Ok everybody, it’s Monday and Mondays suck, so let’s have some distraction in the form of a question.

I stopped by Waterloo and End of an Ear this weekend (purchases: Matador’s Casual Victim Pile compilation, Grizzly Bear – Yellow House, Fugazi – Red Medicine, Wolf Parade – Apologies to the Queen Mary), and as usual it set off a need for more. Vinyl love is a serious sickness, y’all; I also bought paper and plastic sleeves and spent way too much time lovingly reorganizing my records.

But now for the part you care about, if you do…

QUESTION: What are your absolute album must-haves?

You can dream big – I’m still looking every time for Clinic’s Internal Visitations, but that shit isn’t even on EBAY – or go basic, with just-released and awesome (Surfer Blood’s album is on red vinyl at End of an Ear, white vinyl at Waterloo… choices, choices).

Comment with your picks. A few of mine, to start you off: Surfer Blood (totally about the red vinyl), Dum Dum Girls, the Kills, Sigur Ros, the Antlers, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

Austin music is awesome, don’t deny. Garage rock, psychedelic, throwback old-school pop, a burgeoning electro-dance scene, and above all the overarching – and, yes, over-used – ‘indie’ title. After hitting post on this admittedly enamored statement, I’ll likely be hit with a scornful wave of dissent from the haters who delight in saying the local scene is dying. Eff y’all, Matador Records co-owner Gerard Cosloy is totally on my side here.

As proof of how promising he views the Austin (and Denton, our underrated just-head-up-I35 neighbor) talent-pool, his label put together Casual Victim Pile, a killer compilation of the local bands you’ve hopefully already supported for at least a show or two. It has Harlem, who signed to Matador in the fall. It has the drunken growling dirty psych-rock that is Elvis, the face-melting tempo-hounds Dikes of Holland, jaunty punk-leaning indie trio Follow That Bird!, and so much more.

It’s a three-day shindig at Beerland that you better not miss. Only $5 each day, 17 bands total, and if you get there early enough on Thursday you can get your hands on a free limited-edition poster commemorating this awesomeness. Friday and Saturday they’ll be selling the comp at the venue on cd and vinyl.

Thursday, Feb. 4
Follow That Bird!
Dikes Of Holland
KIngdom Of Suicide Lovers
The Distant Seconds
The Persimmons

Friday, Feb. 5
Woven Bones
The Young
Wild America
Flesh Lights
Elvis
The No No No Hopes

Saturday, Feb. 6
Harlem
The Golden Boys
Bad Sports
Love Collector
The Stuffies
Lost Controls

OK Go loves confetti. Exibits B & C, with A above:

So of course, their new video has some. Also present: an internet acronym, psychedelic batons, rythm gymnastics, and the inevitable flashback to every acid trip you’ve ever taken.

Sadly, the video isn’t embeddable, but it’s here!

The making-of is also pretty cool, and is embeddable, and you should watch it:

When the Antlers came to town with Au Revoir Simone and Oh No! Oh My! a few months ago, the lineup got switched around and I only caught the latter half of their set. I was a little heartbroken, as Hospice is possibly my favorite album of this year. It is gorgeous, heartbreaking, hopeless and gut-wrenching; when you reach the end you feel emotionally drained.

The only quibble I had with it was with Peter Silberman’s enunciation: I loved his lyrics, but they were difficult to understand at times. The situation reminds me of Shearwater, and the crazy superiority of the remastered Palo Santo. The re-recorded tracks provided – along with new bombastic percussion – a lead singer’s voice tempered with much more confidence and practice.

So imagine how excited I was to hear that the Antlers recently recorded a new version of Sylvia, one of my favorites from the album. You can listen to it via NPR, and buy it on iTunes. It is stripped down, and Peter’s voice freaking shines.

Apparently Neon Indian’s new/debut/much-hyped album dropped yesterday… first I heard about the release, which prolly means I’m behind everyone ever. It’s called Psychic Chasms; the tracklist =

1. (AM)
2. Deadbeat Summer
3. Laughing Gas
4. Terminally Chill
5. (If I knew, I’d tell you)
6. 6669 (i dont know if you know)
7. Should have taken acid with you
8. Mind, Drips
9. Psychic Chasms
10. Local Joke
11. Ephemeral Artery
12. 7000 (reprise)

Will listen/post if it’s any good. Vega (another Alan Palomo thing) was freakin’ awesome at their ACL aftershow. They’re also about to set off on over a month of touring, hitting Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Fest right in the middle. ROCK.