Blogcritics Goodie Bag: mtvU Woodie Awards, The Goo Goo Dolls, k-os, Gob Iron, and Indiestore Picks

The 2006 mtvU Woodie Awards debuted on November 2nd at 8pm ET — premiering simultaneously on mtvU, mtvU.com and Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition PCs and Media Center Extenders, including the Xbox 360. Timed to the simulcast, the entire show premiered on demand at mtvU.com – giving viewers the power to experience every moment in whatever order they wish, "remix" it, save it to their set-list and e-mail it to their friends. The show was filmed on October 25 at Roseland Ballroom in New York City and featured performances by Beck, TV on the Radio, Gym Class Heroes, Imogen Heap, and appearances by Lupe Fiasco, the Subways, Ghostface, 30 Seconds to Mars, Slug of Atmosphere, Plain White T's, Lady Sovereign and more. You can still watch the show and exclusive online extras.

The Goo Goo Dolls released Let Love In back in April, and they've been touring all over ever since then. Somehow they found time to film a video for the title track, which has been on MySpace for a while, and you can stream it here, too (lo|med|hi). The video was filmed in Los Angeles and directed by P.R. Brown (Death Cab For Cutie, Billy Corgan, Audioslave).

Virgin Records artist k-os has completed his third album, Atlantis – Hymns for Disco, for early 2007 release in the U.S. Already a platinum-plus artist in his native Canada, k-os arrives at U.S. alternative and pop radio as a confirmed rule-breaker. With this deeply expressive new album, k-os claims a place among such genre-blending, out-of-the-box visionaries as the Beastie Boys, Beck, Gnarls Barkley, Lupe Fiasco and OutKast. The first video from the album, "ELEctrik HeaT – the seekwiLL" (lo|hi) has been added to VH-1 Soul's playlist as a "Soul Spotlight" video, receiving nearly 100 spins in its first week and 50 power rotation spins the next.

Gob Iron, a new collaboration between Jay Farrar and Anders Parker, have launched with the release of their first CD, Death Songs For The Living, last week. Employing what Pete Seeger once dubbed "the folk process," Farrar and Parker have re-imagined songs by the likes of Stephen Foster, the Stanley Brothers, the Rev. JM Gates and others, interpolating elements of other traditional pieces as well as writing new, sometimes highly personal lyrics, so that the results sound both ancient and immediate, bringing a new layer of authenticity to the material. Listen to two tracks from the album: "Death's Black Train Is Coming" and "Buzz & Grind"

This week's Indiestore picks selected by former NME and Rolling Stone journalist Neil Mason:

• Al-Catraz "Assess Your Life (re-edit)" – Bristol-based producer Al-Catraz has found favour among the night-time Radio One cognosenti and here you'll see why. Inspired samples fronted by rhymes that come on like Eminem meets The Streets. How can you go wrong?
• Cheap Dates "Sodium Lights" – Blimey. "Sodium Lights" is a bit of a treat. It's really not what you're expecting at all when it starts with its drifty lone voice. It's sort of alt country, but with some very welcome extra umph. The other tracks are well worth an earful while you're at it.
• Emporium "Don't Be Alarmed" – A store that looks this gaudy shouldn't be serving up such gentle retro pop. That they hail from Edinburgh in Scottish Scotland is very much in evidence. They have a real charm which owes much to the city's finest musical son, Davey Henderson. Ones to watch.
• Paul Dixon "Old Man" – From Ealing in West London comes a delicate talent in the shape of Mr Paul Dixon and his so gentle it's almost not there songwriting. "Old Man" is the only track on his store so far, and it's free. Well worth a few minutes of anyone's time we'd say.
• The Chrysalids "Too Lucky To Listen" – The line-up reads like a whos who of the old skool indie, the story is a sad tale of right tunes wrong time. Maybe this time round they'll fair better – on the strength of their Bunnymen meets Orange Juice songsmithery they should do.
• Mivvi "Heavens Above" – There's something of the Feeder about these Midland's rockers who have some support from Kerrang already in the bag. With a bit more polish you wouldn't be half surprised if you heard more from Mivvi in the future.
• Chik Budo "83 Shot" – Punk jazz disco they claim and who are we to argue. A solid groove is ridden over roughshod by wonky keys pumping and skwonky sax parping. The kitchen sink probably isn't too far away. Fun for all the family.