LHB’s Shorties (Spoon, Pixies, and More)

On sale at Amazon MP3: Spoon's new 11-track album Transference for $3.99.

The Australian profiles singer-songwriter Devendra Banhart.

Describing Banhart's music is like trying to catch the wind. Yes he is very aware of Donovan Leitch, the great folk figure of the 1960s, whom he resembles in build, spirit and sound. His incredibly eclectic music -- there are sometimes as many styles as there are songs on the records -- is full of bizarre Indian-sounding chants, with reggae, dub, folk and psychedelic leanings. And yes, he knows all about Bolan and T. Rex, though he was very glad to have made his first record, The Charles C. Leary, in 2002 before he discovered Bolan.

CMJ lists ways musicians and their fans can aid in Haitian relief efforts.

At Drowned in Sound, Owen Pallett gives a track-by-track analysis of his new album, Heartland.

The British music magazine Melody Maker, inactive since 2000, plans an online revival.

Line Out notes that a newly dicovered species of prehistoric bird has been named after the indie band Lucero.

Four Tet is streaming its new album, There Is Love in You (out January 26th) on the band's website.

Pitchfork interviews Kieran Hebden about the album.

Literary blog The Rumpus celebrates its one year anniversary with a New York City show Thursday featuring Rivka Galchen, Tao Lin, Deb Olin Unferth, Justin Taylor and Stephen Elliott, musical guests Alina Simone, Diane Louvel, and Jeffrey Lewis.

The Pixies are selling recordings of the shows where they played their Doolittle album in its entirety.

- David Gutowski