It’s easy to classify k-os as one of those “true” hip-hop artists (think Kweli) whose style and focus remain consistent in all the good ways, delivering quality tunes although not always exceptional. Based off these three new songs, I’m going in with high hopes for Yes!, his sixth full-length album due in March. k-os – [...]

It does seem too perfect to be true, but this is not a joke! According to US Magazine and MTV News, 32 year-old Death Cab for Cutie singer Ben Gibbard proposed to actress/She & Him singer Zooey Deschanel (28) sometime before the holidays. Let’s crown them the indie rock couple of 2008? Both musicians were [...]

[photo by Marie Komphavong] This song is floating around the internet as a “Rodeo Mash-Up” but it’s more like a cover with samples from the original thrown in as MOKB points out. Regardless, it’s worth a listen. Lykke Li’s echoing vocals match the spaced-out electronic feel that fully takes advantage of Jared Followill’s bass slurs. [...]

The Cool Kids have “blessed” our holidays us with a deviation from their usual but fitting minimalist beats with a highly electro track they recorded with Kenna. No room for criticism here, they pull it off seamlessly. Save this link to download.

To hype up that Neon Bible documentary frontman Win Butler told us about, you can download an instrumental version of “Burning Bridges, Breaking Hearts”, an unreleased song they played on the Funeral tour. Simply go to miroir-noir.com/download, enter a valid e-mail address, and they’ll send you the download link. Here’s an mp3 of the original: [...]

‘Tis the season for free Christmas tunes over at the Sounds Familyre blog, where Sufjan and the crew have put together volume 2 of A Familyre Christmas – a mix of original and traditional xmas songs to boost your holiday cheer indie style. In tradition Sufjan made the 8th volume of his Songs For Christmas [...]

Now that the RIAA has changed their policy for punishing illegal downloaders, you may be more hesitant than ever to hop on LimeWire or Kazaa to get those new hot mp3s. Stereogum has your fix: here you’ll find their top 50 most downloaded mp3′s of 2008, all available for free download in one condensed .zip [...]

Chris Cornell calls his forthcoming Timbaland-produced solo album “the most album-oriented album I’ve ever done,” and Timbaland called it his “best work ever” but apparently that’s not saying too much. Chris Cornell’s new music is simply dwarfed by Soundgarden, and even Audioslave. Without a great backing band his music is plain (Carry On) and this [...]

The RIAA has finally ditched the “sue a random violator” approach to cracking down on music piracy, and  will now work with Internet Service Providers to enact a three-strike policy, ultimately shutting down service for repeat offenders. For the first two offenses, possible internet slowdown will take place. The new policy, which the The Motion [...]

MySpace was able to prevent it back in March but now under heavier pressure from major music companies have decided to remove all traces of Project Playlist widgets from the site. Facebook, who has 660,000 members using Project Playlist, has received similar pressure but have not yet taken action,  but expect it soon. MySpace’s official [...]