Voodoo Fest 2008 was such a delight this year with killer headliners, great weather, easy access to stages and fantastic local music. The White Bitch set up shop on The NooMoon Stage right next to some glass blowers to provide early attendees some magic even though some technical difficulties were making things a little less enjoyable for the musicians basking onstage in the NOLA sun. They were pretty rockin' live.

The White Bitch is Michael Patrick Welch's 7-year dream coming to fruition with collaborator Ray Bong of The Bongoloids. On the disc, rocking guitar licks and high vox are positioned over MPW's drum programming and various blips and bleeps. We caught up with The White Bitch after his performance at Voodoo Fest, and it went something like this:


Check out some of his tunes at myspace, and visit Nola for a nice review of Prey Drive. You can get the album at iTunes, and if you're celebrating New Year's Eve in Austin tomorrow, you can catch TWB opening for the funk-blues-soul-R&B ensemble known as T-Bird & The Breaks. The show info is right here.

• T-Bird & The Breaks - "Take Time"
• myspace.com/tbirdandthebreaks

We will soon have a list of hundreds more bands who have announced that they will be in Austin for the party of the year, taking place March 18-22. Also coming soon is a helpful way to keep track of all the bands you want to see, which will include each show they have planned for the festival, be it an official showcase, day party, after party, or anything else.

For now, instead of pasting another long list of names here on the blog, check out this page on Do512 for a big list of SXSW bands. That page is filled with MySpace and YouTube links for most of the bands so you can find out more about them. You can also take a look at this list, which is a bit longer and includes a bunch rumored acts, but does not include links to each artist's website.

Much more to come. Get in touch with me if you have any SXSW news I should know about.

The 23rd annual SXSW music conference and festival will take place March 18-22, with multi-Grammy winning producer, composer, and arranger Quincy Jones as keynote speaker. Last year over 12,000 music industry types came to Austin for five nights of music by more than 1,800 acts hailing from 42 different countries.

It's only December, and nothing is official until SXSW says so, but here is an early look at nearly 100 artists you can expect to see at SXSW 2009. A list of references is available at Do512 where come festival time you will be able find schedules for each artist, including official showcases, day parties, after parties, etc etc etc.

SXSW 2009 Confirmations and Rumors:

• A-Trak (Montreal, Canada)

myspace.com/djatrak

• A Day To Remember (Ocala, FL)

myspace.com/adaytoremember

• Alela Diane (Portland, OR)

myspace.com/alelamusic

• An Horse (Brisbane, AU)

myspace.com/anhorse

• Angus and Julia Stone (Sydney, AU)

myspace.com/angusandjuliastone

• Anni Rossi (Chicago, IL)

myspace.com/annirossi

• Autons (Portsmouth, UK)

myspace.com/autonsland

• B.o.B (Atlanta, GA)

myspace.com/bobatl

• Bart Davenport (Oakland, CA)

myspace.com/bartdavenport

• Beach House (Baltimore, MD)

myspace.com/beachhousemusic

• Birds of Tokyo (Perth, AU)

myspace.com/birdsoftokyo

• Black Lips (Atlanta, GA)

myspace.com/theblacklips

• Blue King Brown (Melbourne, AU)

myspace.com/bluekingbrown

• Busy P (Paris, France)

myspace.com/busyp

• Choo Choo (Bern, Switzerland)

myspace.com/choochootheband

• Cotton Jones (Velvet Belt, MD)

myspace.com/thecottonjonesbasketride

• Damaged Good$ (Dallas, TX)

myspace.com/dmgeez

• Dappled Cities (Sydney, AU)

myspace.com/dappledcitiesfly

• Dear and the Headlights (Phoenix, AZ)

myspace.com/dearandtheheadlights

• Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele (Taylor, MI)

myspace.com/dentmay

• Devlin & Darko (Baltimore, MD)

myspace.com/baltimorebassconnection

• Dirtblonde (Liverpool)

