The National are back! The National are back! High Violet launches today and comes with a marketing juggernaut. Also find out why on May 15 you should be glued to your computer and turn up the speakers.

Aren’t awesome international media darlings supposed to play awesome venues when they’re back in their hometown? Yeah, that’s what we thought. But nevermind, we will let you live, Japandroids. For you have brought the punk rock back.

Pictures of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Axl Rose, John Taylor from Duran Duran, oh and the new video from The Nervous Wreckords featuring one Mr. Brian Karscig and the hot Lindsay Matheson. They’re just “Doin’ it to do it”, don’tcha know.

Guilty About Girls has a new video out for the poppy little number, “Candy Candy”. They shot it this past weekend. Here it is in all its black and white glory, served up with some colourful anecdotes. Would you like fries with that?

Slightly dodgy hand-held video of Florence & the Machine performing “Dog Days Are Over” live at the Vancouver Commodore Ballroom, April 14, 2010, along with a crowd of totally raving lunatic fans going absolutely nutso with joy and bounce.

Amazing live photos! Words and subjectivity pertaining the live performance of a band from Texas called Spoon! And their opening act, Deerhunter! And a tenuous reference to Captain Picard! Chickens! Eggs! A man called Britt! Hipsters! Oooh, it’s a good one.

‘Tis the season to have a pop-rock-dance-drum n’ bass-singer-songwriter-hip-hop-indie-alt freakout. This week has been particularly rocktacular, so lay a cornea on pics of Gomez, Efterklang, Mike Doughty, Old Money, The Manvils, Dragonette, Pendulum, John Digweed and Postdata.

How the hell did the BackstageRider end up drinking Beck’s and talking Beck with Gomez while watching Danish band Efterklang? The story starts in 1998. And then weaves its way to 2010 and the Cultural Olympiad in which Tom Gray discusses what he wants from the band’s new album… and it isn’t wallpaper. Click through for exclusive pics and interview.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club bravely performed 8 songs off of their new album Beat the Devil’s Tattoo, on March 6 at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom. Then they played the good stuff off of their first two albums. They even smiled. And Robert even – gasp – chatted a bit. Here is visual proof of a pretty decent gig in all its well-lit glory.