Mark SeligerPerhaps cognizant of the fact that their new record would be ripped and leaked to the internet approximately 41 minutes and 20 seconds after the first store opened up on Saturday for Record Store Day and the first of those 600 limited edition LPs sold, The Hold Steady have made Heaven Is Whenever available to stream at NPR in its entirety, more than two weeks ahead of its official May 4 street date. The record is their first since the departure of keyboardist Franz Nicolay and accordingly, first impressions reveal a leaner, more guitar-driven sound though there’s still keyboard flourishes where necessary and, if my ears don’t deceive me, some clarinet action as well.

And if you want to hear how the new stuff sounds alongside the old, NYC Taper is sharing a recording of the band’s show at the Bowery in New York last week.

Stream: The Hold Steady / Heaven Is Whenever

Also coming soon to your ears via advance stream is High Violet, the new record from The National. Starting this Friday, it’ll be streaming at The New York Times for the two and a half weeks leading up to its May 11 release. That’s right, the Old Gray Lady is getting her rocks off. Drowned In Sound and Black Book have features on the band.

Filter Q&As The Antlers, who have released a new video from Hospice. There’s a streamable session with the band at WPGU wherein they cover The xx and if you head over to their website, you can currently download two pre-HospiceNew York Hospitals and Cold War.

Video: The Antlers – “Sylvia”

The San Francisco Bay Guardian, Santa Barbara Independent and Aquarium Drunkard have interviews with Beach House.

Filter thinks you should already know Ted Leo.

M.I.A. will release her third album, as yet untitled, on June 29.

CokeMachineGlow has an interview with A Sunny Day In Glasgow.

Bernard Butler gives BBC6 a guitar lesson, teaching them – and you – how to play “Animal Nitrate”. Probably the closest we’ll ever come to hearing him play Suede songs again.

Pernice Brothers – “Jacqueline Susann” From Goodbye, Killer, the first new Pernice Brothers record in 4 years. It’s out 6/15 via Ashmont.

LCD Soundsystem – “Drunk Girls”

Efterklang – “I Was Playing Drums”

NPR is streaming in its entirety the new Hold Steady album, Heaven is Whenever (out May 4th).

NPR is also streaming Broken Social Scene's new album, Forgiveness Rock Record (out May 4th) and the Fall's new album, Your Future Our Clutter (out May 4th).

The Boston Herald profiles singer-songwriter Owen Pallett.

The Washington Post offers an oral history of the city's 9:30 club.

On sale at Amazon MP3: Natalie Merchant's 11-track Tigerlily album for $3.99.

Drowned in Sound interviews Matt Berninger and Aaron Dessner of the National about the band's new album, High Violet.

Queerty lists 10 "gay rockers (in otherwise straight bands) with revolutionary ideas."

Tracey Thorn – “Oh, The Divorces!”