A few days ago we tackled Chicago band Light Pollution's new record Apparitions, calling "Drunk Kids", "one of the oddest of the album's nine songs". Singer James Michael Cicero encourages his listener to "let go of all that surrounds you", and in the video to the tune, that apparently means where-ever/whenever. The advice finds the protagonist of this story in the middle of a car wash, turning a squeaky clean moment into something much more psychedelic and out of this world.

Dirty Projectors and Bjork digitally released a seven track, 21-minute collaborative album today, titled Mount Wittenberg Orca. Inspired by whales and, you guessed it, Mount Wittenberg, the album addresses Projectors' David Longstreth's "obsession with vocal harmony," apparent but less emphasized on their 2009 release Bitte Orca. It's sea-life oriented in more ways than name, proceeds going to the National Geographic Society Ocean Initiative. Written by Longstreth, the album was rehearsed for three days and recorded fairly quickly and simply at the Rare Book Room in Brooklyn.

LAST TIME, ON WORST RECORD: Cliffhangers. Things exploded and main characters were briefly presumed dead. Sookie read our minds, Desmond traveled through time. We discovered the tomb of the K-Fed, and he ripped out our hearts with his terrible lyricism. It's been several month since we've seen each other, sure. BUT: I think we've got one last quest in us before the story painfully shifts from unexplainable, supernatural elements to Aztec aliens, and Shia LeBoef gets cast, and Spielberg laughs himself to sleep in his mounds of cash money and fans tears. But that is decades away!

It must be hard being Canadian indie pop outfit Stars, constantly envisioning and executing melancholy tinted, romance heavy pretty songs since 1998, constantly sketching and reinforcing the line between too much twee, too much pop, or too much sentimentality for a seemingly perfect mix of catchy and feeling. Luckily, their fifth full length, The Five Ghosts shows that the band has not lost their magic touch, and rather than going for dramatic revisions, Stars merely went for a lightening of effects in music, relying on the beauty of the songs themselves to carry their latest album.

Klaxons' long-awaited sophomore album is due out this August, and in preparation they've released opening track "Echoes." This one's significantly less angry and more in keeping with their first album than the previous single, which came out in May (I kinda dug the aggression). Both tracks are super promising for an awesome record, as is the awesome album art &mdash get psyched for it, out August 23rd in the UK. Link to "Echoes" after the jump.

Earnest folk/indie-rockers Steel Train are streaming their self-titled new album over at their Myspace and their official website. Check it out! It's good. Plus, if you order the album, you get the companion album Terrible Thrills which features the band's favorite female artists covering all the tracks from Steel Train. Tegan and Sara's cover of "Turnpike Ghost" is already making the rounds on the internet, but the album also includes covers from Scarlett Johansson (remember, she makes music too), Deradoorian of Dirty Projectors, and Holly Miranda (who we are planning to film over at Littlefield).

The aggressive, energetic tunes of These United States sometimes sound like a riot, and they are a riot to talk to (personal experience), but no one could have predicted the band would be caught in a literal riot in the middle of Toronto. The band was scheduled to play the Horseshoe Tavern on June 26th, when instead they were caught in the middle of the G-20 protests in the Financial District. Video after the jump!

We had a few contributors out and about Brooklyn this weekend. Each one will spend some time showing and telling about their experiences. Today we check in with Michelle Geslani.

FINALLY. Years and years of waiting for this full-fledged solo excursion from the still-rapping half of ATLiens Outkast and now, you can stream Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty in full on Big Boi's Myspace. This one's probably making 2010's year-end lists so go form your own opinion before the five-star ratings come out.

Tokyo Police Club have a new album, Champ, out and took to the stage on Letterman last night to play their standout single "Wait Up (Boots of Danger)". It's a good performance (Letterman seems to think so too). Take a look at the video below and look out for Baeble's own video of TPC (who we captured earlier this month at The Studio) that should hit the site near the end of July.

Let's Wrestle attempt to deal with the death of a bandmate (maybe?) in this looney video for "I'm So Lazy". The tune is one that can be found on a limited-edition split 7-inch with label mates The Love Language. The band also has a few dates later this Fall in support of both Man Man, and their Merge debut In the Court of the Wrestling Let's, which is available now. Dates Below.

Does this band ever take a break?! I feel like that last strangely titled album of neo-soul psychedelia just came out! Fresh off of collaborating with Janelle Monae and producing Solange Knowles' album, it looks like Of Montreal are back again with another record of hectic pop f*ckery, this time with the relatively straightforward title False Priest.

Wolf Parade is alert, attentive, and upbeat on Expo 86, the third record in their already fairly epic lineage. It's easy to see the sprawling road of Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner's co-existence here, the two having a history of trading off songwriting (and each supplementing themselves with side projects). Predictably, on the third group effort, they work in tandem more than bumping heads. At Mt. Zoomer, for all its cohesion, still had clear delineations. The lines are fading fast as Wolf Parade cements it's place as one of the most deserving "hip" bands on the market, simultaneously credible and cool (a feat often claimed, but not delivered).

Villagers played a small intimate show at Joe's Pub last Wednesday. The set-up of the venue was an outlier to what I'd become accustomed to: everyone was seated at tables, their faces lit by the dim flicker of candlelight. It looked more like a poetry reading than anything else. But when Conor J. O'Brien took the stage armed with his miniature guitar (he calls her "Lola"), it all began to make sense.

Popular rapper Drake has more than just the curmudgeons of the music journalism world to worry about... Playboy Mag (of "boobs" fame) apparently owns the rights to a song that sounds suspiciously similar to the background for "Best I Ever Had", by far the biggest hit off Drake's album Thank Me Later. Playboy decided to thank him now... with a court summons.

After providing you with an exclusive peek into the secret Minus The Bear record release show (in two parts) we feel it's only fair to plus you some prizes. We've got some cool Minus The Bear stuff to give away and winning it is as easy as slapping on some MTB tunes and sharing it with your friends. It's your time.

We're picking up right where we left off last week, with part two of Minus the Bear's semi-secret show at the Bowery Electric last month. Mere hours before unveiling the lavish new sound of their fourth album Omni, Minus the Bear lead a late night parlay in the cramped and quartered basement of trendy, East Village haunt, The Bowery Electric. A room generally too small for the veteran Seattle outfit, the semi-secret affair (announced to the public earlier that afternoon) offered those who were quick on the draw an absurdly intimate opportunity to buddy up close to the group, and the underlying new soul of their latest collection of songs.

With origins steeped in a recording process that favored playing together as much as possible, it's no wonder Omni is an album built for the live environment. Here songs like "My Time", "Secret Country", and "Summer Angel" wind and coil around exciting new rhythmic grooves and melodious synths and riffs...all while singer/guitarist Jake Snider leads the band to unexpected musical destinations.

Minus the Bear have always had their eye on being just a bit brawnier than their peers. On this night that meant a tremendous 90 minute set of songs both old and new for all those that were lucky enough to gather before the band.

Of course this means we have a monster of a show on our hands, and we'll be premiering the whole thing in two parts over the next several weeks. We figure this should give you all the time you need to indulge in one of the most impressive and unique rock bands currently running around the world. - David Pitz

Love the Guest Apartment? Wish you could be a part of it? Baeble has teamed up with young artist Holly Miranda for a unique evening of filming at Brooklyn's Littlefield, with support from Brooklyn Vegan and XL Recordings. Check out the details and your chance to win some tickets here.

An Co set some summer ready visuals to one of Merriweather Post Pavilion's finer tracks in this bi-coastal, surf and skate video. "Guys Eyes" has a faded, home video sort of look, which is appropriate. Hearing it has me feeling a bit nostalgic for the steamy summer months of '09 (way back when!), when this was the album that was pouring out of every speaker in town.

_{[Photo by Kyle Gustafson for the Washington Post]}
Courtney Love the once wife and possible murderer (according to this guy) of Kurt Cobain "performed" at the 9:30 Club in DC this weekend. Unfortunately, the "performance" involved almost nothing remotely resembling being worthy of the $45 ticket price, and caused some people to also contemplate open-mouthing a shotgun. Let's investigate!

