Somewhat out of the blue, Stars dropped a little surprise today: The Bedroom Demos, a 14-track set of previously unreleased studio takes from sessions for their 2007 LP, In Our Bedroom After The War. “These first recording sessions lay claim to a particular beauty that would shift and differ thousands of miles away, months in the future, in Vancouver,” the band said in today’s announcement, adding that the tunes “have weathered well,” a sentiment I’d agree with upon first listen. You can purchase the album in digital formats here, read more of the backstory here, and stream the collection in full below:

Montreal-based singer-songwriter Laurel Sprengelmeyer has recruited quite the impressive list of collaborators for her debut album as Little Scream. The Golden Record — borrowing its title from the albums launched into space on the Voyager spacecraft back in 1977, which also inspired a release by Jack White’s Third Man Records last year — will finally arrive on April 12, many moons since Sprengelmeyer recruited the likes of the National’s Aaron Dessner (who “plays sparkly guitar” on a track), Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Parry (who co-produced the LP) and Sarah Neufeld, Stars’ Patty McGee, Silver Mt. Zion’s Becky Foon, and Mike Feuerstack of Snailhouse to perform on the 10-track effort.

Get a taste of what this all-star cast cooked up in the studio on Facebook, where 3 songs are streaming, and/or give “The Heron and the Fox” a spin alongside the tracklist below:

Less than a day after we praised Stars’ cover of the Smiths’ “Asleep,” they’ve gone and dropped an even bigger headline… Our favorite Montreal, by way of New York City and Toronto, based indie pop quintet announced their forthcoming fifth album today: The Five Ghosts.

“We have never written an album with this much cohesion and unity,” said Amy Millan in a statement. “It is the first time we’ve had the luxury of being together in a huge room writing songs off the floor.”

We’re more than two months out from hearing Laundromat Records’ Sing Me to Sleep, a charity compilation of lullabies and other songs, but the Mystic, CT based indie label is offering up a preview of the forthcoming covers project in the meantime. Currently streaming on their online radio page is Stars’ rendition of the Smiths’ “Asleep,” the B-side to their 1985 hit single “The Boy With the Thorn In His Side,” as well as other well-chosen cover songs, including Dean & Britta’s take on the Cure’s “Friday I’m in Love” from a separate tribute album that came out in January.

It’s no wonder they’ve chosen Stars’ cover as a preview for this compilation: Amy Millan’s dreamy and forlorn lead vocal pretty much hits the indie pseudo-lullaby vibe on the head with her reverb-drenched take on Morrissey’s original. Notably absent are the Smiths’ faux-wind sound effects.

All proceeds go to children’s health care charity The Valerie Fund, so pre-order here, grab a cup of chamomile tea, and stream away here (Stars are track #17).

Little did I know while visiting my sister in Mystic, CT over the holidays that her small town is also the home to American Laundromat Records, an awesome little indie label that will release Sing Me To Sleep, a children’s charity compilation “of lullabies and non-lullabies” covered by the likes of O + S, Sigur Rós (bonus 7” only), Dean & Britta, Jenny Owen Youngs, Stars, Papercuts, and many more.

What makes this project even more exciting are the brilliant choice of covers made by the artists involved: Ohbijou’s Casey Mecija will cover Beatles classic “Dear Prudence,” O+S (Remy Zero’s Cedric Lemoyne and Orenda Fink) have chosen This Mortal Coil’s “You And Your Sister,” Stars cover the Smiths’ “Asleep,” and Jenny Owen Youngs covers the Red House Painters’ “Have You Forgotten,” to name a few.

All proceeds from the album, which is set for a May 18 release, will benefit The Valerie Fund, a charity helping children with cancer and blood disorders with health care.

Check out the full track list after the jump and pre-order the first pressing (it comes with a bonus 7” vinyl, poster, and lots more) here.