Catching up on news that includes videos by the UK band The Answering Machine and LA’s 60 Watt Kid; free downloads by Longwave to celebrate the completion of their year of touring; an exclusive MP3 by Peter, Bjorn and John from the Malaria No More benefit album; and notes on We Have Band, Passion Pit, The xx and more.

News and notes including VHS or Beta, Twin Tigers, and more.

The Quietus is reporting that The xx guitarist Baria Quereshi has left the group. The band played their most recent show as a three-piece, but has canceled European dates while determining the future of the band. While, according to the story, the band has labeled her leave as temporary, the future may be up-in-the-air for a London-based band whose emergence has highlighted this year’s parade of new music.

Playing catch up … enjoy some new tunes this Monday. First, let me mention how much I’m enjoying listening to this track from Brooklyn’s Secondstar. Secondstar is a project by Liam Carey which is self-described as, “alt-folk-rock with guitar, banjo, layered vocals, some horns, drums, cello and whistling – with bunches of harmonies”. The song, [...]

In case you missed it, here are a few highlights from last week (and it has a very ’90s feel): Pavement has reunited for four shows in New York Morrissey will be releasing a new B-side compilation of tracks from his last four albums and announced UK tour dates Smashing Pumpkins have begun releasing 44 [...]

- Dappled Cities debut at number 1 on The Australian Independent Music Charts; US release on September 15, 2009 – Tiësto plays North Atlanta Trade Center on October 10; releases Kaleidoscope on Ultra Records on October 20, 2009 – Asobi Seksu release Transparence 10″ on August 25, 2009 – Times New Viking’s new album, Born [...]

- Cory Chisel has announced a show at Carnegie Hall on October 10, 2009- Passion Pit to play The Late Show with David Lettermen on September 28, 2009- Radiohead officially released “These Are My Twisted Words”

- White Denim, who recently signed to Downtown Records, will release their second LP, Fits, on October 20, 2009. – Holiday Shores debut LP Columbus’d The Whim to be released on twosyllable Records on August 4, 2008. – Longwave released “The Devil and The Lair” back in April. Here’s the video: – We Have Band [...]

- DJdc fave A Place to Bury Strangers has been added to the Village Voices Siren Fest on July 18, 2009. Other bands slated to perform include: Built to Spill, the Raveonettes, Monotonix, Thee Oh Sees, Frightened Rabbit, Grand Ducky (featuring Frank Black), Michachu and the Shapes. – Drug Rug second LP, Paint The Fence [...]

I’m several weeks behind on News and Notes, so I’ll get some updates done this weekend. The big priority this weekend will be my interview with Dead Confederate. This morning, at about 6:30am, I was on my way to work with Dead Confederate came on XM. I turned it up; because it was about four [...]

- Dragonette’s new album, Galore, will be released digitally on October 14 and physically on October 28, 2008. MP3: Dragonette – Competition (Whip Vocal Mix) – Girl in a Coma will be opening the Tegan and Sara tour, in Atlanta on Tuesday, September 30, at Tabernacle. MP3: Girl in a Coma – Clumsy Sky – [...]

Legacy Recordings has begun reissuing classic vinyl, beginning with six albums today: – MINGUS AH UM by CHARLES MINGUS (1959);- AGENTS OF FORTUNE by BLUE ÖYSTER CULT (1976);- BOSTON by BOSTON (1976);- BRITISH STEEL by JUDAS PRIEST (1980);- BERLIN by LOU REED (1973); and- 16 BIGGEST HITS by JOHNNY CASH. Beginning on September 30, Legacy [...]

The Raveonettes will release four digital EPs before end of the year. The first EP, Remixed, is being release free on via Vice Records. To download the album, click here Tracklisting for the Remix EP: 1. Dead Sound (80KIDZ remix) 2. Aly, Walk With Me (Nic Endo remix) 3. Lust (Trentemoller Remix) The next EP [...]

- Longwave are set to release Secrets Are Sinister, their fourth full-length album, on November 11. – The Postmarks will release a covers album, By The Number, on November 11. – Ingrid Michaelson will perform on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno On September 2. MP3s Low vs. Diamond – “Heart Attack” Cory Chisel and [...]

- Canada’s roots rockers The John Henrys are on tour, and will hit the US for shows in Texas this summer. They will also be performing at the One Music festival in Alabama in October. – The Dandy Warhols’ tour begins today with a scheduled show in Atlanta on September 23. – The 12th Annual [...]