National treasures, The National, today released their official video for their new song Demon off of their new album Trouble Will Find Me (out on May 22nd on 4AD).  Check it out below.  As sensational as this studio version of Demon is, we can’t wait to hear what the band does with this song live.  After the last album, High Violet, came out we were naturally wowed by the recording.  But it wasn’t until we heard the songs take flight live (at the Wiltern) and their later peregrinations and evolution, that we realized the beauty and the potential and emotional power of the compositions.  Don’t miss The National on their impending tour.  We guaranty it will be one of the highlights of your musical year.  Tour dates/tickets can be found HERE.

The Canadian sax colossus and Bon Iver band member, Colin Stetson, will soon release the final tranche of his ambitious New History Warfare project via Constellation.  Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon sings on several tracks.  Stetson has just released the official video for two songs from the new album, In Mirrors and the stunningly beautiful opening track of the album, And in Truth featuring Vernon (at 1:36).  You can order and read more about Stetson and the new album HERE.  At bottom, you can also watch Stetson in full flight performing Part of Me Apart From You off the new album live at Riverside Theater in Milwaukee in July 2011, as captured by filmmaker Dan Huiting.  Fantastic.

Sunday…a day to revel, rest and recall.  And a day on which to recall the week’s oversights.  Ahem. Yeah, yeah, yeah you might be saying.  And without further adieu: Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’s showed up on the Letterman Show on Friday night, and brought along the gospel choir, the Broadway Inspirational Voices, to perform the song Sacrilege off of their new David Sitek-produced album Mosquito.  Love the choir conductor’s energy in the acappella, not to mention the choir.  Superb performance.  The band plays the Majestic Ventura Theater during “hell week” on April 16th.

The fab-French band Phoenix played Saturday Night Live last night in support of  their new album Bankrupt!   Watch below as they performed Entertainment and Trying To Be Cool/Drakkar Noir off of the album. No ground broken here, but done phenomenally well.

Phoenix – Entertainment – SNL 4-6-13 by IdolxMuzic

Phoenix – Trying to Be Cool – SNL 4-6-13 by IdolxMuzic

Chan Power and The Roots gave Jimmy Fallon a tour of Manhattan on latter’s show on Friday night. Ms. Power was her usual fidgety but beguiling self on stage, but with her vocals set to a more wizened, jazz-inflected mode on the song.  And Questlove once again nearly stole the show with his propulsive percussion.  Well played all.

Amongst the best albums thus far in 2013 is Phosphorescent’s Muchacho.  And one of the best songs off of that album, Songs For Zula, with its Cashian lyrical allusions, has now been put to good use in the disturbing, but ultimately inspirational, official video below.  Do yourselves a favor and pick up this album HERE.

Melody’s Echo Chamber’s eponymous debut album was produced by Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, and the impala-psychedelia don’t stop.  To wit, the new video for the fantastic song I Will Follow (winks and nods to U2).  Check it out below in which Parisian lead singer Melody Prochet does gyre and gimble in the underwater psychedelic wabes.  Tis brillig!

And last but not least is the Kopecky Family Band and their song Hope off of their new album Kids Raising Kids.  Pick it up HERE.

Two late night performances this week were particularly worthy.  First check out Macklemore & Ryan Lewis dominating on Can’t Hold Us last night on Conan, and after Deerhunter slaying (get it?) the title track from their upcoming album, Monomania, on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon earlier this week.

Cat Power (Chan Marshall) has today released the music video for Manhattan, one of her album Sun’s highlights.  She/they will appear on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, tomorrow night (Friday, 4/5) and next week on Later…With Jools Holland.  Stay tuned.  Watch the entertaining, heartwarming video below wherein Marshall visits some of her historical haunts and favored locations in NYC, and interacts with the locals.  And, oh, that voice.

One of the more promising Brit-scenesters, Palma Violets, showed up at SXSW last month and performed at Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop for KEXP. Check out the band’s entire 30-minute set below. You’ll forgive the crowd if they look a little jaded/fatigued despite the band’s great energy and growls (heaven knows how many sets they’d performed prior to this one). The end of SXSW may be nigh-on.

Here’s the setlist:

Johnny Bagga’ Donuts
Rattlesnake Highway
Tom the Drum
Chicken Dippers
Best of Friends
Step Up for the Cool Cats
Last of the Summer Wine
We Found Love
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While the ex-Him (Ben Gibbard) is getting a pound of press for the impending Postal Service comeback, his bandmate Chris Walla has just released (for Record Store Day on April 2oth) a new song entitled Never Give Up.  The song sounds to these ears like a variation on a theme of Death Cab for Cutie’s  evocative Passenger Seat.  Walla is a talented composer and player, having delivered (in addition to his Death Cab contributions and various stellar production jobs) a superb solo album in 2008 (Field Manual).  And he’s yet again given us a sworn and cinematic song in Never Give Up, which is side A of the record release on Trans-Records (Walla’s own label), and is backed by the upbeat Sombear song Incredibly Still.  Listen to both below.