The older I get, the more I appreciate the darkly twisted Nick Cave. He and his Bad Seeds have a new record out, “Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!” which is just pure art. Check out the title track for a glimpse.

MP3: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – “Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!”

London based singer-songwriter Owen Duff has offered up his latest EP “The Stop Gap”as a free download. A little reminiscent of Badly Drawn Boy, but definitely worth a listen.

MP3: Owen Duff – “Act of War”

Over on the other side of the Atlantic, New York’s Baskervilles have just released their latest LP “Twilight. Chirpy Mitch Easter produced indie pop.  

MP3: Baskervilles – “A Little More Time”

Toronto’s Luke Doucet wrote my favorite track of the week. Solid roots rock fueled by fierce song-writing. His debut, “Blood’s Too Rich” is out Tuesday.

MP3: Luke Doucet – “Blood’s Too Rich”

Los Campesinos is the self-declared second most punk-rock band in Britain. The Welsh septet’s latest LP, “Hold On Now, Youngster” was out earlier this year on Wichita.

MP3: Los Campesinos – “Death to Los Campesinos”

Gotham’s Dream Bitches are the second act from the Big Apple that caught my attention this week. Four of five Bitches are women, but this act is not your little sister’s girl band. Their sophomore LP “Coke and Spriters” is out on Recommend If You Like Records.  

MP3: Dream Bitches – “Me & The Major”

Thomas Bryan Eaton is another member of the burgeoning music scene in Brooklyn. Like fellow Yankees the Felice Brothers, he’s making music that sounds like it should be coming out of the Midwest or the South. Solid Americana.  ”Dreams, Demons & Butterflies” is his new one,  due in July.

MP3: Thomas Bryan Eaton – “Meant To Last”

Philly quintet Dr. Dog is staying busy. Their newest record, “Fate” is out in July and their supporting that release with live dates all over the U.S. and Europe for the rest of ‘08. Look out for these guys.

MP3: Dr. Dog – “The Old Days”

One-woman band (and purported elementary school teacher) Cannonball Jane is making some wonderfully creative homemade music. Get her latest effort, “Knees Up”, direct from Jane.  

MP3: Cannonball  Jane – “The Secret Handshake”

To finish up this week, a new feature here on A Free Man – the week’s best remix. During my time in the City of Dreaming Spires I was often enchanted by the Oxford-Cambridge rivalry (Top Toffs?). London producer Nikolai Levey captures that competitive spirit in his Cambridge remix of Vampire Weekend’s “Oxford Comma”.

M4A: Vampire Weekend – “Oxford Comma (Nikolai Levey’s Alternate University Version)”

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