First Listen : NPR

First Listen: Fleet Foxes, 'Helplessness Blues'

Fleet Foxes' Helplessness Blues comes out May 3. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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First Listen: Fleet Foxes, 'Helplessness Blues'

April 24, 2011 • On the follow-up to its hit debut, the Seattle folk-rock band beats the sophomore slump by sticking to what it does best. Hear Helplessness Blues a week before its release on May 3.

First Listen: The Antlers, 'Burst Apart'

Burst Apart, The Antlers' follow-up to 2009's Hospice, comes out May 10. Shervin Lainez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Shervin Lainez/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: The Antlers, 'Burst Apart'

April 24, 2011 • What do you do when your first major release is a career-defining album? The Brooklyn trio answers that question with Burst Apart, its follow-up to 2009's Hospice. Hear the new album in its entirety here until its release on May 10.

First Listen: Donnacha Dennehy, 'Grá Agus Bás'

Donnacha Dennehy's GrÃ¡ agus BÃ¡s will be released on May 3. Sophie Dennehy/Coutesy of the artist hide caption

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Sophie Dennehy/Coutesy of the artist

First Listen: Donnacha Dennehy, 'Grá Agus Bás'

April 24, 2011 • Prepare to have any preconceptions of Irish music blown away by this ravishing album from the 40-year-old composer Donnacha Dennehy.

First Listen: Helado Negro, 'Canta Lechuza'

Roberto Carlos Lange's new album Canta Lechuza comes out May 10. Eve Sussman/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Eve Sussman/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: Helado Negro, 'Canta Lechuza'

April 24, 2011 • The one-man band, whose name is Spanish for "Black Ice Cream," weaves loops, samples and other electronic elements into clever, catchy pop. Hear Canta Lechuza in its entirety.

First Listen: Emmylou Harris, 'Hard Bargain'

Emmylou Harris' new album is Hard Bargain. Jack Spencer/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Jack Spencer/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: Emmylou Harris, 'Hard Bargain'

WFUV

April 17, 2011 • The country icon found inspiration for her newest set of songs in the lives of old friends, in the 1955 story of Emmett Till, and even at the dog pound. Hear Hard Bargain in its entirety.

First Listen: Thao And Mirah, 'Thao And Mirah'

The indie-folk duo of Thao Nguyen and Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn complement each other perfectly while delving into new territory on their self-titled album together. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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First Listen: Thao And Mirah, 'Thao And Mirah'

April 17, 2011 • Mirah's songs are delicate and intimate, while Thao's work rollicks with raw energy and impeccable chops. But on their new colaborative album, the singers complement each other perfectly.

First Listen: Steve Earle, 'I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive'

Steve Earle's newest album, I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive, comes out April 26. Ted Barron/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Ted Barron/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: Steve Earle, 'I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive'

April 17, 2011 • The latest album from the iconoclastic country singer, I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive takes its name from Hank Williams' final song. Hear Steve Earle's excellent new record in its entirety.

Unrelenting yet rhapsodic, Krallice's blast-beated epiphanies take black metal to the next step on Diotima. Justina Villanueva/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Justina Villanueva/Courtesy of the artist

Review: Krallice, 'Diotima'

April 17, 2011 • Krallice is one of the most thrilling bands in metal: Riff for riff, the group's blast-beated epiphanies demand more of listeners with each subsequent album.

First Listen: Times New Viking, 'Dancer Equired'

Times New Viking's new album, Dancer Equired, comes out on April 26. Jo McCaughey/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Jo McCaughey/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: Times New Viking, 'Dancer Equired'

April 17, 2011 • The Ohio fuzz-rock trio isn't recording its songs to VHS tape anymore, but the band hasn't lost its roughed-up charm. Hear Times New Viking's latest album in its entirety.

First Listen: tUnE-yArDs, 'w h o k i l l'

tUnE-yArDs' sophomore album w h o k i l l will be released on April 19. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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First Listen: tUnE-yArDs, 'w h o k i l l'

April 10, 2011 • For her second album, Merrill Garbus added friends and a real studio to her formerly primitive project, which straddles folk, rock, pop and soul. Hear the result in its entirety.

Ryan Lott writes and records under the name Son Lux. Brenden Beecy/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Brenden Beecy/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: Son Lux, 'We Are Rising'

April 10, 2011 • This past February, the artist known as Son Lux (a.k.a. Ryan Lott) wrote and recorded an entire album, from start to finish, in just four weeks. He documented the entire creative process on the All Songs Considered blog. Now, Lott is making the whole record available to hear.

Tuareg guitarist Bombino's album will be released on April 19 in the U.S. Ron Wyman/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Ron Wyman/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: Bombino, 'Agadez'

April 10, 2011 • Agadez contains some of the most sublime guitar licks you'll hear in 2011.

First Listen: Chancha Via Circuito, 'Río Arriba'

Pedro Canale named his DJ project Chancha Via Circuito after the train he used to commute to gigs in Buenos Aires. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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