VIDEO: "Coming Down" by Dum Dum Girls

The Dum Dum Girls' 2011 album "Only in Dreams"is a great rock-pop album, but there's a darkness behind many of the catchy tunes. Band leader Dee Dee wrote many of the songs as her mother battled, and then succumbed to, a sudden onset of cancer.

One of those songs is "Coming Down," a lovely, slow ballad that Dee Dee wrote after her mother's death. The song superbly spotlights Dee Dee's voice, and on the album it clocks in at more than six minutes. Above is the official video for "Coming Down," which runs a little over four minutes.

For E.C.H.

CMJ Rolls On: Free Song Downloads, Recommendations, & More

CMJ 2012 is underway in full force Wednesday, with the second day kicking off early with Daughter playing at a KEXP show at 10:30 a.m. See the complete schedule for CMJ (which runs through the 21st), and click the "Showcase" button on the right-hand side to see the music events.

Better late than never, the Village Voice is out with its dozen don't-miss acts for CMJ 2012 (including Savages, above, playing Glasslands tonight).

And Spinner is offering a free download of 30 songs on its CMJ 2012 Mixtape, featuring Bear Hands, Eleanor Friedberger, Dum Dum Girls, Levek, and Miracles of Modern Science. (They say they'll be issuing a second part of the mixtape later.) [Update: here's the second part of the mixtape download.]

What's worth seeing on the CMJ schedule for tonight? Here are some of the gigs Pitckfork is recommending:

• Flying Lotus, Death Grips, and Buke and Gase at the NPR Music/WNYC Soundcheck showcase (Le Poisson Rouge)
• Dum Dum Girls, Savages, Icona Pop, IO Echo, and Port St. Willow at the Stereogum/Popgun showcase (Glasslands)
• Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Indians at the Hype Machine showcase (Brooklyn Bowl)

Entry to these will be in high demand, so you'll want to get there early, or be prepared to stand in line for some time.  If you're interested in some good music in a more low-key atmosphere, check out the lineup of north-of-the-border acts at the Canadian Blast show at Arlene's Grocery (starting at 8 p.m.), including Two Hours Traffic and Elephant Stone:

Two Hours Traffic kicks off the Canadian Blast show.

Get out there and enjoy some live music!

Now Streaming: New CDs from Mountain Goats, Jason Collett, Muse, & More

From indie rock to Americana to jazz, there's a wide array of new albums streaming this week. There are new albums from Mountain Goats, Muse, and Beth Orton, among others. And in the continuing trend of bands from the 1980s popping up with new albums, there's a new album streaming from southern rockers The Outlaws (remember "Green Grass and High Tides," ""There Goes Another Love Song," etc.?).


"Lord Knows" by Dum Dum Girls, from their new EP "End of Daze."

Former Broken Social Scene member Jason Collett has not one but two albums streaming this week, a new album ("Reckon") and an eleven-song, career-spanning retrospective ("Essential Cuts"). Speaking of collections, Suzanne Vega is releasing her latest albums consisting of re-recordings of her previous tunes, grouped around a particular theme. "Close-Up Vol. 4: Songs of Family" includes songs including  "Widow's Walk," "Blood Sings," "Bad Wisdom," "Honeymoon Suite," and "Tired of Sleeping."

 We don't normally cover jazz here, we're making an exception for a couple of notable releases that are streaming: "St. Peter and 57th" by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band (marking the group's 50th anniversary) and "Made Possible" by The Bad Plus.

There's also a new album by Emmanuel Jal, the former child soldier from Sudan who burst onto the scene a few years back with "War Child," and a second chance to hear Sera Cahoone's excellent new  "Deer Creek Canyon" and the Dum Dum Girls' EP "End of Daze." (You've got a few chances to see Dum Dum Girls in the near future: they're playing Europa in Brooklyn on Sept. 30th, appearing at Other Music on Oct. 1st [free], and opening for The Walkmen at Terminal 5 on Oct. 18th.)

