I like this single, from the band's upcoming album Bits, but there's also something really compelling to me about a Brooklyn band named Oxford Collapse and a song called "The Birthday Wars," on this weekend. It helps that the song is all heart and harmony. Check out "The Birthday Wars" by Oxford Collapse.

This takes me back to junior high, when I could not get enough of this song. Thanks to DListed for bringing it back to mind:

"Reality used to be a friend of mine..."

The Los Angeles Film Festival is underway in Westwood. I'll be there the first half, speaking on panels and supporting the world premiere of Trinidad, PJ Raval and Jay Hodges' documentary in which I'm the executive producer. Come out, have some fun, we'll see you in the Target Red Room. To get things going, check out this new track from Girl Talk. It's a mash-up from the new album, Feed The Animals. Get your party shoes tied up, and set out with Girl Talk's "Set It Off" (courtesy of Pitchfork).

Memorial Day weekend is coming up fast, and we know what that means: a big blockbuster in theaters (Indy 4), a big backyard BBQ (or, rather, a crawfish boil on Saturday), people start returning from Cannes, and the summer is finally official. No escaping it. Just like no escaping this single from buzz band Jaguar Love, who will release their Matador debut on August 19. Get into the spirit with the sunny "Bats Over The Pacific Ocean."

For now, you can only hear Beck's new song "Chemtrails," by visiting his official site and finding the audio player in the top right corner. I send you here even if it's an extra step, because this song is gorgeous. Ambient, spacey, '60s, Brian Wilson, propulsive, Danger Mouse. His soon-to-be-released new album cannot come soon enough.

And you thought political turmoil and international warfare couldn't be amusing? Check out this video for the new Coldplay track, "Violet Hill," from their upcoming album, Viva La Vida. Filmmaker Mat Whitecross (co-director of The Road to Guantanamo and editor of Scott Walker: 30 Century Man) directed the clip, which meticulously edits images from a multitude of political figures getting their groove on. Check it out:

With last week ending in sad news throughout filmland, I thought I'd try to perk things up a bit with this new video from Gnarls Barkley. It's for the song "Going On" from their album, The Odd Couple. It's a great jolt of perseverance, which is probably what we all need right now:

This might be one of my favorite new music videos.

This video is fun and inventive, but I'm posting this more for the song itself. From Hot Chip's latest album comes a sparkling pop tune that features a killer hook. Check out Hot Chip's "One Pure Thought" below:

Taken from their latest studio album, Narrow Stairs, Seattle-based Death Cab For Cutie created a video for "I Will Possess Your Heart" that is both simple and epic at the same time. Kinda like the song itself, which clocks in at 8 minutes, 30 seconds. I think both the song and the video are really great. Billboard has the back story on the making of the video (which spanned 10 cities around the globe with three weeks of shooting). And, here's the final product:

As we enter the final days of the Sarasota Film Festival, there's music everywhere: at parties, in films, in the cars, and on the beach. One of the albums I'm having trouble quitting, is Real Emotional Trash by Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks. It's a great, springtime indie-rock record, anchored by this first single, "Cold Son."

One of the biggest, buzziest bands to emerge virtually out of nowhere during SXSW 2008, was the pop/fuzz group Los Campesinos. This Welsh collective is equal parts avant noise rock and classic "Wall of Sound" sincerity, and you can bet they are an act to watch all year long. As you do whatever you're doing this weekend (basketball, family connections, or just plain doing nothing) do yourself a favor and sample "We Throw Parties You Throw Knives" by Los Campesinos.

Composer/artist/actor Kevin (LOL) Bewersdorf has sent me the first track from his forthcoming album, Babes. Kevin tells me "it will all be coming out on my new website http://www.maximumsorrow.com -- one track a week for the next couple months." Kevin likes to give it away for free, and not just as a marketing stunt. So, check out the songs, starting with the Thomas Dolby influenced "No Way."

