Lots of great stuff this week, as the new album Middle Cyclone from Neko Case certainly comes out on top with having both excellent songs and equally good cover art.  Honestly, she could release an album of her just reading from a phone book and I would probably buy it.  I’m sure we can all agree on this one.

A couple of other albums that I would personally recommend have been released digitally on iTunes: The Boy Least Likely To’s The Law Of The Playground and Fanfarlo’s Reservoir. Other releasese worth checking out include Marissa Nadler’s (god she has a gorgeous voice) Little Hells, Say Hi’s Oohs & Aahs, Wild Light’s Adult Nights, and The Soundtrack Of Our Lives’ Communion (if only because I haven’t heard from these guys since their debut so many years ago).

As always, feel free to recommend anything that may have slipped past our radar.

Bell X1
Blue Lights on the Runway
MP3: “Defector Single”

The Bitter Tears
Jam Tarts in the Jakehouse
MP3: “Starlight”

The Boy Least Likely To
The Law Of The Playground (iTunes only)
MP3: “I Box Up All The Butterflies”

Bosque Brown
Baby
MP3: “Went Walking”

Boston Spaceships
Planets Are Blasted
MP3: “Big O Gets an Earful”

De Rosa
Prevention
MP3: “Nocturne For An Absentee”

Emma-Lee
Never Just A Dream
MP3: “Never Just A Dream”

Extra Golden
Thank You Very Quickly
MP3: “Anyango”

Fanfarlo
Reservoir (iTunes only)
MP3: “I’m a Pilot”

Justin Townes Earle
Midnight at the Movies
MP3: “What I Mean To You”

Marissa Nadler
Little Hells
MP3: “River of Dirt”

Neko Case
Middle Cyclone
MP3: “Middle Cyclone”
MP3: “People Got a Lotta Nerve”

Say Hi
Oohs & Aahs
MP3: “November Was White, December Was Grey”

The Soundtrack Of Our Lives
Communion
MP3: “Flipside”

U2
No Line on the Horizon
full album stream

Wild Light
Adult Nights
MP3: “California on My Mind”

Joining the many big names releasing records in the coming months, Neko Case is releasing her fifth album titled Middle Cyclone on March 3rd.  Both Neko and ANTI- have taken a unique approach with “People Got A Lotta Nerve,” the first single from the album, as they’ve freely made it available for download in the hope that anyone with a blog who reposts the song and/or iLike user who adds it to their profile, which in turn will contribute to a cash donation to Best Friends Animal Society.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2009, Best Friends Animal Society is one of America’s foremost animal rescue organizations. Founded in 1984, Best Friends advances nationwide animal welfare initiatives by working with shelter and rescue groups around the country. On any given day Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, the nation’s largest facility for abused, abandoned and special needs companion animals located in southwestern Utah, is home to approximately 2,000 dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, birds, and other animals. The society also publishes Best Friends magazine, the nation’s largest general interest, pet-related magazine with approximately 300,000 subscribers. For more information, visit www.bestfriends.org.

According to the ANTI- blog, the promotion will run from January 13 to February 3, 2009. Five dollars will be donated for each of the two previously mentioned ways to post the song.  Since it’s for a good cause, feel free to spread the word, as this is something I am more than happy to do.  Plus, the song is wonderful, as Neko’s voice is just pure gold and sounds better than ever.

MP3: Neko Case :: “People Got A Lotta Nerve”