NPR is streaming in its entirety the new Neko Case album, Middle Cyclone (out March 3rd).

Enter the Largehearted Boy contest to win the 21-DVD The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus: Collector's Edition Megaset. Simply name your favorite television comedy in a comment for a chance to win.

NME is giving away a free Cure covers album with the magazine this wek.

Amazon MP3 has Willie Nelson's new 12-track Willie and the Wheel album (where he is backed by Asleep at the Wheel) on sale for for $3.

In the Philadelphia Inquirer, Asleep at the Wheel's Ray Benson talks about making the album with the country music legend.

Daytrotter's Tuesday session features in-studio mp3s from the Morning Benders.

Nyctaper interviews Jason Loewenstein about the future of Sebadoh.

Singer-songwriter Laura Barrett is blogging this month at Exclaim!. Her new album, Victory Garden, is out today.

Imagine Peace writes a "feminist analysis of the culture treatment of and perception towards Yoko Ono."

The Futurist offers in-studio mp3s from singer-songwriter Ben Sollee's recent WOXY Lounge Act session.

Follow me on Twitter for links that don't make the daily "Shorties" posts.

Frank YangIf there’s an advantage to writing about the same band for the third time in the span of a month, it’s that rather than try and lay down some background, I can just point you here and here and voila - you’re up to speed. If there’s a disadvantage, it’s completely running out of things to say. But I’ll soldier on.

Sunday night was the long-awaited album release party for Bruce Peninsula’s debut A Mountain Is A Mouth and there was simply no better place to be than the Polish Combatants Hall, and that includes in front of a television watching the Academy Awards (though Hugh Jackman’s opening song and dance number was pretty awesome). The hall was decorated with all manner of fake foliage, giving the environs a sort of nature-themed senior prom feel, and filled rows of chairs to accommodate the sold-out house. Indeed, there was an unmistakable sense of occasion in the air.

Read more at Chromewaves →

Photos: Bruce Peninsula, Alex Lukashevsky, Snowblink @ The Polish Combatants Hall - February 22, 2009
MP3: Bruce Peninsula - “Crabapples”

SoundProof talks to Angela Desveaux.

MP3: Angela Desveaux & The Mighty Ship - “Sure Enough”

The little digital music store that could - Zunior.com - is celebrating its fifth anniversary as the finest online shop for Canadian music this year, and are celebrating with a party. Thick Specs has details on the show which will take over the Tranzac on June 27 and feature performances from Forest City Lovers and The Violet Archers, among many others.

MP3: The Violet Archers - “Sunshine At Night”

Daytrotter welcomes Nellie McKay to their studios for a session. Naples News has an interview.

Happy 9th birthday to Bradley’s Almanac, who is marking the occasion by sharing a live Bedhead show circa 1998.

David Byrne & Brian Eno
33RPM Design, 2009

Phoenix – “1901” Everyone’s favorite French popsters Phoenix return with a new album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix on 5/25.

Jenny Wilson “The Wooden Chair” As much as “The Wooden Chair” slinks and throbs, the composition nevertheless evokes a feeling of being confined within a tight space, either physically or emotionally. The arrangement is sparse and immaculate, focused almost entirely on a shifting array of simple rhythmic motifs that move around Wilson’s vocal melody, giving her ample negative space to fill with subtle yet highly evocative phrasing. The lyrics mirror the claustrophobic sensation of the track, suggesting a desire to get away from a messy emotional situation, but also a sense of inexplicable immobilization. The frustration peaks on the chorus, which feels about as cathartic as a song can get while still conveying confusion and indecision.

Buy the single from Amazon, buy the album from Dotshop.

PopMatters asks their 20 questions to singer-songwriter Larkin Grimm, whose Parplar was one of my favorite albums of 2008.

Daytrotter's Monday session features singer-songwriter Nellie McKay.

The Times Online examines the business models of streaming music services.

“We think that music has gone from being about ownership to being about access,” Daniel Ek, chief executive and founder of Spotify, said. “I have established that. People listen to more music than ever from a bigger diversity of artists. They don’t care so much any more about actually owning physical CDs, or even downloading, they care about being able to access whatever they want, whenever they want it, wherever they are.”

Enter the Largehearted Boy contest to win the 21-DVD The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus: Collector's Edition Megaset. Simply name your favorite television comedy in a comment for a chance to win.

Minnesota Public Radio's The Current has Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons in the studio for a performance and interview.

Daytrotter's Sunday session featured in-studio mp3s by the Acorn.