It’s been a busy day for news on the internet — it’s finally legal to talk about the Head and the Heart’s hookup with Sub Pop, we’re due for a three hour mini-snowpocalypse, everyone’s a-buzz about the show at the Fremont Abbey tonight, and John Roderick is organizing a tweetup somewhere in the depths of central Florida.

While we break the rest of it down for you in easily-digestible one-post chunks, here’s two favorites out of our seventeen favorite things that happened today: Okkervil River and Telekinesis both have new material out, which we’re streaming on repeat courtesy of The Internet. Both are about to drop new albums, both (fingers crossed on the former) are gearing up to tour in the near future, and both tracks make us squee! with excitement at what they’re about to dish us next.

Exhibit A: Okkervil River last night on Jimmy Fallon.

Pictured above at MFNW 2010, Will and Patrick (and the rest of the crew, along with AC Newman and a few members of the Roots) brought the house down last night on Jimmy Fallon, where they played a new song called “Wake and Be Fine” off of I Am Very Far {due out in May on Jagjaguwar}. The song’s indie.waltz backbone marries perfectly Will Sheff’s urgent, melodic vocals for that hopeful, new-era anthematic sound we’ve come to expect from the ladies and gents of OKR. It was downright exciting! (Really. We were clapping at our desks.) Head on over to the Jagjaguwar site to catch “Wake and Be Fine” for yourself and live the joy with us.

Exhibit B: Telekinesis on NPR.

Okkervil River’s new album won’t be out until May, but we’ve only got about a month to go before Telekinesis gives us their latest effort. It’s called 12 Desperate Straight Lines and by the sounds of today’s track, “You Turn Clear in the Sun,” it’s gonna be good. You can listen to the song over at NPR’s All Songs Considered blog, where Robin Hilton sums our thoughts (and fractured hearts) up beautifully:

My music library isn’t for the faint of heart.  If your will to live isn’t what it used to be, or you’re prone to depressive episodes, then you should probably stay away from most of the admittedly gloomy songs and albums in my collection.

That said, I make a huge exception for the music of Telekinesis.  Michael Benjamin Lerner, the only permanent member of Telekinesis, makes unabashedly joyful pop music.  His songs are full of warmth and beauty and soar into rainbow colored areas I don’t normally tread. […] But even when Lerner sings about heartache and loss and longing, he manages to make it feel like a good ride.

Exactly. And PS, be sure to dig on those great pics of Michael Lerner by Seattle’s very own Kyle Johnson! Nice work all around.

{Okkervil River photo courtesy of Victoria VanBruinisse. Telekinesis graphic courtesy of NPR / Merge Records.}