Commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music over two years ago, The BQE (Asthmatic Kitty) is Sufjan Stevens' 40 minute, compositional tribute to Robert Moses'piece of beastly, concrete folk lore, though even the most passionate of Suf fans might find this one a little tough to digest. It's an all orchestral composition after all, with Stevens relinquishing his role as sweet, modern folkie for that of both composer and conductor.

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One of the truest testament's to our beloved local scene, New York has nurtured an incredible number of fearless musicians and bands, providing supportive communities open to embracing those who dare dabble in experimental song craft. In recent years, that's meant local hero status (and international acclaim) for many of our artists (you know the names), pushing rock experimentation to exciting new levels, thrilling music fans the world over with incredible, avant garde touches, and challenging listener's perspectives of what a song can be along the way. Yet through the sheer volume of these acts, it's sometimes easy to forget the beauty of those amongst us who embrace the classic roots of American rock...which is why we're so happy to have recently been introduced to The Cringe.

Filmed last Spring at Rachael Ray's Watch Entertainment Showcase at Piano's (the culinary superstar calls The Cringe's leading man John Cusimano her hubby), this enthusiastic performance channels classic guitar rock to an indie-centric room, reminding all those in attendance of the tried and true merits of strait laced, bar room rock and roll. Also featuring SNL House Band/session drummer extraordinaire Sean Pelton on the kit, the band's performance provides an extraordinary opportunity to witness the deliberate craftsmanship of a group of skilled professionals all working together to thrill and audience all at once. We promise you won't cringe.

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If you scare easily or have a heart problem, this mixtape may not be right for you. Side effects include freaking out, sweating, and a strong urge to leave the room before you are murdered. Consult your doctor before choosing the T.G.I Mixtape Volume 38.

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This past week I caught a case of the post CMJ depression; can't seem to get enough sleep, work piling up, and to add insult to injury, gone are the days of five concerts a night bleeding into the all day parties and more concerts. Besides going back to yoga and eating my vegetables, I've been listening to a lot of the quirky folk-rockabilly duo from Sheffield, Slow Club, and I'm feeling better already.

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Florence Welch's voice is an uncut diamond. It can be pitchy, as Randy likes to say, but its boldness makes up for those rough-hewn moments. Some people are not fond of the 23-year-old's maximalist style. She lies on the exact opposite end of the spectrum as her peers The xx, whom some people also find annoying (for the opposite reason). Their music is very different, of course, but the two acts are rising at the same time, across summer festivals in the U.K. and U.S. and headlining fall appearances in the U.S.

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Our friend and photographer Stephanie Giglio managed to capture some shots of the illustrious indie rock super-group Monsters Of Folk at their show last week in California. CMJ distracted us for a minute there, but we wanted to give you a taste of the action!

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The Strokes frontman prepares for his solo release Phrazes Of The Young by doing what everyone else does (or tries to do): a late night gig! How did the electronic babble of "11th Dimension" sound on Conan? Check out the video after the jump.

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Perkins says on his website that they "call this thing The Doomsday EP for obvious reasons". Yet short of having two tracks with the word "doomsday" in their titles and another which sounds like it should have something to do with the undead -- even though it actually has nothing notable to do with the undead -- never once does The Doomsday EP stir up feelings those end-of-the-world feelings one might expect.

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Swedish band the Shout Out Louds have a new album called Work. And to demonstrate that they worked at it, they put out out a quick teaser video to get you pumped.

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The Shaky Hands

We know. We've left you awestruck by the tenacity and pace we've spit out CMJ coverage over the last few days. No doubt you've figured out by now that we were out in force this year, anointing well-deserving bands as the next big thing with our golden, editorial touch. Check out which bands we felt were the very best HERE.

However, we've only shared half of what we've been up to the last week or so with you. While some here at Baeble navigated the sweat induced crowds of the Lower East Side and parts of Brooklyn, others ran band after band through The Guest Apartment, snagging exclusive performances from many of the festival's most promising young acts. To put it lightly, we made sure there were absolutely no vacancies at the Guest Apartment this week, as bands like El Perro Del Mar, Headlights, James Husband, The Love Language, Still Life Still, The Temper Trap, and We Have Band (to name a few) stopped by.

Look for these sessions to start hitting the site in the very near future. Until then, have a look at some snapshots we snagged during their visits.

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I'm sure there will be plenty of waxing poetic about the merits of CMJ and new, undiscovered music, and blah-blah-blah showcases whatever buzz record deal hype-machines. Honestly, there was a lot of garbage out there! No offense CMJ or anything, but your band (which I probably didn't see anyway) wasn't spectacular! I'm just being honest. Based on your Myspace plays. However, we did have our eyes on the prize; so we attended a whole gaggle of shows. And duh, we found exciting new bands! After the jump!

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Communication is an ambitious, ambiguous and lofty subject for a quaint sounding, charming pop band to tackle, but Headlights dive right into the muck and thoroughly explore the various nuances of our stupid human nature. Dubbed Wildlife, perhaps for obvious reasons (we are one big crazy jungle out there), the new album from the successful Illinois trio is poignant and pretty without the pretense of the "art-pop" world; a surprising balance.

