Free Range Music: The Streets, Secret Machines, Wolf Parade

>> The pickings are pretty slim among AOL Music's pre-release album streams this week. You'll definitely want to listen to Brit wordsmith Mike Skinner ham it up on the third full-length from The Streets, The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living. AOL also has a stream of earnest dream-poppers The Secret Machines' new record. Once the tune "Alone, Jealous And Stoned" hits its stride -- in its fourth minute -- it offers a nice approximation of what Lorelei was doing 10 years ago and "Lightning Blue Eyes" has some punch. But elsewhere Ten Silver Drops is a bit dull, and the New York threesome still hasn't won us over. Perhaps their label needs to do more disingenuous marketing... And you know what? That's really it for AOL Music this week. Stream away, my droogies.

The Streets -- "The Hardest Way To Make an Easy Living" -- Vice

The Secret Machines -- "Ten Silver Drops" -- Reprise

>> Fortunately there is a plethora of good rock music strewn across the Internets. Take for example the .zip file of Wolf Parade's recent Providence show being hosted over here at You Ain't No Picasso. The sound quality is a little boxy, but certainly better than average, and the set includes two new songs whose titles may or may not be "Things I Don't Know" and "Bones Song."

>> And then there's the short but sweet live set New Radiant Storm King played in support of The Silver Jews recently at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA. It's posted over here at The 'Nac, ya'll.