It’s been a slow couple of months for interesting new music from established acts, be they indie or mainstream. Other than Kanye and Jay-Z’s epic collaboration on “Watch the Throne,” we haven’t heard much from the usual suspects.

But that’s not to say times are tough! Plenty of great music is streaming and downloadable right now, both from up-and-coming indie acts and locals. Here are my picks for the week.

Thundercat made himself known to indie audiences when he guested on Flying Lotus’ excellent “Cosmogramma” last year. FlyLo reciprocated by producing his debut LP, “The Golden Age of Apocalypse.” Stream it over at Hype Machine.  

Tulsa and Enid have combined to give us Good Morning Grizzly, a pretty, pop-rock project that put this first big track up for download. It’s called “Stars and Satellites,” and you can snag it at the band's Bandcamp page.

Hazy, Swedish, mix ’n’ mash duo jj have a new track up for download at Gorilla Vs. Bear. The lengthily named “You Don’t Know How Much It Would Hurt Me If You Said You Were in Love with Me,” it’s certainly creepier and sexier than anything they’ve previously recorded.

GVB is also streaming this new track from Twin Sister, who recorded one of the best songs we heard last year in “All Around and Away We Go.” Give ’em both a listen.

Okie Chase Kerby (The City Lives) is getting back into the pop-rock game with Defining Times. Their debut EP was up for free download earlier in the week, but now it’ll set you back $5. I call that money well-spent.

Peter Bjorn and John stopped by KEXP’s studios in Seattle to play a couple of tracks off their latest record, “Gimme Some.” Watch “Breaker, Breaker” (complete with cowbell!) below.



Ho, boy. This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. Much like the sneak peek at the single they set loose a little early a few weeks ago, New York dance-punk gods The Rapture streamed an in-studio listening party for their new album, “In the Grace of Your Love.” You might recall me blowing my top over “How Deep Is Your Love” a few weeks ago. This stream has amplified my anticipation for the album a dozenfold.



Oklahoma City rapper and good guy Jabee put out a remix to the track “Beautiful Day” off his “Lucky Me” mixtape. Give ’er the ol’ download and listen.

Also, Stephen Malkmus recently played a set of his new material at Amoeba Music in Hollywood. There, he also announced the winner of his blowjob contest. I promise it’s not as gross as you think.  



About a week ago, we heard a titillating tweet from James Blake promising a mysterious Bon Iver collab. It is now here and it is glorious.

Wilco’s March 8, 2008, performance at Cain’s Ballroom during my freshman year of college changed my life.

Known for workmanlike shows, Jeff Tweedy — looking fly in a white suit stitched with roses and a cardinal — and company rocked 29 songs in about three hours, ranging from the guitar-oriented tracks off their then-new “Sky Blue Sky” LP to “Summerteeth”’s many pop classics, super-old material (”Forget the Flowers” from 1996’s “Being There”), a slew of Woody Guthrie covers, and all the best work on their experimental Americana opus “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.” That show is the reason I’m typing this sentence right now.

Anyhoo, if you’re an idiot like me and had to leave town the weekend of the band’s glorious May 8 return to Tulsa, then you can stop punching yourself in the head and go to Wilco’s website, where you can stream the show in its entirety. There are only 22 songs this time, but they look to be a pretty good balance of the group’s catalogue. “Jesus, Etc.” is a standout sing-along here, moving Tweedy to declare it “top-5, all-time.” Enjoy.