We Are the In Crowd, the subject of today's feature, are relatively new on the scene but have managed to capture the hearts and ears of many. They only formed last year and shortly after were signed to Hopeless Records. They just released their first EP, entitled Guaranteed to Disagree. And with standout tracks like "Both Sides of the Story" and "Lights Out", dueling female and male vocals, and heavy pop hooks, it's "guaranteed to agree" with critics. (Oh, I went there.)

We ventured into the heat of Thompkins Square Park a couple of weeks ago to film Nneka playing some of her Afro-tunes. If you enjoyed her live set, check out some of her groovy music videos after the jump.

In 1997 when Hanson dropped the smash hit "MMMbop", the record industry was still a behemoth and not yet writhing in its deathbed. Bands as successful as Hanson could expect to enjoy at least 2-3 albums worth of hits before fading away into obscurity. Unfortunately, the record industry started tanking and they went through years of label drama immediately after their debut.

Set to the sounds of crushed pins and squeaky shoes, Brooklyn Bowl provided the perfect atmosphere for our Northside Festival party, featuring four acts from Cantora Records, bowling, and scenes from some of Baeble's concert shoots on the big screens. There may be some bowling puns for knocking down here, but I'm going to spare you (ouch!).

Mystery Jets' third album Serotonin brings with it this insanely stylized video for "Dreaming of Another World". Here the band tap directors Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard to create some tried and true Wes Anderson style visuals, complete with gobs of goof ball kitsch.

Janelle Monae's The ArchAndroid opens with the all the theatricality expected of someone with such gravity defying hair, someone whose stage antics rivaled those of Of Montreal when she opened for them on their 2009 tour. The drama doesn't die after the first track, but carries through into the second track, which without notice merges into the third, which in turn becomes the fourth. Sadly this chain of metamorphoses cannot continue forever. By this point my hopes had risen dangerously, to the extent that I expected the entire album to be one cohesive piece, a fierce hip-hop robot's take on narrative classical music (a la Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf) but this dream was ruined by a string of soul-sinking studio fades.

For 20-year-old singer/songwriter Cady Groves, music is something that just comes naturally. And her dreams are quickly being realized. She just signed a deal with RCA, released her debut album The Life of A Pirate, and is currently on the Bamboozle Roadshow. Luckily she had time from her busy life to answer some of my questions.

Folk legend Pete Seeger took to the stage last week in Manhattan's Gotham Hall for WHY Hunger's 35th anniversary celebration, at which he, musicians Nicholas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, and Chicago non-profit Growing Home were honored for their dedication to issues of hunger and poverty.

Off the stage Seeger almost looks his age (a sprightly 91 years), but when he picks up his signature long neck banjo bearing the words "THIS MACHINE SURROUNDS HATE AND FORCES IT TO SURRENDER" or his 12-string guitar, his energy is incredible.

Northside Festival took over Williamsburg in Brooklyn, Paul McCartney really IS dead says new, obviously rock solid evidence, and a popular international sensation played one of their first shows in America, much to the dismay of people who think music is still an art.

Hey Northside Festival fans! Intimidated by the lengthy roster of strangely named bands playing Northern Brooklyn today/tomorrow/Sunday? Check out our easy-to-use mixtape, chock full of hidden gems and noteworthy up-and-comers for you to check out at this weekend's festivities.

When bands are in search of their true music selves, they often make the mistake of being overly ambitious, and as a result, their own hyperactive expectations tend to consume them. Thankfully the band Light Pollution, who hail from the Midwest, have bitten off just enough shoegaze and chillwave to make their debut album Apparitions pleasantly satisfying.

This video probably would have been a lot more appropriate hitting the site a few days back, when all the mystical people were busy fondling their crystals while gazing at the sky in honor of the summer solstice. That's the vibe New York lo-fi outfit Woods tap in to in this, their first ever music video. Apparently the protagonist at the center of this story can't really take all the hippie dippie nonsense, choosing to do himself in after spooking the bejesus out of these freaks. Good move...

SALEM, who made their initial blip on my radar a few months ago when I heard their heavy, ambient, chopped & screwed retooling of Gucci Mane's forgotten classic "Bird Flu", are set to release their new album King Night in a few months. The opening song, also called "King Night", is epic.

Though they've yet to catch on south of the border, Canadian trio The Balconies certainly carve a noteworthy sound in this, their first video and single dubbed "Serious Bedtime". The band consists of Jacquie Neville and Liam Jaeger; a drum and guitar kind of couple, who later roped in kid brother Stephen Neville to play bass beside his big sister. Though the video here is a bit ordinary, the band jump and jive to choruses proclaiming, "If you do it in the dark it comes easy". Sort of reminiscent of the indie rock boogaloo definite influences like Spoon do so well

Interpol's new music video for "Lights" features implied nudity, all sorts of shiny surgical tools, and terrifyingly slow movements. Apparently it's about "pheromone harvesting," which I guess involves people stroking people and people stroking minimalist art and people drooling rivers of milk. I guess.

Ron Artest, the questionably sane Lakers guard who recently helped his team defeat the Celtics in the NBA finals, is riding high off his success, taking to the recording booth and the stage to celebrate his triumphant victory and opulent lifestyle. Artest, known primarily for his role in the legendary Pacers-Pistons brawl (aka "The Malice in the Palace") and his exceedingly bizarre behavior, likes to rap in his free time. As such, he appeared on Lopez Tonight to perform new song "Champion" with his crew, the Worldwide Warriors.

Minus the Bear certainly take on a ton of musical sub-genres with their latest release Omni. Rock, funk, metal, jazz...it's all in there, and first single "My Time" certainly represents that fact rather well. In the colorful video for the tune, the band adds yet another musical element, splicing the visuals up with a little hip hop flavor via choreographed break dancing.

Attention artists, industry, and everything in between: the music business is a crumbling old stationary structure, and there is an entire generation of upstarts trying to rebuild it into a spaceship. Part of that mindset is an event called the New Music Seminar in New York City, a three day collection of seminars and events aimed at educating, and stimulating an industry marred by changing models. Music fans interested in knowing more about the dynamic workings of their favorite acts, sources and labels can also attend to learn and participate in the conversation.

After laying relatively low since 2007's 23 (which we caught them touring behind), New York's own Blonde Redhead are ready to drop new album Penny Sparkle this fall. The album, featuring the downbeat "Here Sometimes", boasts production credits from Van Rivers & the Subliminal Kid who previously worked with Fever Ray on her critically-acclaimed self-titled debut.

_{COMING SOON: Photos by Laura Yan. For more shows, check out our photo section}
The elaborate gilded ceilings and baroque ceiling painting of the Hammerstein Ballroom (which feels more like stage for an opera than a concert) was perhaps the perfect stage for Goldfrapp's show last night, which exploited the brilliant lighting, smoke and space of the giant venue to create a grand theatrical dream. The band appeared in the echoes of "Voicething" as the thick cloud of smoke dissolved from the stage, and Alison Goldfrapp, with her signature golden locks and a dress made of sparkling black strands that danced in the wind of the stage, only needed to stand to inspire the crowd to rioting enthusiasm.

Providence-based folk outfit Last Good Tooth features gritty soulful vocals, impressive instrumental skills, and songwriting just simple enough to feel completely candid. "Take Em," carried through haunting lyrics by a rolling drum beat and short cycling riff, is a catchy but uncluttered melancholic ballad. MP3 after the jump.

On record Nneka Egbuna traverses a staggering, dynamic sheath of musical touchstones; to be expected when your inspirations lie on two different continents. The Nigerian raised, European educated songwriter's US debut Concrete Jungle is an enterprising and engaging kind of listen, calling upon elements of afro-beat, folk ,funk, jazz, and neo-soul; a bit dizzying when written out, but easily recollecting the very best parts of artists like Lauryn Hill, Fela Kuti, and Nina Simone as it cycles through.

