So without further ado, here’s a little snippet of MGMT’s forthcoming album, ‘Congratulations’, which is due out April 13th via Sony/Columbia.

Take A Listen: Flash Delirium from MGMT

Download: Flash Delirium (Right click on link and select “Save Target As” in IE or “Save Link As” in Firefox)

Update: Apparently “Flash Delirium” will not be a track on their forthcoming album.

MGMT’s Ben Goldwasser gave Spinner the scoop behind “Flash Delirium” with the following explanation: “When we first wrote that song, we were laughing so hard [...]Andrew [VanWyngarden] just reminded me of that, that we thought it was the funniest thing we’d ever heard. And then we got used to it, it started to sound more normal. It’s not a single, but we thought it was a good way to entice people to listen to the whole record. I’m sure there are plenty of people who think it’s completely weird and not what they were expecting [...] I’m sorry [...] We’re trying to come to grips with that world. It’s not our world. We don’t feel comfortable in it. But we didn’t want to make that typical second album either, about fame. So we’re definitely observing it, as opposed to revelling in it.”

There is the second annual fundraiser, ‘Harvest of Hope Foundation Music and Arts Festival’, which takes place on March 12-14th and located at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds in St. Augustine, Florida.  The line-up includes bands such as: Freelance Whales, Bear in Heaven, Dr. Dog, Broken Social Scene, The Mountain Goats, Rogue Wave, Anti-Flag, Sea Wolf, Delta Spirit, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Dead Confederate, A Wilhelm Scream, Portugal. the Man…and more.  Check out the lineup here.

Than there is ‘Foburg’, the music festival organized by The New Orleans Indie Rock Collective that takes place on March 12-14th at Frenchmen St in New Orleans.  The line-up includes bands such as: Caddywhompus, My Name Is John Michael, Sun Hotel, The Pharmacy, The Bears of Blue River, The Blue Party, Silent Cinema, Brass Bed…and more. Check out the lineup here.

So if you’re heading to SXSW maybe you can stretch your belly with one of these festivals, and if you’re not descending upon the city of Austin on the 17th, perhaps you can fulfill your appetite with either Foburg or Harvest of Hope.

Take A Listen: Stranger from Dr. Dog

Download: Stranger (Right click on link and select “Save Target As” in IE or “Save Link As” in Firefox)

Dr. Dog – MySpace

Minus The Bear’s forthcoming album, ‘Omni’, will hit stores on May 4th via Dangerbird Records.

Take A Listen: My Time from Minus The Bear

If you are unable to download the track through the band’s site, you can get it right here. Download: My Time (Right click on link and select “Save Target As” in IE or “Save Link As” in Firefox)

My first impression of ‘The Monitor’: this is much more palatable than its predecessor, my second thought: man, some of these tracks are freakin long.  Without liner notes and the inability to make out 60% of the lyrics, I only recently found out ‘The Monitor’ was a Civil War concept album… perhaps the track “Four Score And Seven” should have tipped me off.  While I don’t have the attention span to listen to the album from start to finish, I’ve been enjoying it in small bits and pieces.

‘The Monitor’ hits stores tomorrow (March 9th) via XL.

Take A Listen: A More Perfect Union from Titus Andronicus

Download: A More Perfect Union (Right click on link and select “Save Target As” in IE or “Save Link As” in Firefox)

Download: Dumb Dadadum (Right click on link and select “Save Target As” in IE or “Save Link As” in Firefox)