miss Edwards, but I also didn't see the Swedish rock group The Hives, another band I like, doing their song "Tick Tick Boom" before the the start of the game. The good news is that I have tickets to see The Hives in concert in a few weeks, doing their Swedish garage-rock revival. If the show is as fun as their records, that gig should be a blast.

Kudos to the NHL for having such good taste in music. Now if they can only sign a TV contract with a major sports channel...