Here's the first trailer for Joss Whedon's new Avengers TV show spin-off, Agents of SHIELD. Marvel-heads will know SHIELD as the government's furtive department for dealing with all things superheroes, but the world-at-large will know it as Whedon's return to the sort of smart, self-aware action/comedy that the now famous director cut his teeth on with fare like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly. Hopefully, this one won't get cancelled before its time. Whedon has a knack for getting cancelled before his time ...

If you're quite finished listening to Daft Punk's deliriously joyous return to form and are in need of something to temper your soul, The National are streaming their new album, Trouble Will Find Me, a week early for your listening pleasure as well. So much free music, all of it gorgeous and all on the same day. Do you believe in miracles? ...

Random Access Memories, which more than one early reviewer has hailed as the album of 2013, is streaming for free over on iTunes. What are you waiting for? ...

As you might expect, this new tune from The National is a heartbreakingly beautiful, solemnly anthemic, soul-expanding epic. What you might not expect is a little boy air guitaring, but life is full of surprises ... Update: Apparently, it's a tribute to this video, whatever in the world it is. Thanks for the tip, @shawnroller.

Based on the dearly beloved, immensely impressive 1985 Orson Scott Card novel, Gavin Hood's film adaptation has the book's legions of fans on the edge of their seats as only film adaptations of dearly beloved novels can do. Can a movie live up to the book's almost impossibly high standards? Is it possible to tell if a book lives up to impossibly high standards based on the trailer? Should you even go see this movie? Discuss in the comments, maybe ...

Vampire Weekend returns with their third effort, Vampires of the Modern City, and you can stream the whole thing for free over on iTunes. If you're not a fan of Vampire Weekend, this album probably won't win you over. It's wrought with much the same candy-coated melodies and ten-dollar words as their previous two albums. If, however, you find the Brooklyn quartet's stylings winsome, you'll feel right at home in this particular city. Got it? It's not a good album for Vampire Weekend haters, but it's a great album for their fans. Listen accordingly ...