Now Streaming: New CDs from The Deftones, School of Seven Bells, Bush Tetras, & More

There are some tasty new albums streaming this week—as well as one that's nearly 15 years old but is seeing the light of day for the first time. The new ones includes the latest efforts by The Deftones, School of Seven Bells, El Perro Del Mar, and Ari Hest. And an old favorite of ours (see below).


You'll probably hear this Bush Tetras song, and a lot of their just-released "Happy," at their NYC gig on Nov. 29th.

The unreleased album is "Happy," the late-'90s collection from the influential New York post-punk band Bush Tetras. The album was apparently stuck in record-label hell as various companies were sold or merged. "Happy" is finally coming out of limbo as ROIR acquired the rights to is, and released it Nov. 13th. (Read an interview with Bush Tetras talking about the album, and a biography of the band.)

Bush Tetras will play at NYC's Le Poisson Rouge on Nov. 29th (with Suicide, which will perform its first album in its entirety).

Although we don't write about Celtic music a lot here, we've long been fans of it, and so it's good news to see a fresh album from Irish folk singer-songwriter Susan McKeown. She's been a favorite since we heard her first album, "Bones," all the way back in 1995. She's got a great, expressive voice that's magnificent for singing Irish tunes as well as American folk tunes, but she can also rock. And she's also collaborated with musicians from other genres, including the Klezmatics.

The Dublin native, who's now lived in New York for more than 20 years, is out with her latest solo album, "Belong," this week. We're definitely looking forward to spending a lot of time with that one.

NPR First Listen:
"Instrumental Tourist" by Tim Hecker & Daniel Lopatin
"The Odds" by The Evens

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"Koi No Yokan" by The Deftones
"Put Your Sad Down" EP by School of Seven Bells
"Pale Fire" by El Perro Del Mar
"Happy" by Bush Tetras
"Soft Eyes" by Bear Colony
"Transit of Venus" by Black Forest Fire
"Jan" by Jan

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"The Fire Plays" by Ari Hest
"Belong" by Susan McKeown
"Scrimshaw" by Nels Andrews

Free Irish Music Podcasts for St. Patrick's Day

It's coming up on St. Patrick's Day again, so that means lots of people are looking for some music to get in the mood, or to play at parties, celebrations, etc. Below is an updated version of a post on free Irish music podcasts that I wrote a few years ago. Happily, three of the four podcasts I wrote about are still going strong. If you know of any others, let me know about them in the comments!

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Irish music is a natural part of any St. Patrick's Day party or celebration. And thanks to podcasting, you can get plenty of Irish and Celtic music for free on the Internet, from traditional to contemporary, New Age to Irish rock. Here are a few choice podcasts that play full-length tunes of Irish music. All are available through iTunes and other podcast programs, or at the Web sites linked to below.

Cleveland Celtic Podcast: You wouldn't necessarily associate Cleveland, Ohio with Celtic music, but there's an active music community there, as this podcast attests. The podcast plays Celtic rock and Celtic contemporary music from all over the world, including points far beyond Ohio.

Irish and Celtic Music Podcast: Hosted by a musician who specializes in Irish and Renaissance music, this podcast features interviews and songs covering different types of Irish and Celtic influenced music. There's an emphasis on independent artists, with ballads and uptempo rock-influenced tunes, and Scottish folk songs (and a bit of bagpipes). And you're sure to find some drinking songs in the mix.

Pub Song Podcast: If you want to head straight for the drinking songs, this is the place to go. Brought to you by the host of the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast, it features pub songs from Irish, Celtic, and non-Celtic traditions. The songs are lively and fun, and sometimes just reading the titles will give you a chuckle. The podcast may also include some poetry and news on folk songs.

For St. Patrick's Day, Free Irish and Celtic Music

Irish music is a natural part of any St. Patrick's Day party or celebration. And thanks to podcasting, you can get plenty of Irish and Celtic music for free on the Internet, from traditional to contemporary, New Age to Irish rock. Here are a few choice podcasts that play full-length tunes. All are available through iTunes and other podcast programs, or at the Web sites linked to below.

Cleveland Celtic Podcast: You wouldn't necessarily associate Cleveland, Ohio with Celtic music, but there's an active music community there, as this podcast attests. The podcast plays Celtic rock and Celtic contemporary music from all over the world, including points far beyond Ohio.

Irish and Celtic Music Podcast: Hosted by a musician who specializes in Irish and Renaissance music, this podcast features interviews and songs covering different types of Irish and Celtic influenced music. There's an emphasis on independent artists, with ballads and uptempo rock-influenced tunes, and Scottish folk songs (and a bit of bagpipes). And you're sure to find some drinking songs in the mix.

Pub Song Podcast: If you want to head straight for the drinking songs, this is the place to go. Brought to you by the host of the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast, it features pub songs from Irish, Celtic, and non-Celtic traditions. The songs are lively and fun, and sometimes just reading the titles will give you a chuckle. The podcast may also include some poetry and news on folk songs.

Irish Music Podcast: Here's a different kind of Irish podcast. from three musicians who call themselves "The shock jocks of Irish and Celtic Music" The podcast features three or four songs from traditional and non-traditional bands, plus "plenty of pints and ranting."