Welcome to another edition of our regular Monday stream-a-thon, wherein we hunt down the best and/or most notable records streaming for free over the Internet. This week, we urge you to separate the new Brian Jonestown Massacre album from images of Anton Newcombe kicking fans in the head, and also serve up fine doses of Monday morning angst from Light Asylum and Marilyn Manson. Elsewhere, there’s ’70s faux-nostalgia from Royal Headache and the new record by Sheffield poet laureate Richard Hawley. Click through and listen to your heart’s content!
The Brian Jonestown Massacre — Aufheben
It’s difficult to separate the man from the myth these days, largely thanks to the evergreen documentary Dig!, but Anton Newcombe has quietly been on a good run of form these last few years — fatherhood and living in Iceland agree with him, perhaps. 2010’s Who Killed Sergeant Pepper? and its associated EPs were largely excellent, and on first listen Aufheben is similarly good stuff. Have a listen at Spinner.
Marilyn Manson — Born Villian
Meanwhile, it’s a measure of Marilyn Manson’s career trajectory of late that the listening party for this record — which featured free “Mansinthe“! — was apparently mostly devoid of attendees. We’ve always had a soft spot for Manson — admittedly, for the man himself, rather than his music — but there’s a distinct air of diminishing returns about Born Villain — it’s perhaps instructive that there’s a track on this album called “Breaking the Same Old Ground.” Anyway, make your own mind up at AOL.
Light Asylum — Light Asylum
If Marilyn isn’t overwrought enough for your Monday morning, then you could kick things up a notch or two with the insanely dramatic Light Asylum, whose self-titled debut has been getting a pretty hefty workout in certain corners of the Flavorpill office since a review copy landed in our lap last month. The Brooklyn duo’s hyper-emotional neo-synth pop is an acquired taste, certainly, but if such action is to your taste, then darkwave it up right here.
Royal Headache — Royal Headache
We mentioned last week that you’d be hearing more about Royal Headache soon, and lo and behold, the band’s debut album is streaming at NPR this week. As we said, this record’s interesting because it plays with the idea of an imagined past — it’s produced to sound like ’70s FM radio, and while we’re not entirely sure that we’re quite as big on the whole retro garage rock idea as some commentators in the band’s native Australia, it’s definitely worth a listen. Hear it right here.
Richard Hawley — Standing at the Sky’s Edge
And finally, the new record by former Pulp and Longpigs member Richard Hawley. One of the more under-appreciated songwriters of the Britpop era, Hawley has been carving out a fine solo career for the best part of a decade now. Standing at the Sky’s Edge is his seventh solo record, and it’s worthy listening for a Monday morning. Check it out via The Guardian .