I hope you’re sitting down, folks - ’cause we officially have an entry for Best Cover of 2008! When a band as awesome as Spoon attempts a cover of a song as awesome as The Smiths’ “Panic,” it’s amazing that the universe doesn’t collapse on itself from all of the sheer, um, awesomeness. Obviously, this cover has rendered me incoherent, so I’ll let the track speak for itself! Check it out below! (Thanks to YANP for the heads up!)

MP3s:
Spoon - “Panic” (The Smiths cover)
The Smiths - “Panic”

Welcome back, Castledoor! It’s been two long years since the group released their Follow the Dove EP, but they’re baaaaaack and finally ready to release several new tunes via the ‘Til We Sink EP (July 29th). The EP’s got 3 brand spanking new songs to whet your appetite while Castledoor works on their full-length album. Check out the super-choice “Dumpster Diving” below and head over to Castledoor’s MySpace page to stream another new track, “Nightlight.”

MP3:
Castledoor - “Dumpster Diving”

Hypeful is long overdue for a Band To Watch feature and the summer heat probably has you thirsty for some up-beat, put-the-windows-down songs. Allow me to introduce you to Belaire! Familiar faces to the Austin music scene for the past couple of years, the quartet is made-up of twin sisters Cari and Christa Palazzolo and Voxtrot bandmembers Jason Chronis and Matt Simon.

After releasing their oh-so-catchy debut LP, Exploding, Impacting, last summer, there was some concern about the group’s future due to every bandmember having numerous irons in the fire. (Again, ever heard of a l’il band called Voxtrot?) The good news is that Belaire have recently reformed to get their musical project moving full-time, including focusing on the recording of a new album. In the meantime, last year’s Exploding, Impacting is a perfect summer pop album worth revisiting. It’s bursting with buoyant and colorful twee-electro-pop melodies that will put a smile on your face while outdoor temperatures escalate.

MP3s:
Belaire - “You Really Got Me Goin’”
Belaire - “Step Step Step”
Belaire - “Haunted Castle”
Belaire - “RIP”

Beck’s Modern Guilt (July 8th) is just around the corner. So, what better way to get fans psyched up for the new Danger Mouse-produced LP than an artsy-fartsy promo showcasing clips in a black-and-white Warhol-esque montage?!? Check out the two-minute Modern Guilt trailer below to sample excerpts from songs like “Walls,” “Youthless” and the album’s title track.

VIDEO:

The month of June kicks off ginormous gay pride celebrations around the globe, which means it’s a great time for everyone to celebrate diversity, equality, and acceptance. Hypeful (not a site to miss a party) would once again like to help out the Pride festivities by offering up a collection of indie-tastic tunes by some of our favorite LGBT musicians!

The response to last year’s song collection was absolutely incredible! I sincerely hope you enjoy this year’s expanded batch of indie-centric gay tunes just as much. Hypeful wishes everyone a very happy and safe month of celebrating!

(The above photo features, from left to right: Chris Garneau, Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy, Kele Okereke of Bloc Party, Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear, Dan Gillespie Sells of The Feeling, & Patrick Wolf.)

MP3s:
Antony & The Johnsons - “Hope There’s Someone”
Atlas Sound - “Activation”
Bloc Party - “Banquet”
Jay Brannan - “Soda Shop”
Chainsaw Kittens - “Sore on the Floor”
Deerhunter - “Strange Lights”
Gregory Douglass - “Hard”
The Feeling - “Sewn”
Final Fantasy - “If I Were A Carp”
Fischerspooner - “Just Let Go”
Chris Garneau - “Blackout”
Gentleman Reg - “It’s Not Safe”
The Gossip - “Standing In The Way Of Control”
Grizzly Bear - “On a Neck, On a Spit”
The Hidden Cameras - “Learning The Lie”
Elton John - “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”
Junior Senior - “Can I Get Get Get”
Le Tigre - “After Dark”
The Magnetic Fields - “Too Drunk To Dream”
Morrissey - “I Will See You in Far-off Places”
Now It’s Overhead - “Let Up”
Ocean Colour Scene - “Up on the Downside”
Pansy Division - “Cowboys are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other”
Placebo - “Song to Say Goodbye”
Queen - “Somebody To Love”
R.E.M. - “Nightswimming”
Scissor Sisters - “I Can’t Decide”
Sigur Rós - “Gobbledigook”
Sleater-Kinney - “Entertain”
Sam Sparro - “Black and Gold”
Tegan & Sara - “Dark Come Soon”
Rufus Wainwright - “Rules and Regulations”
Patrick Wolf - “Bluebells”
Xiu Xiu - “I Do What I Want, When I Want”

BONUS GAY-THEMED MP3s:
Art Alexakis - “The Gay Bar Song”
Giant Drag - “Kevin Is Gay”
Jude - “Gay Cowboy”
Kaki King - “Gay Sons of Lesbian Mothers”
Rick Lyon with John Tartaglia - “If You Were Gay”
Peaches - “Gay Bar (Electric Six Cover)”
John Maus - Rights for Gays
Katy Perry - “I Kissed A Girl”
Rufus Wainwright - “Gay Messiah”
The Whoreshoes - “Gay Rodeo”

SUPER-BONUS GAY-THEMED COMEDY MP3s:
Michael Ian Black - “Gay?”
Norm MacDonald - “World’s First Two Gay Guys”