Douglas Q. Smith

L.A.-born singer Rafiya grew up traveling the globe as daughter to a diplomat father and a sociologist mother. Download the Congolese influenced track "Mario" here for free.

Keyboardist and composer Bernie Worrell, the great "Wizard of WOO," has influenced a staggering number of musicians across genres since his time as musical director of Parliament/Fun...

The Long Island natives NGHBRS (pronounced "neighbors") released its debut EP Hellomind late last month. Download the track "American Junk" here for free.

The Brooklyn-based band is one of a score of indie-rockers making waves on the music scene with hypnotic, synth pop and a wink-and-nod approach to songwriting. Download the track "Planet Health" for free.

The Brooklyn pop band Gross Relations delivers laid-back fuzz, washed out vocals and distortion petals with a pretty insistent lo-fi vibe on the track “Fuzzy Timelines.” Download the song here.

In honor of this momentous event and the first day of winter, here's our video of the Paul Winter Consort playing "Sweet for Solstice" in the Soundcheck studios.

New stuff is coming soon from the Brooklyn-based indie shoegaze band ARMS. The group's currently in the studio putting the finishing touches on its sophomore album. Until then, downlo...

Walter Parks has established himself as a musician over the past three decades. While fans wait for his solo debut, which is out this February 2011, download the track "Vestibule" from Parks' eponymous ablum here.

Under the moniker "Warm Ghost," Paul Duncan and Oliver Chapoy created a spacy soundscape on their debut EP Claws Overhead. Download the duo's track "Open The Wormhole In Your Heart.”

This band is nuts, but ready to include you in the hijinks. You can download the track "Iotdwykirthbr” (and let us know how it's pronounced) here for free.

“A Holiday Benefit Singers” returns this year with a fourth installment of Christmas songs for the season. Download some holiday cheer with the group’s version of Tom Petty’s “Christm...

Guitarist and singer Bert Jansch is widely considered one of the godfathers of modern music. Download "The Black Swan" from Jansch's 2006 album of the same name.

Ices, who honed her chops at NYU's Tisch School for Experimental Theatre, releases her sophomore album, Grown Unknown, on the Jagjaguwar label next month. Download the title track from the album for free.

Brooklyn-based indie-folk rockers The Spring Standards raise a big sound with only three players. Download the rollicking track, “The Hush” here.

Playground soul girl group The Shalitas casts a bluesy shadow over rock and roll and Christmas classics. Download the track, "Must Be True," right here.

Classically trained percussionist Sean Carey released his debut album All We Grow on the Jagjaguwar label this fall. Download his track, “In The Dirt,” here for free.

The Dallas, Texas alt-country band Old 97s is, in a word, theatrical. Get a taste of the group on the track, “The Grand Theatre 1.”

Jake Smith, who performs under the name The White Buffalo, believes in hard touring, hard drinking and by the sounds of "Oh Darlin' What Have I Done?", plenty of regret. Download the track here.

Shawn Rosenblatt, the main man behind the Chicago-based project Netherfriends hit the road last April for his “50 Songs, 50 States” endeavor, with aims to land in each state over the ...

Computer Magic is the solo project of 21-year-old DJ and blogger Danielle "Danz" Johnson. Download this bedroom electro pop track, "Running," here for free.