THE SHINS, K’NAAN, CHRIS RENE FEEL VIBE-RATER LOVE

Veteran alternative band The Shins, Somali Canadian hip-hop poet K’Naan and The X Factor finalist Chris Rene have all been added to the Sweet 16.

Columbia Records indie rockers The Shins return with Port of Morrow, their first album since 2007’s Wincing the Night Away, and their major label debut, which is scheduled for release March 20. The first track, “Simple Song,” is already scoring at PoMo and Triple A radio, while the James Mercer-led band’s short U.S. tour is slated to start April 13 in Las Vegas, including both weekends at Coachella before wrapping in Reno, April 25. For the entire entry, click here.

A&M/Octone rapper K’Naan’s sophomore release, Country, God or the Girl, is set for release this spring, with the first single, “Is Anybody Out There?,” featuring Nelly Furtado, going to Crossover and Pop radio Feb. 14. An EP comes out this week (1/24), while a worldwide tour starts in May. A remixed version of his single, “Wavin’ Flag,” was chosen as Coca-Cola’s anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and was also used in the commercial for the pre-game, held in South Africa. For more information, see the complete Vibe entry here.

Syco/Epic recording artist Chris Rene, signed by his mentor L.A. Reid after a third-place finish on The X Factor, comes rolling out of the gate with “Young Homie,” the self-penned song which launched his career during the show’s audition phase. The J.R. Rotem-produced song will go to Crossover and Pop radio on Feb. 20, with a video in pre-production. For more on the rehabbed star who went from collecting the trash in Santa Cruz to stardom, click here.