dirtblonde.wordpress.com

• Dirty Projectors (Brooklyn, NY)

myspace.com/dirtyprojectors

• Drop The Lime (Brooklyn, NY)

myspace.com/dropthelime

• Dry Spells (San Fransisco, CA)

myspace.com/thedryspells

• Flosstradamus (Chicago, IL)

myspace.com/flosstradamus

• Franz Nicolay (New York, NY)

myspace.com/franznicolay

• Future of the Left (Cardiff, UK)

myspace.com/futureoftheleft

• Great Northern (Los Angeles, CA)

myspace.com/greatnorthern

• Handsome Furs (Montreal, QC)

myspace.com/handsomefurs

• Henry Clay People (Glendale, CA)

myspace.com/thehenryclaypeople

• Hot Panda (Edmonton, Canada)

myspace.com/hotttpanda

• Human Highway (Ontario, Canada)

myspace.com/humanhighway

• Infusion (Sydney, AU)

myspace.com/infusion

• Jason Isbell (Muscle Shoals, AL)

myspace.com/jasonisbellmusic

• Jesse Rose (Berlin, Germany)

myspace.com/jesseroseandcontent

• Josh Pyke (Sydney, SU)

myspace.com/joshpyke

• Justin Townes Earle (Nashville, TN)

myspace.com/justinearle

• Kid Confucius (Sydney, AU)

myspace.com/kidconfucius

• Lukestar (Oslo, Norway)

myspace.com/lukestar

• Madeline (Athens, GA)

myspace.com/madelinesongs

• Matthew Dear (Detroit, MI)

myspace.com/matthewdear

• Micachu (London)

myspace.com/micayomusic

• Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson (Brooklyn, OR)

myspace.com/milesbenjaminanthonyrobinson

• Mr. Lewis & The Funeral 5 (Austin, TX)

myspace.com/mrlewisthefuneral5

• My Disco (Sydney, AU)

myspace.com/mdband

• N.A.S.A. (Los Angeles, CA)

myspace.com/nasa

• Night Marchers (San Diego, CA)

myspace.com/thenightmarchers

• O'Death (Queens, NY)

myspace.com/odeath

• Obits (Brooklyn, NY)

myspace.com/obitsband

• Passion Pit (Cambridge, MA)

myspace.com/passionpitjams

• Past Lives (Seattle, WA)

myspace.com/pastlivesmusic

• Pivot (Sydney, AU)

myspace.com/pivotpivot

• Rademacher (Fresno, CA)

myspace.com/rademacher

• Red Riders (Sydney, AU)

myspace.com/redridersmusic

• Rogue Wave (Oakland, CA)

myspace.com/roguewave

• Rosie & The Goldbug (Cornwall, UK)

myspace.com/rosieandthegoldbug

• Royal Bangs (Knoxville, Tennessee)

myspace.com/RoyalBangs

• Sage Francis (Providence RI)

myspace.com/sagefrancis

• Simian Mobile Disco (London)

myspace.com/simianmobiledisco

• St. Vincent (Dallas, TX)

myspace.com/stvincent

• Sugar & Gold (San Fransisco, CA)

myspace.com/sugarandgold

• Sweet Water (Seattle, MA)

myspace.com/sweetwaterrocks

• Switch (United Kingdom)

myspace.com/switchandsolidgroove

• The Airborne Toxic Event (Los Feliz, CA)

myspace.com/theairbornetoxicevent

• The Boat People (Brisbane, AU)

myspace.com/theboatpeople

• The Botticellis (San Fransisco, CA)

myspace.com/thebotticellis

• The Brothers Movement (Ireland)

myspace.com/thebrothersmovement

• The Coathangers (Atlanta, GA)

myspace.com/fuckthecoathangers

• The Count & Sinden (London)

myspace.com/countandsinden

• The Devil Wears Prada (Dayton, OH)

myspace.com/tdwp

• The Drones (Melbourne, AU)

myspace.com/thedronesthedrones

• The Fumes (Sydney, AU)

