Free Album Streaming: New CDs from Counting Crows, Spiritualized, Dinosaur Feathers, & More

The British space rock band Spiritualized, American roots rockers Counting Crows, and a number of indie artists lead this week's pack of musicians offering free streaming albums. Led by Jason Pierce (who often goes by the name J. Spaceman, and is the only constant member of the band from year to year), Spiritualized is back with its first album since 2008's "Songs in A&E," which came out after Pierce recovered from a near-death experience that had him hospitalized for some time.


Video for "Passenger" by Emily Wells. 

And Counting Crows are back with their covers album, which features Adam Duritz and band performing songs by everyone from Teenage Fanclub to The Faces, Pure Prairie League, and Fairport Convention, as well as contemporary bands Dawes and Travis.

Besides the Spiritualized and Counting Crows releases, you'll find new albums from classically trained singer-songwriter-producer Emily Wells (see video for "Passenger" above), singer-songwriter Lissy Trullie, Canadian indie-pop duo Imaginary Cities, and Portland, Oregon folk-indie outfit Horse Feathers (not to be confused with Dinosaur Feathers, Brooklyn's purveyors of catchy hook-laden pop, who also have a new album up for preview this week).

Also, you can get a second chance to preview the new albums by M. Ward and Alabama Shakes, which were streaming at NPR Music last week.

NPR First Listen:
"Sweet Heart Sweet Light" by Spiritualized
"Cynic's New Year" by Horse Feathers

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"A Wasteland Companion" by M. Ward
"Boys and Girls" by Alabama Shakes
"Lissy Trullie" by Lissy Trullie
"Whistle Tips" by Dinosaur Feathers
"Temporary Resident" by Imaginary Cities
"Mama" by Emily Wells
"Sweeten the Distance" by Neal Casal
"Salt" by Hoots & Hellmouth

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did on Our Summer Vacation) by Counting Crows
"Thick as Thieves" by Cavo
"Bloodlines" by Tallhart
"Fix This!!!" by Paul Barker

Free Album Streaming: New CDs from M. Ward, Cowboy Junkies, Paul Weller, & More

Whatever kind of music you're into, you'll find something to like among this week's free album streams. There's the return of established artists like M. Ward and the even more established Cowboy Junkies and Paul Weller (of The Jam and Style Council).

Indie rockers Bear in Heaven, Oberhofer, and Of Monsters and Men are back with new releases, and in the singer-songwriter vein I'm enjoying the new release from sisters Allison and Catherine, The Pierces. (Note: The Pierces are the musical guest on Jay Leno Tuesday night; I'll post the video tomorrow. Update: you can watch The Pierces doing "You'll Be Mine" on Leno here.)


Video for M. Ward's "The First Time I Ran Away," from his new album.

For a change of pace, check out the new EP by the group Poor Moon, which features two members of Fleet Foxes and Crystal Skulls... the new album by the psychedelic/progressive band Astra... and Macy Gray singing Radiohead.

Yes, that's right, the R&B/soul singer-songwriter tackles "Creep," the band's first single on new album of covers. The collection also features several funny skits, making this more creative than your average cover album.

It's a diverse line-up this week; dig in and enjoy!

NPR First Listen:"A Wasteland Companion" by M. Ward
"I Love You, It's Cool" by Bear in Heaven
"My Head is an Animal" by Of Monsters and Men

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"Sonik Kicks" by Paul Weller
"Time Capsules II" by Oberhofer
"You, Anniversary" by Lindsay Fuller
"Rob Me Blind" by Jay Brannan
"Illusion" EP by Poor Moon
"The Black Chord" by Astra
"Wave Sleep Wave" by Wave Sleep Wave

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"You and I" by The Pierces
"Covered" by Macy Gray
"Wilderness" by Cowboy Junkies
"Into the Sky" EP by TJ Courtney
"Divide the Blackened Sky" by The Veer Union

Summer Concerts On Sale: Dave Matthews Band, Death from Above 1979, Governor's Ball, TV on the Radio, More

Tickets for the Aug. 22 show by Deerhunter (shown at River Rocks last summer) go on sale May 20 at 12 Noon.

It's still only May, but some of the summer concerts continue to be announced, and tickets are going on sale in the next day or two for some of the in-demand shows. This includes the Dave Matthews Band "Caravan" festival, the Foo Fighters two area appearances, and a show by the Canadian band Death from Above 1979. Here's a look at some of them, with other assorted summer concert information. (I'll have details on more free summer concerts in upcoming posts.)

The DMB show is already on sale; many of the others go on sale Friday, May 20th at 10 a.m. or Noon.

Dave Matthews Band Caravan - Fri. - Sun, Aug. 26 - 28 - Governors Island (full set by DMB each day; Dispatch, The Roots, Moe, Gogol Bordello, Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, The Head and the Heart, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, more)

(The DMB Caravan has another tri-state area show, in Atlantic City June 24 - 26.)

Governors Ball Music Festival - Sat., June 18 - Governors Island (Girl Talk, Pretty Lights, Empire of the Sun, Neon Indian, Big Boi (of Outkast), DJ set from Passion Pit)

Death From Above 1979 "with special guests" - Fri., July 22 - Williamsburg Waterfront

M. Ward with Kurt Vile & The Violators - Thurs., Aug. 11 - Wellmont Theatre (Montclair, NJ)

TV On The Radio with Broken Social Scene - Thurs., Sept. 8 - Williamsburg Waterfront

Roger Daltrey Performs The Who's Tommy, "plus Who classics and more" - Sun., Sept. 18 at Prudential Center and Fri., Sept. 23 at Nassau Coliseum

Deerhunter - Mon., Aug. 22 - Webster Hall

Foo Fighters - Mon., Sept. 26 - Izod Center

Free Fourth of July Concerts in NYC: Rosanne Cash, She & Him on Governors Island

Above: Rosanne Cash plays New York's Governors Island in a free Fourth of July concert. Here she and bandmate (and husband) John Leventhal are seen playing a Fourth of July show last year in Minnesota. Photo: Jonathunder

New York is famous for the free Macy's Fourth of July fireworks, but there's a lot more going on for the nation's birthday, including free music. Two excellent choices are the free pop-rock concerts that happen to be taking place on the same island--no, not Manhattan, but Governors Island. And both take place in the afternoon, giving you plenty of time to catch the fireworks.

In one show, singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash plays and sings her blend of pop, folk, country, and rock music. A daughter of Johnny Cash, she has more than 10 albums under her belt, the most recent of which is "The List," covers of classic tunes she learned from her father.

The free Rosanne Cash concert runs from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Colonels Row section of Governors Island.

Also on Governors Island is the latest free show in the Water Taxi Beach series, featuring She and Him. If you're not familiar with this band, "she" is multitalented actress/singer Zooey Deschanel, and the "him" is indie singer-songwriter Matt Ward, who has recorded a number of albums under the name M. Ward. They play bright, catchy tunes--as their website says, "They occupy an alternate universe where the saddest of songs feel as warm as sun showers."

Their latest album is the imaginatively titled "She and Him: Volume Two."

The free She and Him show runs from 4 to 6 p.m., and though it's free only the first 3,500 customers will be admitted, so get there early.

See the Governors Island blog for details on both shows, including links for directions and ferry schedule to Governors Island.