Our picks of the East and West Coasts really have no rhyme or reason this go-round – not when it comes to their performances, of course, but when it comes to our having chosen them. You never know what might pique your interest. Check out our particular interests below:

• Lenka | Friday, November 13 | 7:30 pm | $12 | 21+ | Mercury Lounge, New York, NY – Map | You’ve likely heard of her but you likely haven’t heard of her, either – the joy of subtle yet memorable music. The sultry Australian beauty/singer/actress whose tracks “Trouble is a Friend” and “The Show” from her 2008 self-titled debut have made their rounds on international television waves, will be sharing the evening with Colin Smith of Mr. North – Buy Tickets

• The Raveonettes | Friday, November 13 | 8:30 pm | $20 | Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre, Hollywood, CA – Map | Three albums later and The Raveonettes relish in the wiggle room of style/genre they have bestowed upon themselves, which, aside from a fair night’s sleep, is one of the most important gifts a band could treat self to. The result is an edgy, forward-facing approach to rock in the form of recent release In and Out of Control – its track “Last Dance” possibly being more electric a track than expected. With the Crocodiles – Buy Tickets

• The Holiday Electric | Saturday, November 14 | 7:00 pm | 21+ | Arlene’s Grocery, New York, NY – Map | For a local band, The Holiday Electric knows how to carry its weight with glittering, often optimistic-sounding tracks masquerading as anything but, especially when appearing on a bill of at least five other acts. Their recently released self-titled debut album is up for grabs for free or whatever you choose to donate on their Myspace; should you like, spread the word. With Graph, Sputnik Sweetheart, Left Me Bashful, and much more – Call (212) 995-1652 for more info.

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The New Moon soundtrack has been announced, and it couldn’t be any more different from the first one! We knew it was going to have an indie sound, but this is just ridiculous! Ridiculous in a good way, anyway.

We had known about Thom Yorke, Bon Iver, Band of Skulls, and Death Cab For Cutie but who knew the Bon Iver track was going to be a duet with St. Vincent! Others that were recently suspected and now confirmed are The Killers, Grizzly Bear, and Stephanie Meyer’s muse, Muse.

Although one part of us is surprised that indie darlings, Anya Marina and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, are also in the mix, another part says this makes sense. A few of these artists are somehow associated with Alexandra Patsavas’ label, Chop Shop, or her close friends, Nettwerk Music Group. Check out the full track list below and tell us what you think!

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Forget about Thom Yorke; that’s old news! The word is out: Death Cab For Cutie‘s song, “Meet Me on the Equinox” will be the first single from the New Moon soundtrack!

Twilight author, Stephanie Meyers, has just posted the cover art for the soundtrack (above) and stated that Death Cab’s song has been chosen by Atlantic Records and well-known music supervisor, Alex Patsavas. The single will premiere on MTV.com on September 13th, which is the same day as the MTV Video Music Awards.

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We’ve picked out favorite artists of the week. Now it’s your turn to pick yours!

Is it the saucy tambourines and heartbreaking vocals of Band of Skulls (listen here)? Do you prefer the alt-rock sounds of the five Hanks who also go by the name of A Rooster for the Masses (listen here)? How about the increasingly popular pop-punk rockers, Valencia (listen here)? Or is it the collective sound of indie rockers, The New Pornographers (listen here) that does it for you?

The number one voted artist will receive a special BeatCrave feature at the end of the month. So support your favorite band and vote for them in our BeatCrave Fav Poll!

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Band of Skulls remind me of the late 80s/early 90s rock n’ roll bands that I use to watch on television as a kid; their crazy-messy hair, black apparel and the way they manage to grace the stage with such strong sex appeal. This Brit-band originated in 2008 and recently debuted their album Baby Darling Dollface Honey, which turned out to be a delicious dish of great music. The vocals trade off between lead guitarist Russell Marsden and bassist Emma Richardson with drummer-boy Matt Hayward at the rear. I was lucky enough to discover this rock n’ roll trio during an opening act for Metric one Monday night at the Wiltern, and I was flabbergasted by their performance.

The truth is not many bands can deliver that sexy appeal, not only by the way they move on stage, but by the way their music sounds. Marsden’s electric guitar solos have spunk and just make you want to rock out and dance as if you were seducing a lover. But for you much more mellow folks (and believe me, I am) Band of Skulls will also satisfy you by giving in to saucy tambourines and heartbreaking vocals. Band of Skulls gave an amazing performance and that is how I knew they deserved to be a Beatcrave Fav. If you haven’t heard of them, then it’s time you did because you won’t want miss one of their shows the next time this sexy band is in town. Check them out in our Beatcrave Fav series below!

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Whenever I buy a new CD, I feel so powerful because [it] belongs to me. Trust me when I tell you that even when you buy downloads on Amazon, or iTunes, the feeling is not the same because you don’t have the packaging of the music you bought. Although downloading is very convenient, there is no feeling like tearing apart that CD wrapper and looking through the art in the booklet. So dear readers here is another cheap DVDs series to keep you happy and save you time because we know you’re busy.

Take a look at our great finds …

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