Always timely and occasionally kooky, Neil Young has both covered in his latest single, the title track for his upcoming, uh, electric-car-themed concept album Fork in the Road. The record drops on March 31 (why not wait the extra three weeks and release it on Earth Day?), but until then, enjoy the song’s no-budget video, complete with Neil on air guitar and a none-too-subtle (as if anything else about the song is) iPod joke.

Grails are due to release a DVD on April 7th through Temporary Residence containing videos from their full career. Acid Rain
also features nearly two hours of live concert footage and a host of extras. Check out the trailer, as well as an MP3, “Reincarnation Blues” from their latest album, Doomsdayer’s Holiday. Upcoming tour dates are below.

Grails
Reincarnation Blues [MP3]
     

TOUR DATES
Feb 19 @ Cafe du Nord, San Francisco, CA w/ James Blackshaw
Feb 20 @ The Fernwood, Santa Cruz, CA w/ James Blackshaw
Feb 21 @ Spaceland, Los Angeles, CA w/ James Blackshaw
Feb 22 @ Casbah, San Diego, CA w/ James Blackshaw
May 8-10 @ ATP Festival, Minehead, UK w/ Devo, Spiritualized, The Jesus Lizard, Sleep

There isn’t much to Morrissey’s new music video for the first single off his forthcoming album Years of Refusal. Moz strikes dramatic poses as he and his band play in an empty white room and a couple of cute dogs wander around. For some reason the drummer somersaults over his drum kit just like he did in the video for “All You Need Is Me”. It wasn’t particularly impressive the first time. The video is still strangely enjoyable though and the song is great so it’s well worth checking out. Also, is he wearing make-up?

Staff Benda Bilili croon beautiful harmonies accompanied by spare but perfectly suited instrumentation. This Congolese group of street musicians is comprised four elderly singer/guitarists and a young rhythm section, highlighted by a 17-year-old player of the one-string electric lute that he constructed himself from a tin can. These are musicians of extremely humble means who create startling warm and vital music from the barest of resources. Making their story even more poignant is that these artists are paraplegics and polio victims. It’s a compelling story for sure, but the music is superb enough to speak for itself. Crammed Discs will release Staff Benda Bilili’s debut in the US on April 7th. In the meantime, check out the first video, “Polio”, and a short documentary about the group.

Asthmatic Kitty can do no wrong.  Watch for Fol Chen’s Part I: John Shade, Your Fortune’s Made when it drops on February 17th, 2009. This is already the second video for the album, directed by one Nancy Jean Tucker.

Fol Chen
The Believers (Clifford Lidell Remix) [MP3]