myspace.com/thefumesoz

• The Grates (Brisbane, AU)

myspace.com/thegrates

• The Invincible Kids (Minneapolis, MN)

myspace.com/theinvinciblekids

• The Juan Maclean (New York, NY)

myspace.com/thejuanmaclean

• The Pack A.D. (Vancouver, Canada)

myspace.com/thepackad

• The Rapture (New York, NY)

myspace.com/therapture

• The Temper Trap (Melbourne, AU)

myspace.com/thetempertrap

• The Thermals (Portland, OR)

myspace.com/thethermals

• The Whip (Manchester UK)

myspace.com/thewhipmanchester

• These Arms Are Snakes (Seattle, WA)

myspace.com/thesearmsaresnakes

• VHS or Beta (Louisville, KY)

myspace.com/vhsorbeta

• Vancougar (Vancouver, Canada)

myspace.com/Vancougar

• Vetiver (San Fransisco, CA)

myspace.com/vetiverse

• Virgin Passages (London)

myspace.com/virginpassages

• White Lies (London, UK)

myspace.com/whitelies

• XRABIT (London)

myspace.com/xrabit

• Youth Group (Sydney, AU)

myspace.com/youthgroupmusic

• Z-Trip (Los Angeles, CA)

myspace.com/djztri

• Zoroaster (Atlanta, GA)

myspace.com/thezoroaster

Some of the bigger rumors that are swirling around right now include Morrissey, Elton John, Billy Joel, The Faces, The Jesus Lizard, and Katy Perry. I'll be keep sniffing around for more artist announcements/rumors and post the information as it becomes available.

Is your band coming to Austin for SXSW? Tell me about it.

You might recognize funnyman Aziz Ansari from his hit MTV sketch comedy show Human Giant, from his appearances on HBO's Flight of the Conchords and Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, or perhaps from hilarious viral videos like the "Shittiest Mixtape Boombox Blast" and his tendency of taking the stage for a few laughs at popular music festivals.

The 25 year-old actor/comedian will appear in several feature films throughout next year, playing opposite Seth Rogan in Observe and Report, with Adam Sandler in Funny People, and with Paul Rudd in the DreamWorks comedy I Love You, Man. On top of that, Ansari will be starring opposite Amy Poehler in a new NBC series from the creators of The Office, and doing a multi-episode appearance on Scrubs.

The award-winning standup comedian, who is considered one of the country’s hottest young talents, is currently headlining a multi-city comedy tour that will make its last stop of the year tonight at Emo's. Opening the show will be local comedian Brendon Walsh, who was crowned "Funniest Person in Austin" at Cap City Comedy Club's 19th annual contest. Doors are at eight, and tickets are available at the link or at the door.

Here are 12 questions I sent Aziz Ansari in anticipation of his Austin performance tonight. As expected, he came through with some brilliant answers on topics like the best albums of 2008, BBQ, and his reggae cover band with Jason Statham.

James Murphy and Pat Mahoney - FabricLive.36
Deerhunter - Microcastle
TV on the Radio - Dear Science
Hercules and Love Affair
Jay Reatard - Singles '06/'07
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
The Dutchess and the Duke
Fleet Foxes - Ragged Wood
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Atlas Sound - Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel

AA: SXSW is my favorite time of the year, period. And I have a thing for BBQ.

• Do you have any crazy stories from your time here?

AA: When I was in Austin for SXSW in '94, I remember staying at the Intercontinental and having a bunch of luggage with me. I kept complaining to the guys I was in the elevator with about how cumbersome it was. This one guy goes, "Did you say cumbersome? Hey, what does that word mean?" I explained it to him and he seemed very intrigued and just said, "Cumbersome" quietly to himself over and over. A year later, I found out this gentleman was the lead singer of a little band called Seven Mary Three and he'd written a song about me.

• How is this comedy tour going? What does your current routine focus on?

