Not too long ago, John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats gave Aesop Rock his song and his blessing, and the result is a totally different take on the Heretic Pride track "Lovecraft in Brooklyn." Seems like Aesop's returning the favor after JD's appearance on his last album, None Shall Pass. This remix of "Lovecraft" stays fairly true to the original song, adding a little pop-and-lock and some extra verses towards the end. Pay special attention to the crazy pencil drawing animation furnished by Sketch Theatre.

• Country legend Eddy Arnold passed away.


• DMX needs to try driving school.


• Jason Castro was kicked off Idol last night.


• People profiled Scarlet Johansson's budding music career.


• Broadway musical Glory Days closed down after one performance.

It looks like you can teach an old dog new tricks. Look at Radiohead, Coldplay and Nine Inch Nails, who’ve come up with creative ways of enticing fans by giving away parts (or even all) of their albums. And now it looks like platinum seller Beck, who’s tapped Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton to produce his still untitled 10-song album (his first release since the single “Timebomb.”), might have something up his sleeve. While Beck’s peeps report “the album's ten tracks vacillate between economy and experimentation, hybrid and pop classicism, while consistently manifesting Beck and Danger Mouse's shared interest in psych-rock, folk, electronic minimalism and orchestration,” the kicker is that Beck’s label, Interscope, has offered a vague release date of “this summer.” Could Beck be planning a stealth release? Maybe.

In the meantime, Mr. Hansen is readying to play his biggest hometown headline show on September 20 at the Hollywood Bowl (tickets go on-sale on May 10) and is prepping for a headlining U.S. tour. Like the release date of his forthcoming album, those tour dates remain a mystery as well.

Oh, that David Byrne! You just never know what this wacky guy is gonna do next! Will he hop on stage with yuppie icon Paul Simon? Sure! Will he record a new album with Brian Eno? You bet! What's next, you ask? Well, I don't know, maybe he could even use an entire building as an instrument, in some kind of crazy installation! He is David Byrne, after all!

In fact, that is exactly what that talkingest of all heads is going to do, in a project entitled Playing the Building: An Installation by David Byrne.

From Byrne's website:

Playing the building is a sound installation in which the infrastructure, the physical plant of the building, is converted into a giant musical instrument. Devices are attached to the building structure — to the metal beams and pillars, the heating pipes, the water pipes — and are used to make these things produce sound. The activations are of three types: wind, vibration, striking. The devices do not produce sound themselves, but they cause the building elements to vibrate, resonate and oscillate so that the building itself becomes a very large musical instrument.

This ambitious project will be housed in The Battery Maritime Building (10 South Street) and will run on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays (12-6pm) from May 31 through August 10. Admission is free. An opening reception is scheduled for the 31st, 6-8pm. One assumes that Byrne will be present for this, but if you're itching to see him sooner, you can always check out Sunday's screening of True Stories at BAM.

We all got a little worried when dance-rock trio We Are Scientists became a duo last year. Next Tuesday, you can set your fears aside when their addicting new album Brain Thrust Majesty hits US shelves. I've listened to it three times now, and I still can't get enough. Below is a video for their first single, "Chick Lit." The band explains the story behind the song after the jump.

I've been listening to Jaymay's long overdue debut album Autumn Fallin' exclusively for the past few weeks, so it was nice to hear that the New York songstress was finally embarking on a headlining tour. Kicking off June 10 in her home city, the tour will also feature UK folk duo Fink which makes sense, of course, because Jaymay has been getting quite the accolades overseas (even my mom from Ireland called me to ask if I knew her!) If you need more proof check out her first single, "Grey Or Blue" here or a few tracks on her MySpace. Autumn Fallin' is out now via Blue Note and can be purchased on iTunes.

Tour dates are under the cut.

Gearing up for the weekend? Here are some options for ya: 

Midnight Juggernauts @ Hiro Ballroom: Thursday nights at Hiro have become a magnet for electro-pop, so these guys will fit like a glove (note: they'll be putting on a DJ set). For free entry, RSVP here.  

Foals @ Union Hall: The band's snooty British accents may clash with the venue's colonial decor, but with 200 sweaty fans rocking out, no one will care.

Favourite Sons @ Grasslands: These guys are one of the more underrated bands on Vice Records. Solid indie rock.

Baby Dayliner @ Rehab: Imagine if old Vegas was run by hipsters. The eclectic MC returns to the underground venue for a free one.

The Hazzards @ Alligator Lounge: Who cares who the Hazzards are? Alligator Lounge has free pizza! BTW, here's a Hazzards sample lyric: "Sitting on Brian's lap...that's where I perioded my pants."

I need a hand from you guys. I've been putting together a Mothers Day mix tape for my mom, and have come up with the list below. I think it can use a few more songs though. Please leave your suggestions in the comments...

• St Vincent - Now. Now
• 2Pac - Dear Mama
• The Epochs - Mouths to Feed
• Annuals - Mama
• Blink 182 - Mother's Day
• Favourite Sons - The Tall Grass
• Tokyo Police Club - Tessellate
• Voxtrot - Mothers, Sisters, Daughter & Wives
• Jets to Brazil - All Things Good & Nice
• Vampire Weekend - Mansard Roof
• Beirut - Postcards From Italy
• She & Him - Sentimental Heart
• Ingrid Michaelson - The Way I Am
• The Moldy Peaches - Anyone Else But You

Weird Records is a rare gem in New York, a truly underground record label that throws weekly events which passionately herald the analog synthesizer -- a breath of fresh air from the current reliance on computer-based creation. Every Wednesday night, a troupe of like minded DJs gather at Home Sweet Home, a bar with a curious decor, and spin only the rarest and coldest of minimal wave, celebrating the humanistic touches of the once futuristic music form.

The label has been around since 2003 and is also notorious for releasing and promoting a variety of analog-based artists, culminating most recently in a 4LP compilation, available next week. Every Wednesday at Home Sweet Home, friends and affiliates of Wierd take to the floors for an intimate live performance. Last night's was even more curious and singular than usual, as Swedish electro-wave performance artist Tobias Bernstrup was on the slab. On record, Tobias employs catchy yet distanced wave in the spirit of Tubeway Army and the early Human League.

Are you as ridiculously excited as I am for the free summer concert season? Everyone from Summerstage to River to River to the Pool Parties is planning insane lineups. I may not pay for a single performance the whole season.

I have always been a little bit wary of SirenFest, the Village Voice's free, yearly bash at Coney Island. While it's great in theory, in practice the place is packed to the gills with sand-covered Brooklynites dying to catch a glimpse of the buzz band du jour. Except that no one can see anything, because there are so many goddamn people there. Not to mention, it's usually hot as Hades even before we start to thrust ourselves into the sweating crowd. After a few years of nobly attempting to enjoy Siren, I pledged never to return. But this year's lineup is seriously tempting me to break my vow.