Fresh off a weekend engagement with The Roots at their annual summer picnic, Nneka joined us in the hustling environment of NYC's Tompkins Square Park for an acoustic rendition of one of her album's songs ("Come With Me"), as well as two numbers ("Lost Souls", "Valley") we had previously never encountered. Here in the "concrete jungle" of one the city's more charismatic public spaces, the beautiful songwriter and her accompanist lean heavy on the sparse enchanting beauty of her song's roots, crafting the kind of soft and elegant melodies that make the surrounding chaos of the city seem to sizzle away in the early-summer heat.

To say Damien Jurado spent the better part of his music career writing in relative obscurity would be an understatement. Since 1997, he's periodically churned out a number of high-quality albums, albeit albums that barely registered a blip on the musicsphere's radar. "Understatement" is perhaps the best word to describe Jurado's career and sound, and is a quiet corner that he seems to have curled into intentionally. The shadows give Jurado a freedom to do as he pleases.

A new member to the rough Trade Roster, 21 year old Louisianan Dylan Leblanc introduces his graceful, country glaze with the first single and video from his soon to be released album Pauper's Field. Leblanc apparently got started in music early, learning finger picking at the age of seven. And head-start shows in his musical makeup, performing "If Time Was For Wasting", showcased a pretty promising upstart on the songwriting scene. The tune comes accompanied by some pretty appropriate imagery here, as Leblanc treats viewers to restless, anxious, and lonely activities...like he's looking or waiting for something that's probably not coming down the line.

Crocodiles first hit the scene with the lo-fi Summer of Hate which got a little lost in the slew of similarly fuzzed-out pop and rock that dominated the blogs last year. It was a good album with some great songs &mdash "I Wanna Kill" was particularly memorable &mdash but seemed to have some trouble distinguishing itself from the the band's influences (read: Psychocandy). Their new single, "Sleep Forever", is going to change all of that.

Presented by L Magazine, Northside Festival is a four day festival of independent music, and the closest thing the New York area has to a summer festival, incorporating venues and bars indoors and outside all over Northern Brooklyn. We've gathered a few of the best and brightest events for you New Yorkers to check out:

These United States are giving away the first single for their upcoming album What Lasts, due out July 20th. Over the summer they'll be playing a couple festivals and a whole lots of North American shows.

"My drinking's killing me." This is Swedish electro pop queen Robyn's opening declaration on her sophomore album, Body Talk Pt. 1. A fitting start to an album rich in pained emotional complexity, but with Robyn's precise and catchy beats and demanding to be danced to melodies, that is as much a delight to be clutched to in times of heart and headache as on a relentless dancefloor.

Somehow The Happy Hollows find time in between playing the Scoot Inn and starring in commercials to PREDICT THE FUTURE.

Alice Glass, whose processed vocals and unearthly shrieks make her seem inhuman 99% of the time, looks positively vampiric as she paces around the local cemetery in the new video for Crystal Castles' "Celestica". Meanwhile, bandmate Ethan Kath smears mud on his face and children play violins near some gravestones. It's all a little creepy. Check it out.

Hubby and Wife duo Mates Of State teamed up with Dan Harris of ABC's Amplified music series to bring a unique experience; a do-it-yourself music video based on a very simple concept. Check out the pair punking New York subway goers with a video projection of them playing in a basement (sounds kind of cool, right?) after the jump.

Eardrum-annihilating band A Place To Bury Strangers released a new digital-only EP with the awesome title I Lived My Life To Stand In The Shadow of Your Heart, named after a song from their critically acclaimed sophomore album Exploding Head. The EP contains one new song, "Girlfriend" along with remixes from Secret Machines, Cereal Spiller, and Broken Spindles.

Blitzen Trapper treated their fans to an embarrassment of folky pop riches at Webster Hall, tearing through a bulging twenty-one song set in just over an hour and a half. The list was made up almost exclusively of tunes from their 2008 near-masterpiece, Furr, and their fine new album Destroyer Of The Void. Excellent versions of both title tracks were crowd favorites. Other highlights included a lush and gentle interpretation of "Below the Hurricane," lead singer Eric Earley's solo acoustic take on "The Man Who Would Speak True," which improved on the recorded version by doing more with less, and the Bad Company influenced rocker, "Evening Star." Although Earley's spectacular writing is what compels on record, live it's clear that these six musicians from Portland, Oregon are a real band. Though none of the members display any flash, and solos are a rare occurrence, they all know their parts and play them supportively and well.

Mere hours before unveiling the lavish new sound of their fourth album Omni, Minus the Bear lead a late night parlay in the cramped and quartered basement of trendy, East Village haunt, The Bowery Electric. A room generally too small for the veteran Seattle outfit, the semi-secret affair (announced to the public earlier that afternoon) offered those who were quick on the draw an absurdly intimate opportunity to buddy up close to the group, and the underlying new soul of their latest collection of songs.

With origins steeped in a recording process that favored playing together as much as possible, it's no wonder Omni is an album built for the live environment. Here songs like "My Time", "Secret Country", and "Summer Angel" wind and coil around exciting new rhythmic grooves and melodious synths and riffs...all while singer/guitarist Jake Snider leads the band to unexpected musical destinations.

Minus the Bear have always had their eye on being just a bit brawnier than their peers. On this night that meant a tremendous 90 minute set of songs both old and new for all those that were lucky enough to gather before the band.

Of course this means we have a monster of a show on our hands, and we'll be premiering the whole thing in two parts over the next several weeks. We figure this should give you all the time you need to indulge in one of the most impressive and unique rock bands currently running around the world.

Baeble favorites The Happy Hollows, who we caught at Scoot Inn and in our Guest Apartment, are playing a show at NYC venue Pianos June 23rd and YOU can get on the $5 guest list. All you need is a name and an email address.

HEALTH's first remix album was among 2008's best of the best. Behind the strength of the blogosphere's golden age and a brilliant remix that rode Crystal Castles' rise to the top, //DISCO put the Los Angeles noise band on the map in a big, big way. But the tricky part when curating a remix album is that you're essentially placing your band's fortunes in the hands of hired arms. //DISCO, fortunately, had great help, thanks to fantastic contributions from Acid Girls, Thrust Lab, Pictureplane, CFCF and more. With ::Disco2, however, the trapping could've easily been more the same. Beats stiffen, layers lose their depth, and electro&mdash for the most part&mdash has lost most of its initial shine.

But with ::Disco2, that wasn't the case. Not by a longshot.

The first time I saw HEALTH perform live and in the flesh, the four kids from LA were on the bill of a much buzzed about show (with Chairlift at Music Hall Of Williamburg, as part of a small Brooklyn festival known as After The Jump. Coincidentally enough, you can still see a video of that show. I found their brand of chaotic noise a bit abrasive, despite the buzz and the fawning of cool kids. Could a band's platform really be built on unmanageable energy mixed with cathartic riffs? What I later discovered was that the raw energy was actually potential, and it had already been absorbed and processed.

Converse (of canvas sneaker fame) has put together an original collaboration called "Three Artists. One Song" (a sequel to their previous series, "Two Girls. One Cup" (kidding)) featuring West Coast-repping Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast, controlled substance enthusiast Kid Cudi, and Vampire Weekend multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij.

CALLmeKAT (aka Katrine Ottosen) hails from Denmark, bringing with her a host of obsolete keyboards and a sleepy yet crystal clear voice. Her sound is both dreamlike and assertive, featuring kazoo and glockenspiel (and the like) to accompany the keys.

Shortly before Minus the Bear worked their way through a brawny 90 minute secret show at trendy East Village haunt The Bowery Electric, Dave Knudson and Alex Rose took some time to tell us a little bit about the origins of their new record Omni, as well as recount some harrowing, karaoke adventures abroad.

Keep an eye on the site later today when we premier part 1 of the band's full set at The Bowery Electric. - David Pitz

Today is your last chance to enter the Goldfrapp Video Caption Contest from last week... it's still anyone's game! Don't give up! Win two tickets to see Goldfrapp tomorrow night in NYC at Hammerstein Ballroom! Go get them!

