Beck

Beck returned to 'Saturday Night Live' last night and performed two songs from his just-released new album 'Morning Phase.' And while the performances weren't as epic as 'Clap Hands' from 2006, they were still pretty good.

Yesterday brought a treat for 'SNL' fans with news that 'Girls' creator and star Lena Dunham would make her hosting debut with The National on March 8, but we've got one major debut to go first -- 'The Big Bang Theory' star Jim Parsons! The first promos have arrived for the multiple Emmy winner's hosting debut alongside musical guest Beck, and Bazinga! They're pretty great.

A week before its release, Beck's first album in six years is now streaming online. You can hear 'Morning Phase' in its entirety right here courtesy of NPR.

We haven't heard much from 'SNL' since Melissa McCarthy hosted the pre-Super Bowl installment on February 1, but given NBC's coverage of the 2014 Winter Olympics, late night took an understandable back seat. Now, with the long-running sketch comedy series due to return on March 1, 'The Big Bang Theory' Emmy winner Jim Parsons will make his hosting debut!

Beck recently covered David Bowie's 'Sound and Vision' for a new commercial campaign launched by the Lincoln car company. It's part of a new series called 'Hello, Again,' in which newer artists cover older classics.

Beck hasn't released a new studio album since 2008's 'Modern Guilt,' but he may make up for lost time -- and his lack of conventional releases -- by dropping two brand new albums in 2013.

Earlier this year, when Beck announced plans to release his 'Song Reader' book, which features sheet music for 20 songs he wrote but hasn't recorded, he hoped other musicians would take on the challenge of piecing together the tunes and maybe even try recording them. Now that 'Reader' is out -- it hit shelves earlier this month -- some musicians are doing just that, and Beck has started a website,

Beck certainly hasn't been resting on his laurels. He's been working on a variety of new songs and projects, and he recently contributed to the an art installation at the Hirshhorn Museum, lent a song to the 'Jeff Who Lives at Home' soundtrack, recorded another with Jack White for White's Third Man Records and even composed tunes for a video game soundtrack. But there's been little in the way of n

Fans eagerly awaiting a new album from Beck, your time has come — only with one little catch: You have to play the tunes yourself. The alt-rock icon has announced plans to release something called ‘The Beck Hansen Song Reader,’ featuring 20 previously unheard songs existing only in the form of sheet music. You do know what sheet music is, don’t you?

– Beck, Dan Deacon, Amon Tobin, Memory Tapes and ex-Battles member Tyondai Braxton are among the musicians contributing to ‘Rework: Philip Glass Remixed,’ a compilation album featuring a dozen remixes and alternate versions of tunes from the contemporary composer. The disc drops Oct. 23.