Thursday Bears: Top 10 Albums of 2011 ... so far (Pt. I)

Well, summer is underway and 2011 is already past its midpoint. So, like most other music blogs out there, I figure I’d take a stab at what I feel are the best albums of the year so far.

10: Bon Iver - Bon Iver

9: Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes

8: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong

7: The Antlers - Burst Apart

6: Ty Segall - Goodbye Bread

Wednesday Bears: Bon Iver on Fallon ... again.

One night after Bon Iver made his Colbert Report debut, Justin Vernon and Co. marked the debut of their self-titled album by returning to the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon stage. If this sounds familiar, it's because Vernon was on the same stage a couple weeks ago to perform his melody cover of "I Can't Make You Love Me/In the Nick of Time."

This time around, the whole group was around to perform "Holocene," as the whole aura of Bon Iver continues to climb at an astounding rate. You can watch both Fallon and Colbert performances below, as well as stream the studio version of "I Can't Make You Love Me/In the Nick of Time," courtesy of We All Want Someone to Shout For.

Bon Iver - Holocene (Live on Fallon)



Bon Iver - Interview/Calgary (Live on the Colbert Report)

Bon Iver - Skinny Love (Bonus Performance on the Colbert Report)

Tuesday Bears: New Radiohead - Staircase (Live)

Anytime Radiohead release a new anything, I figure it should be blinking as breaking news on the internet for at least 24 hours.

The band's newest song, "Staircase," premiered earlier today on the group's Facebook page. For now, only the live version in the classic Radiohead Basement. The performance will be part of a larger one for BBC, in which the band will perform The King of Limbs in its entirety.

The whole show is set to debut July 1.

Radiohead - Staircase (Live from The Basement)

Monday Bears: Philly's Popped! Music Festival is back

On hiatus since 2008, organizers of Philadelphia's Popped! Music Festival announced plans to return later this year.

The revamped line-up is fairly indie-friendly, fronted by the recently reunited Shins, Girl Talk, and Pretty Lights. Other notable acts set to perform include: Panda Bear, The Hold Steady, Titus Andronicus, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Rakim, Black Thought, and more. You can check the already scheduled acts here.

Other acts will be added to the bill in the coming weeks. If you catch on right now, Ticketmaster is offering $25 off two-day passes for a modest $90 or $175 for VIP passes for the September 23-24 dates.