We've got some downloading sticklers out there in the blogosphere, but that doesn't mean you have to miss out on hearing three new tracks that you might've otherwise missed. So give your index finger a break and fill your ears with new material from The National, Marina and The Diamonds and Iron and Wine:
The National
High Violet got an expanded edition including three live versions, two b-sides and two new songs. One of those newbies is the upbeat, finger-snapping "Wake Up Your Saints," which was written and performed before the album's May release but didn't make the cut. Pity, since it's a gorgeously optimistic tune with a horn section kicking off the intro.
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Marina and The Diamonds
Ethereal and light, oOoOO's blend of their own sound with the thick and brief vocals of Marina Diamandis smoothes "Obsessions" over like warm hands over muscles. You can still feel the definition, the sinewy insides that keep the song together, but now it has a sleepy, relaxed tone.
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Iron and Wine
Kiss Each Other Clean is still due January 25, but in the meantime Iron and Wine released a 12" single on Black Friday to feed your appetite for some tasty Sam Beam. Walking Far From Home has three tracks for your free streaming enjoyment, and its title track has a dissonant tinny beginning that gleefully leads into observations of beautiful moments found in everyday life. "Walking Far From Home" as well as "Biting Your Tail" – synths?! electronic beats?! – and "Summer In Savannah" can be heard in the player below.
This player (SoundCloud) didn’t survive.