Director Jason Goldwatch captured the gritty night of a cab drive perfectly in the "Dear God 2.0" video, the latest from The Roots. The plot: several shady, sad societal figures slide in and out of a yellow cab driven by Roots MC Black Thought (including Jim James). And even James can't lament enough to prevent the inevitable end sequence... where our hero is forced to make a bummer of a choice. Follow the beautiful shots and sad scenarios after the jump.

Bluegrass-rockers The Avett Brothers have released another batch of fall tour dates. They've been letting them out a few at a time, just to add suspense &mdash they'll be spending some time in the UK and Canada at the beginning of the summer, before a pretty extensive U.S. tour.

Your late night TV watching schedule.

In the new clip from Brooklyn twee extraordinaires The Pains of Being Pure At Heart (who we last saw in Williamsburg), keyboardist Peggy Wang skips out on practice and sees some eclectic sights (dogs! cars! naughty tees!) around town as her bandmates joyfully pound away at new single "Say No To Love" in a sunlit loft. It's all really precious.

You may have thought that the sword on the Middle Cyclone album cover was just for show, but the truth is out &mdash Neko Case will "f*cking fight you."

Suckers, who just a mere few weeks ago were opening for Local Natives, got their own headlining show at Music Hall Of Williamsburg. Photographer Phoebe Chung caught all the action.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, a movie adaptation of a comic book series by Bryan Lee O'Malley, features protagonist Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) as the bassist of fictional band SEX BOB-OMB. For the soundtrack Beck was hired to write all of the SEX BOB-OMB's songs, but Beck's tunes aren't the only noteworthy new tracks to be included in the movie &mdash Broken Social Scene and Metric have some previously unreleased songs in there, BSS's credited to nonexistent Crash and the Boys.

A few weeks ago, I did my first in a series of features on bands I listen to featuring The Goodnight Fellows. And in that feature, if you remember, I promised an interview with them the next week. I sincerely apologize to anyone who might have been hurt when said interview never appeared. I can't really make up for lost time, but here it is now. Enjoy.

Toronto-based Basia Bulat is making two U.S. appearances in the near future. She's been nominated (again) for Canada's Polaris Music Prize, alongside Broken Social Scene, Crystal Castles, and The New Pornographers, to mention a few of the big names.

[One week later, senior hallucinogen correspondent Reuben Meltzer reflects on the showerless, four-day festival known as Bonnaroo.]

This year more so than other years it felt like there was more smaller bands I wanted to check out rather than big ones I HAD to see. Due to the large amount of bands that I wanted to check out and the fact that I was shooting the new episode of "The Moment" down there, and contracted what I like to call "Hulk Foot" my time to check out bands was drastically cut down. I was able to see about half of the bands I really wanted to check out, and the ones I saw all put on a sick show. My favorite would be The Flaming Lips do Dark Side of the Moon.

A rapper goes to jail for murder and may meet his end at the hands of the state, more Beatles memorabilia sells for dumb amounts of money, more rappers quarrel about party shootings, Bono is costing the U2 machine absurd amounts of money, and ZOMG NEW RADIOHEAD ALBUM MAYBE THIS YEAR DETAILS RIGHT NOW!!!!!11!!111!! Um, yeah, all this and maybe a little more, after the jump!

The new Roots is streaming in its entrierty on the band's Myspace. Find out how ?uest and the gang got over before the thing drops tomorrow.

Brooklyn electronic rock duo Ratatat's LP4 is a follow up to their previous album thematically (being a part of the same sessions), but don't expect it to be more of the same. The sound is still their signature--electro-pop with a melodic dose of trip-hop--with some different additions. Think global percussion instruments, Japanese strings, ukuleles and some other fun things. LP4 is a whimsical roller coaster ride filled with all the twists and turns that you'd expect and the ones that blindside you.

Mercury Lounge, a coveted nook in the Bowery's lineup of music venues, is usually a sweaty mess during the set of it's headlining acts. First Aid Kit was no exception, the Swedes packed the place with adoring fans, that was no surprise.

This new track from Memphis, TN's Magic Kids (who are currently on tour with Ariel Pink) comes from their debut album, the aptly-titled Memphis. Just in time for the titular season, the song is a well-crafted gem of a pop song, complete with strings, harmonies, and the kind of sunny melancholy that Brian Wilson put his stamp on back in the 60s.

This week I'm traveling to Texas (hence our cacti themed graphic) to do some research into how the folks in Dallas respond to independent rock and/or eat some barbecued meatstuffs. I'm obviously going to make a pilgrimage to Neon Indian's old house. But my jetting has not interfered with our ability to tell you what is HOT MUSIC. Turn it on.

Post-hardcore outfit Les Savy Fav (who we caught all the way back in '07 on their tour for Let's Stay Friends) are returning with a new album in September. Looks like they finally took a break from their...what's the right word... colorful live shows (see photo evidence above) to record some new music.

Drake has been making a lot of noise lately, and I want to put my ear up to his speaker and hear what all the rhymes are about. He just dropped his debut album Thank Me Later, but this "freestyle" has been circling around the webs this week and its worth a "holler". Did I do that right?

What up, Brooklyn? On Saturday, 6/26, we're taking over Brooklyn Bowl with Cantora Records for a night of music, bowling, beer, and shenanigans at this year's Northside Festival in Brooklyn NY. We're featuring sets from BRAHMS, Savoir Adore, Tony Castles, and Gordon Voidwell. Shoes WILL be available for renting/bowling/dancing!

Don't adjust your computer, the static soaked visuals of Suckers is mostly intentional. Wait until "Black Sheep" gets cranking and the guys come into focus for a trippy take on what you might see on your TV after the evenings infomercials. Quick question: does that guy who wore a cape at the show always have stuff written on his face? Is that a thing?

Norwegian electro-pop outfit Casiokids debut in the U.S. with Topp stemning pa lokal bar, reminding us what the term "dance music" means. Everything about the relentless beat, whether throbbing or xylophonic, oozes colorful lights and claustrophobic grooving. It's fun, to be sure, but I'm not sure it's fun enough to carry the fact that it doesn't go far beyond that.

By now you've probably heard that a planned outdoor event was cancelled last night in New York by the NYPD due to an unruly crowd of drunk people. You know those unruly crowds of drunk people, always ruining a good time! The South Street Seaport show was free, at could hold about 10,000 people. An estimated 25,000 showed up. Rut roh!

Dreamend is the folky alter-ego of Ryan Graveface, bassist from electronic outfit Black Moth Super Rainbow and owner of Graveface Records. He's just released "Magnesium Light," the first single for his upcoming album So I Ate Myself, Bite by Bite.

Dark Night of the Soul, collaborative project of Dangermouse and the late Sparklehorse, will be released in the U.S. on July 13th, in the U.K. July 12th. The project was already seen as a limited-edition artist's book with CD enclosed and as a gallery installation, but until now the music wasn't officially made available.

Everything about Mountain Man is weird and off-kilter. The "man" is actually three woman, from the woods of Vermont, who sing folk-sy tunes with a raw, unpolished edge and write some interesting and odd lyrics. But I have to admit, their opening set for Junip was mesmerizing, and their tunes have a magic about them that is difficult to qualify. Listen to "Soft Skin" from their debut record, Made The Harbor, after the jump.

In the world of music videos, there exist two schools of "beach" locations: the happy-go-lucky surfs up motif, and the sad, rainy, miserable motif. Guess which one is British? Today we will put the two side by side and see which one works better as an visual backdrop for music. It is also worth noting that while this seems like an easy task, we had a tough time coming up with more than ten videos (of popular notoriety) that took place entirely on a beach. If you have more entrants in the brawl, leave 'em in the comments!

At the risk of rehashing what you probably already know about them, Tame Impala, the latest in a series of Australian classic/psychedelic rock exports, are heavily influenced by what came before them. Late 60s psychedelia, some prog here and there - you get the gist. But, as it always is with these kinds of bands, Tame Impala are great for their ability to inject some new life into an old form which they do impeccably on Innerspeaker.

Want to win a pair of free tickets to see Goldfrapp in NYC on 6/23? All you need to do is come up with the funniest caption to her video for "Alive". Make us laugh, and you will be on your way to seeing this thing for real (kind of)!

