Whether you spent the 4th of July braving the crowds to watch the fireworks or (like us) holed up at home listening to what sounded like the apocalypse unfolding outside, you may well be feeling a little fragile this morning. Either way, rest assured that, as ever, we’ve got your back with a selection of new tunes to ease your transition into the working week. There’s a bunch of interesting music streaming for free on the internet — from The Horrors’ new baggy direction to some Radiohead remixes, blissed-out psychedelic country, and a woman that Brian Eno met at the gym. Listen after the jump.
The Horrors — Skying
We weren’t completely convinced by The Horrors when they first emerged onto the scene in 2005 — with their big hair and silly names, they seemed like B-grade Misfits wannabes, and their first album was, y’know, OK, without ever promising career longevity or a great deal in the way of innovation. However, their second album — 2009’s Primary Colours — was an absolute killer, a great leap forward that was both unexpected and thrilling. Ever since, we’ve been waiting patiently for new material, and finally a new album is imminent. Happily, it’s streaming on the band’s website. And… they’ve gone Madchester! Sort of. Listen here.
Radiohead — The King of Limbs remixes
This one isn’t strictly an album per se (or, at least, not an entire album), but we still thought you’d be interested: Radiohead are streaming the first set of King of Limbs remixes, which are set to be released on 12″ vinyl this week. (You can also buy them digitally as MP3s, WAVs or FLACs if you’re so inclined.) The first couple of tracks are a Caribou reworking of “Little by Little” and a Jacques Green mix of “Lotus Flower.” You can hear them both here.
Eleanor Friedberger — Last Summer
Eleanor Friedberger is finally squaring the ledger on the sibling solo album front — her older brother and Fiery Furnaces bandmate Matthew is releasing a record every couple of months this year, and while Eleanor’s only putting out one, it might just be the best Friedberger solo project of 2011. It’s summery pop music, plain and simple — far less of an acquired taste than most things Friedberger-related and surely destined to do well as a soundtrack to barbecues everywhere this July and August. It’s streaming in full at NPR.
Jackie O-Motherfucker — Earth Sound System
And finally, a couple of artists who are Flavorpill faves. First are Portland experimental combo Jackie-O Motherfucker, who released one of our favorite albums of the last few years with 2005’s Flags of the Sacred Harp and are back this week with a new record called Earth Sound System. The album finds Jackie-O MF covering familiar ground — downtempo, Americana-inflected psychedelic meanderings — which is absolutely, perfectly OK with us. If you’re also a fan of such endeavors, have a listen to the album in full at Spinner.
Brian Eno — Drums Between the Bells
And, excitingly, there’s also a new album by godlike genius and all-time Flavorpill idol Brian Eno, whose Drums Between the Bells is out today and is streaming in full via Wired. The album is a collaboration with poet Rick Holland, who penned all of its lyrics. However, neither Holland nor Eno handle vocals — instead, the words are recited by a series of Eno’s friends and associates (including, amusingly, a lady who he met at his local gym), and often digitally manipulated to sound, well, weird. As ever with Eno, the results won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but we’re of the opinion that it’s an interesting idea that’s well-executed and makes for fascinating listening. Make up your own mind here.