The members of Incubus have no interest in scamming their fans. They love you! They're not the kind of band that re-packages the same old jams and rakes it in with nothing but new cover art. So, when the time came to put together a greatest hits retrospective, they had no interest in going the traditional route.

Instead they "took the opportunity to make it as creative as possible," says Brandon Boyd, in the video below. Incubus' upcoming Monuments & Melodies does come with a standard greatest hits collection. But it also includes a second disc of their favorite rarities, and has an exhaustive online component, which offers access to a monstrous archive of live MP3s.

To make an even bigger deal of this upcoming Incubus inundation, the band hooked up with MTV2 to distribute a series of unseen live performances of some of their biggest hits. Watch "Pardon Me," "Megalomaniac," "Love Hurts" and "Drive," all live, all right here.

Are you getting tired of all the music headlines going to new Brooklyn bands? I bet you the players in Los Angeles' thriving scene are way over it. Why's everybody always talking about Brooklyn when the West Coast boasts a dream team of new talent, turning out a steady stream of polished, moody rock?

Although the rap game gets L.A. plenty of love, lackadaisical, harmony-laden smog-pop hasn't had a true moment since The Beach Boys and The Mamas And Papas ruled the late '60s. But that has been changing, slowly but surely, thanks to the radio dominance of a new class of sun-bleached bands.

Get acquainted with the new L.A. sound in the video playlist below, featuring laid back, perma-tan jams from Jenny Lewis, Earlimart, Silversun Pickups, Pete Yorn, Beck, The Watson Twins, Cold War Kids, The Mars Volta, Incubus, Brett Dennen and many more. It's mellow. Whatever.

Incubus is growing up! Founding members (and high school classmates) Brandon Boyd, Mike Einziger and Jose Antonio Pasillas II were all only 15 when they started the band.

In June of last year -- six albums, four #1 singles, a Grammy nod, a gold record and 18 years into their careers -- the boys announced that they needed a break. And not just because they were tired. Brandon was enrolling in art school, Mike was off to Harvard music school, and Jose was having a baby.

But they couldn't stay quiet for long. Whether or not the hiatus is officially over, I can't say. But, to make sure that we have plenty to obsess over while they figure it out, the band is about to embark upon a North American tour, and they're dropping a double disc, Monuments And Melodies, on June 16.

Not only does M&M contain their 13 biggest hits, but it also packs in 11 rarities, three brand-new songs, and a code that gives you access to a vault of 500 more Incubus rarities. They're also compiling a fan-generated timeline of Incubus' defining-moments.

Today, to ease you into the onslaught of unheard Incubus material, the band gives you "Black Heart Inertia." Their first single since 2006's Light Grenades, "Inertia" introduces a somewhat mellower sound with a comical video in which Boyd plays multiple characters and does a ton of making out. Not the worst thing to miss class for, huh?

I don't wanna shatter any illusions here, but if you're looking to a professional blogger for advice on anything romantic, you have some serious thinking to do. That's why I'm handing this Valentine's Day post off to a pro. John Vesely, aka Secondhand Serenade has more magnetism in one frosted tip than the whole rest of the Internet combined. Can the Internet play piano and sing with its eyes closed? No. It doesn't even have feelings (or eyes). All it can do is make a heart out of a bracket and a three. Weak. John Vesely was born to tell you he loves you. Stick with him. Here's a special Valentine's Day message and a crazy romantic love-playlist from the man himself:

I've always been a lover, not a fighter which is why I love this time of year. And one of my true loves is obviously music. So to come up with a list of long songs/videos is no problem for a guy like me. It's the time of year where you hear songs you may have heard 100 times before, but you suddenly realize they have a special meaning or remind you of someone close to your heart. So hopefully you can take a look at the videos I decided to go with, and let it remind you of whoever may be that certain someone for you.

+ Jason Mraz, "I'm Yours" - A simple song and a simple video. Both are undeniable.
+ The Fray, "You Found Me" - The video showcases both a great band and a beautiful city.
+ Thriving Ivory, "Angels on the Moon" - These guys are good friends of mine. They went all out on this video.
+ Plain White T’s, "Hey There Deliah" - One of the biggest songs and best videos of a few years back.
+ Katy Perry, "Thinking of You" - I love her retro style, which is overly evident in this video.
+ Kanye West, "Love Lockdown" - Kanye is always evolving and this is a colorful, left-of-center display of his art.
+ Justin Nozuka, "After Tonight" - He's a great new young talent, which is clear as day in this, his first video.
+ R. Kelly, "Real Talk" - Because the video is just as real as the song.
+ We The Kings, "Secret Valentine" - Travis's hair turns me on.
+ Augustana, "Sweet and Low" - I love how the song was written it was written very personally.

Wow ... Thanks, John!!

Want more Valentine's Day playlists? OK. I got those, too. Do you love me yet? Please...?

+ V-Day Playlist: Let Me Count The Ways (Dashboard, Bright Eyes, Beyonce, etc)
+ V-Day Playlist: Love SUCKS (Alanis, Ashanti, Incubus, etc)
+ V-Day Playlist: Celebrity Wedding Songs (Lonestar, Marvin Gaye, Edwin McCain, etc)

<3<3<3

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