Fuck, yeah!

We are so lucky to have so many bad-ass mofos drop by the S.S. to play for us, and for you.

We were especially stoked when Black Keys’ singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach graced us with his presence, while on a recent tour supporting his unbelievably awesome solo debut, Keep It Hid. (We can’t stop playing it, top to bottom.)

Not only did Dan stop by, but he also brought his backing band, including My Morning Jacket’s monster drummer Patrick Hallahan, and one of our favorite young bands, Hacienda.

Dig “Mean Monsoon” and “When the Night Comes,” below. 

Click here for more on Keep It Hid!

It's a beautiful thing!

Dan Auerbach - “Mean Monsoon”

 [Video: Pete Maiden/Eric Helton; Editing by Pete Maiden] 

Dan Auerbach - “When the Night Comes”

[Video: Pete Maiden/Eric Helton; Editing by Pete Maiden]  

Razorlight - "Wire to Wire"

 [Video: Pete Maiden/Eric Helton; Editing by Eric Helton] 

Razorlight are a massive rock sensation in their native U.K., but have yet to achieve cross-the-pond success in the U.S.A. Will their third album, Slipway Fires (due March 10th) be the charm?

We were lucky enough to welcome frontman (and former British GQ cover man) Johnny Borrell and drummer Andy Burrows swing by the S.S. to play us some tunes from the new album. Check out the single, "Wire to Wire" above, and click the jump for "Hostage of Love."

And should you dig it, then check out Razorlight on the road, as they kick off a mini-tour of the States on March 9th, including three showings at SXSW.

Mar. 09 - Middle East - Boston, MA
Mar. 10 - Hiro Ballrroom - New York, NY (Record release party)
Mar. 12 - North Star Bar - Philadelphia, PA
Mar. 14 - Double Door - Chicago, IL
Mar. 16 - 12th and Porter - Nashville, TN
Mar. 17 - The Loft - Atlanta, GA
Mar. 19 - SXSW - Austin, TX
Mar. 20 - SXSW (Filter Magazine Party) - Austin, TX
Mar. 21 - SXSW (official show at Stubbs) - Austin, TX
Mar. 24 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA

BONUS: Want to win an exclusive Slipway Fire CD/DVD package? Tell us why you love Razorlight and we'll pick the best entry. Deadline is Friday, March 20th, so get moving!

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Is everybody excited for the Oscars this Sunday!

Will it be Oktapodi or La Maison en Petits Cubes in the Short Animated Film battle? Will Hellboy II take down Best Makeup? Will Mickey Rourke's face explode?

There is, however, one thing about the Oscars that sucks ass, perenially. No good music.

Peter Gabriel pulled out after the Academy tried to make him perform his Wall-E song in 9 seconds. And MIA might be MIA.

The Ting Tings' awesome song "Great DJ" served as the soundtrack to the Slumdog Millionaire trailer, and when the TTs dropped by the S.S. recently, they were kind enough to play it for us.

Check it.

The Ting Tings - "Great DJ"

[Video: Pete Maiden/Eric Helton; Editing by Pete Maiden]

Heartless Bastards - "Hold Your Head High"[Video: Pete Maiden/Eric Helton; Editing by Pete Maiden]

Over the past few months, we've made it ridiculously clear that the Heartless Bastards new album, The Mountain, is blowing our minds. 

Hailing from Dayton, OH but now living in Austin, TX, Erika Wennerstrom and the Heartless Bastards got their start when Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney passed along a demo he received from Erika, landing the Bastards a spot at Fat Possum Records. Two full length albums followed, Stairs and Elevators came out in 2005 and All This Time a year later. The Mountain, was released last Tuesday, after a "year and a half of writing," Erika says. 

Erika was nice enough to swing by the S.S. and play us a few songs. 

Check out one of the sickest tunes on the album, "Hold Your Head High," above. Click the jump for "Be So Happy" and "The Mountain," which Erika says is about "the diminishing middle class and how capitalism can go a little too far." 

Do it! She's ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!!!

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Cold War Kids - "I've Seen Enough" [Video: Pete Maiden/Eric Helton; Editing by Pete Maiden]

Cold War Kids dropped by the S.S. last week and it sure was a treat. They fuckin' rocked -- and it was 10 in the morning when they stopped by.  

Vocalist Nathan Willett, bassist Matt Maust, guitarist Jonnie Russell and drummer Matt Aveiro, had a great 2008. They released their second amazing LP, Loyalty to Loyalty, to critical acclaim (it also reached No. 21 on US Billboard charts), and their songs were featured on episodes of Entourage, Gossip Girl and the Sarah Silverman Show.

Check out their latest single, "I've Seen Enough," above, and click the jump for "Mexican Dogs," on which Willett croons about the abandoned, wandering dogs of Mexico. 

