The past few weeks have been chock full of some really good music releases, which made the free eMusic downloads I received even better. So here’s another heaping helping of some of the best music of the year thus far. If you’re looking for some new tunes to spice up the iPod, consider giving some of these a spin.

1. Heaven’s on Fire, The Radio Dept. These guys were unknown to me three weeks ago, but I stumbled across them on eMusic and I’ve completely loved their album, “Clinging To A Scheme”. This groovy little ditty has been stuck in my head for about a week now. A light, airy summertime tune.
2. See You in the Spring, The Court Yard Hounds. The Court Yard Hounds are the side project of 2/3rd of the Dixie Chicks, sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robinson. Emily gets to flex her chops here as a lead vocalist and her singer-songwriter, Sheryl Crow vibe permeates the entire album. This duet with Jakob Dylan is my favorite song on a strong album.
3. Infinite Arms, Band of Horses. I could just as easily put just about any song from the recent Band of Horses album. They were also unknown to me until recently. I can’t believe I missed these guys.
4. Think Your Gonna Feel My Love, Matthew Barber. Nearly everything Barber produces is drenched in a ’70s era, AM radio tone. His latest is no exception.
5. Bring It On, The Gaslight Anthem. The comparisons to a young Springsteen are probably a bit overdone but impossible to ignore. I suspect this will go down as the best pure rock ‘n roll record of the year.
6. Tell Me Baby (Have You Had Enough), Phosphorescent. Indie rockers, alt-country twang. No surprise that I would like these dudes.
7. Chinatown, Wild Nothing. Another song that has bored its way into my subconscious. Not sure what it’s about, but it sounds good. And yes, that makes me shallow.
8. Lantern, Josh Ritter. Another great entry in the Ritter canon.
9. Redemption Day, Johnny Cash. Cash’s final album is — fittingly — a reflection on the brevity of life and what comes next.
10. Laura, Mates of State. If you’d have told me five years ago that I would actually like this kind of music, I’d have said you were crazy. But it turns out you were right. So good job by you.
11. Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks, The National. The National are masters of the slow burn album. But this is one track that stood out to me instantly.
12. Diplomat’s Son, Vampire Weekend. Vampire Weekend has evolved from a buzz band to a really consistent group in my opinion.