I am already used to Spotify being a good place to hear new music that I have read about, but now I am starting to find that it is the place to discover new releases too.  Prime example: Manu Chao has a new live album out and the first I knew about it was seeing a link on the Spotify ‘Home’ page.

Here are just a few of the new things to appear on there in the last couple of updates:

• Baïonarena by Manu Chao (& Radi Bemba Sound System of course).  A 33-track live album.   Must be bargain of the year – the 2xCD + DVD set is on Amazon for nine quid.  Currently listening online, but it is already added to my wish list.
• Kraftwerk’s complete catalogue.  All remastered and re-released individually and as a box set.
• Invaders Must Die by The Prodigy.  The return-to-form album by everybody’s favourite Essex cartoon techno-punks.
• Four albums by the wonderfully-named German indie band Muff Potter.
• Another two dozen or so albums by the legendary Jamaican rhythm section, Sly & Robbie on top of the selection that was already there.
• I also found a new EP by Erasure – the Phantom Bride – and the new Kiss album
• Most exciting – more Zombies albums including the original Odessey & Oracle.  Previously they only had the 40th anniversary live version.  For some reason they are all listed under Colin Blunstone.
• Closely related to that, lots more Argent stuff is now available.  There is a 1974 live album and some newer recordings, but all the tracks on their classic Nexus album are now listenable.  Last time I looked most tracks were in red, but they are now online.

Something for everybody?  Well no. The other day I just fancied listening to some old Eagles stuff and found that the only album of theirs on Spotify was the critically-derided new one, Long Road Out of Nowhere.  No Desperado, no Hotel California, not even the Greatest Hits. Also still no Metallica, AC/DC, Beatles, Pink Floyd or Spizzenergi.