How could you resist listening to an album called Dark Night of the Soul? It’s the title of the last recording by Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse, and, although it’s hardly news now, the album has an even deeper and darker shadow cast upon it due to the recent deaths of Sparklehorse singer and bandleader Mark Linkous and singer/songwriter and contributor to the album, Vic Chesnutt. more ›

If you're a fan of dreamy indie-pop and you haven't spent time with a Sparklehorse album, watch out. The North Carolina-based Mark Linkous and his band play hazy, epic music that is worth getting to know. All of the proper credits are here: production from Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev mainstay Dave Fridmann, a guest spot from Danger Mouse, and even some added credibility via a collaboration with Tom Waits. Add this to prior work... more ›

The Rapture have made a decent career out of pretending to defy expectations while giving its audience just what they wanted all along. In 2002 they were just another gritty post-punk group laying snarly guitar lines on top of hyperreal dance beats, but the release of 2003’s Echoes, and its attendant club smash "House Of Jealous Lovers", propelled them to the forefront of the scene everyone was expecting to save rock and roll. The scene... more ›

Hang on to your wristbands, people, there's a lot going on this week in the world of legitimately released music! The Rapture Pieces of the People We Love (UMVD) The Rapture have finally caught up with their own hype following 2003's Echoes, working with producers Danger Mouse (Gorillaz/Gnarls Barkley), Paul Epworth (Bloc Party) and Ewan Pearson (UK DJ/Remixer) and delivering a disco, funk, punk and pop-influenced album worthy of all your parties, speedy drives... more ›

[Several weeks ago, we told you about a community radio DJ from Nashville who'd set out, for the second year in a row, to profile all of the bands playing this September's Austin City Limits Festival. We've invited Janet Timmons of Out the Other to join our staff as a guest writer -- she'll be providing weekly summaries of the latest bands she's covered on her fantastic ACL Artist Previews Page. Welcome, Janet! --... more ›

Here are our picks for the week... Annie – Anniemal “Kylie Minogue for hipsters.” The Aquabats – Charge!! The first release in nearly six years finds the Aquabats recharged with more of their quality playful pop-punk. Coldplay – X&Y Old fans should continue to love their sound, but don’t expect any variations from that typical Colplday format. Kraftwerk – Minimum-Maximum A 2-disc recording of their 2004 European tour live show that sounds just as... more ›