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Nickel Eye - "Fountain Avenue"

[Video: Pete Maiden/Eric Helton; Editing by Pete Maiden]

Nickel Eye is a side project from our old pal, Strokes bassist Nikolai Fraiture, who was kind enough to drop by the S.S. to perform a a couple songs from their debut, The Time of the Assassins.

Fraiture has been on the road to support the project. "The plan has been to tour until this other band I'm in gets back together in February," he says.

Check out "Fountain Avenue" above, written about a street in Los Angeles, and click the jump for "Another Sunny Afternoon," which Fraiture says is "about when things are more perfect when they seem. It's bittersweet, when you feel everything is going so well, but it's not really." 

He also gave us a cover of Jackson Browne's "These Days." 

Head over to the Nickel Eye MySpace to listen to more of their songs.

BONUS: Want to win an autographed vinyl edition of Nickel Eye's The Time of the Assassins? Send us an email by Friday, February 20th explaining why you love Nickel Eye. The best answer gets the loot!

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 [Video: Pete Maiden/Eric Helton; Editing by Pete Maiden]

Joseph Arthur & The Lonely Astonauts - "Temporary People"

One of our favorite singer-songwriters, Joseph Arthur, was kind enough to drop by the S.S. to play a few songs, and he brought his band the Lonely Astronauts with him.

One of the most prolific writers around, Arthur was discovered in the early '90s by Peter Gabriel, and signed to Gabriel's label, Real World Records. His debut album, Big City Secrets, was released in 1997 and was followed by the Grammy-nominated EP, Vacancy, in 2000. Since then, Arthur hasn't slowed down. He's released 11 EPs and has just cut his seventh full-lengh album, Temporary People. He's loved by contemporaries like Ryan Adams, Lou Reed and Michael Stipe, who covered Arthur's "In the Sun" for Hurricane Katrina victims. Also a talented painter, Arthur had his own art gallery in Brooklyn before being evicted in September '08.  

Arthur is playing a couple of shows this weekend at the Bell House in his current hometown, Brooklyn, with Harper Simon opening, before shipping off for a mini-tour of France in March.

JA&LA were nice enough to play four tracks off their latest release, Temporary People. Check out the title track above, and click the jump for "Dead Savior," "Turn You On" and "Faith."

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The Ting Tings - "Great DJ"

[Video: Pete Maiden/Eric Helton; Editing by Pete Maiden]

A couple weeks ago we had the pleasure of having English pop duo the Ting Tings up in the Smoking Section for an awesome performance. 

When we originally posted the videos we also announced that whoever sent us the most awesome note on why they loved the Ting Tings would win two special prizes, a drumhead autographed by Katie and Jules, as well as a vinyl copy of their debut, We Started Nothing! 

We got amazing letters from all over the world -- from Spain to England to Canada to the Phillipines. We will forward all of your kind notes to the Tings, who will certainly be blown away by the creativity and love.

But there can only be one winner... Congrats to S.S. reader Crecencia Jasso, who wrote, in part:

"Their song, 'That's Not My Name,' is the story of my life... My whole life people continually try to call me by other names like Chris, CC, CJ, Chencha, Chrissy and I've always said, 'That's not my name!'"... I've spelled it out for people, but it seems like they can't get it right."

Now, when people fuck up her name, she just sings the Ting Tings:

"They call me hell, they call me Stacey, they call me her, they call me Jane. That's not my name, That's not my name..."

Crecencia adds, "Oh and also their CD is FANTASTIC!" 

Stay tuned for more exclusive gifts from the S.S.!   

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Love As Laughter, the Brooklyn band fronted by rock troubador Sam Jayne, released one of our favorite albums of 2008, Holy.  We were tipped off about L.A.L. early this year, after a conversation with Isaac Brock, who signed the band to his Epic imprint, Glacial Pace, and helped produce the disc.

An we also got to see them perform a bunch of killer gigs around New York City.

We were beyond stoked when L.A.L. joined us at the S.S. headquarters to perform our favorite song from Holy, "Crosseyed Beautiful Youngunz"  and their newest track, "Cats."

Enjoy. 

Love As Laughter - "Crosseyed Beautiful Youngunz"

  [Video: Pete Maiden, Eric Helton & Caroline Acosta]

Love As Laughter - "Cats"

  [Video: Pete Maiden, Eric Helton & Caroline Acosta]

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Little Joy - "Unattainable" 

[Video: Pete Maiden/Andrew Flynn; Editing by Pete Maiden]

One of the most pleasant musical surprises of 2008 was the debut album by Little Joy, the Brazilian-heavy trio featuring the Strokes' Fabrizio Moretti, Los Hermanos frontman Rodrigo Amarante and singer Binki Shapiro. 

We were all quite hung over after LJ's New York debut at Mercury Lounge, but that morning they were kind enough to drop into the S.S. headquarters and play a few tunes.

Dig an awesome performance of "Unattainable" above, and click the jump for  "No One's Better Sake" and "The Next Time Around."

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