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10 Albums You Can Hear Now: Bjork, Flaming Lips, Action Bronson, and More

bjork, bastards, mutual core video

Another week brings another collection of streaming albums, ready for your immediate listening pleasure.

1) Bj?rk, bastards. From Bj?rk: “I was incredibly impressed by how the core of the mixes took Biophilia somewhere else while still keeping its character, and like they so often do when at their best: the remixes gave the songs more beats; legs to dance on.” (via the Guardian)

2) Flaming Lips, Playing Hide and Seek with the Ghosts of Dawn. “The Lips have marshalled a group of bands to interpret King Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King… in this case New Fumes, Linear Downfall, Spaceface, and Stardeath and White Dwarfs, who are led by Lips singer Wayne Coyne’s nephew, Dennis Coyne.” (via Satellite Heart Radio)

3) Sufjan Stevens, Silver & Gold. “The new album begins with a gentle version of ‘Silent Night’ and the bouncier ‘Lumberjack Christmas’ before veering into a variety of occasionally odd directions.” (via Slate)

4) Action Bronson, Rare Chandeliers. “At times opulent, at others mining the pulp grit that [producer] Alchemist specializes in, this gets our award for Mixtape Of The Year.” (via Noisey)

5) The Evens, The Odds. “It’s the pair’s first long-player since 2006’s Get Evens, and while hewing to their stripped-down sound, appears to mix more of the personal with the political, reflecting on the creative process, the struggle of the working artist, and, as ‘First Listen’ words it, ‘what it means to be a grown-up punk: how to question authority while accepting adult responsibility.'” (via NPR)

6) Captain Murphy, Duality. “While the clip mostly compiles live footage — hypnotic swirls, religious iconography, dead bodies, outdoor sex — Captain Murphy clearly identifies as a cartoon rap villian and cult leader, which makes him kin to Madlib’s seminal ‘bad character’ Quasimoto and the Adult Swim-backed DANGERDOOM creation at the hands of Danger Mouse and MF DOOM, each of whom cribbed their identities from cartoons.” (via Captain Murphy’s website)

7) Eaux, i. “The group’s dark-side fixations bring to mind the smoky grandeur of contemporaries like Balam Acab, Beak>, and Zola Jesus, but i never sounds bleak for the sake of being bleak.” (via SPIN)

8) Fort Lean, Change Your Name. “We are pleased to remind you that [Fort Lean] is back with a small family of new songs… hear the relatively moody Change Your Name EP in its jangly entirety.” (via SPIN)

9) Boris and Asobi Seksu, “Farewell”/”Neu Years” split 7-inch single. “On the A-side, Asobi Seksu leans into a twinkling, shimmering version of ‘Farewell,’ from Boris’ 2005 coming-out-party for their shoegazer tendencies, Pink. Then on the flip, the might Boris cranks up the fuzz on Asobi’s breezy, blurry, ‘I Melt With You’-summoning ‘New Years’ (as ‘Neu Years,’ lol).” (via SPIN)

10) Jason Lytle and Sea of Bees, “Won’t Be Long”/”Get Up and Go” split 7-inch single. “It’s still cool when a couple of your favorite artists dig each other’s music and want to work together… In this case, former Grandaddy frontman Jason Lytle fell for Sea of Bees’ 2010 debut Songs for the Ravens and thought he might like to cover the track “Won’t Be Long” for an album of his own. After Julie Ann Bee heard Lytle’s version, she decided to cover “Get Up and Go,” from his latest new Dept. of Disappearance, and poof! The 7″ release was born.” (via NPR)