AA: It's going great! The current bits are things I've written over the last few months and stuff I'm going to record for a CD hopefully in January.

• How much does your latest film work differ from your previous stuff?

AA: The main difference is my previous film work was mainly in stunts. I was generally on fire or driving through walls. This year, I'm actually acting in some comedies I'm really excited about like Funny People with Judd Apatow and Observe and Report with Seth Rogen and Jody Hill. I also did a small, small part in I Love You, Man, a new movie with Paul Rudd and Jason Segel. These were all really fun and the directors let me improvise and really make the characters my own, especially on Judd's movie. Unfortunately, I did have to pass on some stunt work as a result, and not to brag, but the driving in Fast and the Furious 4, probably won't be up to par with what you saw in Tokyo Drift (my driving).

• Are there plans for a third season of Human Giant?

AA: Not right now, we were offered one but the schedule didn't work out with my commitment to the NBC show I'm doing with the producers of "The Office." However, there are other Human Giant related things in the works, but its too early to talk about them.

• What do you do when you're not working?

AA: Listen to music, watch Lost/Mad Men/Friday Night Lights/Top Chef, and go to eat at good restaurants.

• What/who makes you laugh?

AA: Louis CK, Patton Oswalt, The Office, 30 Rock, Tim and Eric, this compilation video of reenacted workplace accidents on YouTube.

• What will you do for the holidays?

AA: I'm a mall Santa in a town with a high concentration of Southeast Asian minorities. Sometimes its good for those kids to see a young, brown-skinned Santa.

• Will you be back for SXSW again in 2009?

AA: I hope it won't conflict with the shooting schedule on the NBC show I'm doing, but I hope to come back. This time not as a comedian though, I've started a reggae band with Transporter star Jason Statham. We do reggae covers of TV theme songs from the mid to late 80s. We do a wicked version of the "Family Ties" theme.

• Just curious, have you ever thrown a shoe at anyone in disgust?

AA: No, but someone once threw beef ribs at me during a show. But it was positive because they know I love beef ribs.

• Lastly, Austin has its own little comedy scene down here, do you have any advice for somebody who wants to get into comedy?

AA: The best advice is Steve Martin's - "Be undeniably good."

I am just about done editing my favorite albums of 2008 list, which I should be able to put up here tomorrow. Not only was the task of deciding what albums I like the most a daunting one, but there were still a handful of albums that I needed to hear before I felt comfortable publishing such a list. I'm still trying to keep it from running longer than 25 albums, but as I look back on the year I recognize just how many albums are worthy of a mention.

So until I can put the final touches on that one, here is a list of the best live bands I saw in Austin in 2008. It's sort of a guide to bands I think you should pay money to see if you have a chance. I did something similar last year. At the bottom of this post I'll link to a bunch of other good lists that have already been published, be sure to take a look around.

Best of SXSW: (link)

• David Banner
• Dead Confederate
• DJ Blaqstarr

Best of ACL: (link)

• Manu Chao
• Fleet Foxes

Best of Fun Fun Fun Fest: (link)

• Trail of Dead
• Black Angels

Best of the Best of Lists:

• Largehearted Boy's Super Awesome List Extravaganza
• Smashing Ryan Likes Some Locals
• Gorilla Bear's Fave Songs
• Stereogum's "Gummys"
• NME's list of lists
• Spin's List

Local Lists: (send me yours)

• Side One Track One
• Sonic Itch
  
• Salad Days Music
• Austin Town Hall
• Ultra8201
  
• Marching Feet
• Cannibal Cheerleader
  

While I continue to organize my end-of-the-year lists, here are my top 15 music videos of 2008 to keep you company. They are not in any particular order, just fifteen of the music videos I came across this year that left a good impression. Check the links at the bottom of this post to see many more videos worth taking a look at.