Leading up to the release of new album, Serotonin, UK five-piece Mystery Jets are keeping busy, covering new Gorillaz single "On Melancholy Hill" and playing some album tracks in an all-white room of a Victorian townhouse.

In the decade or so that they've existed, San Francisco band Film School have always lurked just under the radar, opening for slightly bigger bands like British Sea Power, Silversun Pickups, and The National, but never really garnering the kind of critical praise and blogosphere presence that their cohorts have received.

Here We Go Magic make pretty, quaint, plastic sounding music, all of which makes it hard to discern from kitsch-y trinkets and baubles (in a good way). It's the kind of music you don't expect, but are overjoyed to find stuffed in your stocking. The beauty of Pigeons is the quirky appeal; slap-bass sounds and falsetto harmonies that right off the bat come off as odd-rock, but kind of melt into each other in wonderful ways. It's something like Ben Gibbard making music for an old SNES game, catchy, quick, and saccharine in surprising ways.

Hm, MIA is on the cover of the British rag Dazed and Confused, and there is an interview where she spews some "truth" about her being "on the edge", because of course she does. Let's vomit together!

In the new MGMT video for "It's Working", Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden open a box and try to create some sort of complex machine with lots of dials and colored lights, but then a woman walks by and takes pictures in a photo booth, an androgynous child eats some soft-serve, the aforementioned woman descends from heaven as an angelic ballerina and dances next to a group of middle eastern musicians, and...yeah. Just watch the video.

Indie veterans Cloud Cult are set to release their new album, Light Chasers, in September on their own label, Earthology Records (of course). The band, fronted by Craig Minowa and now with former Tapes 'n Tapes bassist Shawn Neary, have been delivering their distinctive brand of epic, cathartic, orchestral pop for years and, according to Light Chasers' press release, the new album promises to be the MOST epic and cathartic that we've seen from them so far. Intriguing!

!!! Surfing The Void due out in the UK in August. Album cover due out now and pretty amazing, IMHO. I mean, look at it. LOLCATS IN SPACE!

This week we're taking a quick five from releasing new videos as we hustle in the background to bring you a veritable bevy of GREAT shows. Seriously, we've got some solid gold eye-and-ear-candy on the way. But for now, we're kicking our feet up and bringing you some classic summer shows. Today's focus is Man Man, who taught us the importance of face paint and short jorts on the shores of the East River last summer.

From a distance, School of Seven Bells flaunt a particular artistic elegance most young bands of their ilk can't match. Initial signs of evidence come in the perfectly manicured press photos the New York trio always seem to be the subject of; beautiful creatures with the kind of dainty porcelain features that are as easy on the eyes as they come in this business. Of course sister singers Alejandra and Claudio Deheza, and guitarist Benjamin Curtis have peaked a mighty flock of ears in the know with their poignant and promising brand of electro pop, captured and propelled to stratospheric heights then by '08's Alpinisms, and soon again on their forthcoming follow-up, Disconnect From Desire.

I suppose we should expect such a sunny disposition from the songwriter responsible for penning Feist's "1,2,3,4". With such a sweet voice, not sure why fellow Canadian songwriter Sally Seltmann didn't keep the tune for herself. Regardless, "Harmony To My Heartbeat" is some perfect summer pop, and Seltmann's got this party starting video to prove it.

The heroes (or perhaps super-villains, depending on your allegiences?) of indie rock let two more tracks off The Suburbs slip all over the slippery interweb-slide. Hear them, or ignore them, but let me tell you: a-holes or not, these guys still got it in a big way. The new tracks are DOPE.

Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio has a side project going during the band's planned year-long hiatus. Two, actually. In addition to the joke-rap mixtape he's been working on with Aziz Ansari, Sitek is putting together a solo album under the name Maximum Balloon, to be released in August. The first single, "Tiger," is listenable now on the official site and buyable tomorrow through iTunes.

Ugh, the only reason I bothered to type out the obnoxious title of MIA's new record is that it's all over the internet today [actually I had to change the title of the post because it's so stupid]. Since I have little-to-no intention of paying for it (to listen to it, anyway), I thought you should know if you still want to have it. Personally, I plan on taking a trip to my local record store, buying every copy, selling tickets to watch me ceremoniously burn them along with some truffle fries, and donating the money to a real humanitarian charity.

Sierra and Bianca Casady took the stage at Terminal 5 with complete authority. Those who still have a vision of CocoRosie as a sloppy group of crossdressing misfits banging on pots and pans have no idea what the band is up to now. With the help of stellar, sensitive keyboard playing from Gael Rakotondrabe and the phenominal human beatbox, TEZ, the sisters have become an amazing, unique live act.

Sobriety and dignity weren't the only thing to expire at this weekend's Bonnaroo festival... sadly, a 29-year-old man met his end at the hands of the extreme heat of the Tennessee sun.

Armed with nothing but guitars, garages, grit and a penchant for the airy vocals of modern surf rock, Young Rival has managed to make a record that, almost impossibly, sounds like all of the above. Young Rival is the Strokes on a beach break, and it's just as much fun (and totally out of left field unless you caught their 2008 EP). The Canadians embody a riff library that is somewhat exclusive to more coastal bands... the frigid north rarely ever sounds this giddy on tape. A random grab and a few spins later, and I'm consumed by their shredding guitars and happy-go-lucky chants, an affair that will leave even the world's largest grump with a smile on his face. Rock can still be fun and raw without all the excessive scuzzy BS of today's most popular garage acts, and Young Rival is out to prove that point.

The Strokes, who haven't graced the stage in about four years, headlined the UK's Isle of Wight festival this weekend, and reportedly rocked pretty hard. A few days earlier the band played a semi-secret set in London under the pseudonym Venison, to prepare for their headlining gig over the weekend &mdash footage of that was too shaky to really pass any judgement on their long-awaited return though, so the video from the Isle of Wight show is the first look we get.

Last week, you probably saw that Drowned In Sound review of Uffie's Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans (or is it Sex, Dreams and Denim Jeans? Perhaps Vampire Weekend can finally admit we NEED THOSE OXFORD COMMAS!). It was the Pitchfork-esque blight that launched a thousand ships, including a call for resignation of "Mike" by a BBC editor who, however inadvertently, created a pretty inflammatory dialog about the merits of press releases and appreciation for "music" (or whatever you want to call the buffet of garbage the masses usually consume). Anyways, it got me thinking, because WE DO THAT TOO. But let's talk about those Sex Dreams first, then we'll try and figure out just when the numerical value of music became more important to its credibility with listeners than just deciding if one is enjoying it.

Your late night TV watching schedule, in case you are at home in a major metropolis with work to do, instead of lounging on a beach somewhere, which sounds great right about now. Sorry margarita mix, it isn't your turn quite yet. On to the tele!

[Image above via AP]
The US got super lucky in a fancy-pants world football match, but we won't bore you with the official US World Cup song or the equally as horrific Shakira World Cup song. It's better to be her than Kid Cudi, or the guy from the New York Times who thinks Bonnaroo lost momentum for a second there. Oh yeah, Bonnaroo! More on that this week. I heard rumors that our intrepid reporter in the field had some foot trouble...

Jessica Lea Mayfield is one of my favorite acts on the scene... her heartfelt, mesmerizing lyrics and haunting melodies effectively eliminate any indication of her age (she is fairly young). She was a real sweetheart when I talked to her a few months ago...the 20 year old (!) has a terrific album produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. Apparently she's just finished recorded another (!!!) and debuted a few new songs at a recent show. Check out the first after the jump.

Altered state or not, some of us are not in the state of Tennessee at the moment (even if we think we are), so thank goodness for the kind folks at NPR for setting up a totally free live stream of all the action at Bonnaroo. The stream started an hour ago, get on it after the jump. Perhaps you will hear the muffled cries of our intrepid contributor Reuben Meltzer as he flails helplessly in and out of consciousness (or in his mind, our universe and the universe of the zebra people).