And in honor of Feist's "Metals" winning the Polaris Music Prize last night for best Canadian album of the year, the CBC is streaming it now (not sure for how long, though)... see the bottom of this article.

There are many more streaming albums below (and at the linked websites); have a listen and enjoy.

Rolling Stone: 
"Transcendental Youth" by Mountain Goats (who are playing in NYC soon: Oct. 14th at Music Hall of Williamsburg and the next night at Bowery Ballroom)

The Guardian/iTunes:
"The Second Law" by Muse (streaming at The Guardian in the U.K.; at iTunes in the U.S.)

NPR First Listen:
"Sugaring Season" by Beth Orton
"Until the Quiet Comes" by Flying Lotus

KCRW Album Preview: 
"12 Bit Blues" by Kid Koala

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"End of Daze" by Dum Dum Girls
"Made Possible" by The Bad Plus
"Reckon" and "Essential Cuts" by Jason Collett
"The Poet's Dead" by Rah Rah
"Bodyparts" by Dragonette
"Close-Up Vol. 4: Songs of Family" by Suzanne Vega
"Look A Little Closer" by Levek
"Deer Creek Canyon" by Sera Cahoone
"Reptile Youth" by Reptile Youth
"A Beating Heart Is A Bleeding Heart" by Kingsfoil

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"St. Peter and 57th" by Preservation Hall Jazz Band
"Half-Made Man" by Ben Sollee
"It's About Pride" by The Outlaws
"See Me Mama" by Emmanuel Jal

CBC:
"Metals" by Feist

Now Streaming: New CDs from Paul Simon, Rickie Lee Jones, James Iha, Ben Folds Five, Sera Cahoone, & More

Although this post's title may give the impression that it's mostly veteran artists who are streaming new albums this week, there's actually a diverse array of offerings. Among the veterans, Paul Simon is out with the two-CD, one-DVD "Live in New York City," just a few weeks after his old partner Art Garfunkel issued a two-disc collection of favorite tunes.


Video "To Who Knows Where" by James Iha's new album (streaming this week).

Rickie Lee Jones returns with an album of her interpretations of familiar tunes such as "The Weight," "Sympathy for the Devil," and "Only Love Can Break Your Heart." James Iha (formerly of The Smashing Pumpkins) is back with "Look to the Sky," his first solo album in 15 years. And the reunited Ben Folds Five is streaming its latest release (and has done a video with the Fraggles, the furry critters from Jim Henson's "Fraggle Rock").

Oh, and if you need a Michael Jackson fix (or just want to feel really old), Spinner is streaming the 25th-anniversary edition of the King of Pop's "Bad."

For albums from artists who are newer and/or more unusual, NPR Music is streaming albums by electronic musician and producer Ricardo Villalobos, the Danish band Efterklang, the singer-songwriter Sera Cahoone, and the Paris-based musician Melody Prochet (performing as Melody's Echo Chamber), her first. And KCRW has new releases from The Peach Kings and John Tejada.

Also: Pitchfork is streaming the new EP by one of our favorites, the Dum Dum Girls.

See the specific sites for more streaming albums, and as always, let us know what you think of these releases by leaving a comment. Dig in, and enjoy...

Pitchfork:
"End of Daze" EP by Dum Dum Girls
 
KCRW Album Preview: 
"Handsome Moves" EP by The Peach Kings
"The Predicting Machine" by John Tejada

NPR First Listen:
"Deer Creek Canyon" by Sera Cahoone
"Melody's Echo Chamber" by Melody's Echo Chamber
"Piramida" by Efterklang
"Dependent and Happy" by Ricardo Villalobos

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"The Sound of the Life of the Mind" by Ben Folds Five
"Mirage" by Band of Horses
"Live in New York City" by Paul Simon
"Look to the Sky" by James Iha
"Bad 25" by Michael Jackson
"Telepathic" by L'Altra
"Tiny Prayers" by Aaron Embry
"Sweet Lights, Sweet Lights" by Sweet Lights
"This Is An Adventure" by The Lighthouse and The Whaler

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"The Devil You Know" by Rickie Lee Jones
"All The Way Home" by Ocean Carolina
"When Ledge Is Home" by Bi-Polar Bear*

*I don't know a thing about this band, but I had to include them because of the clever name.

