Sondre Lerche, fan of Merriweather Post Pavilion
photo by Christopher Nelson

• Everybody loved that Animal Collective album this year. Including Sondre Lerche who called the song “Bluish,” off that album, his “favorite song of the year.” As a result of this love, you can download a faithful but scaled back cover of the song below, courtesy of Stereogum.

• Kimya Dawson’s new band, also featuring Jeffrey and Jack Lewis, Karl Blau, and an unfamiliar (to me) person named Anders Griffen. They’re called The Bundles and they’ll be releasing their self-titled debut on March 9th on Olympia’s K Records. As we mentioned Monday, they’ll be competing on the charts with Beulah frontman Miles Kurosky.

• Radiohead is looking to put out another one in 2010. It seems to be a big goal year for a lot of musicians and there already too many high-profile 2010 albums to count, but check out this list for a little sample. They missed a couple that I’m stoked for, though: local indie pop band The Long Winters (and maybe a John Roderick/Kathleen Edwards side project?) and Okkervil River to name a couple…

• It’s becoming a bit of a weekly custom here in Thursday News Threads-land to update you all on Broken Bells, the new Danger Mouse/James Mercer collaboration. Well, now they’re giving you a free download of their first single over at their website… you’re going to have to give them your email address, though. Or buy it on iTunes or Amazon.

• Julian Casablancas, that guy from the Strokes who put out an album that a lot of people apparently have gone a bit gaga over, just released a new video for his song, “11th Dimension.” This video, guys. Maybe I’m just about to go a little bit gaga over him, too.

• Local Seattle singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile played some stuff from her new record at Rolling Stone. They’ve posted some videos on the web… check ‘em out!

• In news-you-probably-don’t-care-about, Amy Winehouse was arrested again, Pete Doherty was arrested again, and Steven Tyler checked into rehab for his painkiller addiction. Niiice.

Happy Election Day, everybody! Though we may not be electing the big guns (so to speak) today, it’s important to remember that often the most work gets done at a local level, so get out there, cast your vote and effect change!

In the spirit of free choice, we collect samples from each week’s new releases for you to make informed decisions as you head out to your local record shop. This week, The Strokes vocalist Julian Casablancas breaks from his party with his solo debut, Phrazes for the Young (better make sure to vote for more school funding, particularly in regard to language arts and spelling!). Norwegians Kings of Convenience may appear to be learning the American way with Declaration of Dependence, but their stripped down, breezy sound is a relaxing moment of freedom in your otherwise productive day. Young New Zealand rockers Bang Bang Eche exercise free speech with their FCC-violating new EP, while if there’s any right Canadian garage rockers King Khan & BBQ Show are fighting for, it’s definitely for the right to party on their new album, Invisible Girl.

There are plenty of other candidates eager for your support this week, and unlike in most elections, it’s far more than a two party system: check out the latest from The Mary Onettes, Lymbyc Systym, Vitalic, Gift of Gab, Jookabox, Holopaw, and a brand new single from Yeasayer, who vying for world domination with their sophomore release. For those content to sit on the porch in the moonlight with a jug of whiskey (those are true ‘merican values!), there’s the debut from indie veterans Jason Molina and Will Johnson (a.k.a. Molina and Johnson), who practically define American indie songwriting with their folky self-titled collaboration. But for those with a continual eye to the future, Ghostly International imprint Moongadget has collected in Nocturnal Suite “the diversity in electronic music.” You can find the complete ballot over at Largehearted Boy’s blog but not before viewing (and downloading) our electoral coverage here:

• Morrissey is currently recovering from a collapse on stage Saturday night. The former frontman of The Smiths and long-time solo performer has been touring his new b-side compilation, Swords, and was carried offstage at the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon after appearing visibly ill. Shortly afterward, Morrissey was admitted to the Great Western Hospital as a precautionary measure and has since been released after he was determined to be in stable condition. Check for further updates and rescheduled tour dates on his website.

• Kemado, most likely known to the indie set as the label that has wrought Dungen, has unveiled a brick and mortar record (and we mean album as in record) store in NYC named Co-Op 87. Also in on the venture are NYC-based small labels as well as sister label Mexican Summer. The store has its own built-in analog studio, which was utilized this week to record what can only be called in-stores that will become singles sold via Co-Op 87 as early as December.

• 40+ years after those first releases, Michael Yonkers has finally emerged as a unique, if lately discovered, voice of the 60s folks scene. De Stijl, which has reissued a handful of Yonkers’ old material, is up to its plucky tricks again as the self-titled Michael & the Mumbles descends November 3rd.

• Seattle natives The Blood Brothers are being revisited via Epitaph with the re-release of four of the band’s five studio gems. The fun kicks off November 17th, with each disc sporting an enhanced portion, while Burn, Piano Island, Burn will feature a DVD as part of the package as Young Machete and Crimes will feature a bonus disc of living performances and collected singles.

• It’s been quite awhile since we’ve heard from Julian Casablancas, but his solo album Phrazes for the Young is looming and now comes word that The Strokes frontman is going large for the album with a deluxe box set due in December. The set will not include the standard CD version of Phrazes, but also includes the album on LP, a disc of demos and b-sides, a DVD of solo performances, a poster and a pin—all boxed and bowed in very lovely packaging.

• Say goodbye to The Rakes, who have called it a career seven years and three albums in. That third album, Klang, is set for a US digital release Tuesday. With the breakup comes a laundry list of cancelled gigs, including a few West and East Coast American dates.

• Conan O’Brien is the one to watch this week with guests Wolfmother, Julian Casablancas, and The Swell Season, all promoting new albums. Also, be sure to check out Craig Ferguson, who has Rodrigo y Gabriela on Wednesday and Fruit Bats on Friday. Here are this week’s highlights:
  Monday, October 26

  Conan O’Brien: Wolfmother
  Jimmy Fallon: Har Mar Superstar

  Tuesday, October 27

  David Letterman: Florence and the Machine
  Conan O’Brien: Julian Casablancas

  Wednesday, October 28

  Craig Ferguson: Rodrigo y Gabriela
  Jimmy Fallon: “Weird Al” Yankovic

  Thursday, October 29

  David Letterman: Weezer
  Conan O’Brien: The Swell Season
  Jimmy Fallon: Mastodon

  Friday, October 30

  David Letterman: Weezer
  Conan O’Brien: Alice in Chains
  Craig Ferguson: Fruit Bats
  Jimmy Fallon: Andrew Bird