SXSW 2008 is pretty much here, get used to it. I wanted to share some very cool and very good MP3s from various artists showcasing at the annual SXSW Music Festival. Check out these tracks, check out their shows, and consider these songs my unofficial personal anthems during the week of SXSW 2008:

French electronic duo Justice has delivered their latest music video odyssey for the unstoppable and terrific track, "DVNO." The guys started their American tour in Austin last night, and will come back to town next week for SXSW. Not an official show (yet), but to perform at the Playboy party. Check out the "DVNO" video, which is a fun and stylish homage to graphic design:

SXSW 2008 is one week away, at the time of this post. One week. Sheesh. Can it just get here already? Please. We're ready (mostly). You're ready (supposedly). Let's do it. Or, let's wait together. To help, here's a new track from the upcoming Tokyo Police Club album (due in April). It rocks, it rolls, and it will keep you focused on the next big thing: SXSW. Click over and check out "In A Cave" by Tokyo Police Club.

I'm in Santa Monica, gearing up for this weekend's Independent Spirit Awards (I'm co-hosting the IFC.com red carpet show) and tending to various SXSW matters. While it's pretty overcast right now on the coast, I wanted to share one of my favorite sunny songs from Kelley Stoltz's album, Circular Sounds. The San Fran singer/songwriter will be at SXSW this year, and you can take part in his reverie. But for now, click over and check out "Your Reverie" by Kelley Stoltz.

To honor the launch of our "Global Doc Days" schedule, I wanted to offer up a great new tune by an up-and-coming singer/songwriter from Scotland. He would be Freddie Stevenson, who you can catch at SXSW 2008. His sound is poppy, fast, fiery, and good. This is most certainly for fans of acts like Billy Bragg, Elvis Costello, XTC, Robyn Hitchock, etc. His album, All My Strange Companions, hits April 15. Click over and check out "Easy Now" by Freddie Stevenson.

Minnesota indie-rock wonders Tapes 'n' Tapes are back after a shower of buzz from their debut LP just two years ago (including some star-making gigs at SXSW 2006). They'll return to SXSW (in three weeks!!) to play a series of gigs. For now, though, you can hear the first tune off their April 8 release, Walk It Off. Go ahead and check out "Hang Them All" by Tapes 'n' Tapes.

The once-unofficial but now sorta kinda official remix album of eight songs from Radiohead's In Rainbows, is now available for free download right here. Get it, rip it, and enjoy. It's pretty good.

Gorilla Vs. Bear has two new videos by two great bands with two great tunes. The first is the trippy, animated clip for The New Pornographers' "Myriad Harbour" (taken off last year's great album Challengers) and the second is for Beach House's "You Came To Me" (taken off their upcoming album, Devotion). And fun factoid: the Beach House video is directed by Slamdance and Maryland Film Festival titan Skizz Cyzyk. Go, Skizz!

SXSW is almost here. Which means, R.E.M. is almost here. The Athens, GA band is releasing its 14th studio album, Accelerate, just two weeks after they perform a gig at the SXSW Music Festival. Wanna hear the album's first single? Here it is:

A bigger lovefest MP3 you could not find today. Mark Wynns alerted me to Pitchfork's posting of this terrific and beautiful cover of Joy Division's "Atmosphere" by Ola Podrida. Buddy David Wingo's cover of the song figures prominently in the SXSW 2007 film The Signal, which will hit theaters in February. It's a genius idea for the technological horror flick.

Wind down for the weekend (and the post-Sundance lunacy) with Of Montreal's cover of M.I.A.'s "Jimmy," which was itself already kind of a cover. Who cares? Enjoy, courtesy of Pitchfork.

