Officials for the PLUG Awards -- highlighting outstanding accomplishments within the independent music community -- have announced the 2007 nominees, and Battles and Of Montreal lead the pack with seven nods each. Justice and Arcade Fire follow with six nominations, including Album of the Year and Artist of the Year nods, and Band of Horses and the National each garnered five. Voting for the awards ceremony, which will be held March 6 at New York's Terminal 5, began Tuesday (Nov. 13). To log your picks, head over to plugawards.com.

Other nominees, collectively selected by the PLUG Cartel, a group of artists, journalists, label employees, and other music industry insiders, include the National and Panda Bear, both set to battle Spoon, Justice, and Arcade Fire, among other heavy hitters, in the Album of the Year Category. Radiohead and Okkervil River are up against ten others in the Artist of the Year category, and acts like Deerhunter, Dan Deacon, Sea Wolf, Vampire Weekend and Battles vie for the New Artist of the Year award.

Regina Spektor Collapses Before Gig

As confirmed by a spokesperson, songstress Regina Spektor collapsed last night (Nov. 14) following her sound check at Nashville's legendary Ryman Auditorium and was subsequently forced to cancel the sold-out show. Following her collapse, which was due to a severe inner ear infection, Spektor was taken to a local hospital for treatment and was released late last night (Nov. 14). Though Spektor is "extremely disappointed" about the cancellation, she will return to the Ryman Auditorium Dec. 6 and all tickets will be honored for the show.

Though a second statement claims "Regina Spektor is feeling much better after last night's hospitalization," the quirky pianist will, in an effort to "ensure full recovery," postpone tonight's show at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA to Dec. 5. All tickets will be honored or refunded at the freshly slated show. Spektor's tour will push on as planned tomorrow, Nov. 16, with a show in Norfolk, VA.

Cobain Drawings for Sale On Craigslist.com

Apparently widow Courtney Love isn't the only person profiting from the possessions of late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain; a seller on Craiglist.com is advertising four original, signed drawings the rocker penned in high school, each on sale for $10,000. The pictures, which the ad says come in "various sizes," are "mostly Fender guitar-related subject matter." The ad continues: "These were done when Kurt was in high school in the 1980s. Quite rare and unusual." [Via MTV.com]

Fiery Furnaces Add Shows to North American Tour

After an exhausting trek through North America, and currently, a thorough European outing, the brother-sister duo of Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger, collectively known as the Fiery Furnaces, have yet to tire, and will continue delivering Widow City to fans this December with a handful of freshly minted gigs. The seven new dates will unfold following the band's return from Europe, and will deliver the band to cities like Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Toronto, and Detroit before capping in the Fiery Furnaces hometown of Chicago during a 15th anniversary party of their label, Thrill Jockey.

Fiery Furnaces tour dates:

12/8, Brooklyn, NY (Music Hall of Williamsburg) *
12/9, Philadelphia, PA (First Unitarian Church) *
12/10, Allston, MA (Great Scott) *
12/11, Montreal, QC (Cabaret du Musee Juste Pour Rire) *
12/12, Toronto, ON (Lee's Palace) *
12/13, Detroit, MI (Magic Stick) *
12/14, Chicago, IL (Logan Square Auditorium/Thrill Jockey 15th Anniversary Celebration)

(* w/ MGMT)