New Songs & Videos: Japandroids, Aimee Mann, Redd Kross, Dum Dum Girls

New songs and videos are busting out all over... and you can download some of 'em free. Here's what's new:

* Watch the Japandroids' new video for "The House That Heaven Built," from their new album "Celebration Rock"



* Watch the Tom Scharpling-directed video for Aimee Mann's "Charmers," from her album of the same name (sorry, the embed code won't work for some reason, so you'll have to view it at the NPR website here.) The video, which has a cameo by John Hodgman, features Mann teaching a robot double of herself (acclaimed actress Laura Linney) to take over for her and go on tour. Download Aimee Mann's "Charmers" (right-click and choose "Save As" or "Save Link As")

* Download "Lord Knows" by the Dum Dum Girls, from their forthcoming EP "End of Daze"(via Pitchfork)

 

Also from Pitchfork, see DDG performing "Tunnelvision" live at the Echoplex in L.A....

* Watch video of Grimes performing "Genesis" on Jimmy Fallon last night:

New Tunes: Dum Dum Girls "Coming Down" Video; Songs from Garbage, Japandroids, & More

Some great new tunes have come out this week, from bands including Dum Dum Girls, Garbage, Japandroids, and Silversun Pickups. First off is the video of "Coming Down" by the Dum Dum Girls, directed by the band's own bass player, Malia James (who is also a photographer/videographer/writer/who knows what else).

The video uses a shortened, four-minute version of the song, which ran six-and-a-half minutes on DDG's "Only in Dreams" album from late last year. (Related: see photos from the February Dum Dum Girls show at Maxwell's.)

Here's all the new stuff:

* Dum Dum Girls, "Coming Down" video:



* Garbage's "Battle in Me" video (U.K. single). (Via Consequence of Sound, which also features the track listing.):



* Japandroids have a new single, "The House That Heaven Built." You can listen to it at their website. Also: the band is playing Bowery Ballroom on June 27th; get tickets here this Friday at 12 Noon.

* Stereogum as posted a new song download by Screaming Females, "Expire." At the link you can also find their live dates; they're kicking off their tour with an album release show at Maxwell's on April 5th.

* Silversun Pickups are out with a new song, "Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)," which you can listen to at the link or listen to below (for some reason, SoundCloud embeds aren't working for me).



* Crocodiles, the band fronted by Brandon Welchez (husband of Dum Dum Girls frontwoman Dee Dee), is preparing a new album and has a new video of its own: an album teaser that sends up those old Time-Life Records collections of the past. (Via NME.)

Free Music: Sleigh Bells Streaming Tonight; 50-Foot Wave Gives Away Its Tunes; & More

If you're looking for some new tunes to listen to, you'll have plenty to keep you busy this weekend. From a live streaming concert to a new set by F*cked Up to Soundgarden's frontman covering Dolly Parton (and Whitney Houston), here's what's happening:

* Watch Sleigh Bells performing live tonight at New York's Terminal 5. The show is sold out, but you can watch it at 10:30 p.m. Eastern at www.youtube.com/bowerypresents.

* 50-Foot Wave, the trio led by Kristin Hersh, has released its latest EP, “With Love from the Men’s Room,” and its entire catalog, for free download. The zip file is 1.35 GB. This is a logical step for Hersh, who for years has made her music (solo work, as well as tunes by 50-Foot Wave and Throwing Muses) available on a pay-what-you-wish basis.

F*cked Up is still celebrating the Chinese zodiac, and you can celebrate by streaming it free.