Moby, the man behind some truly memorable modern compositions, has delivered his newest single, "Alice." Not only the song, but the hypnotic video. I share both, because it makes sense: Moby will participate at the SXSW Film Conference, in "A Conversation with Moby" hosted by Doreen Ringer-Ross of BMI. Hopefully, at some point during SXSW, we'll get to see him perform this song live. It's from his March release, a new album called Last Night. Check out "Alice" right here:

A few years ago, you'd think I just found out Santa wasn't real, when I discovered the process of auto-tuning vocals for music recordings. This is when a questionable vocalist can just tinker in the studio to make his or her vocals sound pitch-perfect. A process like this, and the whole Pro-Tools revolution of modern music production, took the way artists made albums into a whole new (synthetic) world. But, now, the revolution of MP3s has taken things even further down the rabbit hole. For a recent Rolling Stone article, Robert Levine makes an important thesis: "In the age of MP3s, sound quality is worse than ever." From his very informative research:

Just as CDs supplanted vinyl and cassettes, MP3 and other digital-music formats are quickly replacing CDs as the most popular way to listen to music. That means more convenience but worse sound. To create an MP3, a computer samples the music on a CD and compresses it into a smaller file by excluding the musical information that the human ear is less likely to notice. Much of the information left out is at the very high and low ends, which is why some MP3s sound flat. Cavallo says that MP3s don't reproduce reverb well, and the lack of high-end detail makes them sound brittle. Without enough low end, he says, "you don't get the punch anymore. It decreases the punch of the kick drum and how the speaker gets pushed when the guitarist plays a power chord."

But not all digital-music files are created equal. Levitin says that most people find MP3s ripped at a rate above 224 kbps virtually indistinguishable from CDs. (iTunes sells music as either 128 or 256 kbps AAC files — AAC is slightly superior to MP3 at an equivalent bit rate. Amazon sells MP3s at 256 kbps.) Still, "it's like going to the Louvre and instead of the Mona Lisa there's a 10-megapixel image of it," he says. "I always want to listen to music the way the artists wanted me to hear it. I wouldn't look at a Kandinsky painting with sunglasses on."

Producers also now alter the way they mix albums to compensate for the limitations of MP3 sound. "You have to be aware of how people will hear music, and pretty much everyone is listening to MP3," says producer Butch Vig [pictured above], a member of Garbage and the producer of Nirvana's Nevermind. "Some of the effects get lost. So you sometimes have to over-exaggerate things." Other producers believe that intensely compressed CDs make for better MP3s, since the loudness of the music will compensate for the flatness of the digital format.

In honor of Friday's totally, absolutely final SXSW submission deadline I wanted to perk things up with this lovely new ballad by Dan Bejar's project called Destroyer. Also a member of The New Pornographers, Bejar's next Destroyer record is due to hit stores in March. Right around SXSW 2008 time. Hopefully he'll be in attendance to play some gigs. And, for you filmmakers out there waiting to make the cut, maybe you'll see Bejar yourself. Click here to get swept away with "Foam Hands" by Destroyer.

Okay, this video for Snoop Dogg's new single, "Sensual Seduction," is the most mind-blowingly awesome thing I've seen this side of classic Spike Jonze. Not only is the song a real winner (seriously), but the full-on embrace of 1980s cheese could not be anymore sincere or pitch-perfect. Hot damn. Check it out:

Buzzworthy New York quartet Vampire Weekend delivers classic New Wave in that they blend pop, punk, and worldbeat. One moment, it's all very Elvis Costello and then another moment, it's all very '80s-era Paul Simon. Whatever it is, it sounds great. The band is currently on tour (and playing Austin this week), prepping audiences for the January release of their debut LP. For now, though, get a taste with Vampire Weekend's "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa."

He's spent years helping other bands sound great, from Nada Surf and The Long Winters to Hot Hot Heat and The Decemberists. Not only does he work behind the boards for Death Cab For Cutie, but he's also one of the band's guitarist. Now, Chris Walla has the January release of his first solo LP, Field Manual to look forward to. Sounds like shimmering pop, with his own Pacific Northwestern twang. Give a listen to "Sing Again" by Chris Walla, and hear what you've been missing.

