the national

Austin's Fun Fun Fun Fest first attracted our attention last year with an enticing sophomore lineup that included several indie treats. Given the festival's prime location in Waterloo Park and late fall weather (read: not blazingly hot like ACL), we'd already decided that we would be in attendance at this year's edition; now that we've taken a peek at the artists on the bill, FFFFest has leaped to the top of our can't-miss list. The 2008 lineup, released today by Austinist, includes such diverse acts as Clipse, the National, Bad Brains, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Annuals, Dengue Fever, Atmosphere, Grupo Fantasma, and Dan Deacon.

Fun Fun Fun Fest is set to take place on Saturday, November 8 and Sunday, November 9 at Austin's Waterloo Park. Two-day passes cost $59.99 and will go on sale soon.

View the full Fun Fun Fun Fest lineup after the jump

We did not make it up north this weekend to catch Lollapalooza, but I at least had the chance to see a bit of Wilco's streaming set at the AT&T Blueroom. Their energy alone showed just how much fun Chicago was having. Now that it is all said and done, after hometown MC Kanye West and industrial rock giants Nine Inch Nails closed down both of the main stages, I pulled together a host of videos that would make any music lover jealous of those in attendance.

See more after the jump

If you haven't heard by now, Athens, Georgia rockers R.E.M. are releasing a new album. Accelerate is their first album since 2004's Around The Sun, and is due out on Warner Bros. on April Fool's Day. They just announced the tour dates to support their latest effort, and also added a few bands to help them out on the road. Indie-rockers Modest Mouse and The National will join R.E.M. starting on May 23rd at Vancouver's Deer Lake Park. The tour will make notable stops at many of North America's best (Red Rocks, Hollywood Bowl, Greek Theatre) and worst (United Center) venues.

Tour Dates after the jump.

It is that time of the season when everybody starts to put out their top albums, so I thought I would take a stab at it and see what happens. Their was a host of really good new music this year. Playing a major role is my ever-changing music tastes which have drastically shifted this year. So here you go, give it a read. If you completely hate or love my opinions feel free to let me know.

20. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
19. Xavier Rudd - White Moth
18. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
17. Ween - La Cucaracha
16. Feist - The Reminder
15. Various Artists - I'm Not There OST