Now Streaming: New CDs from Fiona Apple, Glen Hansard, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, & More

The wait is over for streaming one of the most anticipated albums of the last few months: Fiona Apple's first album in seven years, "The Idler Wheel..." (the full title is more than 20 words long). We first got a taste of some of the songs when she performed at SXSW earlier this year, and as more songs have been heard the album has been making a number of critics' best-of-the-year-so-far lists.

Watch the video for "Every Single Night" below, which starts with Apple wearing an octopus on her head and goes on to show her cavorting with snails and other sea creatures. Oh, and what looks like a human brain.


Video for "Every Single Night" by Fiona Apple.

Apple comes from a stellar singing and show-business background: her grandfather was vocalist for the Harry James Big Band, and her parents literally met on Broadway (they were both performing in the musical "Applause"). Apple's sister, Maude Maggart, is an in-demand cabaret singer who appears on "The Idler Wheel..." (and is performing at Feinstein's at Loews Regency in New York through Saturday, June 16th).

Also new this week is a solo album by Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, a member of The Frames but better known as half of The Swell Season, the stars and musicians from the movie "Once" (which had quite a good week as a Broadway musical, winning eight Tony awards on Sunday).

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are back with a new album, as are The Bouncing Souls, Wintersleep, These United States, and more. You'll also get another chance to stream Metric's new album "Synthetica," and Hot Chip's "In Our Heads," which are available on Spinner this week.

Many of these acts are out on the road promoting their new albums, so watch for them at a concert call or festival near you.

NPR First Listen:
"The Idler Wheel..." by Fiona Apple
"Rhythm And Repose" by Glen Hansard
"The Cherry Thing" by Neneh Cherry and the Thing

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"Synthetica" by Metric
"The Lion The Beast The Beat" by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
"Comet" by The Bouncing Souls
"In Our Heads" by Hot Chip
"The Plot Against Common Sense" by Future of the Left
"Traps" by Jaill
"Hello Hum" by Wintersleep
"These United States" by These United States
"The Elle King EP" by Elle King
"Ode to Sentience" by Emily Jane White
"O'Doubt O'Stars" by Ruby Throat

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"Life Will Write the Words" by The Rocket Summer
"Songs From the Laundromat" (EP) by Drivin' and Cryin'
"Heartbreakers" by Phoebe Jean & the Air Force

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova Oscar Acceptance Speeches

Glen Hansard gave an acceptance speech when "Falling Slowly" won the Best Original Song Oscar, but as his partner Marketa Irglova stepped to the microphone, the orchestra swelled up and she was unable to say anything. After the commercial break, host Jon Stewart had Irglova come back on and give her thanks and her thoughts on winning the Oscar... a nice move by Stewart, or whomever made the decision to let her back on.

Below are the acceptance speeches by both Hansard and Irglova.

"Falling Slowly" from "Once" Wins Oscar

"Falling Slowly," the nominee from the movie "Once," has won the Oscar for best original song.

“Once,” a film about two singers making music on the streets of Dublin, was made for just $100,000.

The winners of the Oscar, songwriters Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, also played the lead roles in "Once" Both Hansard and Irglova are actual musicians, not actors.

Glen Hansard is best known in the U.S. as the leader of the Irish rock band The Frames. Marketa Irglova is a singer and songwriter from the Czech Republic.

Based on the popularity of “Once” in its theatrical release, Hansard and Irglova have toured together under the name The Swell Season, and have released an album of the same name.