The Newport Folk Festival is an annual pilgrimage for lovers of this music. It is a magical weekend on the water were audiences are privy to legends like Pete Seeger and new generation masters like Chris Thile and Michael Daves. I lament that I am not there to partake this year, but NPR and the tech savvy crowd aren't leaving much to the imagination. This impromptu video of an impromptu performance is a choice example of the organic happenings that can happen there. The duo was joined by the Seeger Clogging Allstars in this performance of the Rocky Road Blues. Fun is the key word – fun for the musicians and fun for the crowd. It also doesn't hurt that the world's preeminent bluegrass mandolin player is there to throw down and make it look easy.

Mayer Hawthorne's released a video for his single "A Long Time". The video is spliced together footage, YouTube style of a 1970's Detroit dance show. Mayer himself doesn't grace the screen, but his smooth jam syncs up great to the ridiculous (and ridiculously dressed) hip shakers.

(Via P4K)

File this under: Too Damn Good Not To Post. Seth Avett graces the world with an acoustic version of Billy Joel's classic "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)". You know, the heart attack-ack-ack-ack-ack one. As always with the brothers Avett, it's filled with heart, soul, and little to no irony.

(Big cheers to When You Awake)

Mining the back catalogue of The A.V. Club's excellent Undercover series I came across this gem that I somehow missed. The final song remaining in the last round of covers was R.E.M's "Driver 8" and it fell by default to The Walkmen. For not actually choosing the song, Hamilton Leithauser and Co. crank out one hell of a cover. They inject just enough of The Walkmen sound to make it feel like it could easily be placed on any of their albums while staying very true to the original. Leithauser even lets the spirit of Stipe inhabit him with a little shoulder dancing action.