Free Album Streaming: New CDs from Sleigh Bells, School of Seven Bells, & More

New releases from the London-based indie-pop band Fanfarlo and the dreamy New York duo School of Seven Bells highlight the albums available for online streaming this week. [UPDATE, Wed., Feb. 22nd: AOL Music has added the new Sleigh Bells album, "Reign of Terror," to its streaming lineup for this week (stream it here), so that's the highlight of this week's new streaming choices. I've added that below and put it in the title.] I liked Fanfarlo's previous record, and while I can't say I'm always in the mood for the ethereal soundscapes of SVIIB, their songs are great when I want something totally different from the traditional guitar-based rock combo.

Fanfarlo's "Rooms Filled with Light" is one of the albums you can preview online this week.

Formed as a trio featuring guitarist Benjamin Curtis (of Secret Machines) and twin sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza doing vocals, SVIIB carries on as a duo following the departure of Claudia late last year more than a year ago.

Also on preview this week: the new album by singer-songwriter Sara Radle, formerly in The Rentals (with ex-Weezer bassist Matt Sharp); the California band Princeton; the Grammy-winning Benin artist Angelique Kidjo; and many other bands that, well, I'm not at all familiar with. (However, I enjoyed listening to "Giant Orange," the rocking album by Cheap Girls, today, so often the fun of these previews is discovering a collection you like by an artist you've never heard of before.)

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"Reign of Terror" by Sleigh Bells
"Spirit Rising" by Angelique Kidjo
"Same Sun Shines" by Sara Radle
"Awkward Breeds" by The Sidekicks

NPR First Listen:
"Rooms Filled With Light" by Fanfarlo
"Toward the Low Sun" by Dirty Three
"Court the Storm" by Y La Bamba
"Black Radio" by Robert Glasper Experiment

Hype Machine:
"Ghostory" by School of Seven Bells



Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"Giant Orange" by Cheap Girls
"Metal Moon" by Dirty Ghosts
"Lungs, Dirt & Dreams" by Damon Moon and the Whispering Drifters
"North for the Winter" by Guy Capecelatro III
"Wake All My Youth" by Young Empires
"Remembrance of Things to Come" by Princeton

Sleigh Bells Played SNL a Day After their T5 Show (VIDEO)

Following up on its sold-out (and webcast) show at NYC's cavernous Terminal 5 Friday, Sleigh Bells moved over to Rockefeller Center the next day to be the musical guest on "Saturday Night Live."

The Brooklyn-based band first performed "Comeback Kid" and then returned with "End of the Line," both off their second album, "Reign of Terror" (out Tuesday). On the SNL performance the contrast between the sweet, poppy voice of singer Alexis Krauss and the distorted, thrashing guitars of Derek Miller and another guitarist who's accompanying them on tour, identified as Jason Boyer in an article in today's New York Times.

[Update, Feb. 20th: a few reviews of "Reign of Terror" have appeared online today, and they're pretty positive. See the writeups by Greg Kot (Sound Opinions, 3 of 4 stars), the L.A. Times' Pop & Hiss (3 of 4 stars), and Consequence of Sound (4.5 out of 5 stars).]





Krauss's voice was sweet enough to front a jangly pop group, and in fact she was in a teen-pop band in the past. In the webcast of Friday's show, the overall sound was rougher and more raucous, with Krauss often shouting rather than singing the songs with the controlled, more delicate vocals in the SNL versions.

No doubt the venue and setting having something to do with that; performing to a large audience at Terminal 5 and being heard over stacks of Marshall amps is a different matter than singing on the SNL sound stage (though the same Marshall amps were present at SNL, it's unclear how many were actually turned on). Personally, I thought the shouting vocal performance was a more complement to the searing guitar of the songs.

To compare the versions, see the video below and the Terminal 5 versions of three other songs at youtube.com/bowerypresents: "Infinite Guitars," "A/B Machines," "Kids," and "Riot Rhythm."