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This track opens the Veils' excellent Nux Vomica, a sprightly LP of dark and disturbed pop, anchored by sole returning Veil Finn Andrews. "Not Yet"'s cowboy shuffle lets Finn exorcise some vocal demons via the Brit-based trio's hair-trigger, deep Western dynamics.

The Veils - "Not Yet" (MP3)

Our fave from the record is the explosive, dogma-probing "Jesus For The Jugular," which we first posted about a year ago. Still love it, though, so a refresher is in order.

The Veils - "Jesus For The Jugular" (MP3)

Though the lineup's new, the trio offers up precise pop-noir throughout. Nux Vomica is a staple around Stereogum HQ these days, available via Rough Trade.

Conor tends to fall when he's wasted. We last saw that act during Conor's Digital Ash tour at Webster '05, when he took an unintended pratfall during an overly enthusiastic slam dance. But folks at Oberst's show in Milwaukee Sunday night got the bonus boozed up Bright Eyes treatment: free guitars for all! Mirr World was on hand with details:

After finishing up one of his songs, Conor just took his guitar off, dropped it and ran off the stage. No one really knew what the hell was going on. All of a sudden you saw the tour manager dart across the stage after him. Then the tour manager darted back the other way and returned carrying a bottle of water. I would bet some good money he ran off the stage to puke because when he returned to the stage he wasn't wearing his suit coat. No one was sure if this meant the set was done and it was the encore so everyone just kind of stood there. Eventually people started clapping but it was basically just awkwardness. Eventually he came back out on stage and you just didn't know what to expect. You knew he was going to do some stupid shit and I was pretty damn excited to find out what! The rest of the band wasn’t too excited because they were all looking around thinking, “What the hell is wrong with him!?”

The Dynamics - I Don't Want Nobody to Lead Me on.

There is something to be said for the simplicity of this soul song, in every sense. It's got a simple melody, a brief run time, and they waste no words with their message. No need for similes or allegory -- just cut to the chase and tell those triflin' hos what's what. The Dynamics are masters of this - and this is just off their first album. Fantastic.

We start with a bananas drum beat and a sinister guitar jangle before the harmonies kick in and we're deep into soul country. It's a quick two minutes and then we're gone. But why beat around the bush? They've said all they want to say.

This record, First Landing, came out in 1969 on Cotillion records. The band was based in Detroit, but never did the Motown thing. This is easily one of my favorite records. It's rough, raw and interesting. The band is obviously still figuring out its sound, which is always amazing to hear documented. This has never been available on cd before, until this coming Tuesday. Hacktone Records has a remastered reissue dropping on May 1st. I can't believe it took this long, but regardless, go pick it up.

You might be familiar with the Ice Cream Song, which was a minor hit and a sick ballad. Totally unrelated, I feel like this song is ripe for a pilooski edit, no?

Following James Murphy's push for "North American Scum," LCD Soundsystem is giving consumers a slew of options for the next single off Sounds Of Silver, "All My Friends." Depending on the format (7" or CD), you'll get LCD covering Joy Division's "No Love Lost" (Bowery folks know), a new Soundsystem track called ""Freak Out/Starry Eyes," or cover versions of "All My Friends" by John Cale or Franz Ferdinand.

That's a headache to contemplate, so instead of sifting through the various formats and options, head to myspace.com/lcdsoundsystem now and take a listen to Franz's Erol Alkan-produced, decidedly New Orderly take on the Sounds Of Silver gem.

All of these "All My Friends" are out May 28th via DFA/EMI.

Have you seen New York Magazine's new Sex & Love issue? The cover girl is award-winning Indie Rock Hottie Katrina Kerns, of Illinoisemakers fame. In the mag's Waiting Room feature, "real live New York City virgins speak out on what it means to say 'no' in the city of Yes." So shame on you who said she was banging Sufjan! Here's what the Ford model turned glockenspiel player had to say...

Katrina, 25
My initial reason for not wanting to have sex was totally a fear of not wanting to get pregnant before I got married. This was a cycle in my family. So, it was very real to me: You have sex, you get pregnant, and if you're not married, you can wind up alone or feeling obligated to marry somebody. But it's been interesting how it's changed as I've gone through different relationships, learning about myself and learning about commitment.

After the jump, a close-up of the magazine cover, and a vid of KK's modeling past.

Jack and Meg finally give us something from Icky Thump tonight. Yes, we're this desperate to hear it. Here's a message from the Stripes:

The White Stripes' first single, 'Icky Thump', will be available exclusively online through the iTunes music stores (US and Canada only) starting at 12:01 am this Thursday, April 26th.

