First they debuted the new Beck album Morning Phase then yesterday NPR debuted new albums by The Notwist (Close to the Glass) and St. Vincent.

Is NPR becoming the official diving board for “leaking” new releases? It appears so, and why not? Earlier in the year, there was speculation that MTV.com was going to try to own the launching pad, but that never panned out. NPR seems like the logical choice for big-name artists like Beck and St. Vincent, while Pitchfork or a website like Paste would be a natural for indie bands.

The Notwist, on the other hand, is a ’90s oddity that’s probably only known by a handful of freaks like me (Who remembers 1998’s Shrink?). The fact that NPR is streaming their latest is pretty cool. Also streaming right now via NPR, the new Neneh Cherry album Blank Project.

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Desaparecidos confirmed yesterday on their Twitter feed that they have indeed pulled out of Soundwaves Festival in Australia.

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Henderson, Nevada, emo/math band Caravels (Top Shelf Records) headlines tonight at Slowdown Jr. Labelmates Special Explosion opens along with local act Rex Manning. $10, 9 p.m.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.