Samantha Crain

NPR's Top 50 Albums includes some of the ones we've been seeing on many of these end-of-year lists, but NPR always has its own flavor.

We're shocked and saddened to learn that singer/songwriter Justin Townes Earle -- son of Steve Earle -- has passed away at 38.

The lineup also includes Snail Mail, Car Seat Headrest, Colter Wall, Julia Jacklin, Haley Heynderickx, Steve Gunn, and more.

by Zack Baker

Murder by Death in Chicago in 2012 (more by Sarah Frankie Linder)

Murder by Death, who we just mentioned play New Year's Eve in Colorado with Lucero, will head out on a headlining tour not long after that in 2015...

We've already seen a bunch of Super Bowl weekend concerts announced, and it's since been announced that PepsiCo will be presenting a free series at Bryant Park on 1/29, 1/30 & 2/1 with Austin Mahone, Prince Royce, and on the last night, Ziggy Marley...

DOWNLOAD: John Vanderslice - Raw Wood (MP3)


To say that John Vanderslice's experiment with Kickstarter was a success is an understatement...

DOWNLOAD: Peter Wolf Crier - Hard as Nails (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Peter Wolf Crier - Crutch & Cane (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: First Aid Kit - Sailor Song (live) (MP3)



Female-fronted folk-punk Heartless Bastards and the two-man Peter Wolf Crier are going on tour this summer...

DOWNLOAD: Thao with The Get Down Stay Down - Bag of Hammers (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Thao with The Get Down Stay Down - Beat (MP3)

Thao @ Mercury Lounge 6/4/08 (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

Kill Rock Stars' Thao with The Get Down Stay Down will play SXSW before heading out on a monthlong US tour with Sister…