The Portland Mercury profiles Perfume Genius.

There is a stolen-diary intimacy to Learning, one only heightened by Hadreas' trembling voice atop a barren instrumental backdrop. His musical peers—Sufjan Stevens and Rufus Wainwright are the first that come to mind—keep a similar tempo and restrained level of volume, but the deeply personal nature that permeates Learning is hard to shake. This is a recording that is as frail as a fallen leaf, a rare moment of artistic expression built on an unwavering sense of sheer vulnerability. Learning opens with a self-titled track—fittingly the first song Hadreas ever composed, doing so on his mother's piano after his time in recovery—and its opening line of "No one will answer your prayers/'til you take off that dress" reflects the exposed fears of Hadreas, a feeling that constantly recurs throughout the ethereal Learning.

Pop & Hiss interviews Oliver Sim of the XX about winning the Mercury Prize.

Aquarium Drunkard interviews Walkmen frontman Hamilton Leithauser.

Dirty Projectors visit The Current studio for an interview and live performance.

The Christian Science Monitor profiles the online East Village Radio.

Morning Edition interviews the legendary Mavis Staples about her Jeff Tweedy-produced album, You Are Not Alone.

At All Songs Considered, Carrie Brownstein discusses her post-Sleater-Kinney life and her new band, Wild Flag.

The Walkmen – “Angela Surf City”Dir. Ray Concepcion

The Walkmen – “Stranded”Dir. Ray Concepcion

The Walkmen – “Juveniles”Dir. Ray Concepcion

Times New Viking – “Teen Spirit In Hell”

Vulture explains "how Pavement became the greatest band of the nineties this year."

Marketing Week examines the increased interaction between brands and bands.

KCRW is streaming all three discs of the deluxe reissue of David Bowie's Station to Station album (out September 28th).

At Pitchfork, Mike Hadreas of Perfume Genius lists his favorite things.

The A.V. Club interviews the members of Superchunk about the band's new album, Majesty Shredding.

SaveDelete lists the five best websites to download free and legal concert recordings.

Drowned in Sound talks music and politics with Manic Street Preachers bassist Nicky Wire.

All Songs Considered previews fall's music releases.

Pavement @ Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, 9/21/2010
Shady Lane / Frontwards / Heckler Spray / Ell Ess Two / Starlings of the Slipstream / Stereo / Kennel District / Grounded / Rattled By The Rush / We Dance / In The Mouth A Desert / Perfume-V / Unfair / Fin / Gold Soundz / Debris Slide / Range Life / Trigger Cut / Cut Your Hair / Perfect Depth / Fight This Generation / Box Elder // Date With IKEA / Shoot The Singer / Conduit For Sale! / Silent Kid / Heaven Is A Truck / Stop Breathin’

At this point, I have seen and heard a huge number of Pavement and Malkmus shows, in person and on recordings. I can confidently say with a fair degree of authority that last night’s Pavement show in Central Park was among the best shows they have ever played. They were on, they were playful, Stephen was in good voice and in an obviously upbeat mood. The set was long and full of wonderful songs, including two — “Perfect Depth” and “Heaven Is A Truck” — that made their reunion tour debuts. The former was a lovely surprise; the latter was gorgeous and extended into a brief meandering jam. The band was very sharp and together, far tighter than most people ever remember them as being, but still loose enough to have that tossed-off swagger and swing that is crucial to their appeal and impossible for other groups to replicate. I have three more nights of Pavement ahead of me, and now I’m wondering if they can top this performance.

Pavement - “Shoot The Singer” (Live in St. Louis 10/14/1999) This was the song at the top of my wishlist for these shows, and it didn’t disappoint. There is a delicacy to “Shoot The Singer;” it’s the closest Malkmus has ever come to approximating the crisp moonlit sound of R.E.M. circa Murmur. Actually, it might be the closest anyone has come! The actual subject matter is obscured, but the emotion of it is not — melancholy and slightly bitter, overwhelming romanticism pegged down by clear-eyed pragmatism. It’s the song where the drama fades, and the music at the end — particular in the live arrangement — slowly drifts down from fantasy back to earth. Stephen keeps telling us “don’t expect, don’t expect, don’t expect.” Yeah, yeah, we know. Easier said than done.

Buy it from Amazon.

Animal Collective – “Bluish”