First Listen: Fanfarlo, 'Reservoir' June 29, 2009 • Fanfarlo's upbeat attitude infuses their contagiously melodic music and passionate, dreamy stories. Their new album, Reservoir, reveals itself with each listen: The melodies are full of emotion and the way the songs hang together is delicate and powerful. Hear the album in its entirety.
First Listen: 'Wilco (The Album)' June 24, 2009 • On Wilco's latest album, the group shows its influences, drawing distinct sounds from other artists like Television, the Beatles, or the Velvet Underground. But in the end, the new self-titled record is all about a gifted, well-seasoned band playing original songs . The band's seventh effort, Wilco (The Album) was recorded at the New Zealand studio of Crowded House's Neil Finn. Hear the new album in its entirety.
Review Exclusive First Listen: Bjork, 'Voltaic' June 23, 2009 • Bjork's music is complex, mysterious and full of unpredictable sonic textures. Recorded live to tape at Olympic Studios in London, Voltaic spans a wide spectrum of Bjork's discography, recorded with the touring band behind Volta. Hear a version of Voltaic in its entirety.
Review First Listen: Regina Spektor, 'Far' June 18, 2009 • Spektor tells stories that are provocative, that hang in your thoughts like a good melody. Her new album, Far, feels simple on its surface, but the secrets and the fun lie just underneath. Even with four different producers, it's a cohesive statement. Hear the album in its entirety.
Review Exclusive First Listen: Moby, 'Wait For Me' June 15, 2009 • Moby has access to high-end studios around the world, yet his latest album, Wait for Me, was made in his home studio. Inspired by a speech from director David Lynch, it feels like something to witness — like the listener is a voyeur peering into Moby's emotions. Hear the album in its entirety, Mon., 11:59 p.m. ET.
Review Exclusive First Listen: Sunset Rubdown June 8, 2009 • Compared to songwriter Spencer Krug's past efforts, Sunset Rubdown's Dragonslayer was made in a straightforward manner, recorded live in the studio. But there's nothing simple about the disc: Its stories sometimes resemble a cross between a whacked-out circus and a fairy tale. Hear the entire album.
Exclusive First Listen: Dirty Projectors May 30, 2009 • In what's already an unusually strong year for music, Dirty Projectors' Bitte Orca still stands out as one of 2009's most unusual and refreshingly unpredictable records. Hear the album in its idiosyncratic entirety.
Exclusive First Listen: Crosby, Stills And Nash May 22, 2009 • A new collection, titled Demos, features a series of demo recordings of mostly solo songs by David Crosby, Graham Nash and Stephen Stills, as well as a track from Neil Young. Listen to the album in its entirety.
Exclusive First Listen: Vieux Farka Toure May 19, 2009 • In 2006, Vieux Farka Toure released his self-titled debut album not long after the death of his father, the iconic Malian guitarist and singer Ali Farka Toure. It was an impressive opening to a career and a heartfelt passing of the torch. The long-awaited new album Fondo establishes young Vieux Farka Toure as a bona fide African guitar hero. Hear the album in its entirety.
Review Exclusive First Listen: John Vanderslice May 11, 2009 • Vanderslice has earned a reputation for writing smart, adventurous, appealing pop music that fiddles with form and structure. Now, nearly a decade into his career, Vanderslice is about to release his best record yet: Romanian Names. Hear the entire album on NPR Music as part of our Exclusive First Listen series.
Review Exclusive First Listen: Grandaddy's Jason Lytle May 4, 2009 • Lytle's new solo album, his first since Grandaddy disbanded in 2006, doesn't skip a beat: Yours Truly, The Commuter sounds like a Grandaddy record in everything but name.
Exclusive First Listen: Conor Oberst And The Mystic Valley Band's 'Outer South' April 27, 2009 • When Oberst hit the road last year with longtime friends he dubbed The Mystic Valley Band, the group found that it was eager to capture the energy of its live performances. By the end of the year, it entered a studio in Tornillo, Texas, to lay down 16 new tracks. The resulting album, Outer South, won't be released until May 5, but you can hear the entire record on NPR Music as an Exclusive First Listen.
Exclusive First Listen: St. Vincent's 'Actor' April 20, 2009 • When Annie Clark emerged in 2007 with her debut album under the name St. Vincent, it was clear she was an exceptionally talented artist. Marry Me won over fans and music critics with its off-kilter rhythms, unconventional mix of strings and electronics, and Clark's cryptic lyrics. But the band's new follow-up, Actor, is even more remarkable. Hear the album in its entirety, exclusively on NPR Music.
Exclusive First Listen: Camera Obscura April 8, 2009 • Camera Obscura has been crafting its own brand of shimmering chamber-pop since first forming in Glasgow in 1996. Now, more than a decade later, the group is about to release its richest and most ambitious album to date. My Maudlin Career, available on NPR Music as an exclusive first listen a week before its release on April 21, is a beautifully produced mix of luminescent pop gems.
Exclusive First Listen: Leonard Cohen March 23, 2009 • Leonard Cohen, a singer and songwriter of tremendous depth and wisdom, has always been a seeker. In a career spanning more than 40 years, he's examined the mysteries of human sexuality, religion and power with a tremendous range of complex emotions and poetry. In July 2008, Cohen took the stage at London's 02 Arena and gave a stunning performance, as part of his first tour in 15 years. Hear the concert as an exclusive preview on a new two-disc set, Live in London, here on NPR Music.