Baeblemusic is proud to announce a revamped, one-stop page for all of its video content, from full length shows to Guest Apartment sessions to music videos. Meet BTV, a section of the Baeble website that caters specifically to the voracious consumer of all things video. The page is equipped with all the essentials for Baeble video, including links to other relevant videos, pictures, and featured editorial. At the bottom of the page, a virtual buffet of Baeble videos is at the viewer's disposal. The library contains every bit of video currently living on the Baeble site, organized in the method of the viewer's choice; newest to oldest, alphabetical, most-viewed, or top rated. Indulge in Baeble's humongous library of content all in one place: Baeble TV, the spot for hours of entertainment.

"Never cover Radiohead" is often uttered by the elitists of the internet, and they aren't wrong; nine times out of ten covering one of rock music's most influential, most talked about bands is a major faux pas, and a huge headache. But this time, a closer look is needed...Amanda Palmer's rousing rendition of "Idioteque" is a near-perfect cover; enough of the original ideals are left in tact, with enough Palmer-isms to make the recording her own.

It's easy to get lost in love with Peggy Sue's debut album, Fossils and Other Phantoms. The duo vocals of Katy Young and Rosa Slade, accompanied by the beats of drummer Olly Joce, compile a 12 track album that unveils the rawness of a passionate and at times, lethal love.

New Domino signees Chief are full of love. The band, which hails from LA but formed while attending NYU, is composed of two friends &mdash Evan Koga and Mike Moonves &mdash and two brothers &mdash Danny and Michael Fujikawa. Theirs is a particularly straightforward brand of rock: clear-toned, folk-inflected, and thoroughly informed by a sense of being in a collective. It's moody, full of conflict, but, surprisingly, not urgent. Songs like "Breaking Walls" are songs to walk to, to drive to, to reflect with.

Everyone's favorite violence advocating ginger murderer MIA released another track off her pseudo-self titled LP (due out 7/13). I will NOT be typing out the actual album name, because I hate it. But I will provide you with fuel to drive you to drink this wonderful, blissful Friday afternoon.

BBQ! I know you all loved last week's tape from Rooney's Ned Brower, and are craving more star studded mixers. I know I am, because last week was like a mixcation for me! Always be snorkling, as they say. But this week it's BACK TO THE GRIND for us at Baeble, and now that I've had a full week of accumulating hot new trackz for y'all to peep at, it's time to get peeping (gross! also, huh?).

Champ, the new record by the Canadian band Tokyo Police Club, begins promisingly with the songs "Favorite Food" and "Favorite Color." The first tune hints at an adventurous musical sensibility, with panned chunks of synth noise, a mournful melody and an eye for garish images and random detail. "Favorite Color" is a straight up swing for the charts, mildly ironic power pop of the kind Fountains of Wayne and Weezer used to pull of convincingly "Tell me what's your favorite color?/Tell me how's your younger brother?/ What grade is he in?" The simplicity of the questioning is deliberate, as seen through the eyes of a teen painfully trying to make conversation.

Ears everywhere, red alert! Sleigh Bells is out of their cage! I mean, what a world you guys. This kid got a record deal because of ONE VIDEO on Youtube, this is cool, and now Sleigh Bells, a band that prides itself on vomiting out of speakers and into your ears, now has a headlining tour across America. Lookout breadbasket, YOU WILL BE CROUTONS BY THE TIME THIS IS OVER.

This October, My Morning Jacket are taking up a five-day residency at New York's Terminal 5 to play each of their albums in full. Five albums, five days. One album per day. Plus a few encore songs every night. I'm guessing the critically-lauded It Still Moves and Z dates will sell out the quickest? Maybe? Anyway, get on those tickets.

"Happy music, but not too happy" is the simple tag Tobias Winterkorn attached to Junip, the new project from infamous solo artist Jose Gonzlez. He is right, there is a certain unquantifiable mysticism at work. The guys mostly sat for the hour, rummaging around a bit as their jammy tunes rose and fell almost as suddenly, drawing cries of enjoyment from the audience with each additional layer. Gonzalez himself is the epitome of modesty, smiling and nodding after a closed-eye trance, with a simple, Swedish tinted "thank you" at the conclusion of every song. These guys wouldn't know "pretentious" if it decided to sit in with them.

Lucky for us (and you), the intimate set at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory was both work and pleasure; we set up some cameras and captured all the action.

Last time we saw a video from HEALTH, the band was busy giving us nightmares via graphic, blood lust visuals. This time the band settle for a different sort of lust, snuffing out the previous horror in favor of youth gone wild sex.

Wavves, whose next album King of the Beach is due out in August, just released another single, "Post Acid." In the same vein as the album's title track, which was released earlier this year, it sounds more summery, beachy, sand-between-your-toes than their previous albums.

For the first time in four years, The Strokes came together to play a 500-capacity room in Camden, London called Dingwalls. They performed under the name "Venison". Meaty!

Bonnaroo starts today, and in case you are already there reading this one your smart phone, or already on another planet, or just wishful thinking, Baeble corespondant Reuben Meltzer has some advice for you FROM THE FIELD.

Black Mountain, a pack of Canadians with two full-length albums under their belt and a raw sound that runs from drum &mdash heavy to full on folk, are set to release a new album titled Wilderness Heart on September 14th (September 13th in the UK). Leading up to it, they've got a whole slew of summer tour dates in North America and Europe.

Broken Social Scene-based (super random?) rock'n'roll romance This Movie Is Broken is due out this summer, and in the fall the band will embark on a world tour. The movie has three pre-release screening dates, two in New York and one in Toronto-- details and (many) tour dates after the jump.

Hailing from Cardiff, Wales, Cate Le Bon writes soulful songs equal parts haunting, catchy, and angelic. Reportedly turned introspective by a tragic series of pet deaths in her youth, Cate penned a batch of tongue-in-cheek while funereal tunes for her recent debut full-length Me Oh My.

Bostonians and Berklee students The Blue Pages are well on their way up. They've already toured from the Northeast to the Midwest and shared the stage with the likes of Passion Pit, Honor Society, and Panic at the Disco. Drummer Matt Sanchez took time out of his busy schedule to answer some of my questions.

Suckers ease you into their debut album Wild Smile, building up from some non-confrontational jingling noises and delicate vocals to in-your-face agonized wails, all in the first track. The buildup is their specialty-- layering simple, well-crafted riffs and short vocal phrases on top of one another, pulling the unsuspecting listener into their bizarre spinning mass of noises.

A few blogs are circulating another delicious slice of Stars, this time with a fantastic frosting of Amy Millan's coo over mid-tempo blips. Grab "Wasted Daylight" after the jump.

Lately we've been harping on emo kids, partially due to interns and their love of pop punk/headbands/guys who think "Vans Warped Tour" is "making it". But lo! We're being patently unfair by picking on the most visibly handicapped of music lovers, especially when there are easily four more that are far worse, or perhaps just difficult to understand (I'm looking at YOU, Juggalo).

Neon Indian's Alan Palomo wanders all tormented-like through a colorful haunted house where an old man plays backgammon with his identical twin, sleeping girls' spirits leave their bodies, and smoke drifts out of every landscape and object imaginable in his new video for "Sleep Paralysist".

The new music video for Miniature Tigers' Alan Palomo-produced single "Gold Skull" is a part-funny, part-eerie account of when softcore porn goes wrong.

Prince Rama of Ayodhya, a Brooklyn trio recently endorsed by Avey Tare of Animal Collective in this month's issue of NME, sound as exotic as the name suggests.

As many of you probably observed, Big Boi is planning to release Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Son Of Chico Dusty VERY SOON, his highly anticipated solo album. So far the Outkast outcast has not disappointed. In fact, some of the best planned cuts were in conjunction with former Outkast member Andre 3000, now to be omitted from the final tracklist due to label contract disputes. Boo! HEAR THEM NOW! [via The Awl]

The schedule for the much-anticipated Grant Park festival was released today, and it's a doozy of a "pick-a-favorite-child" situation. The big question: Lady Gaga or The Strokes? You crazy for this one, 'Za!

