Every month, Utne Reader presents free, downloadable music gleaned from current and upcoming releases on independent labels. This sampler is no longer available. 

Tennis
One part Stevie Nicks and one part malt-shoppe waitress, Tennis’ lead singer Alaina Moore trades in a bobbing, paisley-clad nostalgia. The band’s second album, Young & Old, is out February 14 (Fat Possum).

“Origins” by Tennis

Touré-Raichel Collective
Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré and Israeli pianist Idan Raichel struck up a friendship that turned into a fiery musical kinship on The Tel Aviv Sessions, coming March 27 from Cumbancha. This is an early and exclusive listen to their tune “Bamba.”

“Bamba” by Touré-Raichel Collective 

Ana Tijoux
The swift rhymes of feisty French-Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux draw influence from ’90s hip hop, Latin dance music, ’60s protest folk, and mellow R&B. La Bala, her sophomore album, is out on Nacional Records. 

“Shock” by Ana Tijoux 

Megafortress
Capturing a sound somewhere between an a cappella choir, a thrift-store wind chime, and the dwindling murmurs of a house party, Megafortress writes rhapsodic electronica for early risers. His self-titled debut EP is out on Software.

“Green Child” by Megafortress 

Stew & the Negro Problem
The post-breakup song “Curse” is even more powerful when you realize it’s by sung by the broken-up themselves, Stew and Heidi Rodewald. It’s just one of the sharply written gems on Making It (Tight Natural Productions), their soul-pop-folk stunner of an album.

“Curse” by Stew & the Negro Problem 

Ane Brun
Norwegian songwriter Ane Brun is about to make a big splash on this side of the pond with her first American release, a percussive-folk showcase called It All Starts With One (May 1, Balloon Ranger).

“Do You Remember” by Ane Brun 

Dirty Three
The instrumental trio the Dirty Three do things with guitar, violin, and drums that might offend those with delicate sensibilities but thrill their cultlike base of fans, who’ve been waiting seven long years for Toward the Low Sun to arrive from Drag City on February 28.

“Rising Below” by Dirty Three