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Screaming Females brought all the power and high-intensity that their live show has become famous for to Mercury Lounge last Thursday night. Making the most of the combination of their big sound and small venue, frontwoman Marissa Patemoster roared and shrieked through most of the songs off their new album Power Move.

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Get a little closer to California folkies Port O'Brien in our exclusive interview with Cambria Goodwin, Van Pierszalowski, and Ryan Stively. - David Pitz

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Though they've built a steadfast reputation for raising the collective pulse of enthralled audiences wherever they play, Port O'Brien recently scaled back their no holds bar sing-a-longs for an exclusive acoustic performance in the Guest Apartment. In truth, it's been something we've been trying to arrange ever since we first heard last year's stunning, break through release, All We Could Do Was Sing. In town for a set of shows in support of their recently released Threadbare album, we jumped at the opportunity to finally work with the band. What follows is the crowning achievement.

Playing three songs from Threadbare, Cambria Goodwin, Van Pierszalowski, and Ryan Stively perform magically in the acoustic alignment, exhibiting the band's incredible knack for nurturing magnitudes of emotion in every song they play. Though no electricity was needed, one member did fancy a nap in the middle of the session (they've been busy, after all), recruiting our favorite resident mascot for a bit of much needed R&R. Poor Jupiter may never be the same (See "Love Me Through").

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The dynamic doof-troop of Germaine and Bret (better known as the Flight Of The Conchords) work through love, life, and genitals on their second collection of songs from their popular HBO show of the same name. I Told You I Was Freaky doesn't break any new ground for the pranksters, who thrive in the silly, rambunctious explorations of awkward situations. The joke is an alarmingly severe lack of many things; common sense, sex appeal, and most important, a successful musical career and the irony is that in reality, the musicians behind the facade have all three. But is the joke still funny?

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I caught Local Natives for one of thier CMJ shows at the Mercury Lounge last Thursday, and it was one of those performances that makes you think, yeah I liked you before, but now I REALLY like you, and for a band that's been playing together for five years it really shows.

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If you are the girl I met at Canal Room, please call me. My number is 914-682-959 JUST KIDDING! But seriously, I need to stop meeting people! And I've seen so much music my brain feels like Bill Cosby should be advertising it. But it's alive? So let's recap my misadventures on day three of the marathon.

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Label big-wigs were pre-gaming pretty hard, I'm told, for this super-hyped show featuring of-the-moment four person hype-machine The XX. It kind of felt like everyone was there. And they were all trying to stand in front of me. I'm talking to you, bald guy!

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"I suppose you could say I like my music dark and my weather cold and wet!" said the Twilight Sad's brooding vocalist, James Graham, in a recent email interview. Hailing from Kilsyth, a small town outside of Glasgow, The Twilight Sad live up to Scotland's long list of feed-back royalty, "I love living where I do. Saying that I am not trying to be an ambassador for Scotland or anything, Mel Gibson did a good enough job of that I think.........NOT!" Mel Gibson cracks aside, clearly there's something in the air over there that is getting those Scotts to produce some top notch music. I suppose where there is dark rainy weather there is bound to be music to compliment it.

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As mesmerizing a video as we have ever seen, Sweden's El Perro Del Mar enlist the help of a performing, Hungarian duo dubbed The Golden Power. Director Filip Nilsson explains the clip:

"The idea of this video came into my head when I was visiting Lido in Paris which I do 3-4 times every year. This particular time there was one act that really hit me. Sandor Vlah and Gyula Takaes a k a The Golden Power. They are from Budapest, Hungary. Two men, probably the strongest men I have ever seen. Balancing on each other in such a incredible way that I thought that the gravity had stopped working. Was it fake? How can they move in slow motion? Many questions, no answers.

When listening to the El Perro del Mar track ("Change of heart") a few weeks later for the first time it hit me even harder. Such a brilliant track needed a certain visual treatment.

Just one big, very big task to solve. Where are Sandor and Gyula? We tried to get hold of them via Lido in Paris. But no one did know where they where. We searched for them for 4 months, finally through some local contacts in Budapest we got hold of them. Sandor (the big one) liked the idea.

When we finally could see the amazing footage together with the music it felt like we got struck by the lightning of love."

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Free shows! They make the festival go round. The first one I attended was an all day affair with Force Field PR. I mentioned it last week. It was chock full of good stuff!

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After being stuck in the back due to a minor time slot misunderstanding for the xx, I caught Mumford & Sons at the Mercury Lounge Wednesday night and boy do they sound good live. They just released their first full length album at the beginning of October called Sigh No More, and with song titles like "Thistle and Weeds", lots of banjo, and a sweet mustache to top it all off, pretty quickly you get a good idea of what these guys are all about. They are part of the London folk rock scene with that antique, not even vintage, I really mean antique aesthetic.

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This week we've got a beloved entertainer in questionable condition, a questionable entertainer receiving community service, and a service-oriented entertainer who blames all of us for his poor record sales. Let's begin!

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Love 2 is a sequel to nothing. Air shows it's age with an existential crisis bigger than an obsession with moog and ear friendly diet-pop. The schmaltz seems to be in season with the French electro-pop veterans, who dabble in just enough twinkle to hook, and not enough risks to enthrall.

