September marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of Jack Kerouac’s iconic novel, On the Road. The essentially plotless novel about the relationship between two rootless young men who seemed constitutionally unable to settle down has had a profound impact on both American literature and culture. To commemorate the event, Smithsonian magazine has published an excellent personal essay about Kerouac written by his friend Joyce Johnson.

I thought it would be appropriate to share The Hold Steady’s “Stuck Between Stations,” from last year’s excellent Boys and Girls in America. The album’s title and the song’s opening lines (”There are nights when I think that Sal Paradise was right / Boys and girls in America have such a sad time together”) are drawn from Sal Paradise, Kerouac’s hero from On the Road.

MP3: The Hold Steady - “Stuck Between Stations”

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Check out the trailer for the documentary Heima, which follows the Icelandic hometown hijinx of Sigur Rós. The preview looks just as gorgeous as the music the band makes.

MP3: Sigur Rós - “Untitled #4 / Njósnavélin”

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Following last week’s leak (and subsequent ho-hum reactions) of Madonna’s new reinvention track, comes the debut of her VMA makeout partner’s new comeback track! Y’up - Britney is back with her new track “Gimme More,” which finds producer Nate ‘Danja’ Hills imparting song skills he’s previously shared on Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado songs. I’m apt to agree with People - it’s a club-friendly dance track featuring the pop star’s signature breathy vocals, melodic electronic bleeps over a driving beat and a catchy hook that’s is true to the song’s title. No real surprises from Ms. Spears, but it’s definitely a strong step towards a comeback.

MP3: Britney Spears - “Gimme More”

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ARTIST:
Heartless Bastards

ACL DATE/TIME:
Friday, September 14, 1:30 PM

PREVIOUS ACL APPEARANCES:
0

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ARTIST:
Aterciopelados

ACL DATE/TIME:
Saturday, September 15, 7:15 PM

PREVIOUS ACL APPEARANCES:
0

(more…)

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ARTIST:
Eli Young Band

ACL DATE/TIME:
Sunday, September 16, 7:45 PM

PREVIOUS ACL APPEARANCES:
1 (2006)

(more…)

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On September 4th, Midlake is set to release a digital EP of rarities, Oak and Julian, featuring acoustic versions of “Roscoe” and “It Covers The Hillside” (both from their very ace 2006 release, The Trials of Van Occupanther).

Additionally, the EP collects 2 rare b-sides from vinyl-only foreign releases. “Marion” is a delicate piano-based piece that brings Tim Smith’s vocals to the fore. “Mornings Will Be Kind”, which you can stream below, is a song featuring the whole group that harkens back to the band’s work on their full-length debut, Bamnan and Slivercork.

STREAM: Midlake - “Mornings Will Be Kind”

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Band of Horses has released the opening track off their upcoming album, Cease to Begin. The new song, “Is There a Ghost”, is definitely an exciting lead-in to the new album’s sound, which lead singer Ben Bridwell described as having more “down-home” and “country-ish leanings”. Thanks to Salad Days Music for the heads up!

MP3: Band of Horses - “Is There A Ghost”

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BAD NEWS: Radiohead has pushed back the release of their new LP from 2007 until 2008.

GOOD NEWS: One of the new tracks, “Arpeggi,” has leaked on to the Internets giving us a first taste of the new album, which has been described by Thom Yorke as “embarrassingly minimal.”

Hypeful’s prediction? The album will probably be embarrassingly great. Let me know what you think!

MP3: Radiohead - “Arpeggi”

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How does Feist manage to top the joy of her colorful video for her single “1234″? By performing on Letterman with a monochromatic choir of some of indie’s finest musicians, including members of Broken Social Scene, Grizzly Bear, Mates of State, The National, and New Pornographers. Check out the video below.

VIDEO:

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