Video: Band of Horses - "Knock, Knock"

In the Jared Eberhardt-directed video for Mirage Rock's lead single "Knock, Knock" follows a team of scientists shooting a 70s-style animal documentary on, who else, the Band of Horses. It's a clever clip and showcases some breathtaking shots of the Utah desert, backing up Ben Bidwell and Co's ever-present ability to meld humor and beauty. Check out the video via NPR below and grab Mirage Rock when it drops Sept. 18.

Common - "No Sell Out"

Anytime Common and No I.D. team up you can count me in. It's not clear when the duo collaborated on this jazzy unreleased track, but it's playful nature is perfect for this back-to-school weekend. Stream it below.

Coheed & Cambria - "Key Entity Extraction I: Domino the Destitute"

Could Coheed & Cambria make their return in anything but an epic fashion? With their forthcoming double album The Afterman, they're doing just that. Here's "Key Entity Extraction I: Domino the Destitute," the face-melting lead single from the first disc, The Afterman: Ascension, due out Oct. 9. If the song title doesn't bring you right back to the good ole days of In Keeping Secrets, the song certainly will. Welcome home, boys.

Video: Minus the Bear - "Steel and Blood"

Minus the Bear's clip for "Steel and Blood" features Michael Phelps' junkie older brother (not really) and his girl hustling, having a lot of sex, and breaking and entering mansions while their white collar tenant is out. It's all fun and games until...well, the title kind of speaks for itself. Infinity Overhead drops Aug. 28th, but you can stream it via the band's official website here.

Watch: Minus the Bear - "Steel and Blood"

Video: Lupe Fiasco - "Bitch Bad"

Lu got back on his storytelling grind with Food & Liquor II's lead single "Bitch Bad" and the song's official video follows suit. Watch it down below.

Video: John Mayer - "Something Like Olivia" (Acoustic In-Studio)

While recording Born and Raised, John Mayer filmed a bunch of footage of himself performing acoustic rendition of cuts off the album. He already dropped an blazing take on "Queen of California" and now we have a laid back campfire take on "Something Like Olivia". Let's hope there are more of these, specifically "Walter Grace's Submarine Experiment, January 1967." Check it out below.

Video: Brian Fallon - Live at the Lowlands Festival

Brian Fallon stuck around late at the Lowlands Festival in the Netherlands to treat attendees with a special acoustic set. He takes on a wide range of Gaslight material--numbered songs from both the first LP Sink or Swim ("1930") and their most recent Handwritten ("45") are both featured--but the cover of Brand New's "Sowing Season" is the one that has fan boys like me going apeshit. Check the whole thing below.

Video: J. Cole - "I'm a Fool" (Live at Rock The Bells)

A gracious J. Cole, who already unveiled some promising new material in the form of the Ye/Jay-sampling "The Cure", debuted another new cut called "I'm a Fool" at the San Bernardino stop of the Rock The Bells Festival. A classic Cole World flow with a hefty soul sample always makes for a good combination. Check it out below and watch the entire clip to catch his performance of "Can't Get Enough".

Video: P.O.S. - "Bumper"

P.O.S. will make his triumphant return to solo material, complete with a Justin Vernon feature, with a new LP We Don't Even Live Here on Oct. 23rd. The first single "Bumper" also got a very cool debut via an industrial art performance on City of Music. The dude is clearly building on the punk-laced hip-hop he nearly perfected on Never Better and his lyrics, which you probably need a dictionary handy for, are sharper too. You're all on alert for this one. Head below to watch the clip and click here to check out the album artwork and tracklisting.

Lupe Fiasco - Lamborghini Angels

After the massively disappointing LASERS, I was hoping a return to the Food & Liquor moniker would coincide with a return to form for Wasalu. His newest single "Lamborghini Angels" instills a heavy dose of true belief to that wish, as Lupe's unchained flow and social conscious lyrics shines over an instrumental that is as thumping as it is moody. Listen to the track below and look for Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. I on Sept. 25th.

Video: The Gaslight Anthem - "Biloxi Parish" (Lyric Video)

A mere lyric video, but considering this is my favorite song off my favorite record of 2012 (so far) it'll get play. Watch it below and get your hands on Handwritten.

Bad Books - "Forest Whitaker"

I posted a video of Andy Hull performing an acoustic version of a new Bad Books song called "Forest Whitaker" a few days ago. Rolling Stone got the goods on the album cut and, as I correctly predicted, it sounds nothing like the acoustic version. Hit the link below to hear it and look for Bad Books II to drop Oct. 9th.

