Arcade Fire, Jay-Z and Beyonce for President Obama

It was a great week in American history. And in one of the most inspired bills ever, Arcade Fire opened for Jay-Z at Wednesday night's inaugural event for Obama campaign staffers. As Pitchfork put it, "If this bill is any sort of cosmic indication of Obama's future, he should solve the economic crisis in about four days."

Really, it's a genius move. The greatest indie band of the last five years (featuring a married couple with dual US-Canadian citizenship) and the greatest MC of all time who happens to be married to the reigning princess of pop.


Arcade Fire do their antiwar song, Intervention, at the staffers' ball


Jay-Z changes the lyrics to 99 Problems but a Bush Ain't One at the staffers' ball


Beyonce serenades the Obamas with a cover of Etta James' At Last...this was the Obamas' first dance as president and first lady the night of the inauguration

Tweedy, Marr, Finn, O'Brien and Selway - Fake Plastic Trees

This is so nice I am just lifting it right from Pitchfork via some guy named Evan C. New Zealander Neil Finn of Split Enz and Crowded House and some of his friends (Jeff Tweedy and John Stirratt of Wilco, Ed O'Brien and Phil Selway of Radiohead, Johnny Marr of the Smiths, Modest Mouse and the Cribs) cover Radiohead's anti-consumerism anthem, Fake Plastic Trees. Video and audio quality aren't great but the performance from these pros is, especially Ed and Neil on the guitars starting about 2:30. Shot at one of the live shows done a few weeks ago in NZ to promote Finn's collaborative album, 7 Worlds Collide, all proceeds from which go to Oxfam.

Bon Iver - re: stacks

His melodies are so subtle you barely notice them till you realize they've been stuck in your brain all day. Perfect example, the new single, bizarrely titled.

MP3 Bon Iver - re: stacks (from 2007's For Emma, Forever Ago)