As we near the early deadline for SXSW Film Festival submissions (and as they e-flow in constantly), I wanted to offer this lovely and patient new tune from Travels. The Mass-based duo has just released their debut, self-titled, LP of lush and melodic pop. So, take a deep breath whether you're finishing your film or finishing your application, and check out "Golden Sun" by Travels.

There are few buzzier bands this season than Jacksonville's Black Kids. They deliver the goods: Cure melodies with Go Team! arrangements. And, it just makes for a pleasant package of pop. Check out their sterling single, "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You."

Okay, like other bloggers out there, I'm currently kinda obsessed with Santogold. She came into the spotlight after appearing on Mark Ronson's crazy cool party album, Version (with a cover of The Jam's "Pretty Green"). Now, she's winning raves and buzz, as indie geeks like myself wait patiently for an upcoming solo debut LP.

The Brooklyn-based singer has a lot in common with M.I.A. They share similar styles, some of the same producers, and they both excel at bringing a dub/reggae vibe to New Wave pop. I was gonna single out one Santogold song to pick as an MP3 for Wednesday, but I can't decide. You decide.

There are four stellar tracks on her official MySpace page. You can stream them now, and you should. I DARE you to pick one favorite. Is it "Les Artistes" or "Creators"... or, something else?

As Michael Tully hinted earlier, there really is only one act you MUST catch at CMJ this year. And, that would be Ola Podrida. The band, led by noted film composer David Wingo, was a big hit at SXSW this year and I'm such a big fan of their debut album. Here is some more Ola Podrida info on Brooklyn Vegan. Check out the stirring song (courtesy of the SXSW MP3s), "Instead" by Ola Podrida.

Since I will be in L.A. that week, I'm missing the New Pornographers' November 1, 2, and 3 shows in Texas. I'm bummed about that, especially missing their gig with Spoon in Houston on November 1. To honor that, here's their new video for the title track off their exceptionally terrific album, Challengers:

For R.E.M. fans out there, Stereogum has got a special surprise for you. They've compiled a track-by-track remake of R.E.M.'s classic 1992 release, Automatic For The People, featuring a bevy of beloved indie-rock acts. You can hear the entire thing by clicking here. In addition to cover tunes such as "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" by Rogue Wave and "Everybody Hurts" by Meat Puppets, the site has also contributed notes by R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills, among others. All of this comes to us, celebrating the 15th anniversary of the original album's release.

Ladytron's 2005 single, "Destroy Everything You Touch," is one of my favorite dance tracks in years. Instantly catchy, a little sexy, and filled with rhythm, it didn't get as much credit as it deserved. Fellow space/dance/pop-rockers Hot Chip have now remixed the track, adding some delightful elements while keeping it true to the original. Thanks to Pitchfork, now you can listen to Ladytron's "Destroy Everything You Touch (Hot Chip Remix)."

I'm a huge, huge R.E.M. fan but even I find it kinda weird that the band chose to debut a new song in conjunction with Anderson Cooper's upcoming CNN special, Planet In Peril. I guess it wouldn't seem as odd, if the song wasn't on the band's 2008 studio album or if the band wasn't also promoting the release of a live CD/DVD (in stores next week!). I'm sure everyone's heart is in the right place, it just seems like the song and special should maybe exist separately. That said, the song ("Until The Day Is Done") is pretty good. It sounds like Automatic For The People era R.E.M., and that's a very good thing (especially after their disappointing last album, Around The Sun). You can hear the song, and see how our planet is screwed at the same time, by clicking here.

To get you in the, er, mood for Wednesday (and to follow-up on what Jarren already posted), I wanted to share Flight of the Conchords' super-romantic and super-sexy "Business Time." This was the unofficial anthem of the recent wedding weekend with some old high school friends, and you can't deny it. So, why not just get down to it: "Business Time."

