Jimmy Cliff Kicks Off 2012 Celebrate Brooklyn Free Concerts June 5th (Schedule)

Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff takes the stage this Tuesday, June 5th to open the 2012 season of free concerts at Celebrate Brooklyn. Tuesday's show begins at 8 p.m.

Celebrate Brooklyn returns this week. Mark your calendars!

The Celebrate Brooklyn concerts take place at the Prospect Park bandshell, near 9th Street and Prospect Park West. Although all the shows below are free, a $3 contribution is suggested. There are some great folk/rock/indie acts such as Cliff, Laura Marling, Keb' Mo, Wild Flag, and Lyle Lovett, but you'll also find Latin, gospel, soul, and R&B. I find that these free shows are good for checking out artists and genres that I might not ordinarily see live. (Listen to songs from the artists at the "Celebrate Brooklyn Shuffle" SoundCloud page.)

Here's the lineup; click on the links for each artist/show to see more details (and, in many cases, videos):

• Tues., June 5th - Jimmy Cliff - 8 p.m. (NPR Music will webcast this show)
• Sat., June 9th - AfroCubism (a collaboration of all-star Malian and Cuban musicians / Alsarah & The Nubatones - 7:30 p.m.
• Thurs., June 14th - Laura Marling / Michael Kiwanuka / Willy Mason - 7 p.m.
• Sat., June 16th - Balkan Beat Box / Chico Trujillo / Nation Beat - 6:30 p.m.
• Thurs., June 21st - Mary Mary / Latice Crawford - 7:30 p.m.
• Fri., June 22nd - Keb' Mo' / Natalia Zukerman - 7:30 p.m.
• Sat., June 23rd - Bud Light Music Series: Lyricist Lounge 20th Anniversary featuring Ghostface Killah / Camp Lo / Astro / & More - 7:30 p.m.
• Fri., June 29th - Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue / The Brooklyn Steppers / Dayna Kurtz - 7:30 p.m.
• Sat., June 30th - Angélique Kidjo's Women Waging Peace with Special Guests Laurie Anderson / Sibongile Khumalo / Somi - 7:30 p.m.
• Sat., July 7th - Souad Massi / Simon Shaheen - 7:30 p.m.
• Sun., July 8th - Ezra Jack Keats Family Concert: Sweet Honey in The Rock - 4 p.m.
• Fri., July 13th - Bud Light Latin Music Series: Celebrate Brooklyn & LAMC present Calle 13 / Ana Tijoux / Ritmo Machine - 7 p.m.
• Fri., July 20th - Machel Montano / BélO - 7:30 p.m.
• Sat., July 21st - Bud Light Latin Music Series: Arturo Sandoval / Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra - 7:30 p.m.
• Fri., July 27th - The Head and the Heart / Lost in the Trees - 7:30 p.m.
• Fri., August 3rd - Wild Flag / Mission of Burma - 7:30 p.m.
• Sat., August 4th - The Del McCoury Band / Cahalen Morrison & Eli West / Spirit Family Reunion - 6:30 p.m.
• Fri., August 10th - Bud Light Music Series: Little Dragon / Frankie Rose / Voices of Black - 7:30 p.m.
• Sat., August 11th - Lyle Lovett and His Acoustic Group / Aoife O'Donovan - 7:30 p.m.

Celebrate Brooklyn also includes a number of benefit concerts (some, if not most, may be already sold out). And there are some free shows that I haven't listed above (movies, ballet, etc.) See the Celebrate Brooklyn home page for the full lineup.

Free Album Streaming: New CDs from Fountains of Wayne, The Horrors, Keb' Mo', Antigone Rising, & More

The new Fountains of Wayne album "Sky Full of Holes" is one of the new albums streaming for free this week.

"Sky Full of Holes," the new album by Fountains of Wayne, is the highlight of this week's free album previews, but there's some other good stuff for streaming. (As for FoW, I went to one of the band's sold-out shows at the intimate confines of Maxwell's, where the crowd was treated to previews of "The Summer Place" and other songs from the new album, and of course some old favorite tunes.)

Other albums for free preview this week new releases from The Horrors, contemporary blues singer and guitarist Keb' Mo', and New York all-female band Antigone Rising. The new effort from the latter, "23 Red," has them sounding a lot more mellow than I remember them from years ago, and some of the tunes even have a country feel to them.

And there seem to be a number of members of well-known bands members out on their own with new projects, including Moonface (Wolf Parade frontman Spencer Krug), Ra Ra Riot bass player Mathieu Santos, and Collections of Colonies of Bees (featuring members of Volcano Choir, who collaborated with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon).

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"Sky Full of Holes" by Fountains of Wayne
"On the Ocean EP" by Guster
"Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I'd Hoped" by Moonface
"Massachusetts 2010" by Mathieu Santos
"Giving" by Collections of Colonies of Bees

KCRW Album Preview: 
"Skying" by The Horrors (streaming until Aug. 14)

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"23 Red" by Antigone Rising
"The Reflection" by Keb' Mo'
"King" by O.A.R.