Third Man Records/XL Recordings will also be releasing CD and vinyl versions of the 'Icky Thump' single on June 11th in the UK. The formats and track listings are as follows:

White vinyl 7" (companion to the NME distributed record that will be given away with copies of the magazine on stands June 6th)

A. "Icky Thump"
B. Etching (no audio)

Standard 7"
A. "Icky Thump"
B. "Baby Brother"

CD single
1. "Icky Thump"
2. "Catch Hell Blues"The NME 7" will be red (shocker), containing "Rag And Bone" on the A side and an etching on the flip. And because we've been all wrapped up in the Stripes' artsy side, take the jump for the "Icky Thump" single's cover design.

Spoon slid into Bowery last night for an expectedly excellent "secret show" (which sold-out soon after going on sale, so yes, very secret), knocking out 17 of your favorites and five cuts from the incredibly titled Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. It was our second stint with "Don't You Evah" and "Don't Make Me A Target," (the latter sounding punchier than before) and our first with the likes of "They Never Got You" and it's jammy, two-chord vamp. Couldn't see much of the audience's reactions (we chose close pics over birds-eye viewing), but friends complained of a tepid crowd. On a Monday night at Bowery? That's how these things go, sadly. Shouldn't reflect on the Britt band's set, though; the reigning kings of consistency were crisp and taut, if a shade off the superior.

The night also gave us a long overdue look at artist to watch David Vandervelde & The Moonhouse Station Band, turning heads with manic lead guit, a searing take on the Rolling Stones' "Cocksucker Blues" and a raucous rendition of David's Bolan-friendly single "Nothin' No."

Anyway, here's Britt doing his eye-contact-and-smile thing.

More pics and Spoon setlist love after the jump.

Despite the Fueled By Ramen association, Gym Class Heroes earned points in our book for (1) sampling Supertramp on their hit "Cupid's Chokehold" and (2) calling their tour The Darryl Hall For President Tour '07. But mostly the Supertramp thing.

Anyway, they've lost all that goodwill by recording what we're pretty sure is the WORST BEACH BOYS COVER OF ALL TIME. Listen here. Brace yourself. It'll be featured in a ubiquitous Sunkist commercial, and an episode of One Tree Hill (it's on that show's new actually-half-good soundtrack CD).

But really, Brian Wilson is rolling over in his sandbox.

Most of the previous New Wave Tuesday’s have been single artists entries, today we switch it up & bring you the first ever New Wave Tuesday mix tape! Below are a few tracks that we just can’t do without when it comes to the new wave/post punk genre. Some of them are new, some are old. Some more obscure than others, but they are all equally good.

Essential Logic - “Wake Up” (mp3)
Stranglers - “Nice & Sleazy” (mp3)*
X-Ray Spex - “I Am A Cliche” (mp3)
Chicks on Speed - “Gimme Back My Man” (mp3) *
Ex Post Facto - “Ex Post Facto” (mp3)
I.U.D. - “Precious” (mp3) *
Metropakt - “Neue Strassen” (mp3)
The Normal - “Warm Leatherette” (mp3) *
Damned - “Fan Club” (mp3)
Servotron - “Embryo Electro” (mp3)
Ptose - “Ecraser La Vermine” (mp3)
Space Negroes - “In A Gadda Da Vida” (mp3)
Kraftwerk - “Tour De France” (mp3) *

Some of these the bit rates are pretty bad, but some of these are also rare gems. Besides low bitrates is hella punk rock. The ones with asterisks are ones everyone should have in their collection. If you want the real deal Sheffield, check out gemm.com or visit On The Corner Music if you’re able.

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Charlotte Gainsbourg - The Songs That We Sing

OK, OK. I know a lot of people have already heard all about how awesome Charlotte Gainsbourg is, how she's THE Gainsbourg daughter (Serge and Jane Birkin), an accomplished actor with 30+ films under her belt (you saw 'The Science of Sleep' right?), well known in her native France (been making music since she was 13), etc.

But forget that for a sec and listen to the music. Her latest album, 5:55, is a real gem of delicate, indie-pop that is itself a star-studded affair. The record is produced by Nigel Godrich, the music is written and played by Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel (of Air), with contributions by drummer Tony Allen; Jarvis Cocker, Neil Hannon and Charlotte Gainsbourg wrote the lyrics, and David Campbell composed the string arrangements. Essentially, having any one of these folks be a part of your record would make it pretty special, but all of them together is a modern musical juggernaut.

5:55 has been out there for a bit, having been released by Because Music last autumn in France, but it took our friends at Vice Recordings to bring it to the US. Like a lot of us lately, Vice seems to have a bit of, how do you say, 'fascination' with the French music scene, as they're also responsible for putting out the Ed Banger crew records in the US, so you should thank them.

Where was I? Oh, right: the album is good! Seriously good. If you like breathy vocals, Air's most recent album, and Jarvis Cocker's darkness-soaked lyricism, then 5:55 should be a no-brainer. It is out today, and available wherever records are sold, including iTunes.

Recommended, especially the title-track, "Jamais" and "The Operation" - also check out the video for this song over here.