• In the face of all these reunions — permanent or temporary as they may be — it only seems right that Andy Warhol’s finest discovery, Velvet Underground, are in the throes of a temporary reunion… well, Lou Reed, Maureen Tucker, and Doug Yule anyway. The trio will be appearing at the New York Public Library on December 8th as part of the Live from NYPL series.

• In addition to their excellent “Take-Away Shows,” La Blogotheque posts longer performances in their “Soirées de poche.” Most recently, they’ve offered a half-hour performance by Kings Of Convenience, which you can watch here:

• While MP3 device manufacturers would like to ignore it, vinyl is continuing to grow its music market share, and now with word that Tom Waits‘ Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, and Bastards is hitting vinyl on December 8th, the iPod and Zune can cry a little more on the inside. Waits was meant for vinyl and this limited-edition 7LP collection will keep fans buried in Waits for quite a while.

• It’s funny to look back at this year and see how popular lo-fi guru Matt Mondanile has become, whether it be through his solo venture Ducktails or now webzine darlings Real Estate. Now comes word that Real Estate member Alex Bleeker will be releasing his solo debut, Alex Bleeker and the Freaks which features Mondanile, fellow Real Estate member Martin Courtney IV, and Julian Lynch.

• One of the most inspired new project is Blakroc, a collaboration between The Black Keys and a variety of rap artists, all under the guiding hand of hip hop mogul and Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder Damon Dash. On the new album, Hoochie Coo, RZA, Pharoahe Monch, Ludacris, Q-Tip, Raekwon, and many others guest on the gritty, beat-driven tracks. Here’s the first single, “Ain’t Nothing Like You,” featuring Mos Def and Jim Jones:

• Interpol are reportedly readying the release of the follow-up to 2007’s Our Love to Admire, which should be available sometime in 2010. The band is promising a return to the roots of their debut album, Turn on the Bright Lights.

• You’d think the talkshow circuit would be quiet on Thanksgiving week, but it’s really quite the opposite. Weezer makes the rounds, supporting their latest, while Pixies and Wolfmother blast out Conan and Kimmel, respectively, on Tuesday. Here are the highlights:
  Monday, November 23

  Jimmy Kimmel: Weezer
  Colbert Report: Elvis Costello (R)

  Tuesday, November 24

  Conan O’Brien: Weezer
  Jimmy Kimmel: Wolfmother
  Jimmy Fallon: Pixies
  Colbert Report: Norah Jones (R)

  Wednesday, November 25

  Jimmy Fallon: Mos Def & Talib Kweli

  Thursday, November 26

  go eat turkey

  Friday, November 27

  go shopping (for records)
  

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: