One of the highlights of the new album is a song called “Julia”, and now they’ve done a new version with Kano (who I’ve never really liked that much). Surprisingly then, the collaboration actually comes off quite well, and they’ve even made a happy little video with a bunch of studio footage for it, which you can check out above.

Remember OutKast? You know, the Atlanta group that used to be the biggest name in experimental hip-hop, then went on to release solo albums under the band’s name (Speakerboxx/The Love Below) and star in a dud of a film called Idlewild (which I actually thought was pretty good), and then all of a sudden disappeared from the face of the planet? If that doesn’t help, they also had a couple of songs that you might remember; one talked about roses smelling like poo and the other talked about shaking polaroids. Anyway, now the return of at least one-half of OutKast (the more conventional half of the group, Big Boi) is looking increasingly likely.

That’s right. Big Boi aka. Sir Lucious Leftfoot aka. quite possibly the best rapper out of Atlanta aka. one half of OutKast, is back (sort of). After leaking the latest song from his upcoming album Sir Lucious Leftfoot: Son of Chico Dusty on his twitter account recently, industry ‘buzz’ is pretty high.

The track, entitled “Shine Blockas” and featuring Gucci Brown, is the track in question. Have a listen to it here. I think it’s awesome. The sample you hear during the chorus also features on Jay Z’s “This Can’t Be Life”.

Unfortunately, there still isn’t a release date slated for the album, but whenever it hits the store, I hope that this 2008 track-leak also makes the final cut.

Oh, and if you’re wondering, the other half of OutKast, Andre 3000, is also apparently scheduled to release a solo-album at some point this year; which, unlike Speakerboxx/The Love Below, will be released seperately to Big Boi’s efforts. Then, after both of their respective solo projects hit the shelves, Big Boi and Andre 3000 will reportedly re-unite as one and get stuck into another OutKast record. Happy days in the OutKast camp.

Ok. So maybe this isn’t exactly the best example of ‘introducing’ a band. Eddy Current Suppression Ring already have two albums out, and I’m pretty sure a lot of you music-blog-savvy-types will have already heard of this Aussie band that are named after a copper ring around a transformer which subdues Eddy Currents. The fact is though, I’ve just been enjoying them so much right now that I’m just going to blog about them some more anyway.

They have been the perfect elixir for the recent gushes of impending winter. Just listening to ECSR’s sun-tinted garage rock brightens up the day. Their best attribute lies in their approach to their music, which is as honest as it is Australian. The straightforward melodies, the unabashedly Aussie accent hanging over the top, and the general relaxed and sun-drenched feel to the whole album.

If you take a fancy to the video above, pick up the UK release of their most recent album, which is the second best album called Primary Colours that I’ve ever heard.

Could this be the best non-sporting related Olympics news EVER? Is the Blur and Gorillaz man actually going to be the artistic director for the 2012 London Olympics? According to the Independent, he’s in with a pretty good shot. Reportedly Albarn is the frontrunner for the artistic director gig, currently nudging out film director Stephen Daldry.

If Albarn is successful, would this then mean that the London Ceremony might actually be genuinely culturally relevant and worth watching for reasons other than guffawing at how much money is being spent per second on elaborate detritus? Actually, Bjork in Athens in 2004 was pretty OK. And the fireworks and absurd amount of drummers in Beijing were better than OK. But the vast majority of Olympic ceremonies are pretty lame and long-winded on the whole.

So, I get the feeling that Albarn, if given full creative control, could quite comfortably produce the best Olympic ceremony since well before Christ was kicking about. It’s still early days of course, but one thing that could work in his favour  was that Albarn already has some Olympic related experience under his belt. Albarn and his Gorillaz companion, artist Jamie Hewlett, created the above sequence for the BBC’s coverage of the Beijing Olympics. Which raises the question, will cartoon apes converge on London in 2012? I truly hope so.

For the past few months, Neon Indian have become just about the most bloggable band to materialise from the backed up orifice of psychotic-bloggability known as Brooklyn. Yet despite their elusive nature, the truth is that they’re only half-casts, and are actually made up of some girl from Brooklyn and a guy from Austin (Alan Palomo from VEGA). Which actually kind of means that whilst retaining the Brooklyn connection (because you have to have a Brooklyn connection, y’know), they gain extra street cred from the Austin connection; not to mention the Italo disco connection of VEGA, who are turning into a pissing tsunami of bloggability in their own right.

Add this horde of buzz band references, make a bloggable puree out of it, and chances are, Neon Indian are approximately one billion times more blog-worthy than you, I, and probably even this guy. Actually, no. Not that guy. That guy rules.

Not that any of this really means anything in particular. But, perhaps, you’ve heard of Neon Indian before. Or maybe heard their name in a debate over the best summer tunes (Cadence Weapon seems to fancy them).

But I’ll just ignore all that, pretend that I’m perched on the cusp of indie band bloggability, and blog about them some more anyway.

Basically, to get down to it, Neon Indian sound kind of like a slow-motion epileptic fit singing you a lullaby whilst your head is lodged in a tumble drier filled with pixie dust. This is a good thing. Especially considering their debut album, Psychic Chasms, is coming out October 13.

And if their woozily lo-fi EP (confusingly also called Psychic Chasms) is anything to go by, then they might even live up to all the hype. Or, more likely, they’ll gain a snowballing horde of slathering plaudits when they release their debut LP, churn out a couple more decent songs, release a mediocre follow up album, and then slowly blend back into vague obscurity. But, you never know. They might just turn into the BEST BAND EVER. Kidding, that was totally a joke. This is the best band ever. Or maybe this is.

Either way, my advice is to get it while it’s hot, and check out Neon Indian in London later this month. Or don’t. It’s up to you really.

Fancy an end of summer anthem? Well, check out the video above.

Neon Indian’s London dates:

26 September @ Cargo

29 September @ Camden BARFLY

Their debut single Dead Disco Dancer (watch the video above) - which also features the equally brilliant B-Side Dead Eye Lover to offer (spot a trend forming here?) - is primed to become equally catchy on Shoreditch dancefloor’s than as the seedy backing track for grave-robbers with superb musical taste. But I guess that’s what you get from a band that named themselves after a Nick Cave song.

If you fancy catching them before their popularity mushrooms, pop along to Kill Em’ All at Fabric tomorrow night (4 September). Or, alternatively, head along to The Macbeth in Shoreditch September 9 for the Dead Disco Dancer single launch, which has free entry and free booze if you sign up to their mailing list here (so turn up early, I’m guessing).

Lead singer of Death Cab for Cutie, Ben Gibbard, is a man who I have always admired for his taste in literature. A venerable fan of Jack Keroac, he has recently been recording music for the new Keroac documentary, One Fast Move and I’m Gone: Keroac’s Big Sur.

However, unbeknown to me and just about everyone else on the planet, Gibbard’s taste in literature isn’t just limited to the King of the Beats. Apparently, he’s a big fan of the cult teen vampire series, Twilight. I guess everyone has their little indulgence. Go figure?

So now, reuniting with his band, Death Cab are on the verge of releasing their contribution for the upcoming Twilight follow-up, New Moon, which is the first single off the greatly anticipated soundtrack. The song, called Meet me on the Equinox, reportedly deals with “a lot of the things the main characters in the books are going through. There’s a lot of stuff about relationships beginning and ending, and the questioning that happens around being in love and falling out of love”, says Death Cab bassist Nick Harmer. So it’s pretty much exactly the same as any other Death Cab song then?

And as if a Death Cab song on a soundtrack isn’t enough to shift a few records, Thom Yorke and Bon Iver have also reportedly recorded contributions to the soundtrack. Thom Yorke…ok maybe, but for the life of me I just can’t picture Bon Iver all melancholy and somber in his remote woodland cabin, huddled up by the fire reading about teenage vampires getting it on.

Still, I’m pretty excited to hear what the soundtrack has to offer. Which is maybe more than I can say for the film’s director, Chris Weitz, who said of Yorke’s contribution: “Unless it’s sounds of him belching, I think I’ll put it in”. How kind.

To check out the first single off the soundtrack, you’ll have to wait until the September 13, when it will be debuted at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Perhaps the greatest legacy that he left behind was as the creator of the Les Paul model guitar, which effectively revolutionised rock’n’roll music (even though he originally intended it for Jazz, and he didn’t play any Rock until he was 90!).

But there are many different ways that the life of Les Paul could be remembered. He has been hailed as the godfather behind rock’n’roll’s development, influencing the sound of The Beatles, the Sex Pistols, the Rolling Stones and the Guns N’ Roses. Not one to rest on his laurels, he also invented multi-tracking, overdubbing and electronic delay.

In his long life, he played with stars such as Bing Crosby, had a weekly night in New York, and his recordings with his wife in the 1950’s laid the tracks for the development of modern studio recording.

His line of Gibson Les Paul guitars, even to this day, are still sought out for their distinctive, warm, solid tones. Just take a listen to (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction or Sweet Child of Mine if you fancy hearing the classic sound of the incredibly influential man.

It’s all a bit sad. On a more positive note, it’s a decent enough video clip. Which just underlines how multi-talented the man was. And it’s also for a really good cause, as it aims to bring awareness to the illegal whaling off the coast of Australia, with all the proceeds from the iTunes sales of the video going to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. A noble cause indeed.

In other vaguely related news, Modest Mouse have recently announced the release of a digital EP entitled No One’s First, And You’re Next, which consists of this track (King Rat), and a bunch of others that were only previously available on vinyl.

Modest Mouse are also playing at Butlins Holiday Centre in Minehead on December 11. I don’t really know why they’re playing at a holiday centre that offers entertainment from the stars of X-Factor, but you should probably snap those tickets up quick smart if you fancy attending something approximately one billion times better than anything from X-Factor.

Billed as the friendliest electro-pop event in London, there will be an hour of free alien-inspired cocktails from 9 till 10pm on the top floor, which means that t5m will be there with bells on. Add to this a performance by some zero gravity acrobats who’ll be entertaining over the three floors of the venue.

Resident DJ Celebrity Murder Party will be on the decks until 3am, and playing live will be the French post-punk/electro band Frank (Just Frank). Which should, by all accounts, lead to a damn good night out. There will also be a whole host of intergalactic gifts given away throughout the night, as well as the odd game or two.

Tickets cost 7 quid in advance and 8 on the door. For ticket sales head on over to http://shockshocklondon.co.uk/buy-tickets/