M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" is quickly becoming one of my favorite hip-hop tracks of the year. It's undeniable and catchy and political and fun. Now, we have a Diplo remix featuring Bun B and Rich Boy. Hopefully this track will get the song and the artist, some great exposure. Check out the new remix of "Paper Planes" by M.I.A. (featuring Bun B and Rich Boy). Thanks to Gorilla Vs. Bear and Mad Decent Blog.

With a little help from TV On The Radio's Dave Sitek, the Baltimore trio Celebration is blowing up in 2007. Their debut LP, The Modern Tribe, will see the light of day next month on 4AD Records. Their sound is hazy, woozy, and pummeling. Get some of it, with an impressive new track called "Evergreen."

Canadian singer/songwriter Patrick Watson recently won the Polaris Music Prize (the Canuck version of the Mercury Prize). His soaring vocals and arrangements are wonderful, and I've been following this guy since hearing his memorable performances on the new Cinematic Orchestra record. His voice does sound a bit like Chris Martin meets Jeff Buckley, but his skills are entirely his own. For a taste, do yourself a favor and check out "Luscious Life" by Patrick Watson.

Doc filmmaker AJ Schnack has invited me to participate in a blogging challenge tied to his upcoming film, Kurt Cobain About a Son. Since the film, and its soundtrack, are a walk through the musical education and influence of Nirvana's Cobain, AJ has asked a few bloggers to come up with their own "soundtrack of our lives." Anyone who reads this blog regularly, knows that I consume music like its water, so it shouldn't come as a shock that I have a long list of songs that were very important to me in the 28 years I've been alive. Here's my tracklist (with links to as many of the songs that I could find on YouTube):

COMING OF AGE

"Tomorrow Never Knows" by The Beatles

"Love Me Tender" by Elvis Presley

"So What" by Miles Davis

"Steppin' Out" by Joe Jackson

"Hot For Teacher" by Van Halen

"Orange Crush" by R.E.M.

"My Generation" by The Who

"Bullet the Blue Sky" by U2

"Crazy" by Seal

HIGH SCHOOL

"Soma" by The Smashing Pumpkins

"Something I Can Never Have" by Nine Inch Nails

"Nothin But A G Thang" by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg

"How Soon Is Now" by The Smiths

"Cornflake Girl" by Tori Amos

"Sabotage" by Beastie Boys

"Only Shallow" by My Bloody Valentine

"Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash

"Born Slippy" by Underworld

"Allah Muhammad Char Yaar" by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

"Isobel" by Bjork

"Parklife" by Blur

"Hell Is Around the Corner" by Tricky

"Teenage Riot" by Sonic Youth

"Kiko and the Lavender Moon" by Los Lobos

"Fake Plastic Trees" by Radiohead

"Protection" by Massive Attack

COLLEGE

"Here" by Pavement

"Porcelain" by Moby

"C.R.E.A.M." by Wu-Tang Clan

"My Baby Just Cares For Me" by Nina Simone

"My Valuable Hunting Knife" by Guided By Voices

"Millennium" by Robbie Williams

"I Just Wanna Love You" by Jay-Z

"Suffragette City" by David Bowie

"You Got Me" by The Roots & Erykah Badu

"Autumn Sweater" by Yo La Tengo

"Innocent When You Dream" by Tom Waits

"Walk On" by U2

THE REST OF MY 20'S

"All Mixed Up" by Red House Painters

"The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice

"Don't Know Why" by Norah Jones

"Could You Be Loved" by Bob Marley & The Wailers

"Light and Day" by The Polyphonic Spree

"Cinnamon Girl" by Neil Young & Crazy Horse

"Mother of Pearl" by Roxy Music

"Chicago" by Sufjan Stevens

"Wake Up" by The Arcade Fire

"Move On Up" by Curtis Mayfield

"Cry Me A River" by Justin Timberlake

And the sad part is, I know I'm forgetting some... Okay, so now, I tag the following bloggers: Jarren, Bryan Poyser, and Janet Pierson.

