Today's Hotness: Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Yo La Tengo, Handsome Furs

>> Stereogum here relays details of the new Daytrotter session with Bonnie "Prince" Billy. The session includes our all-time favorite Palace jam "New Partner," from what must be the best album of 1995, the astonishingly good Viva Last Blues. The Elvis Presley/Willie Nelson influence on the song is patently obvious, but would you believe Mr. Oldham claims there are elements of Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box" in the tune as well? We'll have to listen to it again. Check out the session here, and make sure to read Daytrotter Sean's thoughtful and amusing interview with Will.

>> We've been neglecting our Beat Your Ass Season Pass, the Matador promo vehicle for the forthcoming Yo La Tengo record that streets Sept. 12. We've neglected it to such an extent that we didn't know until this afternoon about the video wall, a series of clips of various people saying "I am not afraid of you and I will beat your ass." While that is funny in and of itself, and while promoting our friend's work smacks of non-objectivity, we have to say our friend The Good Doctor's clip is hysterical. Check it out here or at YouTube here.

>> This was news to us: according to this interview at BrooklynVegan, Wolf Parade's Dan Boeckner has a new side project called Handsome Furs that purportedly sounds like Jesus And Mary Chain. Handsome Furs is currently recording its debut in a studio Wolf Parade recently built in an apartment formerly inhabited by Arcade Fire's Win and Regine. Additionally, if you'd care to see Wolf Parade play a festival show, your opportunities may be dwindling. The band has been pondering swearing off large festivals after fulfilling such commitments in Austin, Texas and Iceland.

>> Three more new Pernice Brothers tunes are now streaming at the band's web site here. The songs are "PCH One," "Zero Refills" and "Microscopic View." The first tune is apparently about the erstwhile popular television program "CHiPs." Remember when people used to watch TV? That was cute.

>> Northampton, Mass.-based folk rockers Winterpills are in the midst of recording their second set, according to the band's MySpace. The band began sessions Aug. 29 with five songs and is already up to 17. Winterpills plan to post a video diary of sorts documenting the recording at its site in the near future. The act next take the stage Sept. 16 supporting Vashti Bunyan in Shelburne Falls, MA. More details at the band's MySpace dojo and web site.

>> Speaking of Western Mass., a MySpace bulletin from sublime indie poppers Surefire Broadcast informs us of the forthcoming Popfest! New England 2006. The three-day event takes place Oct. 6-8 in Northampton, where we attended the Loud Music Festival for a few years running in the early- and mid-'90s. Other acts performing include Human Television, Palomar, Bunnygrunt and The Snow Fairies. A three-day pass for all the shows runs $30, which sounds like a pretty great deal. Check out the full line-up and other details here.