It’s Monday. The sun’s out, summer’s on the way, and another bunch of new albums have surfaced on the internet for your free streaming pleasure: life could be worse, really. As ever, we’ve collated five of the best (or, at least, the most interesting) records that are kicking around for free on the web at the moment – and if you’re good and read to the end, we promise you a link to Björk’s new single, too. Get a piece of the action after the jump.
Black Lips — Arabia Mountain
We may want to punch Jared Swilley, but we have to admit, we’re also not averse to his music. As such, it’s good news that the new Black Lips album Arabia Mountain is streaming over at Spinner (it’s also been kicking around on Grooveshark for the last couple of days). As ever, Black Lips are one of those bands that are going to polarize opinion, but if you set aside the hipster douchebag element and listen without prejudice, you’ll hear a bunch of pleasantly Brian Jonestown-esque ’60s-inspired pop songs. Make up your own mind here.
Dananananaykroyd — There Is a Way
Ludicrously-named Scots Dananananaykroyd have a new album called There Is a Way out next week, and it’s streaming in full via Drowned in Sound. Curiously, it was produced by Ross Robinson, better known for making Korn frontman Jonathan Davis’ life a misery. There isn’t much of Robinson’s hard-rock imprint to be heard – the album is hummable indie pop par excellence, and if you’re partial to such action, then have a listen here.
Junior Boys — It’s All True
The new Junior Boys album It’s All True is streaming a full month out from its July 4th release at Hype Machine – all the tracks are available for your listening pleasure here. It’s a thoroughly good listen, too – pleasantly funkified electronic beats and decidedly catchy melodies abound throughout.
The Vaccines — What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?
Latest NME hypees The Vaccines’ debut album is out now, but if you’re suspicious of the buzz, you can listen and make up your own mind via Crave Online. There’s also an, um, less than illuminating track-by-track breakdown from frontman Justin Young (sample insight: “I wrote this song after a night out, it’s fun. I love the melody, its [sic] uplifting).”
Marissa Nadler — Marissa Nadler
Boston singer/songwriter Marissa Nadler funded the recording of her self-titled new album via a Kickstarter campaign, which makes her about the only person we’ve ever heard of to actually hit a funding target and make the whole Kickstarter idea work. It’s a good job she did, though, because the album is lushly beautiful, and well worth a listen. You can hear it via NPR.
Bonus link: Björk‘s new single “Crystalline” is the first taste of her new album Biophilia, which will apparently feature ten songs, each of which is being released as an iPad application or something. Ye gods. Anyway, Stereogum has a video of Björk playing the new song in her car. Have a look here.