Vampire Weekend's new video is out, and guess what? It sounds like Vampire Weekend. And by that, we mean the Vampire Weekend that landed them on the cover of SPIN as one of the hottest bands of 2008.

Oasis might be finished, but fans of epic Britpop need not fret. The earnest if slightly melancholy British arena pop of South London newcomers Animal Kingdom has the grandiose aspirations of Snow Patrol and Coldplay, tinged with the edgy swagger of '90s bands like Gay Dad and Mansun.

Thursday night at Yankee's stadium, New York rapper Jay-Z kicked off Game 2 of the World Series with an ode to the home team: "Empire State of Mind," his Blueprint 3 hit with Alicia Keys. The duo's faster, pumped up rendition of the anthem worked: the Yanks beat the Phillies 3-1, evening the series at 1-1.

A brand new track from Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan's side project, Puscifer’s demurely-titled new EP C Is For (Please Insert Sophomoric Genitalia Reference Here) is now streaming on their myspace.

Fran Healy, singer/songwriter for the Scottish alt-rock band Travis, recently stopped by SPIN's lower Manhattan office to preview his acoustic tour (which runs through November). The tour features stripped-down versions of Travis favorites and rarities.