It's that time again! World Cup 2010 goes down in South Africa in just a few days and there are some pressing questions to consider: Will America beat the English this Saturday? (I hope so!) Will Italy defend their position as the reigning champs? (I hope not!) Who will emerge as football's leading man in this post-Zidane era? To help us weather this tumultuous storm of what-ifs, some of the world's leading pop stars have put together some inspiring World Cup anthems.

Instead of being boring and talking about all the transparent references to DADT and the Catholic Church, I am just going to make an unordered list of some of my thoughts, no matter how random, during the first and second watching of Lady Gaga video for (what I admit is an excellent summer song) "Alejandro", directed by fashion photographer Steven Klein. Let's begin!

Yeasayer, fresh off a slew of dates for their delirious psych-pop joint Odd Blood released on Secretly Canadian earlier this year, have added EVEN MORE dates to their exhaustive itinerary.

Eureka might be named for a cry of sudden inspiration, and appropriately so: it neatly (and immediately) packages the saccharine sounds that made Cali-pop band Rooney famous in the first place. The band has had a slow couple of years; mid-aughts label drama and a plethora of shelved material, saved only by the blistering pep of "When Did Your Heart Go Missing" (easily their best song to date, not including the new batch). But their output has never been marred by ire, and Eureka is good fodder for the waves, even if they've spent a few years trying to get it off the pavement.

Brooklyn-based, Washington-bred Oberhofer is set to release debut 7" o0O0o0O0o on August 3rd, after playing Crest Fest and Northside Festival in New York. All songs are the inventions of Brad Oberhofer, who plays and records all instruments (but has a full band for live shows.)

Plenty of spectators got to hang around our Rooney shoot and enjoy the sunshine tunes for free, but the majority of you probably missed the up close angle. Luckily we've got plenty of video to share with you and your friends, and as an added incentive, a chance to win a copy of Eureka signed by the band. You know the drill.

You'd think a couple of California kids would seem out of place here, but Rooney seemed to fit perfectly beneath the New York skyline as they played a few songs for us on the shores of the East River. Downtown Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge provided the perfect backdrop for a simple acoustic arrangement of "When Did Your Heart Go Missing", as well as two brand new songs off their latest album, Eureka. Outfitted in sunglasses and even an American flag guitar, the band breezed through their set as onlookers wandered around the river's edge. By the end, it was tough to imagine the effortless cool of Rooney playing anywhere else but Brooklyn.

Soulful singing-songwriting duo Kaiser Cartel will be celebrating the release of their new sophomore album Secret Transit at Joe's Pub tomorrow night, a home show before they continue their U.S. tour. Look out for the new folk-laced indie tunes, out June 8th.

Die Antwoord, a hip-hop act from South Africa, have booked their first North American tour in support of their (now major-label backed) release $O$. This proves that literally anyone who makes a successful Youtube video can get a record deal, book deal, movie deal, or some infuriating combination of all of the above.

The Radio Department have a stellar record out called Clinging To A Scheme. Lead singer Johan Duncanson took a minute to talk to me about the band's longevity, their simple style of working, and their knowledge of a certain intimate secret in American cinema.

Kele Okereke, frontman of Bloc Party is expanding his North American tour in support of his solo effort, The Boxer, to include a full U.S. tour. Dates after the jump.

American Slang, the third LP from rockers The Gaslight Anthem is due out on 6/15 (next week) but you can hear the whole thing courtesy of NPR and their devilishly effective pre-release stream series. Click on over to play the whole thing.

Blitzen Trapper's Furr, was the most grievously under-appreciated album of 2008. More joy per square inch than anything released that year, save the Fleet Foxes debut, this Oregon band dipped liberally into rock history, (Bolan, Bowie, Dylan) without ever sounding like anything other than themselves. With songs like the achingly beautiful "Not Your Lover," the spooky travelogue "Black River Killer" and the title track which describes the transformative power of love and the simultaneous unavoidable longing for freedom, (What, you really thought it was about werewolves?) Eric Earley showed gifts as a writer that surprised at every turn.

The Arcade Fire played a house party in Montreal on Friday night. For 50 people. Yeah I'm kind of pissed I missed it too, but as they say, you can't have your music and eat it! Luckily, we have video, courtesy of Pop Montreal. Unfortunately it's nothing complete or comprehensive, but it does offer a sneak peak into the evening...

Though the Gorillaz aren't "real" per se, their protest is... they are one of a handful of bands who are protesting. Plenty of bands use previously planned shows as political statements... look at Arizona. Now several notable acts are pulling out of Israel's Pic.Nic festival in protest of incidents from last weekend:

The title couldn't be anymore blunt if it tried: Peter Silberman of The Antlers' Peter Silberman has covered Holly Miranda's "Waves". Oh, and also The Antlers are on tour with The National, no biggie. Listen to the track and see the dates after the jump.

Ticketweb knows something we don't know... and Brooklyn Vegan is in on it. Could this be another Arcade Fire show? The truth is out there.

MTV and their movie awards dropped enough F-bombs to demolish a countries worth of Catholic churches, one of our favorite rap acts made an audible blip on the radar, Rush Limbaugh had a surprising musical performer for his wedding, there are TOO MANY PEOPLE ON THIS ISLAND, oh, and that Daft Punk/Star Wars thing everyone is yapping about.

[Every week, in an act of strange liberalism, I plan to let our intern Hanna plug a band of her choice from the realm of young people's music. Also every week, I reserve the right to insert my honest, mostly unedited commentary. -joe]

Okay, so maybe calling the feature "emo" was a little too harsh. [Nope!] As expected, the response was not a good one. So I've decided to rename my weekly feature after the greatest person ever: me. So, without further ado, I present Hanna's band of the week: The Goodnight Anthem [Cue skateboard cut scene/star wipe].

Restless People is made up of members from the tropical Tanlines, experimentalists Storm & Stress, and dance punks Professor Murder. Just imagine the sweet sounds that could come out of a combination like that. Think about it. Aren't your ears pleased? Well, Restless People is exactly what you imagine. What more could you want from a band? Oh, you want more? Fine, feast your little ears on "Days of Our Lives".

A year ago, Ferraby Lionheart leaked "Dear Corinne" along with plans for a new album later that summer. And what a great album it was...oh, wait, there never was an album? Well this time the plans for Jack of Hearts are more solidified. August third to be exact. Until then, we have "Harry and Bess" to tide us over.

Watch Stephen Colbert tell the Columbia cartel they have the same hygiene as Robert Pattison, and that he does in fact give a f*ck about an Oxford comma. ME TOO. After the jump hear the chat and watch "Holiday" for probably the billionth time.

Born Ruffians have a small, economical sound which does them a favor in two ways: it makes their strong moments easily digestible and their missteps easily forgettable. For every meh lyrical moment and trust me, Say It is full of them, there is another straightforward song or expertly executed melody to save the album from idling in youthful mediocrity.

From time to time we like to ask an artist we've worked with to curate a mixtape for us. To celebrate the release of their latest record, Eureka, we asked our pals Rooney.

Baeble's Joe P sits down with Seabear's Sindri Mr Sigfsson to discuss the Icelandic musician's times in America, as well as his home country's legendary cuisine. Yum...

Fresh-faced Ontarians Tokyo Police Club dropped by Webster Hall's Studio Tuesday evening to play a short set for friends, bloggers, and anyone else lucky enough to get their name on the list. Though the Studio (which is supposedly 300-capacity) was hot, sweaty, cramped and sticky from the free PBR spilled all over the floor, TPC's set was loud, energetic, and thoroughly refreshing as they blasted through tracks from their new album, Champ, and other classics from their brief, but quality oeuvre. And if you weren't squeezed somewhere in the mayhem, good news: we brought our cameras along to catch all the action.

Portland is the city of many things, and great music is among them. However, sending the mayor an original oil painting portrait of Modest Mouse frontman Issac Brock is a little strange, even for the city that ruled lap dances are a form of free speech.

How many aged-looking visual effects can fit in one video? Stars tries to answer that question in their new video for "Fixed" which is filled with sepia tones, ghostly projections, and time-worn photographs of foreboding children.