Bowerbirds - "In Our Talons"



Fleet Foxes - "White Winter Hymnal"



Fujiya & Miyagi - "Knickerbocker"



Radiohead - "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi"



Lykke Li - "I'm Good, I'm Gone"



Girl Talk - "Still Here"



Thunderheist - "Jerk It"



Plants and Animals - "Feedback in the Field"



Portishead - "The Rip"



MGMT - "Electric Feel"



Weezer - "Pork and Beans"



White Williams - "New Violence"



Dead Confederate - "Start Me Laughing"



No Age - "Eraser"



The Mae Shi - "Run To Your Grave"

Early last week David Banner and Bun B warmed up the Austin Music Hall while the sleet and snow was falling right outside. The wacky weather didn't keep anyone from showing up to sing along with Bun B's every word, who mostly covered fan-favorite UGK material before David Banner came out to provide an over-the-top finale.

Banner was as entertaining as expected, bouncing all around the stage, jumping into the audience for some crowd surfing, and eventually finding his way atop the balcony to close the show from above. Point your browser to The Corner for a live review. Photos courtesy of Casey James Wilson.

Winter is upon us, but if you want to throw on a jacket and get out there to see some live music in Austin this week, here are a few shows that I would recommend.

After movie night tomorrow, Thursday is busy with The Ting Tings and Eagles of Death Metal at Emo's, while The Laughing and Via Audio are at Stubb's. Our old pals Transmography is playing Creekside Lounge on Friday, which seems like the new hot spot. Saturday is pretty crazy, with far too many good shows happening all at once. Take your pick:

• Trail of Dead and Ume at Red 7
• The Strange Boys at Emo's
• Local H and Lions at Trophy's
• The Undiscovered Austin Secret Show at Mohawk
• And from Brazil, electronic dance duo The Twelves - with free beer

Ice Cube is at the Mohawk on Sunday, and he's not there to shoot some lame family movie. The Fat Burger fan got back into music this year with an album called Raw Footage, which has been called his best work in seventeen years. An up-and-coming wordsmith out of Austin named Zeale will help supply the afterparty.

Zeale has been putting in lots of work around town, appearing at SXSW, Fun Fun Fun Fest, and putting on high-energy live shows with Boombox ATX, Los Bad Apples, and his battle-rapping comrade Phranchyze. The Austin Chronicle has a few words about 'em at the link.

• Zeale - "Dull Dayz"

Daytrotter has some really nice things to say about Brazos this week: "Martin Crane, the leader and songwriter of the band, does big and bombastic on a smaller scale. He takes the massive span of what a group such as U2 or My Morning Jacket builds into their everyday, musical actions and boils it down into something that he and his talented mates know how to play with."

Not only that, but they have four live studio tracks available for your downloading pleasure, two of them previously unreleased. Brazos was also part of a new themed compilation from Esopus Magazine that includes fellow Covert favorites Shearwater and The Muslims Soft Pack. Hear one of the Daytrotter exclusives below, and find the rest at the link. Expect a full-length Brazos album this Spring.

• Brazos - "EXP"
• myspace.com/brazosbrazos

I had no idea who David Banner was before The Fader party at SXSW this year. Judging by the name I just assumed he was another R&B singer in the mold of Donell Jones or D'Angelo, so let's just say I didn't have the highest expectations as Cubik Musik and I were waitng for the man to take the stage.

But, after this massive Mississippi rapper was done putting on one of the best spectacles of the festival, moshing with the crowd, climing all over the speaker stacks, spraying beer all over the place and generally dominating the stage, I made sure to shake his hand on our way out. This show created a lot buzz, with dozens of people crowning David Banner the SXSW champ. San Fransisco Weekly and Pitchfork both had an awesome time, for example.

David Banner will be back in town this Tuesday at the Austin Music Hall, co-headlining with Bun B of the legendary Texas rap duo UGK. If you want to see two of the southern rap's heaviest hitters on the same stage, I have a pair of tickets to give away. Just send me an e-mail with David Banner in the subject line, and tell me how much you want to see the show. Whoever is most convincing gets the tix. Recommended by Do512, The Decider, Austin360, and yours truly.