Now, this is a remix. Hot Chip took the great elements of The Aliens' single, "Robot Man," and flipped them on their head. The Aliens are great, Hot Chip is great, and this remix is terrific. Get spaced out with The Aliens' "Robot Man" (Hot Chip Remix), courtesy of Pitchfork.

It seems entirely appropriate to make this single from Canadian indie-pop act Great Lake Swimmers, the weekend MP3. First of all, the band hails from Toronto, where many cinephiles will spend the weekend wrapping TIFF. Second, this song speaks thematically to cinema. Third, it's just a really sweet and pretty acoustic lullaby. Thanks to Gorilla Vs. Bear for uploading it, and now you can check out "Moving Pictures Silent Films" by Great Lake Swimmers.

Have a great Labor Day Weekend. Jarren and I are heading to Dallas for a friends' wedding. So, sit back and hum along to some of these new tunes surfacing on the Internet this week. And, no, I'm not gonna link Britney's new single. I have (some) standards. Enjoy:

Band of Horses has the ears of the world waiting to hear what their upcoming sophomore release will sound like. And the first new song, "Is There A Ghost," promises some more of the same: epic, soaring, and catchy.

Hip-hop producer Prince Paul has a new project called Baby Elephant. This hypnotic electronic track is "How Does the Brain Wave?" and yes, that is David Byrne on vocals.

The Brunettes are a new buzz duo from New Zealand. "Small Town Crew" is just a slice of the pretty, retro acoustic-pop they are getting raves for. (Thanks to Kayla for introducing me to them.)

Take a break from watching those new chapters of Trapped in the Closet, and check out R. Kelly's signature touch on Beanie Sigel's fiery hot comeback single, "All of the Above."

Endearing and eccentric indie-rock outfit Beirut has delivered a soft and sweet song that is perfect for any weekend's end. Click over and fall into "A Sunday Smile."

I found myself enjoying the latest Kings of Leon record quite a bit, though "My Party" is probably one of the weaker songs. Not anymore. The gang at Stereogum has uploaded this new remix of the song, courtesy of Kenna and The Neptunes' Chad Hugo. The track now has a tight bounce that it once lacked. Give a listen to Kings of Leon's "My Party" remixed by Kenna and Chad Hugo.

Hilly Kristal, owner of the legendary NYC punk club CBGB, has passed away at the age of 75. Kristal was an important figure in American rock culture, and he will be missed. As a tribute to him and his hugely important mark on the world, here's CBGB staple Bad Brains, and their killer tune "Give Thanks and Praises." Thanks to Brooklyn Vegan, for the link.

Film School's self-titled 2006 release was underrated beyond belief. Their latest, Hideout, drops on September 11 and will have to fight its way to get some attention. Luckily, the first MP3 to make its way blogside, sounds really appealing/dreamy/electric. Check out "Lectric" by Film School.

New York is buzzing away as Wednesday marks the launch of the IFC Center's "New Talkies" film series, with the theatrical opening of Joe Swanberg's SXSW 2007 premiere Hannah Takes the Stairs. The gang at Best Week Ever alerted us to the recent posting of the Ice Cream Floats' song, "Sundae (Got You On Mind)," which is featured in the Hannah trailer. Trivia: the Ice Cream Floats is the musical side project of Swanberg and Hannah co-star, Tipper Newton.

It puzzles me that we live in an age where The Shins, Modest Mouse, and Spoon can have new Top 10 Billboard albums, but Rogue Wave can't seem to catch a break. Perhaps that will change, with their September 18 release, Asleep at Heaven's Gate. If this new single is any indication, it's possible. Thanks to Gorilla Vs Bear for posting the shuffling and textured "Lake Michigan" by Rogue Wave.

Kayla introduced me to Kate Nash, this month's Lily Allen wannabe with catchy songs to match. Her debut album comes to U.S. stores this week, while it just soared to the top of the U.K. charts. Kudos to the native Londoner, but will she catch fire in the States? Give the tasty and sharp "Foundations" a spin, and decide for yourself: