Three years after the release of the immensely popular Neon Bible, Arcade Fire has finally announced their return with their third album, The Suburbs, due out August 3 in the U.S.

The band has spent the last few weeks cryptically revealing bits and pieces of new information about the album. Though the band has not revealed much more than a release date and name, they were gracious enough to stream a full track, “The Suburbs,” on ArcadeFire.Com via a fun digital record player. The new single is an infectious little ditty that will surely haunt you until the album’s early August release date. As serious as the lyrics are, one cannot help but find the song warm and upbeat, perfect for any summer mix. Fans have the option of downloading this single and a second track, “Month of May,” right now as part of one of the many preorder options.

So what are you waiting for? Give the new Arcade Fire a listen and let us know what you think.

Jenny Lewis is teaming up with longtime boyfriend Jonathan Rice for a new record under the name ‘Jenny and Johnny”. From three studio-album releases as the frontwomen of Rilo Kiley, to the release of two solo albums entitled Rabbit Fur Coat and Acid Tongue, Jenny Lewis has won the hearts of many with her soulful voice.

Jonathan Rice has also released two studio albums entitled Trouble Is Real and Further North, and has collaborated with Matt Costa, The Good Life, and has toured with Maria Taylor of Azure Ray in recent years.
Although limited information has been released about the upcoming album, Jenny and Johnny have a new website that you can find here. [http://www.jennyandjohnnymusic.com/] Three tour dates have been posted, so keep a lookout for a show in your area.

Being an avid Jenny Lewis fan myself, I am sure that this album will possess both strong vocals and thought provoking lyrics. This definitely brings a new meaning to musical chemistry.

The death of Jun Seba, more commonly known as “Nujabes,” was finally comfirmed on March 18th. Nearly a month after evidence surmounted concerning his passing, Hydeout productions and hip-hop artist, Shing02, released a statement validating this speculation of Nujabes’ death. During this period of uncertainty, many fans questioned such conjecture hoping for the best, only for their initial inferences for the worst to be reaffirmed.

Some believe that the reason why the passing of Nujabes was confirmed after such a long period of time was to protect the privacy of his family and friends. Nujabes’ funeral was held shortly after his death in late February of 2010.

Nujabes will be remembered for transcending realm of ordinary hip-hop by incorporating Jazz. His albums, “Metaphorical Music” and “Modal Soul,” have become instant classics all over the world. His collaborations with both Japanese artists, such as Shing02, and American artists, such as Cise Starr, have allowed his music to reach a wide array of listeners. Many producers have tried to imitate Nujabes’ style, but many have failed to emulate.

Nujabes has left behind a collection of unreleased tracks. Sometime in the near future, Hydeout productions will release a compilation of these unreleased tracks. Although Nujabes has not released an album since 2007, some songs have began to surface since his passing.

With the release their fourth studio album entitled “Forgiveness Rock Record” earlier this month, indie rock band Broken Social Scene added yet another delightful surprise for their fans. The Canadian natives will hit the silver screen in Bruce McDonald’s latest film, “This Movie Is Broken”. The film is set to release on June 25 in Canada with no current release date here in the states. Be on the lookout!

(Video: Watch this video on the post page)

From the looks of the newly released trailer, this indie flick follows the protagonist as he tries to impress the girl of his dreams by taking her to see her favorite band before her one-way ticket to Paris. For all you Broken Social Scene fans who consider themselves to be helpless romantics, this movie may to be right up your alley.

While this is just speculation there are three pieces of evidence that are particularly convincing that Lady Gaga just might be drawing her inspiration from the famous surrealist painter.

Lobsters

Lobsters may make a delicious dinner but they are also a huge piece of inspiration for some of Salvador Dali’s works. He has used them to cover particular private parts of females in some paintings and pictures and even made a lobster telephone. Well, Lady Gaga actually fashioned a mask out of a Lobster body as one of her many crazy ensembles. It’s not very often you see people utilizing lobsters for anything but fine dining but these two minds seemed to have managed to turn lobsters into art and fashion.

Lady Gaga’s performance for Queen Elizabeth at Royal Variety

All of us probably remember Lady Gaga’s outrageous red latex outfit she wore when she met the Queen many of us may not have seen her performance she did afterwards. In it she played on a piano which had long dangling legs that are uncannily similar to the legs of elephants Dali painted in Les Elephants.

Andy Warhol

I realize that the first two aspects may not be enough for you to believe that a shock artist like Lady Gaga would be inspired by a famous painter such as Dali. But it should be noted that in the past Lady Gaga has referenced that the pop artist Andy Warhol is one of her biggest influences. So it wouldn’t be farfetched to think that an artist like Dali could be a big source of inspiration.

So what do you think is Lady Gaga drawing her inspiration from Dali and possibly other artists or is it from the depths of her imagination?

The gaming industry has provided a medium for musicians to take their songs in new directions. Sometimes this led to songs that were incredible in the context of the game, but obnoxious anywhere else. Yet there are quite a few who have composed some of the most creative music that goes unnoticed. Since you generally won’t be hearing musicians of either sort at any upcoming festivals I have compiled a list of five of the greatest composers in gaming.

Yuki Iwai – Mega Man X, Street Fighter Alpha 3

There are many other minds that created the sondtracks to these series, so it is difficult to narrow it down to just one. Yuki Iwai knows what it takes to get us pumped about kicking some ass. These songs were very effective at keeping the pacing quick while giving you the feeling of accomplishment by blasting Sigma into oblivion.

Koichi Kyuuma – Metroid Prime

The ambience created for this game was outstanding. It was a combination of the natural world and technology which tied in perfectly with the themes of the game. Each song had its way of making everything seem so much more vast and mysterious. Though many of these tracks were based off of the previous games, the new sound potential of its generation gave way for Kyuuma to turn them into a true masterpiece.

Nobuo Uematsu – Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Super Smash Brothers: Brawl

No soundtrack has captured our imaginations quite like those compused by Uematsu. It is disapointing to return to reality and find that riding an emu does not come along with a catchy little tune. Uematsu adopts a wide range of styles from all over the world. From dances like “Vamo’alla Flamenco” to epic operas like “Liberi Fatali”, Uematsu is an accomplished composer even beyond the gaming industry. His music has been performed on world tours with massive orchestras.

Akira Yamaoka – Silent Hill

Who doesn’t get creeped out when they’re walking down a dark hall and the silence suddenly breaks with loud metallic crashing sounds. Yamaoka was quite possibly the most important contributor to the creep factor of the Silent Hill series. Try listening to this in an abandoned school yard in the middle of the night. You will be hearing voices in no time!

Christophe Héral – Beyond Good and Evil

Saving the best for last may be an exageration to a degree. However, for a game that went under the radar for most and a composer who slipped right on past our perception, credit is long overdue. He didn’t have a symphony orchestra at his disposal, but he did use a piece of sheet metal as an instrument for one of the fight songs. Some of the best songs you will hear come from walking through town. These are songs that you wouldn’t have to feel embarassed if you were caught listening to them. Influences from reggae as well as Russian propaganda make for great songs. If you won’t give the game a chance, check out the soundtrack.