Midlake with a video for their song “Chasing After Deer”,  which originally appeared on their 2006 album, The Trials of Van Occupanther. A beautiful Friday afternoon track.

Sam Quinn, currently of Sam Quinn and the Japan 10 and ex- Everybodyfields, has just sent us 4 original drawings that we have added to our new online alterna-merch store, Sake of the Song. He is selling the drawings for only $20 a pop. That’s a steal for original artwork, especially by someone as talented as Mr. Quinn. Click here to see the drawings. Also, last week a reader asked if Sam did all of the Everybodyfield’s artwork. The answer is yes. He did all of their artwork, we well as the artwork for his new record which will be released in the coming months via Ramseur Records.

Sindri Mar Sigfussion,  who makes music under the name Sin Fang Bous and is also a founding member of the Icelandic band Seabear, has just sent us 10 original paintings that we have added to our new online alterna-merch store, Sake of the Song. Click here to check them out. Products from Sam Quinn (ex- Everybodyfields), Entrance Band and Fire on Fire are coming soon.

- The best thing I’ve seen all week: You Ain’t No Picasso has a clip of the Beatles performing a portion of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 1963. George is the moonlight, Ringo is the lion, Paul is Pyramus and John is the fair maiden Thisbe.
- Aquarium Drunkard has the new Bonnie “Prince” Billy music video for the tune “How About Thank You.”
- The Rising Storm has put together a brilliant free podcast that features tunes by Levon Helm, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Poco and more.
- Another podcast worth checking out is up at Tony Tost’s America. It features tunes by the Delmore Brothers, Bobbie Gentry, Son House, George Jones and more.
- For the Beatles remastered motherload, check out Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers.

If you just can’t wait another week to hear the Cave Singer’s latest record, Welcome Joy (due August 18th via Matador Records), you’re in luck. The folks over at Rhapsody are streaming the record in its entirety for free. Click here to give it a listen. The band’s also gearing up for a North American tour next month. Check out the tour dates after the jump.

The Cave Singers Tour Dates
* w/ Lightning Dust

8/18 Seattle Washington Easy Street Records Instore * RECORD RELEASE SHOW
9/5 Vancouver BC Bitmore Cabaret
9/7 Seattle WA Bumbershoot
9/11 Minneapolis MN 400 Bar*
9/12 Chicago IL Schubas*
9/13 Detroit MI Magic Stick*
9/14 Toronto ONT Horseshoe Tavern*
9/15 Montreal QC Il Motore*
9/16 Northampton MA Iron Horse Music Hall*
9/17 Boston MA TT The Bears*
9/19 New York NY Bowery Ballroom*
9/20 Philadelphia PA Johnny Brenda’s*
9/21 Washington DC The Black Cat*
9/23 Memphis TN Hi-Tone*
9/24 Birmingham AL The Bottletree*
9/26 Austin TX The Mohawk*
9/29 Phoenix AZ Modified*
9/30 Las Vegas NV The Beauty Bar*
10/1 Los Angeles CA The Echo*
10/2 San Diego CA Casbah*
10/3 Merced CA The Partisan*
10/5 Santa Cruz CA The Crepe Place*
10/6 San Francisco CA The Independent*
10/16 Portland OR Mississippi Studios
10/17 Seattle WA Neumos

- Pitchfork has a piece about Bob Dylan recording a Christmas album (?!). Apparently he’s already recorded the following tracks: “Must Be Santa”, “Here Comes Santa Claus”, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”, and “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”
-High Noon Saloon and A Truer Sound recently did a mixtape exchange on their sites. A Truer Sound made one called Smothered, Covered, and Peppered that features covers of classic country tunes by David Allan Coe, Johnny Cash and the Old 97s. In return, High Noon Saloon made a mix called Waffles the Shape of Texas, which features covers by Vetiver, Uncle Tupelo, Feist and more.
- The Rising Storm has a nice entry on Goose Creek Symphony and features two tracks from their record Established 1970. Check out their version of “A Satisfied Mind”. It’s mighty fine.
- Stark Online shares the news that Dr Dog is leaving Park The Van, signing with Anti- Records and recording their next record with mega record producer Rob Schnapf (Beck, Foo Fighters, Elliott Smith). Crazy.
- The Music Slut announces that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is set to produce a pair of concerts featuring Simon & Garfunkel, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Friends, Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin and more.

AA Bondy- When The Devil’s Loose (from When The Devil’s Loose out Sept 1 via Fat Possum)

Monsters of Folk- Say Please (from Monsters of Folk out Sept 22 via Shangri-La Music)

Duke and the King- The Morning I Get To Hell (out Aug 4th via Ramseur Records)

Avett Brothers- I & Love & You (from I & Love & You out Sept 29 via Ramseur Records)

Cave Singers- Beach House (from Welcome Joy out Aug 18 via Matador Records)

Big Surprise Tour with Old Crow Medicine Show, Dave Rawlings Machine featuring Gillian Welch, The Felice Brothers and Justin Townes Earle

Old Crow Medicine Show- Caroline (from Tennessee Pusher out now on Nettwerk)

-You Ain’t No Picasso has a bootleg performance of Robin Pecknold (Fleet Foxes) performing at Neumo’s on 7/11/09. He does covers of Neutral Milk Hotel, Bob Dylan, BB King, Magnetic Fields and Fleetwood Mac.
- Big Rock Candy Mountain is currently offering up a devilish mixtape called Satan is Real. The mix features tunes by The Louvin Brothers, Uncle Tupelo, Robert Johnson, Del Reeves and many more.
- I Guess I’m Floating has Monster of Folk’s first single called “Say Please” from their upcoming record (out September 22nd via Shangri-La Music). MOF is the collaboration between Conor Oberst, M. Ward, and Jim James.
- LA Blogotheque has a beautiful video of Tunng performing “Bodies” while sailing around in a boat.

We’re starting a new column here at When You Awake called Block Party where we plan to highlight some of our favorite things going on in the blogoshpere every Friday. On to Week One:

-Moshcam is featuring a video of Justin Townes Earle performing live at the Anandale Hotel on November 25, 2008. They have his whole show up there. Thanks to High Noon Saloon for the head’s up!
-One of my favorite new blogs, Ponderosa Pine, is featuring pics of an amazing series of State themed boots from 1949. I dig Montana and North Dakota.
- LA Record has a great interview with the Moondoggies, who we completely fell in love with at their July 4th show at Spaceland.
- East Bound Down is a new full album blog I recently came across which boasts records from the Traveling Wilburys, The Highwaymen, Vern Gosdin, Canned Heat and more.
-Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright has the new Yim Yames (aka Jim James) Tribute To George Harrison record.
-Our friend Richard at PieaDay has a Sour Cream Peach Pie that looks mouthwateringly delicious.
-Truer Sources of Sound has a nice little newspiece about Ticketmaster getting fined up to $50,000 for ticket fraud. Take that Ticketmaster!