Thao & The Get Down Stay Down will release their third album We The Common on February 05, 2013 in North America and February 04, 2013 in rest of the world.  We’ve enjoyed this Bay Area band since their inception.  Check out the first song off the album, Holy Roller, including its salient chorus.  The song’s riffs remind us of Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers’ 1977 song Egyptian Reggae, which in turn borrowed from Earl Zero’s None Shall Escape the Judgement.  All three are set out sequentially below.  Proof positive that there’s nothing new under the sun (though Thao has added banjo to the mix).  You can also download Holy Roller HERE.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha-VXWxgvR8

We’re still reveling in the recent Band of Horses show we were fortunate to catch at the Troubadour in LA.  It’s been a great year of concerts (Radiohead and Bon Iver at the Santa Barbara Bowl at the tip-top of the list), and this was another one of the best of 2012.  Those be rockin’ Horses.  To get a feel, check out Band of Horses performing their incredibly catchy and powerful song Knock Knock below on Later with Jools Holland followed by the ’70s-rock of Electric Music (with some fine piano playing a la mid-’70s Elton John; a great meld of Elton, Eagles and Stones).

As mentioned recently, the jury’s still out on the staying power of Mumford & Sons. On Saturday, the Mumfords (and Flogging Molly) played an energetic (will always grant them that) five-song set on Austin City Limits. Below is a 20-minute portion, with the entire episode available on PBS HERE.

Watch Mumford & Sons / Flogging Molly on PBS. See more from Austin City Limits.

Carson Daly has been clandestinely and routinely featuring some of the best musicians and performances on his show.  Recent performances by The Walkmen, Desaparecidos and Rachel Yamagata, amongst others, have been stunning.  As an example, check out Regina Spektor performing The Voice-worthy song How on the show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKcK4k004lg

Supergroup Divine Fits (with members of Spoon, Handsome Furs and Wolf Parade) showed up on the Letterman Show last night to play some more of their well-crafted power pop that can be found on their album A Thing Called Divine Fits.  Check ’em out below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbJVYXtfTOc&feature=em-uploademail

Over the years we have been huge fans of Nada Surf.  Several of their recordings register very high on our all-time favorite albums list (Let Go, The Weight is a Gift, and Lucky are all outstanding).  And if you get a chance to catch them live, don’t miss it.  They simply rule the stage.  Earlier this year they released another gem, The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy.  The music video below is for song Jules and Jim off the new album.

According to the band, the video “was filmed over the span of several months on location in Arch Cape, Oregon and inside a historic house in Providence, Rhode Island. It gently alludes to the classic French New Wave film of the same name. The video brings you into the dreamlike world of three characters who are both intertwined and isolated and into three different worlds which are also intertwined and yet isolated. The different perspectives of both the three characters and the three worlds seek to evoke the ever changing feelings and roller coaster ride that comes from being a rational being crazy in love – desire, jealousy, security, ecstasy, sadness, beauty and the like, and yet to be able to see clearly outside ones own feelings. The sets are either actual outdoor settings or were composed from organic materials and found objects. The characters were made from found objects, wire, and Sculpey. The film was directed, animated and edited by Rachel Chaiya Blumberg.”

The claymation (Skulpey?) thing may just about be played out in music videos, but the song is a beauty.  Check it out.

Watch another fantastic AUDIO-FILES vignette featuring Josiah, Jon and Charity of The Head and the Heart perform Winter Song aboard a Ferris wheel in Seattle.  More astounding vocalese from this here-to-stay band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UWnGQUq1y0&feature=em-uploademail

Amanda Palmer is an uber-talented and controversial musical figure.  In addition to being a member of The Dresden Dolls, repeatedly outspoken, very theatrical and married to author Neil Gaiman, she recently managed to raise over $1,000,000 in a Kickstarter campaign to support the recording (with the Grand Theft Orchestra) of her most recent album, Theater is Evil, which was released in September, all the while vowing to pay musicians with beer(!).  The Kickstarter project was ultimately supported by 24,883 backers for a grand total of $1,192,793,at the time the most funds ever raised for a musical project on Kickstarter.  Regardless, Theater is Evil is critically acclaimed and a mind-boggling and winning mix of glam, rock ‘n roll and ballads.  But Palmer’s main attribute may be as a live performer.  Check out her superb live performances below for Sleepover Shows captured in August and to buy the new album HERE (you can pay what you want).  In the first video below, Palmer and Grand Theft literally throw the kitchen sink at it, and Palmer limns a little Tom Waits along the way.  Girl knows how to put on a show!  Brava!

Metric have been touring relentlessly in support of their well-received new album, Synthetica.  As evidence of their touring, they have now released a tour-montage video for their song Breathing Underwater.  Lead singer/songwriter Emily Haynes has got brains and brawn (not to mention the best legs this side of cohort Leslie Feist–those gals should be racin’ bikes!).  Check Haynes and crew out below.

The Walkmen ventured through the Saint-Denis arrondissement to film this very special Takeaway Show for La Blogotheque at the city hall.  While singer Hamilton Leithauser’s voice initially exhibits some post-Paris-show effects, he and the band quickly gather themselves, “stumble upon” a classical guitarist and conjure magic in this unplugged/acapella cover of We Can’t Be Beat.  C’est vrai pour The Walkmen.