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I caught The Antlers at the Music Hall of Williamsburg for the CMJ Brooklyn Vegan Showcase, and even though it was a chilly Tuesday night, the show was sold out. I had a little too much fun earlier and ended up at the venue really super late; a solid hour after they stopped excepting badges. So I had to pull out my trusty plan B: run really fast through the smoker side door (never fails). Anyway, I've been hearing mixed reviews about The Antlers live, but front man Peter Silberman was absolutely electric on stage.

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When the New York based ear-shattering trio A Place to Bury Strangers released their self titled debut album back in 2007, the general response was we love all that crazy sound and reverb but stripped down there's much there. Frontman Oliver Ackerman could easily argue well that's the point, I mean the man sells customized pedals out of his Brooklyn based business Death By Audio for a day job. But in two years the band has done some growing and with the release of their much anticipated sophomore album, Exploding Head, the spaced out noise attack is still there, but something new has defiantly been growing underneath.

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A no-fi sound should have a no-fi look. Seems like a no brainer; one Columbus OH's Times New Vikings grasp in their new video for "No Time, No Home". Here the band pair grainy cuts of green screen jamming (the background being Vietnam War and Woodstock montages) with their own countrified adventures.

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It's been a rough week, you guys. We've had a (literal) marathon of Guest Apartment sessions, including James Husband, El Perro Del Mar, The Shaky Hands, The Happy Hollows, Headlights, and a kabillion others (that is a real number!). We've also been out on the streets attending day parties and showcases and standing in a lot of lines. We cannot emphasize the gratuitous amount of time spent in line this week.

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This playful bit of stop motion from Portland's Shaky Hands brings with it a certain case for the mopes. Here, cardboard loggers have their way on happy plastic trees, floating these green little wonders down a twiney river to be processed as perfect Lincoln Logs. Eventually reborn as a mighty fishing vessel, the ship suffers a cataclysmic demise, courtesy of a ferocious, arts and crafts kind of creature.

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Stirring classic and modern live footage of the band doing what they do best with wild night out imagery, Mission of Burma's video to The Sound The Speed The Light's "1,2,3 Partyy!" is a hazy patch piece of sorts. Bottle breaking, booze, cigarettes, motorcycles, bared out beauties; not sure if MoB are advocating for wild eyed partying, or poking fun at it. Probably a little dash of both, though you can certainly decide for yourself by indulging in this brightly colored bit of messiness.

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The dingy "mermaid cave" known as Lit Lounge is hope to a lot of nefarious activites, but this week it is home to several grab-bag showcases full of up-and-coming talent. California garage rockers The Happy Hollows played Lit Lounge last night, and they were quite excellent! I was a little drunk. But I sang along to everything!

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Yesterday we dropped head-first into the mayhem as New York City was transformed into a stomping ground for bands and industry people to play, mix, mingle, and drink themselves to the floor. I did a combination of all these things.

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Spearheading a return to romance and sappy love songs, Clare and The Reasons are back with their sophomore effort, Arrow. After stealing what warm hearts exist on the indie music scene, the husband-and-wife duo wasted no time getting back to their Ditmas Park apartment where they pieced together a colorful collection of stringed harmonies, occasional brass melodies, 50s-era innocence, and of course, those delicate, fairy tale vocals. Once again, the effort has proved fruitful.

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Bad records exist, and it is our job to find the absolute worst of them (note: not at all our jobs, in fact kind of the opposite of our jobs). So I've decided to sacrifice at least an hour or two of my happiness and sanity every once in a while to embark on a dangerous, life-threatening mission to the top of Mt. Doom the internet to destroy the ring listen to bad music. I am going to find the worst album of all time! And then I'm going to throw it into Mt. Doom.

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Wax up your finest wing tips with a generous glaze of polish, run a comb and push that pompadour sky high, give your most trustworthy pair of denims a crisp cuff at the ankle. It's a look you'll be itching to show the world the moment you tear into the distinctively American brew of soul, blues, R&B and rockabilly that pedals through Imelda May's debut disc, Love Tattoo (Verve Forcast). And no, there's nothing wrong with the fact that it took one of the Emerald Isle's most exciting young vocalist to encourage it.

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Scotland's kitschiest batch of charmers treat us with yet another video from their latest and greatest, My Maudlin Career. Here the band go all goofball for their fans, sporting fake mustaches, cowardly lion costumes, and other nifty duds for a groovy yet slightly understated costume party of sorts. Study long and hard here people. This here's what the coolest Halloween parties ought to look like.

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Baeble favs These United States enlist Maxwell Sorensen and Greg Yagolnitzer to paint corn fed visuals for the title track to their latest album, Everything Touches Everything. In this colorful, stop motion video, a variety of rural puppetry come healthy and handsome to life in a wide open corn field. These are big, billowy, and happy characters; a pair of crows who free their song leading arch nemesis (the scare crow) from his restrictive bindings, some corn stalks-a-rocking to the beat, and a hardly terrifying, Midwest tornado to carry them all off somewhere over the rainbow.

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Groovy, odd rocker Devendra Banhart will be releasing his first major label album soon (the seventh to date in his catalog). You can judge hear the entire thing over at Stereogum, right now!

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This week we've got some great Wavves schwag to giveaway via the twitter(and facebook) hookup. 4 lucky winners will win a Wavves prize pack containing a Wavves poster and CD or LP.

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Last month Wavves got into a messy spat with a member of The Black Lips here in Brooklyn. I'm guessing you read about it. Before the incident, before words and fists and boots and blood were exchanged in the wee hours of the Williamsburg morning, there was a mosh minded get together, fueled by kinetic fits of audience energy and Wavves' slackadaisical, SoCal power punk. This is that get together.

Filmed at the Market Hotel, the broken, busted, and booze drenched domicile provided the perfect sort of setting for a dirty, Friday night of slap happy thrills in Bushwick Brooklyn. Here, crusty old sheets flank the makeshift stage, towers of amps threaten to topple all those below, unintentional peaking eye holes dot the walls, and I swear there lay death traps in the worn wood flooring. One heavy set move and a lightning fast plummet to the depths below seems like a distinct possibility.

Yet somehow, someway, such an impoverished joint rings true and authentic for this kind of a show...the kind of place one needs to know about to know about...the kind of venue that demands a blending of the barrier (what barrier?) between performers and their youthful admirers. Thankfully we knew about it, and we're thrilled to bring you Wavves' entire set in all its screaming guitar and machine gun drum glory.

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It's not a doll accessory by Mattel; it's the name of the forthcoming Beach House LP. It will be their first full length release from Sub Pop. Also, we're told the disc will include a bonus DVD with a video for every song!

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Photography by Genna Al Tai. Check out more photos from this show and others HERE.
Big, bodacious, and beautiful. That's what Beth Ditto is and if you don't like it, too bad.

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Despite a sore throat, Van powered through a hefty Port O'Brien set at Mercury Lounge last week. They played mostly new songs off of Threadbare, and Cambria mostly sat down. There were pots for banging, alcohol consumption and even dirty Mad Libs!

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Know Better Learn Faster is Thao Nguyen's follow up album to 2008's We Brave Bee Stings and All, with the addition of her band The Get Down Stay Downs, which consists of Adam Thompson on bass/guitar/keys and Willis Thompson on drums (no relation by the way). While keeping with the Thao's characteristic bright and raucous sound, the new album shows definite signs of maturity and boasts a few new battle wounds (a la written post relationship).

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This flickering spot of Super 8-ish video is the visual treatment for the first single to Los Campesinos' yet to be titled, forthcoming release. In this Aaron Brown/Ben Chappell directed video, the band once again blaze a nostalgic route, though in this case, one could argue it goes horribly wrong. Here a white shirt and tied ex seems to have issues with the fact that he's an ex, abducting his former flame from a water park, and blasting reminders of their love that would never die (it did) in hopes of wooing her back. It doesn't work.

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Punky quintet Mika Miko, just a few months after their frantic, action packed LP hit shelves, have thrown in the metaphorical music-towel, according to Pop And Hiss, the L.A. Times music blog.

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Here's a theme we've seen a lot of as of late (see THIS VIDEO). Children, masquerading as adults to visually emphasize their behavior as children. Here, Elizabeth and the Catapult point their mighty finger at the financial sector (an appropriate target for sure), casting a stylish young chap to traverse the canyons of lower Manhattan, sail around the city in the back of a cab...oh, and eventually lose his mind over the pressure of adult responsibilities. It's a nifty video from a nifty band you should be hearing plenty of from this site in the next few weeks.

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The Strokes front man has peddled a four minute preview of his forthcoming solo LP Phrazes Of The Young, which will now be released on 11/3 via Cult/RCA.

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Spike Jonze was the artist of the weekend (somehow) commanding the attention of the tight-pantsed community with his new movie(s), it was confirmed that Jemina Pearl can beat you up, and a soon to be invaded city politely started thinking about CMJ.

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Imaad Wasif is everywhere. From touring and playing guitar for The Yeah Yeah Yeahs on tour and on a track off Its Blitz, laying on Lou Barlowes recent album, and joining the super-troop on the soundtrack for Where The Wild Things Are, one questions if Wasif is wild himself (for music making).

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Johnny Flynn's debut album A Larum dropped in mid 2008 on Vertigo Records, and even though it received critical praise, the young singer-songwriter hasn't fully broken into the scene just yet. Flynn followed up his album release with a US tour opening for Mumford & Sons and Mercury prize-winner (and close friend) Laura Marling in last fall. These guys are at the center of the nu-folk scene in London along with bands like Noah and the Whale, but Johnny Flynn has a few little tricks that really make him a stand out.

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Happy chilly Friday music lovers! Well the fall is officially here. The weather is getting unbearably cold, the leaves are falling at an exponential rate and it feels like this annoying drizzle could turn to snow flakes at any moment now. Now for the good news. We have a brand new mixtape of wonderful new tracks to warm your rattling bones. We've got Devendra, we've got Sufjan...in short we've got the very best. Oh and we've got The Very Best too! So grab that old afghan from the closet, get comfy and press play.

