In daily National news, as warned the band showed up on the Letterman Show last night and performed Don’t Swallow the Cap off of their mesmerizing new album Trouble Will Find Me, which is officially released today. You can buy it HERE.

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And now in our seemingly daily news regarding The National….  In support of its spectacular sixth studio album Trouble Will Find Me, The National recently performed for WFUV, which has now released two video vignettes from that session.  Check out the band performing Graceless and Sea of Love below.  The National also will appear on the Letterman Show tonight so set your DVRs.

Jim James (My Morning Jacket) was recently on tour (and will play the festivals this summer) in support of his first official solo album, Regions of Light and Sound of God.

Courtesy of Kitchen Sessions, watch James and band below at the Neptune Theater in Seattle performing the lead track off his album, State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.).   Watch as James preaches a bit (in a good way) about the questionable benefits of technology before breaking into full Flying V mid-song.  All while in his pastoral suit.  Great stuff.

Jim James – Neptune Theatre – Seattle WA from Kitchen Sessions on Vimeo.

No, not Ben E. King’s famous song of the same name.  Instead Seth Avett (Avett Brothers) chose the traditional gospel hymn to perform solo on a train.  Amongst others, the song has been famously performed by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard.  Seems a perfect fit for a train ride on America’s rails.  Check it out below.

The Canadian duo Purity Ring blew through Coachella last month on their current world tour in support of their latest album, the much-loved Shrines.  While nearby they showed up on the Carson Daly Show to play Fineshrine and Belispeak off the album.  Check ‘em out below.  Great sounds, lighting and effects.

It’s been The National all-the-time in these parts.  The band recently showed up at KEXP to perform four songs (Fireproof, Graceless, Heavenfaced and Sea Of Love) off of their imminent new album Trouble Will Find Me.  You can stream the audio performance HERE (click on “Full Performance”).  The album is also still available for streaming at iTunes.

Don’t get us wrong.  The Flaming Lips have produced a few of our and your favorite albums (The Soft Bulletin, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Transmissions From the Satellite Heart) and songs (Do You Realize, Waiting For Superman, Race For The Prize, A Spoonful Weighs A Ton) of all-time.  But lately the psychedelic/psychological wheels seem to have fallen off The Flaming Lips proverbial tour bus.  Wayne Coyne and the boys have over the past year put out some of the more bizarre, dystopian, nudity-laden videos out there, drawing the ire of Erykah Badu (featured in one of the videos) and others.  All of which causes us concern for the band’s direction, which is a shame sense we love their music.  We should have known given the early She Don’t Use Jelly that things could get out of hand.

Despite the recent unpleasantness, we were pleasantly surprised last night on the Jimmy Fallon Show when The Flaming Lips performed and Coyne appeared with actual pants on (as far as we can tell).  Check out the band bathed in phantasmagorical lighting performing Try to Explain, a song from their most recent album The Terror, along with a fantastic cover of David Bowie’s Heroes.  Check out the performances below.

While their new album Modern Vampires of the City continues to spin on repeat at Chez Lefort, Vampire Weekend have been out performing in support of the album.  On Monday night they followed their Saturday Night Live performances by performing on the Jimmy Fallon Show.  Check out all below (in our order of preference).

If you haven’t heard the voice of this beehive already, you will soon be hearing a big buzz around Mikal Cronin’s second album entitled MCII (on Merge Records).  Starting right now.  MCII was released last week and is one of the freshest, most consistently-enjoyable albums of 2013, and is on constant repeat at Chez Lefort.

