Bowerbirds play a tiny desk concert at NPR Music.

Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys talks to the Guardian about his film, Separado!, which traces his family origins in Patagonia.

The National Post profiles singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt.

The Daily Swarm interviews legendary music producer Steve Albini.

At her Monitor Mix blog, Carrie Brownstein solicits reader advice for the music industry.

Bob Dylan has a new video for his holiday song, "Must Be Santa."

Lissie visits The Current studio for an interview and live performance.

Pavla KopecnaAll throughout Theoretical Girl’s set at SxSW back in March, I was wracking my brain trying to figure out who Amy Turnnidge, she who is the central abstract idea of the band, reminded me of. This didn’t keep me from enjoying her set, but it was a relief and head slap when I finally put it together a week or two later – the name I’d been trying to dig out of my memory banks was Sarah Blackwood. Not the icy electro-pop queen she now is with Client, but the wistful synth-n-jangle ingenue she was in Dubstar. Though not dead ringers – Blackwood’s voice is higher, to say nothing of the differences in production values – they’re close, and the archness of their accents and clarity of their diction, struck me as uncanny. Also helping the parallels are that they both sing songs infused with spirited defiance and resignation, usually simultaneously, and with melody to spare.

MP3: Theoretical Girl – “Rivals”
Video: Theoretical Girl – “Red Mist”

NME reports that Florence & The Machine will be taking the deluxe edition double-dipping trend to an absurd degree with the release of a 3-CD/1-DVD edition of Lungs on November 30. In addition to the album, it’ll have a disc of live material, one of remixes, rarities and outtakes and the DVD will contain a live show and all her videos. More Florence than any rational person could reasonably want or need? Almost certainly. The Globe & Mail has a fashion spread and interview with Florence Welch about developing and maintaining her style.

Hot Chip are set to return with their fourth album One Life Stand on February 9 and have already scheduled a short North American tour to promote.

Much-feted UK outfit Wild Beasts have scheduled a Winter North American jaunt with Still Life Still in support of their new record Two Dancers and Clash has a short feature.

MP3: Wild Beasts – “All The King’s Men”
Video: Wild Beasts – “All The King’s Men”

Frightened Rabbit’s sublimely-titled new record The Winter Of Mixed Drinks has been given a release date of March 1.

MPR welcomes Fanfarlo to their studios for a session.

Spinner talks to Camera Obscura’s Carey Lander about their selection for a Christmas single, available digitally this week.

British Sea Power have blogged an update as to the status of album number five.

The Chronicle Herald and The Telegram talk to Billy Bragg.

Go read Carrie Brownstein’s wonderful roundtable discussion (“The Role of the Record Label”)

(ft. Gerard Cosloy (Matador), Mac McCaughan (Merge), Chris Swanson and Darius Van Arman (Secretly Canadian/Jagjaguwar), Maggie Vail and Portia Sabin (KRS), and Robb Nansel (Saddle Creek))

Girls appeared live on Minnesota Public Radio last weekend and performed 3 songs, including non-album track “Heartbreaker.” Check it out.

The latest issue of the incomparable Yeti Magazine has just popped up for pre-order, due for a 11/30 shipment. The new edition features 200 pages of material, including an examination of Harry Partch’s instruments, interviews with Explode Into Colors and Zola Jesus, and lots more, plus, as always, an exclusive CD comp. Issue 8′s CD features rare/previously unreleased music from Ty Segall, Woven Bones, Fergus & Geronimo, Zola Jesus, Tyvek, The Mantles, and many others. It’s only $12– pre-order it now!

photo source

Cuddle Magic - “Expectations” The voice like a trombone solo is back. But the thing you should understand is: there are no actual trombones here. There's a salt of drums, a pepper of strings, a little woodwind and whistle and the guitars that do not let you go. But the trombone thing is a different thing. Remember when you did not know the trombone? Remember when you thought the trombone was just the slide-whistle sound of an ice-cream scoop leaving a cone? When you thought they were the wan backup singers of the brass section? Remember that time? And then gradually, slowly, hearing the great trombonists playing, hearing the right trombonists play, you learned that really the trombone is the greatest instrument of all? Because humanity lives in that moment a scoop leaves a cone; wisdom in the slip from low to high. Well all that is in this man's singing. // This is a song by Cuddle Magic, dumb and handsome, clever and plain, beautiful as anything you decide you are yes going to treasure. [anticipate Picture / go see Cuddle Magic in Iowa and the northeast / site]

The Curtains - “Go Lucky” Where the cork grows, there are years of sky. There is wind and sunlight among the trees. There are smaller plants that grow green among the roots. In time the cork trees are stripped. The cork is taken in trucks, boats and jet-planes. At M. Giddenze's vineyard, grapes are turned to wine. Steel channels pour wine into grey bottles. Labels are steamed onto glass. And then the small carved corks, falling slipped thunk into the mouth of every one. A cork in every one. These fine bottles crisscross the world, they hide in a thousand cellars, and a cork in every one. The memory of wind and sunlight, tightly held, in the dark. (I do not need to tell you that this is another voice like a trombone solo.) [site/buy]