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Our Soundcheck Picks this week include some jazzy Nirvana, a Somali rapper and the brightest of the indie rock scene. Plus, a free download!

The Bad Plus, For All I Care (Heads Up)
They’ve done it with Nirvana, Abba, Black Sabbath, and now they are doing it with Pink Floyd and even with the Bee Gees. The trio The Bad Plus has reimagined songs by a wide assortment of artists. Now, they’re joined for the first time by a singer. Wendy Lewis is part of their new album, For All I Care. A perfect match for a fun and unconventional jazz group. (Gisele Regatao)

Various Artists, Dark Was The Night: A Red Hot CD (4AD)
The Red Hot Organization has spent the last 20 years making CDs that benefit its charity work on AIDS. Now, their 20th record brings together virtually all of the brightest lights on the indie rock scene, like Sufjan Stevens, The New Pornographers, The Decemberists, and Cat Power. David Byrne even makes an appearance with the band Dirty Projectors. Dark Was The Night was curated by the NY band The National. They’ve put together a great lineup, for a very good cause. (John Schaefer)

K’Naan, Troubadour (A&M/Octone)
The rapper K’Naan is changing what the word “street” means in hip-hop. His second album, called Troubadour, is filled with turbulent stories from his native Somalia. Now based in Toronto, K’Naan enlisted some starpower. Reggae heir Damian Marley, the rappers Mos Def and Chubb Rock, and Adam Levine of Maroon 5 are all here. But K’Naan’s rhymes are the real star of the show. (Joel Meyer)

FREE: Download “Dreamer” by K'Naan (MP3)