Cronin, who may be best known as the best-thing-about Ty Segall’s fuzz-laden band, grew up in Laguna Beach and all of its surroundings.  So it’s not surprising that sophisticated, California-infused power-pop songs drip off him like saltwater onto the shore after a surf-session.  To get a feel for MCII musically, conjure an album that combines the melodic acumen of Elliott Smith, The Pixies (check out the Velouria in Cronin’s Turn Away), R.E.M., Wilco, and even Tom Petty, with Beach Boys-caliber vocals and harmony arrangements.  Add to that the grit and aggression of Husker Du/Sugar and you’ve got the picture.   Don’t get us wrong; this is no nostalgia-addled homage but instead a bright, vibrant new twist on those influences.  The music is deceptively simple, but closer scrutiny reveals chord changes and vocal and string arrangements that belie Cronin’s BFA degree in music (though not in a studied way).  There’s something for everyone here:  power-pop jangle, rockers, and even a piano ballad (the closing masterpiece, Piano Mantra) on which Cronin limns Lennon and Tweedy in a heartrending performance.  With a few notable exceptions, Cronin played all the instruments on the album, and yet the album comes off as a full-band project full of life.  There’s enough variety, dynamism and complexity for all.

Thematically, Cronin has matched his sunny-sounding music with darker lyrics that speak of self-doubt, the search and coming-of-age.  At 27, Cronin is closer to 30 than 20, and naturally seems to be searching to find his proper place in the maturing world and its manifold relationships.  There is a constant tension and resolve in the album’s lyrics.  On Weight “I’ve been starting over for a long time, I’m not ready for another day I fail at feeling new” is followed by “No, be bolder, golden light for miles.”  On Shout It Out, “I’m pretty good at making things harder to see, And turning problems back to me, It’s not the way I want to be” is followed by “But I’ve been thinking ’bout that time you came around, And took my head up off the ground, Now that’s a place I want to be.”  On Piano Mantra, “A fine line is crossed, no way back over, A long time, I’m lost, I can’t see over” is followed by the album’s closing couplet: “I’m coming back home, Sink my roots and I’ll be gold, Your open arms are giving me hope.”

As mentioned, Cronin plays every instrument and handles all vocals on MCII, with the exception of guest appearances by K. Dylan Edrich (viola and violin on Peace of Mind and Change), Charles Moothart (drums on Change and Turn Away), Petey Dammit (slide guitar on Peace of Mind, and Ty Segall (guest guitar–his best use as best we can tell).

You can listen to Weight, Shout It Out and Piano Mantra below to get a feel for MCII.  His current tour dates are listed at bottom.

We see a bright future for Cronin and can’t wait for MCIII, MCIV and (naturally) MC5.  Do yourselves a favor and go stream and buy MCII now HERE!

Album highlights:  Peace of Mind, Change, Weight, Turn Away, and Piano Mantra.

Tour:

05/14 Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL)
05/15 Nouveau Casino, Paris (FR)
05/16 Tuffnel Park Dome, London (UK)
05/17 Great Escape Festival, Brighton (UK) – UNCUT stage
05/18 Le Guess Who? May Day, Utrecht (NL)

05/23 San Diego, CA- Casbah
05/24 Los Angeles, CA- Echo
05/25 San Francisco, CA- Rickshaw Shop

06/06 Mississippi Studios Portland, Oregon
06/07 Tractor Tavern Seattle, Washington
06/08 Ole Beck VFW Post 209 Missoula, Montana
06/10 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, Minnesota
06/13 Silver Dollar Toronto, Ontario NXNE Festival
06/14 Silver Dollar Toronto, Ontario NXNE Festival
06/15 Silver Dollar Toronto, Ontario NXNE Festival
06/16 La Divan Orange Montreal, Quebec
06/17 Great Scott Boston, Massachusetts
06/18 Kung Fu Necktie Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
06/20 Bowery Ballroom New York, New York
06/21 Comet Ping Pong Washington, DC
06/22 Emerald Lounge Asheville, North Carolina
06/23 The Earl Atlanta, Georgia
06/24 The Stone Fox Nashville, Tennessee
06/26 Club Dada Dallas, Texas
06/27 Mohawk (Inside Stage) Austin, Texas
06/28 Padres Marfa, Texas
06/29 Club Congress Tucson, Arizona

07/19 PITCHFORK FESTIVAL Chicago, IL

The National will release their new album Trouble Will Find Me on May 21st.  The band Tweeted earlier today to announce that you can now stream and pre-order the album at iTunes.  Do it.  You won’t be disappointed.