Surprise, surprise, Libertines offshoot Dirty Pretty Things, helmed by Brit man-about-town Carl Barat, have broken up to pursue other projects.

Bay Area quintet Port O'Brien recently shot not one, but two videos on Super 8 reels, borrowing from the style of 1920s silent movies by applying a deliberate, but naturally worn, sratchy quality to match the band's pastoral folk aesthetic. Both "Stuck on a Boat" and "In Vino Veritas" were filmed in the band's hometown of Cambria, CA, by director Joey Izzo.

After a lengthy world tour and an exhausting stint in the studio following the release of 2005's You Could Have It So Much Better, Glasgow's Franz Ferdinand have finally finished recording their yet-to-be titled third album, which will be released in early 2009. And according to frontman Alex Kapranos, the new set will be a change of pace.

Though only two members of the original band remain -- alt-rock overlord Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin -- Smashing Pumpkins have unveiled the itinerary for a 20th anniversary tour celebrating their birth way back in 1988.

What? Amanda Palmer's just-released record isn't simply a collection of songs, but a full fledged multimedia experience that includes an exclusive online video series and a companion book of photography.

Tilly and the Wall's childlike exuberance has truly been captured in the new video for "Alligator Skin," an upbeat track off the band's recently released album, O. With more neon colors than the Vegas strip, clowns, furry animal costumes, bouncing balloons, and flowing confetti, the set looks as if a party store exploded.