What? Just because 2007 ended, you were ready to put “Umbrella” behind you? Not yet, amigo. At last night’s 2008 Brit Awards, Rihanna once again performed her chart-topper with The Klaxons accompanied by an impressive Daft Punk-meets-Tron light show. Rihanna enjoyed the Klaxons treatment of her song so much, she is also considering releasing it as a single. Check out the video and song below.

MP3:
Rihanna & The Klaxons - “Umbrella” (Live @ 2008 Brits)

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Her Space Holiday (i.e., Marc Bianchi) has released a new-ish track entitled “The Bird, The Worm, The Tiger and Me.” The song is actually a re-worked version of “No More Good Ideas,” a song Bianchi recorded under his other musical persona XOXO, Panda. Although HSH currently has no plans to release this song, there is supposed to be an announcement next week regarding the official release date of a new album.

MP3:
Her Space Holiday - “The Bird, The Worm, The Tiger and Me”

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The Boy Least Likely To have released two new tracks from their new album, which will be released in the summer. The first song is called “The Boy Least Likely To Is a Machine” and the second is called “A Balloon On A Broken String”. They’re both sweet little ditties and TBLLT has hinted that one of them might be a single as well.

STREAM:
The Boy Least Likely To - “The Boy Least Likely To Is a Machine”
The Boy Least Likely To - “A Balloon On A Broken String”

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The great Johnny Cash once said, “When I think about country music, I think about America.” It’s hard to disagree with the Man in Black, but Hypeful is rethinking his words after listening to Friends of the Stars‘ new album Lighting and Electrical. Sure the band has some folk-leanings, but they also nail a genuine country sound so well that Hypeful was incredulous that the alt-country/folk trio actually hails from Birmingham, England. Perhaps their American country counterparts should take notice - FOTS’s new album features alternating female and male vocals. “Old Souls” and “Dragonfly” are two clear standout tracks, although their new disc is packed with the kind of authentically sad, lovely, and whiskey-drenched tunes that are tragically absent from the modern country FM dial.

MP3s:
Friends of the Stars - “Old Souls”
Friends of the Stars - “Dragonfly”

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Lightspeed Champion performed a cover of “Thriller” this week to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the classic album. Although he subsequently offered an open apology to the King of Pop through a MySpace bulletin claiming he “butchered” the song, Dev still would’ve been a more exciting inclusion on Thriller 25 than, oh say, Fergie. You can hear the performance below and watch the filmed performance on the BBC’s Culture Show on Saturday (February 16).

MP3:
Lightspeed Champion - “Thriller” (Michael Jackson cover)

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I had planned my weekend trip to Chicago, specifically Schuba’s Bar for “Tomorrow Never Knows 2008”, a weekend-long event featuring artists such as John Vanderslice, Bobby Conn, Cloud Cult, Illinois, White Rabbits, as well as The Walkmen, who would headline on Sunday the 20th. I’ve heard that The Walkmen never fail to put on a great performance, so this would be the show I couldn’t afford to miss. I’ve been a fan of The Walkmen for some time now, and had heard beforehand that they’d be showcasing some new songs from their upcoming album. Catching some of the other bands on the bill would be icing on the cake.

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Dan Deacon is mega-generously offering up six of his albums for zero dollars. That’s right - with the exception of Twacky Cats and Spiderman of the Rings, you can download the future shock musician’s entire discography for absolutely free without worrying about the RIAA eating your babies. Offering an entire back catalog of music? It’s your move, Radiohead.

MP3s:
Silly Hat vs. Egale Hat
Meetle Mice
A Green Cobra Is Awesome Vs. The Sun
Porky Pig EP
acorn master

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Did you know that the song “Thriller” was originally titled “Starlight?” Seriously. To celebrate today’s release of Thriller 25 (the expanded anniversary version of the nine-song original), the Los Angeles Times has compiled a list of 25 Thriller fun facts. Another interesting fact? Hypeful would’ve preferred hearing a zombie over Fergie on the new disc’s version of “Beat It.” Oh well, how about Ben Gibbard covering “Starlight” “Thriller” instead? Also, check out the full list of Thriller fun facts after the jump!

MP3:
Ben Gibbard - “Thriller”

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After musician, author, actor, and (most recently) delicious ice cream spokesperson - I thought there weren’t many more hats for Willie Nelson to wear. Clearly, I was wrong. In his new video for “Gravedigger,” Willie fills the roles of preacher, hearse driver, and the titular shoveler. Infusing one of Dave Matthews’ darker tunes with his singular personality, Willie’s best role in the video is also the same he’s been playing for years - that of premiere song interpreter of his time.

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Previously On Lost have released their latest track, “Just Wink” - a recap of last week’s jaw-dropping Lost ep featuring 815’s alleged rescuers. Just as fun and whimsical as last week’s “We’re Goin’ Home,” the new xylophone-heavy song recalls a Flaming Lips b-side and features lyrics like: “I’ve had it up to here with Jack’s jeers and Sawyer’s snark, Dan says the light doesn’t scatter quite right - maybe that’s why I’m always in the dark…” Too bad POL wasn’t around to help inject a bit of fun into season 3 - viewers would’ve loved a tune about Nikki and Paulo!

STREAM:
Previously On Lost - “Just Wink”

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