I avoid posting teaser-snippets of songs because I hate not-news (I'm looking at you Britney), but in this case, I'm making an exception.

Bon Iver posted a 50-second wordless music clip with some video of a pretty object to the website.

I justify this discussion because, one, I loved the "Blood Bank" EP and "For Emma, Forever Ago," and 2008 was forever ago; two, as confirmed by a pair of sources, this is material that will be on the Bon Iver sophomore set; and three, now that Vernon's played in a pair of other recent bands (Gayngs, Volcano Choir) and his name has only grown in stature since "For Emma" has gone global and Kanye West and Peter Gabriel joined Team Vernon, there is assurance that Bon Iver's next release could be one of the biggest independent releases of the year. Self-conscious hand-wringing, over and out.

I can't say much about the clip, except that it certainly sounds like Vernon, the choirs sound right on par with expectations and I can't wait to hear what that crescendo is all about.

According to Rolling Stone, ish may be out as soon as June and has taken a while because Vernon needed to re-learn the songwriting process; he also describes one of the 10 album songs as a "Civil-war sounding heavy metal song." If Vernon doesn't wear a uniform, I'm gonna be pissed.

Let it begin!

Untitled from Bon Iver on Vimeo.

Santigold

Credit: Katie Hasty

Santigold, Karen O and Jay-Z... together at last?

Santigold debuted her fresh track "Go" featuring the Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman today on American Dreaming, the new lifestyle and fashion website from mogul Jay-Z.

And the name-power doesn't stop there. The YYY's NIck Zinner plays guitar on the cut, while Q-Tip and Switch of Major Lazer (man, those guys are popular today) co-produced the track with Santi.

The result is a party song, though in the interview posted on the section, it also comes with a bummer of a message about, well, American dreaming.

However, I will pull out one of the sweeter moments, in a description of how Santi White and Karen combined for the project:

So I worked on it a bit and sent it to Karen. I felt all insecure and was like, “You know, if you’re feeling it, if you could come up with something, but if not, it’s cool.” And then I didn’t hear back for a while. So, I sheepishly reached out again, and was like, “Hey, no pressure, if you weren’t feeling it, it’s cool.” And Karen was like, “OMG! I sent it back to you a week ago. I thought you hated what I did so much you didn’t ever want to speak to me again.” I told her I never got it, and we agreed that being an artist was insane and we laughed at our psycho- insecurity, and were both psyched on what she called our “rad track.”

Aw, the stars! They're just like us!

"Go" will purportedly be included on Santigold's as-yet-untitled sophomore set, due this year. Her first album "Santogold" -- her old moniker -- was released in 2008.

What do you think of the track?

James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem

Credit: AP Photo

On Monday, I went over some of the biggest Record Store Day releases to drop on Saturday, April 16, but there are certainly more gems to be had on that glorious shopping date.

One option is the Domino Records EP of Franz Ferdinand covers, which includes LCD Soundsystem's seven-and-a-half minute take on "Live Alone." That original track, at 3:30, was featured on the rock band's 2009 effort "Tonight."

The rest of the FF "Covers EP" on colored 12" vinyle includes another version of "Live Alone" with Debbie Harry and the band itself, plus Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt on "Dream Again," ESG on "What She Came For" and Peaches on "Turn It On." You can do your own damn version of "Take Me Out" in your head.

Check out the details on Domino's other RSD releases -- plus some more tracks -- here.

OK, I'm done talking about "retired" LCD. For now.

LCD Soundsystem - Live Alone (Franz Ferdinand cover) by DominoRecordCo

Suede

Brett Anderson swears that his band Suede isn’t making some big cash-in by coming to America, that performing at Coachella actually means the U.K. rockers will be “making a loss.”

Anti- Records has posted video of Tom Waits' appearances at this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, as he took up his honor and as he shared the stage with Neil Young.

The latter introduced Waits and the video segue to his acceptance speech and cuts of a slow-rollin' performance of "Make It Rain" and "Rain Dogs." Then there was "Get Behind the Mule" which, I'll say, isn't the most optimal video experience ever.

During his speech, Waits spoke of a memory seeing a Lightnin' Hopkins and knowing instantly wanted to become an entertainer.

"Songs are really just very interesting things to be doing with the air... We all love music, but we really want music to love us," he said before his roll-call of thank-yous. "They say I have no hits and that I'm difficult to work with. And they say it like it's a bad thing."

And, yes, the travel guitar came out.

The 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction took place on March 14 this year.

Neil Young Inducts Tom Waits - "Make It Rain" and "Rain Dogs" from Anti Records on Vimeo.

Tom Waits "Get Behind The Mule" With Neil Young from Anti Records on Vimeo.

Arctic Monkeys

No need to pay for a ticket, folks, 'cause this drama's free.

U.K. rockers Arctic Monkeys have lifted the curtain on thudding, revving new single "Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair," featured on their forthcoming and totally mature-sounding "Suck It and See."

Alex Turner's melodrama goes counters Nick O'Malley's metal bass growl, and the band cuts it at almost three minutes on the dot, a feat most admirable. It won't be the headiest piece of music all day -- there's always the new Elbow if you're looking for extra verbiage -- but it is a ominous intro to things to come.

"Chair" will be a standalone single release on Record Store Day this year, a mere five days away on April 16. It will also carry the weight of B-Side "I.D.S.T" on the 7" and "I.D.S.T." and "The Blond-O-Sonic Shimmer Trap" on the 12" bundle. The song individually can be bought through digital retailers starting tomorrow.