Tokyo Police Club's new video, which follows lead singer David Monks and his bandmates as they hit pinatas, DDR on a Saturday Night Fever light-up floor, play around in the studio, and do other things that crazy kids do, is, in accordance with their new single, filtered through a nostalgic lens.

Texas singer/songwriter Sarah Jaffe hit Brooklyn's Union Hall last week for an intimate, up-close-and-personal performance in support of her new record Suburban Nature. She's been on the road with Lou Barlow, a lo-fi legend and a perfect fit for Jaffe's moody, effervescent tunes. Check out some snaps of the show below and be sure to pick up the record.

Levi's, the clothing company known primarily for jeans and related accessories, has a new series out on their website called Levi's Pioneer Sessions wherein a diverse array of today's "pioneering" musicians cover the songs that inspired them. For their session, Dirty Projectors' Longstreth and his army of virtuosos took a stab at Dylan's "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine".

Californian rockers The Morning Benders have released two new songs on their site, in the afterglow of their 2010 record Big Echo.

The New Pornographers take a top-down perspective on life in their video for "Crash Years", including some synchronized walking with a variety of colors and props. Though the NP crew doesn't actually appear in the video, something tells me there may be some familiar faces beneath those umbrellas.

Jack and the Pulpits new(ish) EP Francypants emits the kind of authentically home-made vibe that'll have you convinced they're sitting on the floor next to you making this stuff up. In actuality, the songs were recorded by Annie Nero and Josh Kaufman years ago on a 4-track cassette recorder, and only dug up recently to be released by Serious Business in late 2009.

Put on your glow sticks for this ridiculous banger from the oh-so-jammy Caribou, as he takes a stab at a Four Tet track. I know it's only Thursday and you may not work/study in a rave friendly environment, but damn. You might have to make a DANCEeption (sorry).

The New York Times has no affiliation with terrorists, but it certainly knows a thing or two about politics... certainly more than sensationalist caricature of a firecracker MIA. Yesterday they issued a statement about some misquotes, a little more gracefully than MIA and her response to the situation.

This fall Dirty Projectors are returning from their world travels for a run of shows on the home continent, opened by a curiously varied group of bands.

If you only listen to the first three tracks on the Villagers' debut album, Becoming A Jackal, you might find yourself preparing for an ever-escalating energy building up inside a bubble that simply can't wait to pop. To the dismay of some and perhaps the delight of others, it never does. By the time we approach mid-album, the band all but boycotts any hints of snare drum they'd dropped along the misty, somewhat eerie path they've led us down, while simultaneously taking everything else down however many notches you need to go to become, well, a little dreary. It seems the Villagers want to take the listener further into their vaguely haunting wilderness. The question is, how long will we follow before deciding to turn back?

Whether or not you are into the struggle of young adult woman and their choices between necrophilia and bestiality, the Twilight: Eclipse soundtrack is somehow full of hilariously relevant bands, who through some sort of alternate universe all decided to compose original material (except Muse, AGAIN!). Now you can hear the whole thing on the album's website. It's pretty good! Except for the Twilight part, of course.

The Samps, led by members of Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, sounds something like Rick James (RIP) manning the boards for Neon Indian. The tracks on their upcoming self-titled EP for Mexican Summer fit nicely into the hazy aesthetic of other bands on the label's roster, but emphasis on MSTRKRFT-sized, funk-influenced synth bass lines and hectic song structures keeps the songs consistently fun and engaging.

Chicken-legged comedian and beloved personality Conan O'Brien took his "Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television" tour to New York last night, and I was fortunate enough to nab a seat for one of the extremely popular and sold-out dates at Radio City. It was no surprise the night was full of guest stars, musical interludes, and old, familiar faces like Walker, The Masturbating Bear, and of course, Triumph The Insult Comic Dog. The whole thing was a glory lap in the extended vacation of a man who suffered not for money or opportunity, but for a tarnished relationship he spent years upon years cultivating. "This is the first time anyone has ever paid to see me" O'Brien joked, and although the sentiment was incredibly true, and funny, it also raised an important question: was it worth it?

The cover of /\/\/\Y/\ (pictured above), the third studio LP from infuriatingly self-righteous sensationalist MIA is pretty clear about it's message. The increasingly annoying singer wants to be a real life viral video, seeking quick shock jabs as weapons in her war on anonymity.

You've seen Holy Fuck before, but Friday at Le Poisson Rouge was a bit different. For one thing, it was dark, and I don't know about you, but I've always preferred live shows that way. The lights and staging are more dramatic, and the musicians a bit braver. The darkness gives bands an added layer of mystery to play around with. It was perfect for Holy F-ck, who plugged and played doodads and whatnots atop a new light-up runway that syncopated with the bass drum. Their energy was good, and the show was great all things considered.

MAN. Resident expertweeter ?uestlove let his followers in on a little download action yesterday, putting a new jam up for all who can't sleep at night thinking about How I Got Over and it's ever-approaching release date. The Roots retooled the John Legend track "Again", again taking what once was good and making it GREAT (a la "Dear God 2.0", which will soon be getting a video). Grab the new track after the jump.

Beach-punk outfit Wavves,led by the polarizing Nathan Williams (who is as famous for his offstage activities as his actual music), have finally released some details on their upcoming album for Fat Possum.

Now in it's third year, the two-day festival is rounding up some really great acts for 2010. The performers announced include The Strokes, My Morning Jacket, Phoenix, Gogol Bordello, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, Janelle Monae, Tokyo Police Club, The Temper Trap, and more.

El Guincho (nee Pablo Das-Reixa), who first rose to prominence with his glee-inducing, poly-rhythmic, tropicalia-flavored debut Alegranza back in '07, is set to release a series of 12" EPs leading up to the fall release of his second album Pop Negro.

The iconic NYC venue was renamed The Filmore by Live Nation, and most people hated the swap, despite plans to have a network of clubs across the country honoring Bill Graham's legendary stage in San Francisco. Now Live Nation, in a rare, pseudo-humanoid move, has re-re-named the venue as Irving Plaza to appease fan demands, even planning to recreate the original marque. FINALLY.

Includes a headlining date at Madison Square Garden in New York City with Spoon as the opener. Yeesh!

After two well-received albums, the new Band Of Horses record, Infinite Arms, is largely getting trashed in the press. Indeed there is something easy to dislike about this collection of songs. Let's start with the lyrics. There is no doubt that Ben Bridwell is not a gifted wordsmith. Often it seems he's actively trying to write songs about nothing. Some of the biggest head-scratching clunkers ever put to music are assembled here. But as much as the lit majors would hate to admit it, indie rock isn't all about who writes the most clever lyrics.

Joan Holloway goes for a joy ride IN SPACE. Broken Bells were wise to choose Christina Hendricks for their video, even if they thought they'd never get her. James Mercer and Danger Mouse show up briefly towards the end, but as Roger Sterling would probably say, Joannie is the real star here. Also, more whiskey. WARNING: Janelle Monae might also approve this video. You'll see what I mean over at the Guardian, who has the exclusive. UPDATE: video is no longer playable in the US. We will keep you posted...

The psychadelic rock of Tame Impala is making a splash right now, garnering a landslide of "anything but tame" puns and "insert Chevy jokes". Following a hype-worthy EP, we didn't hear much until their debut InnerSpeaker, which is currently garnering praise from the various music outlets of the net for it's simultaneous modernity and classical nature. Mostly though, it's just really fun; it kind of sounds like the boys from Liverpool made a record in Brooklyn, 2010.

Your late night talk-show watching schedule. This week is super lame in the TV department, due to holiday weekends and more reruns than Nick at Nite and TBS after 10. So go outside or something? Skip everything this week, because there is nothing new, unless you love the Airborne Toxic Event, in which case you can catch a rerun of them or something. There is ONE must-watch, though!

Memorial Day usually means barbeques, beers, and the start of summer. But the wide world of sports music never sleeps, drinks alcohol, eats truffle french fries, gets mobbed, does lots of drugs, or leaks their music!*