Free Album Streaming: New CDs from Leonard Cohen, Ingrid Michaelson, Matt Pryor, & More

This is another good week for album previews, with new releases from Ingrid Michaelson, Leonard Cohen, Martin Sexton, and even rock and roll legend Dion, among others.

Ingrid Michaelson's "Human Again" is one of the albums streaming free this week.

There are also new streaming albums from some artists who I've just recently heard of, including the Belgian musician who goes by the name Gotye and Canadian band The Darcys (whose new EP "AJA" is, as you'd guess, a set of Steely Dan covers). And there are albums from musicians that are totally new to me, such as Ana Tijoux and Adam Arcuragi.

Of Adam Arcuragi NPR Music wrote, "This isn't groundbreaking music: You can hear Bruce Springsteen here, 16 Horsepower there, and some dark, gospel-infused folk along the way. But it's all so full of soul, so unadorned; it's a sound that always feels as if it's reaching toward the sky."



And some albums from last week's post are now streaming at other sites (listed below). Enjoy!

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"Tank Full of Blues" by Dion
"AJA" by The Darcys
"Fall Like Rain" by Martin Sexton
"May Day" by Matt Pryor (formerly of The Get Up Kids)
"Plastic Moon" by Madi Diaz
"The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy" by Nada Surf
"Something" by Chairlift
"Clear Heart Full Eyes" by Craig Finn
"The Lion's Roar" by First Aid Kit
 Also at Spinner: new albums by Leila, Cardinal, Lazerbeak, and Mark Stoermer.

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"Human Again" by Ingrid Michaelson
"Emotional Traffic" by Tim McGraw
"Sinners Never Sleep" by You Me at Six
"Listen to This" by Anchored

KCRW Album Preview:  (all streaming until Jan. 31, and also at NPR Music)
"Old Ideas" by Leonard Cohen
"Making Mirrors" by Gotye
"La Bala" by Ana Tijoux

NPR First Listen:
"Like A Fire That Consumes All Before It…" by Adam Arcuragi

Upcoming Shows at Maxwell's: Thurston Moore, Bombay Bicycle Club, Cate Le Bon, Craig Finn, & More

Maxwell's in Hoboken has a great lineup of concerts planned in the coming weeks, and below are some of the highlights. I'm mentioning shows going a little far out, through the end of March, since the club has a small capacity and some of the more popular performers will sell out weeks in advance. (The March 2nd Cults show sold out at least a couple of weeks ago.)


Thurston Moore performing "Circulation" from his most recent solo album, "Demolished Thoughts."

As you'll notice, opening acts and set times are not available for some of the shows. Check the Maxwell's website for more details (you should probably check it anyway, to make sure the schedule hasn't changed). You can buy Maxwell's tickets online at Ticketfly, or at Tunes CDs in Hoboken or Other Music in NYC.

As usual for Maxwell's, the upcoming gigs reflect an eclectic mix of types and genres of rock. And generations as well. There are acclaimed new artists such as Welsh singer Cate Le Bon and British band Bombay Bicycle Club, and veteran acts including Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore (performing solo) and singer-songwriters Marshall Crenshaw and Garland Jeffreys. The Hold Steady's Craig Finn is also stepping out on his own, supporting his new solo album.

And there's the return of some blasts from the past: the Feelies side project Yung Wu, the Scud Mountain Boys, The Lemonheads (performing their album "It's A Shame About Ray"), and the Psychedelic Furs.

• Thurs. 1/26: Teddy Geiger/Jack Skuller, 8:30 p.m., $15 
• Fri. 1/27: The Gories/Boom Chick, 9:30 p.m., $20
• Thurs. 2/2: Jenny Owen Youngs/special guest, 8 p.m., $10 adv./$12 d.o.s.
• Fri. 2/3: Thurston Moore/Rhyton, 9 p.m., $20 SOLD OUT
• Sat. 2/4: Marshall Crenshaw/Garland Jeffreys, 9 p.m., $20
• Thurs. 2/9: Jeff the Brotherhood/t.b.a., 9 p.m., $10
• Fri. 2/10: Cate Le Bon/special guest, 7:30 p.m., $10 adv./$12 d.o.s.
• Fri. 2/10: "Pretty Good Friends" featuring Eugene Mirman, Kurt Braunohler, and more, 9:30 p.m., $13 adv./$15 d.o.s.
• Sat. 2/11: Dum Dum Girls/Widowspeak, 9:30 p.m., $15
• Fri. 2/17: Scud Mountain Boys/John Cunningham, 9 p.m., $15
• Sat. 2/18: Young Wu/East of Venus/Thousand Pittes, 7 p.m., $10
• Sat. 2/18: Mates of State/special guests, 10 p.m., $15
• Thurs. 3/1: Craig Finn, $15 SOLD OUT
• Sat. 3/3: Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby (7 p.m.), $10 adv./$12 d.o.s.
• Thurs. 3/8: Bombay Bicycle Club, $20
• Mon. 3/12: The Lemonheads performing "It's A Shame About Ray," $20 adv./$22 d.o.s.
• Tues. 3/13: The Lemonheads performing "It's A Shame About Ray," $20 adv./$22 d.o.s.
• Wed. 3/14: John K. Samson (of The Weakerthans) and The Provincial Band, $13 adv./$15 d.o.s.
• Sat. 3/24: The Psychedelic Furs, $40
• Sun. 3/25: The Psychedelic Furs, $40
• Wed. 3/28 Marky Ramone's Blitzkrieg, $20

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