* Canadian punk band F*cked Up has issued "Year of the Tiger," the latest in its series of Chinese zodiac recordings. You can stream the set at the link; it includes F*cked Up frontman Damian Abraham performing a duet with Annie-Claude Deschênes, the singer for fellow Canadian band Duchess Says.

* Dum Dum Girls have posted a couple of hand-picked compilations on their website this week. Or rather their leader Dee Dee has. "Get Lost" was done for Rough Trade features songs from Morrissey, Jesus and Mary Chain, Kurt Vile, and others, and runs 71 minutes.

The second mix, called "Stoned in Love," is a set Dee Dee says she and her husband (Brandon Welchez of Crocodiles) put together. As you'd expect from this couple, it's an eclectic box of Valentine's Day chocolates, with tunes from Slade, the Soft Boys, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, Serge Gainsbourg, Primal Scream, and Leonard Cohen. It runs 42 minutes.



* Finally, above you'll find a video that's been bouncing all over the blogosphere recently: Soundgarden's Chris Cornell performing "I Will Always Love You," written by Dolly Parton and, of course, made famous by the late Whitney Houston.

PHOTOS: Dum Dum Girls Play Maxwell's on Brief East Coast Swing

Just a few months after their last show at Maxwell's, the Dum Dum Girls returned to the fame Hoboken club Saturday for one of the final stops on their brief, six-date "Conquering the Hearts" East Coast tour. Although the band had the same energy as before, it played a somewhat shorter set, coming in at just about 50 minutes, and did not play an encore.

Jules of the Dum Dum Girls.

Perhaps the brevity of the show, and this tour, were because the band wanted to give its newest member, Malia James, a chance to get her feet wet in playing the DDG repertoire. James, who is a photographer in addition to having been a member of the bands Marnie Stern and The Black Ryder, fit in well musically, and dressed in traditional Dum Dum Girls style (black leather and lace, short shorts with patterned stockings), but wore a hat, which made her stand out from the other band members.

Dum Dum Girls, from left: Jules, Dee Dee, Malia James.

Dum Dum Girls opened with "He Gets Me High" and "Catholicked," then played a set that as expected consisted mostly of tunes from "Only In Dreams," the band's latest album.

If you like garage rock with touches of 1960s girl groups, the Dum Dum Girls are a great band to see live, especially in a small venue. I'll definitely catch their next New York area appearance. 

Widowspeak played before Dum Dum Girls.

Jules, Sandra, and Dee Dee (left to right).

Malia James was playing her first gigs with the band.

Jules singing.

Concert Notes: Death Cab Adds 3rd Show; Feist Tour Dates; Daria Musk Live Gig; More

There's lots of concert news today, with some good shows happening this week and others being announced recently:

Death Cab for Cutie has added a third show at the Beacon Theatre, on April 29th. Tickets go on sale Friday, Feb. 3rd at 12 Noon. There may still be tickets available for their shows on April 27th and 28th.

Feist announced a worldwide tour with dates in the U.S. including the Coachella festival, New Orleans JazzFest, and of course New York (Radio City Music Hall on Sat., May 5th; tickets on sale here on Sat., Feb. 4th at 10 a.m.). She also dropped the new video for "The Bad in Each Other," above.

Google+ Hangouts star Daria Musk plays a live show in NYC on Friday.

Singer-songwriter Daria Musk, who's gained fans around the world through her recurring marathon concerts using the Google+ Hangout feature, will be playing a live, in-the-flesh gig in New York City tomorrow night at The Living Room. Musk will go on at 10 p.m. (And yes, you can watch it on the Google+ Hangout if you can't be there.) If she's as effervescent in person as she is on the computer screen, this show will be a treat.

The Dum Dum Girls are back on the road and playing some East Coast dates over the next couple of weeks to promote last year's excellent "Only in Dreams"album. New York area dates are Music Hall of Williamsburg on Feb. 7th and Maxwell's in Hoboken on Feb. 11th. The band also announced that bass player Bambi has departed and will be replaced by Malia James. (Who is Malia James? I found a profile here... she's quite a multi-talented woman.)

