The New Music

Last night we had Tokyo Police Club hang out in the MuchMusic environment and now we have the band’s first video off their new album Champ. Note the cameos made by Yo Gabba Gabba’s Brobie and a dog named Agnes! Speaking of Champ, you can now hear five songs off the new album, thanks to a sampler streaming at various blogs, like this one, which is also hosting the video.

It feels like forever since we’ve heard new music from Arcade Fire and now that drought has come to an end. The band have put up very, very brief snippets of their new single - both the A-side and B-side. Check ‘em out here.

Japan’s premier stoner metallers Boris have announced a sizeable North American tour including five Canadian dates! Whoa, that’s quite a bit of big muff!

Out of all the indie icons out there Joanna Newsom seems like one of the more reluctant ones to become a cartoon, but the press shy, harp-plucking songstress will appear on The Simpsons. Didn’t see that coming! In a recent interview with the Guardian, she expressed her excitement saying, “Holy shit! I’m a Simpson! I made it! I don’t need a damn Grammy or anything. That’s the sort of magic all this madness is for.” Check out Joanna as a Simpson here.

Mogwai are prepping the release of their new live CD/DVD. The CD is called Special Moves and features 11 tracks, while the DVD is a 45-minute film called Burning that was shot at the band’s sold-out three-night residency at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg in April 2009. Those will be available on August 24th.