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Their self titled debut had a specific aesthetic to it, and their EP is more of an epilogue than a new chapter in the band's discography.

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Taking over the "wall of sound" for the songwriter, The Twilight Sad's second album Forget The Night Ahead guarantees them a spot at the helm of the experimental/prog rock flagship.

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CMJ will be full of parties, so let us tell you about the cool ones! Like this one here. We've talked about ABC News Amplified and their surprisingly savvy taste a few times; most recently they had a really cool interview with Wayne Coyne. But now we've caught word that they have their own showcase in conjunction with For The Beat, during CMJ at Public Assembly in Williamsburg, and it contains a few smaller acts that are kind of exciting and new!

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Stars of Track and Field, you mean like the Belle and Sebastian song? Boy I wonder how many times they get that one. The answer is yes, the Portland based trio is indeed named after that catchy little song, but that's about where the story ends, they liked a song, they named the band, let's move on.

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Marking the beginning of a characteristically busy month in New York City, there were a lot of musical happenings on the third -- Micachu and the Shapes, to name one act, were a few blocks -- but the city's own Pains of Being Pure at Heart, with a shiny and sullen pop sound filled with live energy, were just happy to be back home after a summer of touring and festival appearances. A young band crowned with praise for their debut self-titled album, including a Best New Music nod from Pitchfork, their gratefulness bubbles to the surface: they smile at each other, thank their openers, relay tour anecdotes, gaze up at Webster Hall's VIP section, dotted with their friends.

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The Flaming Lips brought their insanity to ever-trending Conan O'Brien's late night bazaar, and wow. It was bizarre, and crazy, and wonderful. Although the sound suffered a little from that late-night flat sounding mixing, Wayne still fell down at the end, probably exhausted from listening to the non-stop gonging going on behind him. I pity the load-in for that detail.

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Ugh, you guys. New Moon not only managed to get ridiculous press from the music community through their stunt of an OST, then they let it leak, and it is actually kind of enjoyable. Now it is streaming for free (and legally) on Myspace. Also the release date was moved from November to a whole lot earlier [via Atlantic Records]. I don't know whether to throw up or get really excited about it (kind of like my first date, so probably both).

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Last week we highlighted some of our choices for CMJ shows that you would not want to miss. Otherwise your music-savvy friends might call you silly for missing them (in five years when it matters). Don't say we didn't warn you (because we did). However, today we spin a different yarn; one of fantasy and wishful thinking.

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Bonfires on the Heath is the newest record from the British kings of lush psyche pop, The Clientele, and while there is a definite sense of sophistication on the band's sixth studio album, its still just what you'd expect. Their usual cast of eerie shadows, lonely ghosts, and broken time floating from the breathy lungs of front man Alasdair MacLean are all here, but this time we're off to a bonfire.

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One of our most beloved bands to emerge most triumphantly from the Domino Record label, Wild Beasts are positioning themselves as a premier act in the making. Earlier this Fall, we declared, "it's so rare to hear anything that truly startles a listener into full attention, eyes wide in delighted surprise, a pulsing vitality and variety in a melody, a voice". From listen one of the band's sophomore release Two Dancers, we were madly in love with this young, English quartet. Naturally, we knew we had to capture one of their shows when the band strode through New York on a series of high-profile shows last month.

Filmed under the cover of the Mercury Lounge's moodiest of lighting, this video casts the band in an appropriately mysterious manner. Here selections from both Two Dancers and Limbo Panto, the album that preceded it, are recreated so true to form, it's startling. The band's shape shifting melodies, dense textures, sophisticated compositions, sky-high falsettos, libidinous lyrics; even on a dark, foreign stage performances of "This Is Our Lot", "The Devil's Crayon", " Fun Powder Plot", and "Hooting and Howling" leave no part of their music to chance, exquisitely recreating even the most modest characteristics of their recordings, ultimately upholding the band's lofty, ultimate vision in the process. It's a stunning thing to witness, and it's all for the taking in this incredible concert video.

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CMJ will be full of parties, so let us tell you about the cool ones! Like this one from Force Field PR, featuring recent album reviewees These United States (who we like lots).

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Happy Hollows are an interesting band for an interesting time. They manage to sound punky and impulsive while creating convincing and well-thought out garage pop. As three musicians who all have ties in DC, but were spontaneously reunited in California, Happy Hollows is a band with a sense of unity as well as urgency; their panicked, quirky guitars running in tandem with each other like a goofy dance. The so called "catchy chaos" can be attributed to several factors, the fuzzed voice of lead vocalist Sarah Negahdari, the schizophrenic guitar lines, or the sudden and immediate shifts in tone occurring anywhere, including mid-track.

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Conan is the tastiest of the late-nighters, as suggested by his (or his staffers) recurring relationship with potential band-of-the-year Grizzly Bear. On their latest run on the O'Brien circuit, GB was joined by the lovely Victoria Legrand of Beach House. Check out the clip after the jump.

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You might think the "wild things" are only in theaters, but you are wrong. The most wild Wild Beasts are exclusively here on Baeble, where after capturing their show at The Mercury Lounge a few weeks ago, you can view the whole thing. And as usual, we've got some cool signed stuff for you to win. And as usual, entering your name is only a few clicks away!

