Talib Kweli is re-forming Reflection Eternal and offering a free taste online.

While most of the music world lounges around lazily during the final weeks of December and the first few of January, the deluge of music being released online spikes. Bands clear out the scraps scattered in their closets, labels celebrate the year they’ve enjoyed, rappers make good on their New Year’s resolutions to get that damn new mixtape zipped. Because of all the good music that’s shown up over the last few weeks, Radio Silence is forced to do something a little different this month. That’s right: Lightning round!

Blu — theGODleeBarnes LP (2dopeboyz.okayplayer.com/2010/01/01/blu-thegodleebarneslp/)

This one is a bit sad. Apparently, up-and-coming rapper Blu (of Johnson & Jonson excellence) had been working on what would have been theGODleeBarnes LP for several years before a hard-drive crash wiped all high quality traces of the project from existence. Not to be deterred, Blu threw a rough mix of the album online and moved on. While the audio quality is poor throughout, it provides the hard soul samples with a rough edge that isn’t entirely unwelcome. Plus, it’s Blu behind the mic, so it’s worth a look. Call it hip hop for the lo-fi crowd.

Various Artists — Underwater Peoples Winter Review (chocolatebobka.blogspot.com/2009/12/mix-underwater-peoples-winter-review.html)

Speaking of lo-fi, super hip label Underwater Peoples follows up its stellar Summertime Showcase with the Winter Review. The compilation is chock full of leading lights in a soon-to-be-much-maligned subgenre like Liam the Younger, Frat Dad and Real Estate. Grab it while it’s still acceptable to say shitgaze.

Killer Mike — I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind, pt. 2 (mixtapes.hiphopdx.com/Killer_Mike_IPledge_Allegiance2-HHDX.zip)

In anticipation of the third instalment of his I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind series, angry man rapper Killer Mike has offered the second entry as a free download. Readers might remember Killer Mike from his appearance on Outkast’s Stankonia or, even more awesomely, as the voice of Taqu’il on the Adult Swim cartoon Frisky Dingo. Grind, pt. 2 is quality southern rap and it’s always a pleasure to listen to Killer Mike air his many grievances.

Reflection Eternal — The RE:Union Mixtape (zshare.net/download/705953098a2e74b8/)

Way back in 2000, Talib Kweli teamed with DJ Hi-Tek to release the album Train of Thought. It was one of the best rap albums of the decade. Ten years later, the duo is back together and will soon drop Revolutions Per Minute. Before doing that, though, the pair put together The RE:Union Mixtape, which features old gems, lost cuts and tantalizing peeks at upcoming jams. Everyone should have it.

Team B — The Lost Son (teambnyc.com/)

The cheekily named Team B features members of indie juggernauts Arcade Fire and Beirut. If that wasn’t enough, Pulitzer Prize winning poet Theodore Roethke penned all the lyrics on the band’s new EP, The Lost Son. In terms of sound, think of, well, Beirut.

Dirty Projectors — Ascending Melody 7” (dirtyprojectors.net/)

This freebie showcases two new songs by Dirty Projectors, who provided 2009 with one of its best albums in Bitte Orca. The single is brief, but more of the DP’s enchanting mix of West African guitars, hip hop beats and ’90s Mariah Carey is always welcome, unless you’re one of those people who can’t stand David Longstreth’s warbling voice.

Moonface — Dreamland EP: Marimba and Shit-Drums (https://scdistribution.com/moonface/)

Finally, Moonface is the new solo project from Wolf Parade’s Spencer Krug after Sunset Rubdown, his former solo project, became too much of a band. Krug’s debut under his new moniker is a single-song EP that stretches to over 20 minutes and contains the idiosyncratic songwriter’s typically dense lyrics and, yes, a lot of marimba.