With a 9-out-of-10 from SPIN, it's clear that Neko Case's fifth studio record, Middle Cyclone, is already among the year's finest -- and you can hear the whole thing right now in advance of its release March 3.

Neko Case's biggest fans bum-rush her at her front door. "Hi, guys!" she singsongs as four large dogs come clattering over floorboards to fill the entrance of her Tucson, Arizona home with sheer body-wiggling desperation. You'd think she'd been on tour for weeks, not at a local café for two hours.

It's freezing outside, but here at SPIN.com HQ we're combating frostbite with hot new tracks courtesy of our favorite artists, including Justin Timberlake, Neil Young, the Decemberists, and Kelly Clarkson, all of which were unveiled just this week. Throw in news about Metallica, Lil Wayne, and Ryan Adams, and 2009 is shaping up to be a pretty hot year -- take that Old Man Winter!

As Neko Case gears up to release Middle Cyclone March 3, the alt-country firebrand is giving her fans a glimpse into the eye of the storm by offering Cyclone's first single, "People Got A Lotta Nerve," as a free download.

Sometime New Pornographer and permanent alt-country rebel Neko Case is ready to unleash her first studio record in three years. Middle Cyclone, Case's sixth studio album and first since 2006's Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, will arrive March 3 via Anti-.

Austin City Limits hit the Lone Star State with a vengeance this weekend, and SPIN.com tapped the Hush Sound's Greta Salpeter to act as our eyes and ears on the festival grounds. Here, read Salpeter's take on sets from day one artists like Vampire Weekend, Stars, Mars Volta, and more, and check back to SPIN.com for her blogs from the rest of the event!