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Brooklyn's twitchiest pop rockers, White Rabbits, hit big with their sophomore release It's Frightening. Now they plan to multiply (like bunnies!) their success with more tour dates. Let's follow as they hop across the country.

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CMJ will be full of parties, so let us tell you about the cool ones! Like the Arts & Crafts one! Unfortunately there will be no braiding of lanyards or glued macaroni pictures (but maybe there will be).

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Thao Nguyen has laid her roots in a number of cities over the years. She was born in Virginia, and has spent time in New York, San Francisco, and Portland. For now, the singer songwriter and band leader of Thao and the Get Down Stay Down has chosen a laid back, west coast lifestyle for herself. "I love Northern California and San Francisco in particular — I spend as much time by the ocean or the Bay as I can." This love of the seaside is definitely evident in songs from her album Know Better Learn Faster...songs like "When We Swam", which is filled with images of drinking saltwater and washing up on beaches. Although, as if purposely trying to contradict herself the coo-coo voiced singer adds, "normally I wouldn't say I find inspiration in nature."

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Embryionic was supposedly about rebirth, but it feels more like a long, hazy incubation. Mr. Coyne and his army of digitized oddities endlessly float in a sea of their own fuzzy ambiance for 18 tracks, and it is easy to lose oneself in the chaos.

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In your new Monday update, we'll decide if the weekend held anything conversation worthy in the world of music. This week, vampires and werewolves spawn original soundtracks, Michael Jackson releases his first posthumous single, and The Arcade Fire confirm they will be scoring a movie. Let's review!

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Photography by Joe Puglisi. Check out more photos from this show and others HERE.
No shortage of spunk last night at the Mercury Lounge, when Stars Of Track and Field took the stage. The trio, whose name is derived from a Belle And Sebastian song, opened for Lights on Tuesday night at the early show. They promptly knocked off any remaining socks (i.e. all of them).

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Happy Friday my fellow music lovers! Another week has gone by, which means that another mixtape is here for your listening pleasure. This week, on the 35th volume in our T.G.I.Mixtape series we have some brand new songs by some of our favourite bands along with some great tracks by some promising up-and-commers. So sit back, relax and have a nice tall glass of horchata while you let these tunes take you into the weekend.

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Muse continues it's journey towards grandiosity with the epic-reaching space rock smeared across The Resistance, an album which contains multiple personalities of the band; climactic moments, somber moments, and even something billed as a "symphony."

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Check out more photos from this show and others HERE.
This past Sunday, Californian quartet Princeton played a charming set of sunny melodies at the Knitting Factory's new incarnation in Brooklyn. The boys played selections from their new album Cocoon of Love that dropped this past September as well as tracks from their 2008 EP Bloombury.

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In addition to playing four songs from his upcoming Careful Love LP, Tim Williams, Matt Welsh, and Misty Boyce sit down with Baeble to discuss the circumstances that inspired much of the album, and the new approach Williams and his band took in the recording process.

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Tim Williams is a different sort of fellow then last we heard him on his '07 release When Work is Done. On that record, Tim was a man - a bearded man at that - strumming an acoustic guitar, singing the kind of warm, glowing pop tunes men of his facial flock tend to do so well. His soon to be released follow-up Careful Love (Dovecote), however, is a different sort of collection; one where Williams sets aside his trusted sidekick in favor of a stack of amps, a vat of electrical currents, and a band of his very own. Yes, he's still a bearded man, but this here Mr. Williams is a different sort of fellow. Naturally, we instructed "the band" Tim Williams to dress down, musically speaking, when they visited The Guest Apartment. Admits Williams, "I guess we haven't gotten that far away from it (the acoustic guitar, that is)".

In this segment, Tim, flanked by musicians Matt Welsh and Misty Boyce, previews four songs from the upcoming Careful Love LP. Presented here, the session allows one to imagine Tim alone, inspired by new places (he moved to Nashville and recorded in LA for the first time) and trying moments in life (much of these songs were penned while recuperating from heart surgery), laying out a set of his most personal songs to date. For their part, Welsh and Boyce provide flesh and blood to Tim's skeletal frame work, coating the arrangements in intertwining acoustic meanderings, pocket glockenspiel, fits of melodica, and most notably, warm, three part harmonies that truly set Tim's songs ablaze. Here, lies a stunning demonstration of the dance between song and human emotion. Prepare to be delighted.

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Basically what I am trying to say is that Baeble is invested in the future of New York's arguably biggest festival. That is why we want you to know about these bands. Because if you don't see them now, you will regret it.

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Mission of Burma have stayed true to an aesthetic they themselves helped carve out all those years ago. They are, after all, a bunch of stubborn, old punks. But I can't help but wonder what a more modern tinge could do for this band. The Sound, The Speed, The Light...it's mostly all lost in the muck.

