The following is a brief interview with Chris "Arch" Archibald, frontman of Bucks County, Pennsylvania indie rockers Illinois. Having just released their latest album, What the Hell Do I Know?, they'll be playing a slew of shows during SXSW, including the +1 House Party, Ace Fu showcase at Beauty Bar, and Playboy's Rock the Rabbit. Check their myspace for more info. [mp3] Illinois - "Alone Again" Share a story about a visit to Austin......

Ace Fu buzz crew Annuals have come on strong in 2006, thanks to their luminous debut Be He Me and tours with The Dears and Calexico; besides that, they got a song on "Veronica Mars," and is there no surer indie taste-maker these days? Bassist/engineer Mike Robinson kindly spoke to us about, well, SXSW and everything: If you could open for any artist living or dead, in any era of their career, who would......

Ever sniff the inside of Weezer's Pinkerton? Wait, hear us out. Its monochromatic liner notes were printed on a kind of matte, somewhat grainy paper, and happened to possess a pungent, fantastic smell. Don't look at us like you've never sniffed a record before. It's the music fan's equivalent of picking out a wedgie: inevitable, personal, and done when others aren't looking. Upon cracking open the Ace Fu Annuals debut offering, Be He Me,......

GoogTube! GoogTube! GoogTube! Here's what's new at the record store: Annuals Be He Me (Ace Fu) Because of (or in despite of) their popularity with the blogging set, Annuals' highly anticipated album, Be He Me, is sure to be a hit this week. For fans of Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, and yes, even Animal Collective, Annuals add a bit of punch to the whole "we're pretending to be lo-fi but really we spent......