SOTC roots for the home team. So does Impose Magazine's Jeremy Krinsley.

Vivian Girls get mauled by a bear!?!

Vampire Weekend continue to rule the known universe, claiming their third night at the cavernous Terminal 5 after selling out their first two. They also won a Q Award for one of their music videos in the UK, appeared on the soundtrack of Nick and Norah, bailed on Obama, and snuck into the 7th inning of the National League Playoffs.

Vivian Girls could be them next year this time. When you start playing gigs on boats, you know things are looking up. Their record release show at Silent Barn is on Saturday, they put out their first video last week, and Pitchfork already handed them off one of those Best New Music thingys.

The valedictorians of Brooklyn's class of 2002, TV on the Radio, share some special moments with Jools Holland on the heels of their latest, critically drooled-upon LP, Dear Science. Rather then releasing a few music videos and moving on to the long tour ahead, the band continues posting adorable webisodes. Also, notable dude Tunde Adebimpe covered Neil Young for Rachel Getting Married.

Grizzly Bear's Daniel Rossen has quietly maintained a second band since 2001, when he formed Department of Eagles with a college roommate. This week's release of In Ear Park features a slew of New Yorkers, including most of Grizzly Bear, as well as Dirty Projectors' Angel Deradoorian. Conan digs. Pitchfork is into it (duh). We also like their name. As a memory-jogging tool for future VP Sara Palin.

Speaking of side-projects, the Strokes continue to splinter off into other, worthless exercises in rehash-rock, one of which is playing soon. Little Joy is a really cool band on Rough Trade (sigh) that happens to have Fabrizio Moretti as one of its member. The Mercury Lounge announced a show with the trio in November. Drew won't be there.

More than a year ago, people got excited about Marnie Stern's Kill Rock Stars debut, In Advance of the Broken Arm. Then they stopped caring. This week, she resurfaced south of East 66th Street with a new video, and a new album that rivals Fiona Apple's When the Pawn... for longest title ever. (This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That.) The love has returned. And while she's still played a live gig at Silent Barn last week with an iPod, wait for CMJ, when she returns with a full band.

ALSO

CMJ is around the corner and the bigger, better unofficial parties are beginning to crop up. DFA is taking over Santos Party House, the Bowery has announced a slew of ridiculous lineups and Ohmyrockness is filling us in on the rest. More of these developments to come.

VH1 shows its love for hip-hop, a genre it discovered in 2005.

Antony has a big week with the release of Antony and the Johnsons' Another World EP and the resulting celebration of said release with what can only be referred to as a soirée.

HR from Bad Brains announces a solo outing, upcoming dates.

Fucked Up test your devotion to balls-to-the-wall hardcore with plans for a 12-hour gig at a fancy boutique in NoLiTa.

Golden Triangle, a gnarly art punk outfit with a penchant for shock performance art, costumes, and photo-ops with Atlanta indie icons, released a biting track based off of Lord Tennyson's "Charge of the Light Brigade."

Remember Ratatat? They put out a new video.

Remember Lou Reed? He's on the TV in your internet!

Brooklyn scenesters Lidia Stone release Loud Birth EP jammed with amped-up power-punk.

Local lo-fi favorites Crystal Stilts released a jangly love letter to Phil Spector in their new track "Shattered Shine".

Anti-hipster sentiments grow at big hipster dance party. Somehow this is related to that shitty condo going up behind your railroad apartment.

Dead Oceans re-releases These Are Powers' Taro Tarot and Terrific Seasons, formerly released on HOSS.

Raphael Saadiq gets us all nostalgic at S.O.B.'s.

Sasha Frere-Jones hosted The New Yorker Festival's dance party with Megasoid and Ghislain Poirier.

Pop-collagists High Places go camping, eat spring rolls, sneeze, draw on napkins, visit Dinosaur Land, continue touring with Ponytail! What? Welcome to the internet, gramps.

The Bell House, spawn of Union Hall, brings Gowanus a few indie rock shows closer to Park Slope real estate values.

Classy local indie starlets Jealous Girlfriends go sultry for a new video.

The lukewarm debate over the house where hip hop was born peters along like so many community board meetings.

Afrobeat squad Antibalas play in a tent on a river.

Space jammers Skeletons release Money. Purveyors of hacky-sacks eye hipster profits.