Check It. 'Stroked' [The Monday Download].

Warning: this post will probably make you feel very old.

The Strokes' Is This It is now officially a decade old. TEN years. !!! It's been ten years since you first heard those oh so familiar and now oh so classic first chords of "Last Nite," ten years since Julian Casablancas oh so distinct mumble-drawl caught your ears, ten years since you couldn't get this New York, too cool for school, leather jacket- and skinny jean-wearing dudes out of your brain. A lot has been said about the garage rock revival that The Strokes helped to revolutionize those years ago, and a lot more has been said about what has happened to them since.

But neither here nor there, it's time to reminisce. Or maybe even better -- pay tribute. Stereogum's put together another one of their cover compilations, this time honoring none other than Is This It. And as usual, they've got some pretty great names and bands contributing, from Real Estate to The Morning Benders to Peter Bjorn and John to Owen Pallett. Everyone's got their own feelings about cover songs, but either way, they do serve their purpose: making you rethink the original in a new and fresh way. And the notes the musicians gave on The Strokes and their songs are pretty interesting as well.

Worth your time and listen -- at least until you're ready to spin the original again. Listen and download here.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. The Office's "Seasons of Michael" [The Monday Download].

Even if you haven't been keeping up with The Office for the past couple of seasons, you undoubtedly have heard that main cast member Steve Carell is leaving at the end of this season. And while the show's had its on and off moments since season 3, the writers have absolutely been doing a great job sending off Carell this season.

And so far, it's been best shown with this moment.

Steve Carell as Michael Scott signs off of The Office this Thursday on NBC in an extended episode beginning at 9pm.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. Panda Bear's "Tomboy" [The Monday Download].

Like his main gig, Animal Collective, Panda Bear's solo music is pretty weird. It's experimental, ethereal, filled with strange noises. And yet, it also somehow manages to be catchy. There were many moments in Panda Bear's debut album, Person Pitch, that I felt reminded of the pop experimentalist nature of The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. (It also helps that he has a voice that can reach up nearly as high as Brian Wilsons's).

The indie music community has been long awaiting the sophomoric release, and it's finally here. Although set to officially be released April 12th, NPR is streaming the entire album, named Tomboy, for free on its website. Check it out now, and give me your thoughts.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. JR's TED Talk [The Monday Download].

We've mentioned TED Talks here on the BEAT before, and now I've got another great example of how inspiring these sessions can be. The latest conference just occurred in Long Beach, and presented the "TED Prize" to French street artist JR. The TED Prize awards one person $10,000 to help fulfill "One Wish to Change the World" -- past winners have included Bill Clinton, Bono and Dave Eggers.

And JR's wish is pretty unique, but truly inspiring and beautiful nonetheless. Check it out below, and make sure to make your contribution to changing the world.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. Radiohead's "Lotus Flower" [The Monday Download].

So Radiohead surprised us all again by releasing their newest album, King of Limbs, a day earlier than expected. So if you haven't had the record on repeat all weekend, it's time to start. Download for $9 (a steal! -- it's Radiohead, after all) here.

And be sure not to miss out on this ever-mesmerizing video for first single, "Lotus Flower." Thom Yorke never ceases to amaze.

...And if you have seen that already, check out this special (hilarious) twist.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. A rare look inside Pixar Studios [The Monday Download].

The Oscars are coming up in a few short weeks, and so it is time to consider all the great films of the past year. If you need some help, the New York Times (as per usual) has got your back. The Carpetbagger's turned her camera on and featuring some great Oscar-themed videos.

My favorite one so far is this rare behind-the-scenes look at Pixar Studios. This looks like such an amazing place to work! And it's great to see how much it seems that everyone is in love with their work.

Be sure to check out other Carpetbagger videos here.

The Oscars air on Sunday, February 27 at 5pm on ABC.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. The White Stripes [The Monday Download].

In case you didn't hear, The White Stripes have called it quits. A letter was posted on their website last week, stating that the band has officially ended, and there are no plans for further new recordings or plans to play live.

In their 13-years-or-so run, Jack and Meg surely made their mark on the music scene. Time to reminisce on the greatness of their art:

What are some of your favorite White Stripes memories?