"Suck It" will be out on June 7. It proceeds Alex Turner's solo effort for the "Submarine" soundtrack and an early peek at new full-band track "Brick by Brick."

What do you think of the song?

Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair by arcticmonkeys

Britney Spears in "Till the World Ends"

After a week of speculation, Nicki Minaj has at least confirmed that her camp is in talks for the Young Money star to open for Britney Spears on tour.

Speaking with MTV, Minaj said, "I am in talks of joining Britney Spears, yeah... I'm in talks about a lot of things, ya know. I don't know — oops, I did it again."

Usher and Joe Jonas (?!) have also been rumored to be in talks to join the jaunt.

Brit-Brit's Femme Fatale tour has been juggling that supporting slot vacancy ever since she announced the stint: the same day the dates were confirmed, "co-headliner" Enrique Iglesias dropped out.

I don't put that term in quotes to be vicious. It's just that procuring a name as big as Britney's to join her on tour has got to be a difficult task, especially as she and Jive are trying hard to maintain Spears as a premiere act. It's been an uphill battle for that exact prerogative this week...

Iglesias' departure was a bad enough omen anyway. Pair that with 2010 abysmal concert ticketing sales and the continued threat this year, picking a good dance partner has become increasingly imperative. Even other A-listers like Rihanna have had to fight off speculation that sales are bumpy.

Spears' last Circus tour was a spectacular success, but those were healthier times: 2008 was a proper comeback, after she spent years in the tabloids for erratic behavior and public breakdowns. "Circus" sold just over half a million in its first week and her live gigs were well-received.

Fast forward. This week, though her "Femme Fatale" topped The Billboard 200, sales were tepid to say the least, with a 276,000 arrival. "Hold It Against Me" wasn't held as dearly by radio and fans as, say, "Womanizer" was, and the jury's still out on dance/club-oriented track "Till the World Ends" and how well it fares over the spring and summer. Sales projections from this week are pointing to Adele's "21" to replace Spears in the penthouse next week. Granted, Adele's fanbase skews older, a little more generalist, and thus to listeners who tend to actually purchase their music. But critical reception of "Femme" was also mixed overall; HitFix's Greg Ellwood rather enjoyed the album, but many writers took issue with the facelessness of the set, sometimes pointing out that she had no songwriting credits unlike previous albums.

Then there were the TV appearances. Her dancing on "Good Morning America" didn't exactly leave critics screaming "gimme more," though things were a little brighter on her "Kimmel" stop.

There were also gratuitously toxic rumblings this week that Spears uses a body double for her crazier antics in "Till the World Ends" (along with the usual lip-syncing complaints). It seems unusual, but her camp actually addressed the unconfirmed rumor on her website, calling it "bulls***," courting a drama just by acknowledging it. U.K. newspaper The Sun also ran quotes from an anonymous source claiming that handlers are trying to convince the pop star to move the tour dates, claiming she's not ready to take the stage again.

I'm not against Britney enjoying success once more, which she inevitably will. She's an icon, to multiple generations. Her "...Baby One More Time" was my very first published music review, and being the same age as her, in a way I feel like I grew up with her.. I felt badly for her when she shaved her head and shook umbrellas at the paparazzi and I liked that she came back and made some killer new singles.

But she did have a tough week, two months out from the start of the Femme Fatale trek. The co-headlining or supporting act shouldn't be a friendly competition. Particularly sharing the spring release season with Lady Gaga, Spears probably doesn't want competition at all.

Fight for Your Right Revisited

The Beastie Boys have bowed a new two minute-long trailer for "Fight For Your Right Revisited," the film Adam "MCA" Yauch premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

This, on the heels of the rap troupe debuting their new song "Make Some Noise" earlier this week.

The 30-minute short features Elijah Wood, Danny McBride and Seth Rogen playing the trio from their legendary "Fight for Your Right (To Party)" music video, while Will Ferrell, Jack Black and John C. Reilley play the older version of the Beasties, returning from the future to teach the younger versions of themselves. As previously reported, their famous friends make cameos throughout, including Susan Sarandon (mother coming home to a wrecked apartment) to Orlando Bloom (car window washer), Steve Buscemi (bartender), Rainn Wilson (unfortunate passerby) and Will Arnett (unfortunate passerby, C'MON).

And, as I also wrote in January, the clip contains three new Beasties songs, including "Make Some Noise," previously released "Too Many Rappers" featuring Nas and distortion-heavy "Say It." I will warn you, it's not non-stop laughs as the trailer will have you believe, but it's a great medium to feature new tracks, like Kanye did with "Runaway."

The full-length video will drop closer the release date of new "Hot Sauce Committee Part 2," on May 3.

Mary J. Blige may be looking for someone to love her, but I'm already looking for the reggae remix.

"Someone to Love Me (Naked)," featuring Lil Wayne and Diddy, dropped this week, ahead of the announcement that Blige's new album "My Life II: The Journey Continues" will be released this summer.

The set is the sequel to her 1994 sophomore set "My Life," the follow-up to her debut "What's the 411?". Both were produced by none other than Sean Combs. She and Diddy cut ties soon thereafter, so this is a reunion of sorts; "My Life II" is set to drop in September.

And now I can't believe we're even talking about September.

[More after the jump...]