Once upon a time, three dashing young lads waved their respective mini-guitars twice over a bathtub full of Budweiser and ice. The ice melted into sand and the beer bottles became tall palm trees. The boys then hopped on their guitars-turned-surfboards and rode the daydream wave they had just created without even a blink of an eye. And what were we doing while this was all happening, you ask? Mind your own beeswax Also: sit back, relax, and check out what really happened when Beach Fossils entered the Hotbox.

As if you weren’t already intrigued by the possibility of a new M.I.A. album, now Diplo has provided the most mind-blowingly amazing similie to describe her forthcoming full length: “Gucci Mane meets Animal Collective.” In an interview with Pedestrian.tv, Diplo discussed his participation in the album, stating: “Been in the studio with M.I.A. working on her new record. It’s like Gucci Mane meets Animal Collective. I think there are a couple of people [producing], but we’re going to finish it off, me and Switch. We’ve done like four tracks already.”

A M.I.A. album sounding like a Gucci Mane/Animal Collective combo produced by Diplo and Switch? Best New News!  (via P4k)

Things this actually means: like Girls before them, worthwhile acts like Glasser and Tanlines will get a huge step-up in aid for getting their music out there. Also, the imprint will continue to be managed by founder Dean Bein. So, the whole thing seems like a win-win.

Things this means in bizarro world: Jay Reatard cameo in the next NSFW “Lust For Life” video? On some strange level you can almost picture this making sense can’t you? Think about it… or don’t.  (No, we don’t really want to either).

Matador just announced the signing, and part of their statement included this gem.

“What would possess Matador to become involved with another label in this capacity? As Victor Kiam once explained his decision to purchase the Remington Shaver operation, “I liked it so much, I bought the company.” Needless to say, we like Dean, Girls, Glasser, Tanlines, Lemonade and Hunx & His Punx much more than than Mr. Kiam appreciated those razor blades.”

So, you know, it’s always good to know the dudes over there are pretty sure they love good music more than some rich dude loved knicking his face with a razor. But seriously fooks, this is a good thing. (Via: Brooklyn Vegan)

If muted, at first glance this video could almost be mistaken for a flapper chick’s take on the “Single Ladies” viral video craze sans Terminator glove. That is, until the immediate close-up of the indie-rock beard that belongs to a man playing the heck out of his little baritone. But as it plays out, it’s more just Bishop Allen being generally adorable while leading something that vaguely resembles the watusi. The whole scene sets a nice stage for the calmly enchanting call and answer of “True Or False.” It also gives a nice showcase to Darbie, who has become an intricate part of the band’s live shows but can sometimes be thrust to the background when people look at this band. (Via: Stereogum)

NME is reporting that Yeah Yeah Yeahs are set to perform their 2003 debut masterstroke in its entirety this December  11-13 at the All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival in Minehead, England. According to report, the performance will be exclusive to the event and comprise the “first part of their show.”  This is all seems a little early and rushed. We could maybe get behind the Strokes uncaging Is This It in it’s entirety right about now, but even that feels like it needs some more time to age.

Of Montreal and Jon Brion are a match made in heaven, apparently: according to the band’s Twitter, they “Just had a rad meeting with sir jon brion.looks like were gonna work together on the new album! Dreams do come true:•).” Kevin Shield’s penchant for body paint and riding horses onstage meshes perfectly with Brion’s production style. The musician/producer, who has written the scores for a variety of soundtracks (including those for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I Heart Huckabees, and Synecdoche, New York) in addition to producing albums by the likes of Aimee Mann, Robyn Hitchcock, Elliott Smith, Kanye West, and Spoon, among others, is already listed on his Wikipedia page as the producer for Of Montreal’s Jon Brion Remix EP, due out this year- looks like the title expands upon the band’s tweet, promising some super cool Of Montreal remixes in your future.

Ever find yourself wishing you had children? How about wishing that Colin Meloy would tuck those imaginary children in and read them a bedtime story? Well, sometimes dreams do come true. Word just leaked that Meloy and his wife/artist Carson Ellis have teamed-up to write a children’s book together, with Meloy handling the words and Ellis tackling the illustrations. Though you might not recognize Ellis’ name, you probably recognize her work: he’s been responsible for the art of every Decemberists and solo Meloy album. Ellis recently dropped some hints regarding the book on her blog, but the details were slim. What we do know is that it will be titled The Unfortunate Demise of Whitley Rackham and it’s due for a limited-edition, letterpress-printed release.

No word yet though on when the perfect gift for hipster parents will be published. In the meantime, I suggest they put on their copy of Lullaby Renditions of Radiohead.

This is the part where the girl walks away. Most likely it’s in slow motion and the camera pulls out on the guy as he drops the flowers to the floor. The girl is making her way to the door, pausing momentarily to look over her shoulder at him. There’s a hint of a smile, or a smirk, or something that no one can pin down before she heads out and the credits roll. Ever so slightly everyone winces in a heartbroken agony. “Now that we’ve lost our way, the rest can all fall apart.” Jeez. Tearjerker material here. Asobi Seksu have recorded a few bare bones updates of their already-cinematic dreampop for the album Rewolf, recorded in a flash at London’s soon-to-be shuttered Olympic Studios. Beneath those gossamer vocal effects and fuzzy blanket guitars lay some sublime melodies and affecting lyrics that are given a life of their own with this set of revisions. Check it out 11/10 on Polyvinyl.

Asobi Seksu, Thursday

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Contrary to what their psychedelic rock n’ roll music may suggest, Crystal Antlers are actually quite lovely. They are dream boats floating atop a bathtub lake of Budweiser and ice. Sound insane? Well, it’s true! Please find the proof in the puddin’ below, video gold of the Long Beachers visiting our Hotbox and setting sail on a bountiful Bob Dylan “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” cover adventure. But you know what? IT IS NOT ALL OVER NOW. It is only the beginning…

His words, not mine, folks. Either way, you can probably stop that long running bet with your bro who writes for the university paper about whether or not Oregon, New Jersey or Rhode Island will be the next Sufjan States record, because, well, it probably ain’t going to happen. In an interview with Paste, Stevens calls the absolutely ambitious and totally NPR-worthy States Project “a joke.” The dude who wrote tunes about a holiday that celebrates a Revolutionary War officer from Poland and the pot-holed mess of a raised motor path known as the BQE, goes as far as saying “I took it too seriously. I started to feel like I was becoming a cliché of myself.” Sufjan then goes into detail about his BQE project, which debuted over two years ago at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and is just now being issued to the public. “In all honesty, that piece is what really sabotaged my creative momentum.” Apparently, considering he hasn’t done anything but issue old stuff (the BQE), rearrange older stuff (Run Rabbit Run), contribute re-arranged, remixed, re-worked 10 minute-plus old track works to a high profile AIDS comp and probably made a Grilled Cheese or two. Anyway, sounds like someone’s developed a really hefty weed habit, is spending too much time hitting the Volcano and not enough time researching the Battle of Appomattox Court House. And for a second, I totally thought this dude could pull a Jandek and release hundreds of albums in a lifetime.