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NSFW. NSFW in a very BIG way. Naturally, we know that means you horn dogs are currently gathering all your fellow co workers and assembling them around the biggest, widescreen monitor you can find. Detroit City Rockers Electric Six have always strived to be as outrageous as possible. We enjoyed a show of theirs' at the Bowery a few years back. But it seems with their video for "Body Shots", the boys have sincerely upped the ante. Singing he's the director, we're ever so grateful Dick Valentine is providing us with a director's cut. Expect plenty of humor, a psychedelic twist, and um...lots of nudity as this delightful little devil plays through. Mercy... You may need to get yourself to confession after watching this one (over and over and over, no doubt).

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Sufjan Stevens can feel good about himself this week, snagging enthusiastic concert endorsements for his multi-show run on a variety of mid-sized venues here in New York. Consider this our opportunity to pile on. This past Monday that meant a cramped and quartered performance before an entranced gathering at the Bowery Ballroom.

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Misty and downtrodden are some words to describe the seafaring Port O'Brien, who find no shelter from stormy seas on their third LP, Threadbare. Frontman Van Pierszalowski is a master of perturbed isolation and loneliness in his songs, and here he keeps to the traditions of previous recordings, perhaps retroactively so. This is a band that specializes in a creating a specific environment with their shanties, (I like to call it 'optimistic misery'), and this record succeeds in creating a more ambivalent flux of emotion.

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We debuted our full concert video of Mercury Prize winning English rockers Friendly Fires playing Le Poisson Rouge today and those of you who have been paying attention to concert video debuts lately won't be surprised to find some cool FF merch up for grabs via your tweet-ability (or Facebook-ability). So warm up your fingers, because all you need to win some exclusive Friendly stuff is a quick click.

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In the small, cozy confines of Le Poisson Rouge, an army of boldly dressed concert goers gathered. Yes, sweet nothings and compliments on shoulder pads could be overheard, but for the most part, these eager young things descended upon the Greenwich Village hot spot not for apathetic displays of presence, but thirsty for full on dance floor hysterics, lead by the three ever stylish gentlemen of England's tastiest electro outfit Friendly Fires.

Doused in a humid bath of strobe light effects, Friendly Fires delivered their disco-electro, complete with signature hip swaying, before an enthusiastic gathering; one who, for their part, provided some endless hip swaying of their very own in return. Here, singer Ed Macfarlane's chemistry with the audience was undeniable and absolutely incredible, maintaining eye contact as he sang through the passionate verses of the band's self-titled debut album. Over the course of the concert, his vivid dancing drove the already converted crowd to new heights of frenzied, sweat soaked movement, awakening Le Poisson Rouge in both a brilliant bake of lighting and a reckless embrace of the music itself. When the band concluded their set with the fan favorite "Paris", they did so to the audiences' determined conviction. See the pumping fists and jumping feet of the entire mass of people, oblivious to the rest of the world, the August heat, and their own sweaty, plastered tees. An absolute marvel of a show to watch.

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Brooklyn trio The Antlers are taking to the road with Minus The Bear to promote their new album, Hospice, out now via French Kiss. But it won't take ruby slippers or munchkins to bring them home; they will also join the Brooklyn Vegan Showcase lineup at the CMJ Music Marathon in NYC.

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The Constantines, living up to the Latin root of their name (we think?), celebrate ten constant years of music making this month with two shows in Toronto at Lee's Palace. We also have details on how to score a free digital download of the stripped down Too Fast For Love EP. We also would like to stress that Keanu Reeves has NOTHING to do with any of this. Please, keep reading.

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Continuing in their exploration of religious themes, The Mountain Goats' latest release The Life of the World to Come is comprised of twelve tracks, each one inspired by (and titled after) a single verse of the Christian bible. With the same stripped-down sound that fans have come to expect, the Goats trade in pushing the boundaries of their music for once again pushing the boundaries of poetic license.

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Pairing orchestrated folk flourishes with slow-mo images of children jumping rope, Californian/Alaskan outfit Port O'brien bring a sense of seriousness and determination to what is usually a pretty adolescent activity in their video for "My Will Is Good". Here though, these stoic, gym class heroes compete with fire in their eyes and a sense certitude on their adorable little faces, eventually coaxing the band's Cambria Goodwin to give it a shot. Interestingly, her reaction is a little more youthful than her tenderfoot counterparts.

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Vampire Weekend has a new song today, via their website. It is from their forthcoming album Contra, due out January 12th on XL. It suggests three things about the new album. All of them are after the jump.

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If cool October air and autumn foliage feels like Summer's unfortunate concession to the cooler months of the calendar, then Asobi Seksu's latest video might play on the side of tragic. Kind of torturous, actually. Here Yukie Chikudate enjoys summertime scenes that feel more and more like a distant memory. Basking in the hot bloom of the sun, glazing in long and rough grasses, setting out to sail on a crystal drop of water, and eventually immersing herself in it, the band lay on the perfect sort of summertime romance for their video to the equally bliss little number, "Transparence". Credit should also be offered up to director Major Lightner for painting such a perfect picture as well.

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Despite the last minute show announcement, The Twilight Sad played to a packed house at Brooklyn's Southpaw last Friday night. Gracing the surprisingly-sober crowd with tunes from their new record, Forget The Night Ahead, couldn't have looked less excited to be, well, anywhere. Fortunately, the medley of messy distortion, pitch-shifting effects, and stick-splintering percussion was more than enough to command what attention the band's Scottish scowls did not. Though he kept his back to the audience for the first half of the set, lead singer James Graham finally looked like he was having fun in the final thirty minutes, twice helping Mark Devine wreak havoc on the skins and once delivering his drowned-out vocals from among the audience on the house floor.