• Bun B vs Of Montreal - "Gallery Piece Of Everything"
  
• via The Hood Internet

A while back I described Covert as "an mp3 blog covering whatever I happen to be listening to at the moment," and that is pretty much always the case. I like to try out just about any kind of music to see what sticks, any never stay true to any one genre for too long.

When I find a song, album, or artist that sounds interesting, I always put it in a separate folder for future use. Here are a few random tracks from that folder, with handy links provided should you want to get more.

Broadcast is a two-piece English band who have been creating dreamy pop by mixing 60's-inspired vocals and intricate electric sounds since 1995. The Future Crayon is a collection of Broadcast B-sides and rarities recorded between 2000 and 2003. There are a bunch of nice tracks on the album, making it great starting point for new fans.

• Broadcast - "Unchanging Window/Chord Simple"
• broadcast.uk.net
  

Balmorhea is an instrumental project based in Austin who make beautifully minimalistic post rock with acoustic guitar, piano, violin, cello, and bass. Check Foxy Digitalis, Austin Sound, and Pfork for reviews.

• Balmorhea - "Greyish Tapering Ash"
• myspace.com/balmorhea
  

Slaraffenland is a five-piece band from Denmark whose soundscapes are built with guitars, electronics, brass, woodwinds, strings, hand claps, and a dash of free improvisation. Featured at Hometapes, Mix Tapes, and Pfork.

• Slaraffenland - "I'm a Machine"
• myspace.com/slaraffenland
  

Hush Arbors is Virginia folk-rock musician Keith Wood, who is part of the recent freak-folk boom that includes artists like Six Organs of Admittance and Voice of the Seven Woods. His self-titled debut "combines the pensive songwriting of John Phillips circa Wolfking, the plaintive honesty of Neil Young, and the fishtank-gazing cacophony of Six Organs of Admittance. Wood writes classic-sounding songs that sound readymade for AM radio, circa 1968."

• Hush Arbors - "Follow Closely"
• husharbors.com
  

I told you previously about both Trans Am and The Fucking Champs, and when they combine forces their nom de plume is, naturally, The Fucking Am. If you're into epic Thin Lizzy-esque guitar duels, this is the band for you. Chicago's Drag City record label can tell you all about them.

• The Fucking Am - "Acoustico Gomez"
• The Fucking Am - "Electrico Gomez"

The more I start to think about which albums I enjoyed the most in 2008, the more daunting the whole idea becomes. And with each new day comes the realization that there was a ton of really good music released this year that I either haven't listened to yet, or am totally unaware of. This debut album from Heavy Hands is a perfect example of the latter. I had never even heard of this band until a few days ago, but I'm already putting Smoke Signals into consideration for my best-of '08 list.

The music this Brooklyn trio lays down on Smoke Signals isn't groundbreaking, or even terribly unique, it is simply 40 minutes of stoner-blues-psych rock with move groove than you can shake a stick at. It's a great trip from start to finish, with thunderous percussion fills, rambling bass lines, and that old-school wah-wah guitar sound that sinks its hooks right into you. Highly recommended for those who have an affection for classic rock, neo-psychedelia, smoke, and everything that grooves in between.

• Heavy Hands - "No. 6"
  
• myspace.com/heavyhands
• Label / Amazon

"See/Saw" was the first A-Side in a series of limited seven-inch singles that Memphis garage-pop-punk maestro Jay Reatard released this year under his new label, Matador Records. Austin-based media collective Super!Alright! are the folks behind this three-minute clip, his first music video, showing the band having some fun riding shopping carts, running train tracks, disrobing and rocking out in a deserted hobo pad.

"The video artfully pays homage to the 90s slacker aesthetic while highlighting the inherent, seemingly effortless pleasures of the song itself." Click here to read the rest of the thorough, thoughtful description provided by the Dell Lounge. If you find yourself running around in France this week, you can catch Jay Reatard at the Transmusicales Festival along with The Black Angels.

