So, Converse is opening a recording studio in Williamsburg, and nobody seems entirely sure what to make of it. Is this a well-earned payday for struggling musicians? A shameless corporate buyout of the last remaining scraps of “indie integrity?” Steve Albini smacking down Sonic Youth’s major label connections throws into relief just how weird it is that your next favorite indie rock song might be sponsored by a soda or sneaker company. Even weirder is the fact that none of this feels jarring or incongruous; the fact that we are not particularly troubled is, itself, a little bit troubling. But, as Zach Baron points out in his excellent Voice article, the traditional notion of “selling out” no longer seems applicable here. The conflict we are grappling with is not between art and commerce — it is between art and content.

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Pavement
Lil’ Tuffy, 2010

NPR is streaming Bryan Ferry's new album, Olympia (out October 25th).

Singer-songwriter Isobel Campbell talks to Turn It Up about her frequent collaborations with Mark Lanegan.

"The women are usually 'the voice' and the guy is usually the svengali, but in this relationship I'm kind of like the man," Campbell says with a laugh. "Mark and I respect each other a lot. He pushes me, challenges me, and I push back. In a sick way, I enjoy that."

Peter Bauer of the Walkmen talks to the Louisville Courier-Journal about the perils of setlist writing.

The Temple News interviews Matt & Kim's Matt Johnson.

How To Act Bad is a documentary being filmed about the life of singer-songwriter Adam Green.

The Guardian Music Blog previews Pete Doherty's new jewelry collection, Albion Trinkets.

The Red and Black profiles Athens' venerable 40 Watt music club.

BeatCrave lists the best free music sites on the web.

Warpaint - “Undertow” Warpaint’s “Undertow” is like a granddaughter to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” both in sound and substance. In the music, you can hear Stevie and Lindsey filtered through years of indie and alt rock — languid chords and plaintive vocals picked apart and reconfigured with a stoned haze and a vague post-post twitchiness. Lyrically, it’s the same sort of song — someone at the end of a relationship, addressing this person they still love, but from a distance. It’s the thing you do when you’re having a serious discussion with someone inside your head, saying everything you need to say, running through ideas, practicing for the time you actually have to communicate these things to them directly. “Undertow” may be more direct, but that only makes it more sad to me. There’s not much hope in this song, it doesn’t sound like there’s much room for forgiveness and change. The bad patterns emerge, they don’t really go away — not any time soon, anyway.

Buy it from Amazon.