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Boy, Phoenix is everywhere these days! They used to be so underground ("I totally know about this awesome underground Frenchie band, and none of my friends have ever head "Consolation Prizes." Call me Dr. Hip"). Well, no more hip for you, these guys are in Cadillac commercials and playing Central Park and even on Entourage, during a part where Vinny Chase and the boys live the good life (warning, not even close to a spoiler, they always do that)! Anyway, all the hype can only mean one thing: remixes. Let's listen (and judge).

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Let's begin in 2001 when Sufjan Stevens (before he was taking on all fifty states or filming hula hooping girls on the BQE), a relatively unknown quirky folk-rock character, released a sophomore album of sorts entitled Enjoy Your Rabbit an electro-instrumental project inspired by the Chinese Zodiac.

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Splotchy, play room punk Mica Levi - aka Micachu - and her equally splotchy sounding counterparts the Shapes devise a trippy little video piece for Jewellelry's "Turn Me Well". Invading a gradient background of swishing tree tops, an overlaid silhouette of Micachu speaks in loops and samples until the beat, and the verse drop in. Slurring, "You squeezed my heart so tight tonight. You must return it before you leave. Cos' you get to me you turn me well", Michachu makes her case for a little love. Won't you consider her plea for a few moments?

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Justin Vernon's Volcano Choir offer something hypnotic, introspective, and ultimately open to debate on their debut disc Unmap (Read the Review). Why just last week we declared the record "...demands patience as it retreats from structure and construction, metastasizing into abstract experiments of sound, dynamics, and texture." There is no clear cut story line, no themes to latch on to... Naturally, the group's new video for "Island, Is" follows suit.

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Hello out there! It's time once again for the next edition of our T.G.I.Mixtape series. On this, the 34th volume in the series, we have some incredible new songs by some really great up and coming artists in the indie music world. Bands like Le Loup, Washed Out and Girls may not be household names just yet, but wait a few more months and odds are they will be everywhere. And that's just the beginning because we have a bunch of other songs that will surely rock your boat. Enjoy!

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The four horsemen of the folk-acalypse do turn in a nice overall effort. If pleasant sounding tunes accentuated in sopping wet harmonies, great melodies, and manageable lyrics is your thing, by all means...have at 'em. Just don't expect to be required to batten down the hatch when these monsters come a'calling.

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In addition to wowing us with her skill, and leveling us with her charm, Imelda May took a bit of time to tell us about the history of her music, her thoughts on the modern, Rockabilly movement, as well as what it means to be given the opportunity to be an Irish band playing roots music on American shores.

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During her visit to the Guest Apartment, charming Irish vocalist Imelda May was thrown a question concerning the kitschy nature of rockabilly; the music she and guitarist Darrel Higham obviously love so. Her answer was an adamant one. "I don't think that it needs to be a nostalgic music at all...because people who are hearing it for the first time realize that it has such a fire in it, that will never go away." And though this wasn't the first time we've come across artists working within this style, we understand the fire she refers to. There exists a definite rebellious spirit moving Imelda and Darrel, providing exciting undercurrents, even in this stripped down formation.

Recorded while Imelda and her group recently swung through the States in support of Love Tattoo (Verve Forecast), this performance of three tunes from that album captures two performers completely absorbed in both the history and the here and now all at once. It's thrilling. It's impressive as hell. It's completely electric...except it's not, and that's why we love it.

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Today Sub-pop released a free Nirvana download of "Scoff" from a previously unavailable recording of their 1990 show at Pine Street Theater in Portland.

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Earlier this week we hooked you up with an exclusive performance by the reggae superstar Matisyahu and his "dub trio" from The Guest Apartment. Today we're giving you the opportunity to get your hands on an incredible piece of Matis Memorabilia, courtesy of our good friends at Epic. It's our latest Twitter Hookup, and if you get tweeting...well, an exclusive, autographed vinyl copy of Matis' latest album Light could be all yours.

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It turns out Princeton isn't that hard to get into. Like their Bloomsbury EP before it, Cocoon Of Love is pure west-coast-pop. The difference between the two recordings appears to be maturity; Cocoon contains a multitude of shimmery songs that grab a bit more firmly than their EP predescesors.

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In Cursive's video for spastic, Mama, I'm Swollen stand out, "Let Me Up", Tim Kasher fancies himself an apocalyptic death ride, ferrying the perpetually tortured front-man to meet his fiery demise, both in this life and the next. Why such a sealed sort of fate? A bit of foul play and some terrible business to attend to..that's why.

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Photos By Josh Cacopardo
There's no better way to break from a major national tour than to headline a CD release party in your hometown. Such is the blessing bestowed upon Jupiter One who recently graced the people of Brooklyn, NY at Music Hall of Williamsburg with tunes both new and old just days after beginning a two-month long tour opening for Regina Spektor, rendering their timing immaculate to say the least.

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