-- Chau Tu

Check It. Broadcast at the El Rey [The Monday Download].

Music lost a wonderful voice and presence in the passing of Broadcast's Trish Keenan earlier this month. If you missed out on the band's dreamy electronic sounds, it's never too late to start; and hey, we've even got an L.A. twist for you.

Buzz Bands has an amazing download of Broadcast playing at the El Rey on Nov. 1, 2000. The recording was ripped directly from the soundboard, so this isn't just a rough tape recording from the crowd. Check it out, and enjoy.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. What the world looked like on one day [The Monday Download].

What would it be like to experience the world in just one day? Something amazing, right? And just simply too impossible to imagine?

The internet makes anything possible.

From Tokyo to New York City to Istanbul to Rome, Morocco, Peru, London and beyond, witness the world in one day.

Thanks to Gizmodo for the tip.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. A cute cover of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero's "Home" [The Monday Download].

I still remember the first time I saw Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros perform their song "Home," and how mesmerized I was by the passion and emotion the group put into it. The song has since become extremely popular, showing up on TV and the radio, inspiring many to try and put their own twist on the song -- but I still felt nothing could truly compare to that performance I saw back in 2009.

Until now. Out of nowhere, this adorable girl and her young dad have stolen the song for themselves and made it new and beautiful again. See for yourself (and try not to die from the cuteness):

The emotion! The passion! Could this little girl really understand what all the love and beauty that this song is all about? It seems so, amazingly. Try and not have a good day now that you've witnessed that.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. Aloe Blacc's "Femme Fatale" [The Monday Download].

You've probably heard the inescapably catchy "I Need a Dollar" by Aloe Blacc, but the L.A. based artist has also made a classy cover of The Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale" that's definitely worth listening to. And hey, the video has L.A. all over it -- can you recognize all the spots? The city has almost never been sexier.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. All 36 seasons of 'Saturday Night Live' on Netflix [The Monday Download].

If you're lucky enough to have some time off this holiday season, and looking for something to do to avoid the malls and chilly weather, you've probably been scanning the Netflix instant watch list for something good to watch. Well you're about to hit the jackpot: all 36 seasons (including this current one, and all the best of compilations) of Saturday Night Live are available to stream.

Now how to navigate the hundreds of episodes -- and avoid those lackluster ones that have become quite frequent especially as of late? Splitsider's conveniently got an obsessive guide for you, which will serve as a great starting point, if anything, for remembering all that could be great and absolutely crazy about the landmark show. You might even learn something -- I, for one, never knew that the 100th episode went without a host. I'll be curious to check that out and see how that show differed.

And one moment I won't soon forget seeing live on SNL? The above image -- Ashlee Simpson's outing as a lip-syncher. Ha! Got any other favorite SNL moments of note? Let us know! In the meantime, we'll be streaming and reminiscing.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Comedy Central/NBC

Check It. 2010 movie mash-up [The Monday Download].

It's coming to end of 2010, a time to reflect over the past year. And for us culture junkies out there, that means thinking about your favorite films, music, moments, etc. Can't think back far enough to consider all the movies that came out this year? Here's a fun cheat sheet, the ultimate 2010 mash-up:

And now the rain and holiday vacation make for the perfect excuses to catch up on all those films you missed. Let us know what your must-sees are!

-- Chau Tu

Check It. She & Him on Conan [The Monday Download].

Although She & Him is one of those bands that's widely accepted as an exception to the actor-shouldn't-be-a-musician rule, I believe they're still pretty underrated for the most part. Yes, they do make great cute pop songs with a touch of vintage soul, but M. Ward does happen to be quite the amazing guitarist, and holy cow, Zooey Deschanel has an incredible voice that definitely doesn't get shown off enough, even in She & Him's music.

Need proof? The twosome's simple performance of Screamin Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You" on Conan last week is just breathtaking. Do yourself a favor and witness it below:

Told you.

And for some holiday fun, check out this behind-the-scenes video of She & Him playing with Conan himself.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. Community's holiday episode [The Monday Download].