Dum Dum Girls play a series of East Coast dates beginning next week.

Speaking of Maxwell's, Montclair native Jenny Owen Youngs plays there tonight with Kelsey Byrne and New Empire supporting. The show starts tonight and tickets are only $12 at the door. Youngs's new album, "An Unwavering Band of Light,"comes out Feb. 7th.

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

Live in NYC Thursday: Dum Dum Girls in Brooklyn, GoGirls Music Fest in E. Village

Fans of female-powered rock will be interested in two shows on Thursday night that will be starting December off with a bang, on both sides of the East River.

One of my new favorite bands, the Dum Dum Girls, are back from a brief European swing and will play Brooklyn Bowl in a show starting at 8 p.m. Brooklyn's Dive and Xray Eyeballs open the gig. Doors are at 6 p.m.; admission is just $10. Brooklyn Bowl is at 61 Wythe Ave. in Williamsburg between N. 11th and 12th Streets (directions).

If you miss this show, the DDGs will be returning to Brooklyn Bowl for another show on Dec. 17th. (UPDATE: It doesn't say this on their tour page, but the Dec. 17th show is not a DDG show; rather, the band will be spinning a DJ set during the Stylofone reunion show. They will be playing a solo acoustic show with Crocodiles on Dec. 22nd at Glasslands.)

More than a half-dozen female indie rockers play the GoGirls Music Fest Thursday.

Across from Williamsburg in Manhattan, a line-up of women indie rockers will play at the GoGirls Music Fest at Otto’s Shrunken Head (538 E. 14th St.). On the bill: ReW, Lachi & Meridian Gold, Inky Glass, Melissa Clark, Luciar, Rachel Lee Walsh, and Tiik (from the band G.U.T.S.). You can hear songs from the GoGirls Music Fest here (my favorite is the poppy "Bug Out" by Lachi & Meridian Gold).

The show is a benefit for the Red Thread Movement, which is dedicated to fighting sex trafficking in Nepal. The show is set for 7 p.m. and admission is only $5.

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.

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.

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 Streaming: New CDs by Ryan Adams, the Bangles, Dum Dum Girls, Kasabian, & More

Stream the new Dum Dum Girls album "Only in Dreams" above, or at Spinner below. 

The latest album from the prolific Ryan Adams and the first release in eight years from The Bangles are among the new albums online for free streaming this week.

For Adams, "Ashes and Fire" is at least the 12th album he's put out since 2000. And it's the first album he's put out since stepping away from The Cardinals, his backing band from 2004 to 2009.

On the not-so-prolific side of things, it's a fitting bookend to this summer's tour by the Go-Go's that The Bangles, the other hugely successful all-female band that arose in the 1980s, are coming out with a new album. In the current lineup are three members from those days: lead singer Susanna Hoffs and sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson (see an interview with Hoffs here).

Also streaming for free this week: new releases from the Dum Dum Girls, Tyler Ramsey of Band of Horses, acclaimed singer-songwriter Sarah Siskind, Kasabian, Canada's Ohbijou, and the rock supergroup Chickenfoot (featuring Sammy Hagar and Joe Satriani).

NPR First Listen:
"Ashes and Fire" by Ryan Adams

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"Sweetheart of the Sun" by The Bangles
"Only in Dreams" Dum Dum Girls (also streaming on YouTube)
"Metal Meets" by Ohbijou
"The Valley Wind" by Tyler Ramsey

"Velociraptor!" by Kasabian
"Diamonds & Death" by VHS or Beta

"Candygram for Mowo!" by Mocean Worker
"Number Seven" by Will Hoge

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"Novel" by Sarah Siskind
"III" by Chickenfoot

KCRW Album Preview: 
"The Less You Know, The Better" by DJ Shadow (streaming until Oct. 25)
"Living in Patterns" by Pollyn (streaming until Oct. 25)