DOWNLOAD: Daniel Bennett Group, "Andrew Variations" (mp3)

Daniel Bennett is one of a handful of local DIY jazz and improv players (Eric Hofbauer, Andrew Fenlon, and Daniel Ian Smith are a few others) who’s making his own luck by booking his own shows and concert series in offbeat venues. His Daniel Bennett Group feature his light, airy tenor saxophone floating in rushes of eighth and 16th notes over acoustic-guitar chords that have as much to do with ancient British folk as jazz.

Dirty Pilot, an art gallery based in Cochituate, is hosting an exhibit of Captain America drawings by the indie cult-favorite singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston. The artwork's entirely online - the gallery used to have a physical space, but now has retired to the Interwebs, according to their website. From the inbox:

Rick Astley may have seized YouTube for a day, but Weezer's out to condense the whole damn thing into one music video. From the inbox:

"Today, Weezer unveiled the launch of their YouTube channel to coincide with the premier of the band's new music video 'Pork And Beans' on the homepage of YouTube. This is the first time a major label band has featured such a multitude of YouTube celebrities in their video, which include Tay Zonday (Chocolate Rain), Lauren Caitlin Upton (Junior Miss South Carolina), Judson Laipply (Evolution of Dance) being three of more than fifteen YouTube stars making cameos in the video."

DOWNLOAD: Anthems MA, "Bullet" (mp3)

For the most part, it’s less important what a band say they do than what they do. So when local foursome Anthems MA (formerly Anthems for Odyssey) claim to “stretch at the seams of their creative paradigm” to attain “the shimmer and pop of a high-class whore’s lip gloss” — grab that grain of salt, then listen to the newgazy bounty that is “Bullet,” which, along with a handful of other songs available on their MySpace page, is a good indicator of the type of gauzy gusto the group bring to their upcoming full-length debut, Time Starts Now

MAY 20 -- “We meet again,” said Exene Cervenka, greeting the crowd as X took the stage at the sold-out Paradise Tuesday night. She apologized for a “technical difficulties” before the band started — John Doe and couple of roadies were fussing with his bass amp. Exene waited patiently by the mike. “I time my pot-smoking.

Amanda Palmer, "Creep (Radiohead cover, Live at Best Music Poll 2008)"

In only her second show since vocal-cord surgery, Amanda Palmer took the Best Music Poll concert stage to preview a bunch of tunes off her forthcoming solo debut, Who Killed Amanda Palmer?, most of 'em at the piano -- although she began with her patented showstopping ukulele rendition of "Creep" and ended, with Dresden Dolls drummer Brian Viglione on guitar, by howling a cover Neutral Milk Hotel's "Two Headed Boy."

TMZ reports that Rob Lowe -- yes, that Rob Lowe -- was spotted in town farting ("loudly"!) to illustrate what he thinks of the Boston Celtics. Good thing this didn't get out the other night. We shudder to think what would happen if Lowe were to make a return visit to the Garden on Sunday (if necessary, natch), and the Celtics faithful were to reply all at once.

If anyone wants to synch iPod playlists for this, reply in comments or Tweet at us . . .

From Craigslist, via Paul Irish's Tweet:

Boston Common, northwest corner @ Beacon St & Charles St
Friday, May 16
7:19-11:19pm

In the last several months, people in cities around the world (most recently in NY on 4/18) have gathered for silent raves, dancing into the hours of the night to the music of their choice on their personal music players.

DOWNLOAD: Appomattox, "Sparx" (mp3)

One thing we at the Phoenix had sworn never to talk about but have since come to terms with is that we keep this little framed picture of Appomattox under the nightstand. Each night, right before bed, we take it out, gaze at it by moonlight, and release long, girlish sighs.

We knew Bob Mould had gotten his feet wet a few years ago with a brief foray into electronic music and a monthly DJ night, "Blowoff," down in DC. What we hadn't realized is that a) Mould is back to making very Sugar-like rock music, and b) that his DJ tastes have evolved to the point where he's become a huge Paris/Ed Banger fanboy.

It's not glorious enough this week that we're forced to ponder the resurgence of New Kids on the Block -- now Boston is also saddled with an honest-to-goodness Extreme reunion. Couple those two with the announcement of a string of Dropkick Murphys/Bosstones double-bills (at minor-league ballparks, no less) and you've got the greatest week in townie-pop history!

When the ladies of the Phoenix art department came running up to us at Best Music Poll in full-hyperventilation mode, we hoped that their excitement meant that someone had just uncovered a secret stash of drink tickets, or maybe an electric blanket. When we managed to calm them down, they claimed to have spotted Jim Halpert wandering around the venue.

Presidents of the United States of America

Death Cab for Cutie

Amanda Palmer

Bob Mould

Eli "Paperboy" Reed

All photos (c) Carina Mastrocola

It's a wrap: the 2008 Best Music Poll Concert is in the books, and as far as we know, no one died of hypothermia. Fuck, was it cold.