Above YouTube-age captured Saturday night at the Midway Cafe in JP, where the former 'Mats/GNR bassist jumped onstage with the Figgs and blasted through a couple covers, including the Who and the Undertones. According to Nick Blakey -- whose Facebook post alerted us to the existence of said video -- Dave Pirner was there, too.

Lord knows what happens to this embed after the lease runs out at Pitchfork's "One Week Only," but for the time being, we highly urge you to check out a show that Neutral Milk Hotel fans will recognize as Mangum's finest existing official bootleg. Live at Jittery Joe's, shot by indie filmmaker Lance Bangs (hubby of Sleater-Kinney's Corin Tucker), includes solo renditions of NMH classics like "Two Headed Boy," "Oh Comely," and "Gardenhead," as well as an oddball cover (the Phil Spector oldie "I Love How You Love Me"), the unreleased "I Will Bury You In Time," and our favorite NMH obscurity -- the children's song "I Am An Engine."

More photos here.

I recall reading something local-music guru Shred said about how people tend to go see their friends’ bands and neglect all else. Even as a semi-professional music scribe, I have a similar bad habit — which is one reason I’ve written multiple features and reviews on the exquisite riot-folk contraption that is the Swaggerin’ Growlers.

If I tried to write about every one of the 30-or-so rappers set to collectively slap Unity Fest at The Paradise next Thursday, I wouldn’t have time to fuck around on Facebook and Twitter all day. It would also be a waste of time considering how much I’ve already written about so many of the marquee artists.

This week in the pages of the Boston Phoenix and online at thephoenix.com...

Richard Beck talks to Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear as his band tries to ride the positive buzz on Veckatimest to a breakout beyond the blogosphere.

Daniel Brockman discusses cleaning up with Amanda Blank, and offers his favorite Philly rap jams

^{The Charlatans UK}

ON SALE MAY 29

The 2009 Leedz B-day Bash featuring Rite Hook | July 11 at Middle East upstairs, Cambridge | $10 advance/$13 day-of | On sale Friday, May 29, at 10 am | //www.ticketmaster.com

Hollywood Undead | July 21 at Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, Hampton Beach, NH | $21 | On sale Friday, May 29, at 10 am | //www.

READ: Smashing Success: The New Collisions start things off right. By Barry Thompson.

WFNX New England Product Playlist:

1. The New Collisions, "No Free Ride" (mp3)
2. Hallelujah the Hills, "No Passports"
3. Wheat, "Living 2 Die Vs Dying 2 Live"
4. Math the Band, "Why Didn't You Get a Haircut?"
5. The Daily Pravda, "Terrified"

Bowerbirds, "Northern Lights" (mp3)
Bowerbirds hail from Raleigh, North Carolina, and their country-folk style seems like the kind of thing you'd expect to hear in the Appalachian wilderness. The lead singer's voice reminds me a little bit of a different musical Bird. They played T. T.'s last month; if, like me, you slept on it, catch them when they come back around in the summer.

^{Bespa Kumamero}

Every year, teenage otaku from all over New England swarm the Hynes Convention Center for Anime Boston, an orgy of Japanese anime, manga, and video games (or pretty much anything involving adorable characters with enormous leaky eyes) that prides itself on being the largest anime convention in the Northeast.

Former Boston Phoenix staffer JAMES PARKER -- who now covers SpongeBob for some up-market liberal rag you may have heard of -- has been tapped for inclusion in DaCapo's DANCING ABOUT ARCHITECTURE WITH THE STARS BEST MUSIC WRITING 2009, an annual book-length compendium that's become, next to free Radiohead tickets, the rock critic's highest professional honor.

Kicking Ourselves Dept.: The National played in town this past Saturday, and I totally slept on it. "What's the point?" I thought. "They're not doing anything new or anything like that."

Well, joke's on me, clearly, as they did play two new songs at the House of Blues. Above is video of one songs, "The Runaway," done at Studio Q in Canada.

It turns out we're not the only people who wished, at some point during a show by the Dents or the Downbeat 5, that Jen D'Angora would someday get a shot at a solo career outside of garage-punk. Her new band/moniker, under the flag of JENNY DEE AND THE DEELINQUENTS, is a stroke of genius: if you didn't know her other bands you'd likely make comparisons to the wave of British female singers (Adele, Winehouse) who've taken up the mantle of '60s soul.

When we heard PINK was spending half her new tour singing upside down while hanging from a trapeze, we ran right over to Britney's house to make sure she hadn't exploded with envy. (Too late: Federline was in the living room, Swiffering up the remains of his ex-wife's ego.) Now that American Idol's over, the Funhouse Tour is pretty much all we're going to be thinking about for the next six months.

Full disclosure first: DJ Slim has gotten me stoned on numerous occasions. The most recent time was at his crib, which is only about one mile - or a half-hour, if you're driving after a session with his bubbler - away from my apartment. Just thought I would get that out of the way.

For those who don't know, Slim first gained quasi-fame in the Bean and elsewhere with his epic "Pussy Licker" song and video (if you've never seen it, take a few moments right now, unless you're at work).