Saucy spaghetti & meatballs. That’s how Aly Spaltro, a.k.a. Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, describes her music. “It’s pretty saucy,“ she says. “A little messy and sloppy -- in a good way. And, it has some balls.” Preview her upcoming album here.

Cheater's Game, the new album from the country couple Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison, is full of playful strum and twang. Hear the record in its entirety. 

Playful art-pop you can sink into: that’s the sound of Brooklyn’s Companion. Stream the band's debut full length through its release on Feb. 5th.

If the kings of slacker rock are Pavement, Brooklyn's own Darlings are among their heirs. Hear a song from their upcoming album, Perfect Trip.

Watch the first video from Pistolera frontwoman Sandra Lilia Velasquez's introspective new EP.

In seven or so albums as Mice Parade, Adam Pierce has traversed shoegaze, twee-strumentals, low-fi electronica and post-rock, and more recently incorporated Brazilian Tropicalia and West African influences. On Candela, Pierce continues to add some more pages to his musical passport while drawing further on his indie-pop past, with surprising, appealing results. Hear the album in its entirety until its release on Jan. 29.

From its opening notes, Trixie Whitley’s debut record Fourth Corner is a triumph thanks to the singer's powerful, emotional delivery that goes right for the gut. The record is a confident statement of an artist on the verge. Hear the album in its entirety until its release on Jan. 29.

The late advice columnist's humor and tart tongue endeared her to musicians as well as advice-seekers.

Red Baraat makes a high-octane sound drawing from Punjabi rhythms, New Orleans brass and New York hip hop. Hear the upcoming album from the "Brooklyn Bhangra" band until release on Jan 22nd. 

Sean Lennon teams up with Deehoof's Greg Saunier for a new experimental-psych project called Mystical Weapons.

This week our Check Ahead is something you can read! Get a glimpse into the new book from Jonathan Cott, called Dinner With Lenny: The Last Long Interview With Leonard Bernstein. It's a frank, passionate, and at times salty conversation with the late composer, conductor and educator.

The Philadelphia-based retro-rock band Free Energy returns on Jan. 15, with its sophomore album, Love Sign. Listen to our premiere of the hooky song, "Girls Want Rock."

Soundcheck producers Gretta Cohn and Joel Meyer share some of their answers to the 2012 Music Survey -- and they nearly come to fisticuffs over K-pop star Psy and his megahit "Gangnam Style." Plus, they discuss some favorites of the year, from R&B singer Miguel, southern metal stalwarts Mastodon and more.

Soundcheck producer Gretta Cohn shares her favorite music of year.

The Brazilian cellist and vocalist Dom La Nena makes her debut amidst a collage of home movies and Super 8 footage. Watch a premiere of her video for "No Meu Pais."

Hear the new album from Hortlax Cobra -- a.k.a. John Eriksson of Swedish pop trio Peter, Bjorn and John -- a tribute to Van Halen's classic 1984.

A remix is a remix is a remix. Unless it’s the German composer Nils Frahm reworking the Australian dance music duo The Presets. Listen to the premiere of the track "Promises."

The 20-year-old British singer-songwriter Lewis Watson is an unfamiliar name to American audiences -- but that may be about to change. Download the song "Even If" from his new EP, Another Four Sad Songs.

Super Hi-Fi's debut album Dub To The Bone will stream exclusively on our site through its release on December 4, 2012. Listen to the adventurous new album from Brooklyn's own trombone-heavy Afro-dub band.

Hear one band's take on the first "single" from Beck's upcoming sheet music collection.