• myspace.com/jayreatard

Dead Confederate debuted the new music video for “Start Me Laughing” from their debut album Wrecking Ball this week on Pitchfork.tv. The footage was shot in both black & white and color in one evening at Athens' Secret Squirrel, capturing the intense feel of Dead Confederate’s live performances. This particular song is one of the heaviest tracks on Wrecking Ball, making me want to hulk smash something every time I hear it.

Dead Confederate are out on the road again this month for 20 dates with fellow Georgians Manchester Orchestra. Take a look at the band's blog for additional photo and video coverage from the road as well as their daily take on the tour. And pick up Wrecking Ball at Amazon if you want to hear one of the very best rock albums of the year.

• myspace.com/deadconfederate

Here's a tropical slice of psychedelia from Ducktails, a.k.a. New Jersey musician Matt Mondanile. "Beach Point Pleasant" kind of reminds me of Panda Bear & El Guincho, without sounding too much like either one. Visitation Rites does a nice job putting it into words, saying:

"A meandering pentatonic guitar line bubbles leisurely upwards to the surface of the mix like a 1960’s Cambodian pop recording passed through an underwater chamber—wah wah in the fullest sense of the term. Meanwhile, ambient casiotones layer gently into the space between loop and guitar melody like small gusts of ocean wind."

• Ducktails - "Beach Point Pleasant"
• myspace.com/ducktailss
  

Los Angeles duo El Ten Eleven are bringing their dual-necked, post-rock with a pulse back to Austin this Saturday for a show at the Beauty Bar. If you missed them when they were here in July, like I did, then here is the perfect opportunity to make up for it.

El Ten Eleven (Kristian Dunn and Tim Fogarty) released their third album in 2008, These Promises Are Being Videotaped, which has been likened to the dance rock of bands like Holy Fuck and Ratatat.

Hear a song from the new album below, followed by the video for "Hot Cakes," found on 2007's Every Direction Is North. You can always get more at their official site, and follow the link for information about their gig in Austin this weekend.

• El Ten Eleven - "K10"
• myspace.com/elteneleven

The Montreal "post-classic rock" threesome Plants and Animals released their full-length debut Parc Avenue in March of this year. Though it has been getting plenty of good press this year, I somehow managed to overlook it until coming across this concept video for “Feedback in the Field,” one of the many good songs featured on the Polaris-nominated album.

I need to listen to Parc Avenue a few more times before I can supply a proper review, but definitely check out the video, take the wonderful "Faerie Dance" for a spin, watch their live performance on Pitchfork.tv, read some kind words, and find out more at Secret City Records.

• Plants and Animals - "Faerie Dance"
• myspace.com/plantsandanimals

Yesterday I was doing some snooping around the internet in search of some live Ratatat that I could post for your listening pleasure. I found a link on some foreign language site that I've never heard of before, downloaded the bootleg, opened it up in itunes, and discovered that it was a Ratatat show that I actually recorded myself. Go figure.

I'm gonna go ahead and re-up this thing because the original link is now defunct, and it's a decent capture of what was a great show. The original post is here if you want to revisit it. The Animal Collective remix we've been hearing about since May will apparently be released as part of their next single in February. Paste has a recent interview with Ratatat at the link.

• Ratatat - Live at Emo's
• myspace.com/ratatatmusic

A few weeks ago I offered up a couple of tracks from The Muslims, a new garage rock band out of San Diego. As of today, for some unknown reason, they are the band formerly known as The Muslims. Their new title is The Soft Pack, which isn't nearly as controversial, but does make me want to go buy some cigarettes.

Stereogum said they sound like Velvet Underground, the Strokes, Stooges and Replacements all rolled into one. Try out their 10-track vinyl release on 1928, and their 7'' single here. Something tells me you will be seeing The Muslims, err The Soft Pack, in Austin this March for SXSW.

• The Muslims - "Right and Wrong"
• myspace.com/thesoftpack