Hear: Bad Books - "Forest Whitaker"

Video: Japandroids - "The House That Heaven Built"

Vancouver duo Japandroids are a refreshing reminder of the true definition of rock 'n' roll  music for the modern music scene saturated by Top 40 dribble. Their video for Celebration Rock's charging anthem "The House That Heaven Built"--directed by Jim Larson--follows suit as it captures the band doing the usual tour stuff: thrashing to sweaty masses, shotgunning beers, wearing viking hats, and grilling whole chickens. Not sure if there is anything more rock 'n' roll that that. Check it out below.

Video: Bad Books - "Forest Whitaker" (Live Acoustic)

Manchester Orchestra and Kevin Devine's collaborative project Bad Books will issue a second LP and Andy Hull, with cigarette firmly entrenched in his guitar's neck, was nice enough to debut a new song off it. The whistle-aided "Forest Whitaker" sounds wonderful stripped down, but the odds that the full band studio version will sound anything like this are slim to none. Check the video out below via Property of Zack.

The xx - "Chained"

Amidst the excitement surrounding their forthcoming sophomore LP Coexist, The xx dropped a follow-up track to album opener "Angels". "Chained" is a short, but gorgeously hypnotic, ballad who's rhythms drift apart as dreamily as the lovers in the song's lyrics. Check it out below and look for Coexist on Sept. 11.

Wavves - "Hippies Is Punks"

Wavves returns from a bit of an absence with promises that a new album is "close" and a new tune as part of Adult Swim’s Singles Series. Boasting cleaner production than the typical fuzzy Wavves jams, "Hippies Is Punks" contrasts grunge-as-hell verses with one of their trademarked beach-ready, sing-a-long chorus. Grab it below, courtesy Stereogum.

Download: Wavves - "Hippies Is Punks"

Video: Washed Out - "A Dedication"

Washed Out's video for Within and Without's closer "A Dedication" drums up all the nostalgic summer imagery one associates with the Ernest Greene's dreamy chillwaves. Afternoon downpours; lake swimming at sunset; and sparklers in the dead of night all make appearances, as does the most emotive cat of all time. Watch it below and also check out Washed Out's philosophy-laced trippy remix of My Morning Jacket's "Outta My Head" here.

Video: Tigers on Trains - "Already Spent" (Acoustic)

Once you get past Mason Maggio's awkward eye contact, Tiger on Trains' acoustic video for "Already Spent", off their new LP Foundry, is pretty awesome. These guys harmonize with the best of them and the addition of their Republic of Wolves bandmate Billy Duprey was a nice touch. And, lest we forget, that banjo! Check it out below and hit it here to purchase Foundry.

Video: Passion Pit - "Constant Conversations"

In the video for Gossamer's "Constant Conversations", a song Grizzly from weworemasks perfectly described as "Portugal. The Man. meets R-Kelly," Passion Pit mingle with Peter Bogdanovich and others at high society summertime house party full of hazy hookups and snakes in bathtubs. Check it out below, as well as Pitchfork's sad, but fascinating cover story on PasPit frontman Michael Angelakos if you haven't yet.

Video: Vacationer - "Trip"

When you're looking for a video with rapid-fire cuts of island living through hallucinogen-laced filters, Vacationer is always a good resource. That's exactly what you get with their video for "Trip", which I knew was shot in Hawaii more from the pagoda from Lost than the shot of the state flag. Gone hasn't gotten the spins I would've expected it to get, but summer isn't over quite yet. Watch it below.

Alabama Shakes - Live in Concert: Newport Folk Festival 2012

NPR stationed themselves at this year's Newport Folk Festival (see: Bonnaroo for hip 40-somethings) and came away with a ton of excellent audio for all us who were not in attendance. Wilco, Dawes, and City & Colour were amongst the best sessions, but Alabama Shakes--my personal favorite new band of 2012--set took the cake. Mixing in unreleased ("Mama") and new ("Making Me Itch")  cuts with mainstays of Boys & Girls, Brittany Howard and her crew showcased why that, even though they are relative newcomers to the music scene, their style, charisma, and talents are time-tested. Hit the link below to stream the 50-minute set or download it in one continuous mp3.

Download: Alabama Shakes - Live in Concert: Newport Folk Festival 2012