Admittedly, when NBC's Thursday night sitcom Community premiered last year, I wasn't much of a fan -- it was definitely struggling to find its way, and the characters weren't all that interesting to me. But somehow, in the past year, it's soared beyond any prior expectations and become a must-see TV show for me, thanks to wonderful quirky storylines, incredibly genius Easter eggs, great acting and commitment to characters, and just a whole lot of ridiculous fun.

Take, for example, this week's holiday-themed episode -- which also happens to be done completely in claymation, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer-style. So awesome! Here's a fun clip preview:

If you haven't jumped on yet, it's time to! Witnessing the beautiful interaction between Abed and Troy is worth it.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. National Geographic Photo Contest [The Monday Download].

Forgive me, but I actually can't recall ever actually reading an article or piece from National Geographic. But I have a good excuse! -- those photographs. Those strikingly gorgeous photographs of places and people that make you feel so grateful for living in this world. Sometimes it doesn't even feel like this world.

But Nat Geo photographers aren't the only ones who can work this magic, apparently. The magazine has been putting on a contest for anyone in the world to submit their photos, and they've been posting the best results on the website. And wow -- to say in the least. The photographs are simply breathtaking. And some of wonderful caption stories to go with them too, which are fun. So when you're ready to get distracted by pure beauty for a couple hours -- great way to get back on track after a holiday! -- click here and check them out.

And if you happen to think you've got the photographic chops to hang with the best here, you can still submit your work -- the deadline is tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. (presumably EST, so think 6 a.m., or earlier even). You could win $10,000 and get your photo in the mag! Good luck. And for us voyeurs out there, enjoy the world.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Freddy Cerdeira/National Geographic

Check It. See Harry Potter actors practice "American" [The Monday Download].

Who didn't see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 this weekend? The film racked up a sweet $125 million in the U.S. alone, and I think it'd be safe to say that most came out of the theater quite pleased.

And if you're still in a Harry Potter haze, here's something to tide you over for a while. It's a fun little game of trying to get the HP actors to "speak American," if you will. Accents are funny!

I'm going to miss these actors once these movies are over.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. Coconut Records' "West Coast" video [The Monday Download].

An oldie, but oh such a goodie. I was reminded of this song -- one of my absolute favorites -- this past weekend, and was more than happy to revisit the just-as-good video companion. Coconut Records, of course, is the solo music project for actor Jason Schwartzman, and this particular song was featured on the debut album, Nighttiming. The video doesn't feature Schwartzman, but instead follows well-known skateboarder Mark Gonzales as he whizzes through Germany in 1998. It sounds non sequitur, but it's actually strangely hypnotic and beautiful. Perfect way to start off the week.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. Conan O'Brien's Show Zero [The Monday Download].

The time is almost here -- Conan O'Brien is just a week away from returning to our lovely television screens. Are you excited?

Ever since the beginning of his hiatus, Conan's been sure to keep us updated, whether through his hilarious tweets or allowing everyone to spy in on his office for a full day. But we still don't know what his new show will be like -- until now.

Well, sort of. Conan is set to premiere "Show Zero," live tonight at 8pm PST (11pm EST) at TeamCoco.com, and though there hasn't been a lot said about what it will all entail, it'll probably be some sort of dress rehearsal/preview of what's to come for his TBS show. Either way, it's sure to be a fun time.

We've missed you Coco!

Conan premieres on TBS on Nov. 8 at 11pm. Also be sure to check out the TeamCoCo website for more fun events happening throughout this week, including free T-shirt giveaways.

In the meantime, if you're ready to relive the late-night TV fiasco earlier this year, check out this interesting excerpt from an upcoming book about it all, via Vanity Fair.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. Gorillaz's 45-minute Ed Sullivan concert [The Monday Download].

Gorillaz and its latest album Plastic Beach was a surprise favorite of mine this year. The album had just the right amount of grooves with the right amount of pop, and I believe it really shows Damon Albarn at his most comfortable -- and his best. Seeing them at Coachella this year, I loved seeing how happy he was to be on stage -- not hidden behind the cartoon forms for once -- and the music sounded more fresh and intricate than ever.

Which is why this following video is great. Gorillaz stopped by the Late Show with David Letterman recently, but ended up staying on to play a short concert. Watch some of the group's best songs (thanks CBS!), and look out for some special guests:

-- Chau Tu