Neil McCormick profiles The National.

I think the National are one of those groups (like REM and Radiohead in their moment) who have stumbled into a zone where the magical confluence between genuinely poetic language and the songcraft of melody, arrangement and performance creates something actually greater than the sum of its parts. The rise of High Violet reminds me of how albums like REM’s Automatic For The People and Radiohead's The Bends just sort of floated up to the pop surface, with a texture of originality and depth and melodious purposefulness that was all but irresistible to anyone exposed to it, with the result that very left-field arty bands became household favourites.

Crib Notes interviews Sam Fogarino of Interpol.

The Quietus interviews Howe Gelb about the new Giant Sand album, Blurry Blue Mountain.

Pitchfork interviews Brian Eno about his new album, Small Craft on a Milk Sea.

On sale at Amazon MP3: the new Elvis Costello album, National Ransom.

Singer-songwriter Nick Lowe plays a tiny desk concert at NPR Music.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – “Sink/Let It Sway”

NPR is streaming tracks from Bruce Springsteen's forthcoming album of outtakes from the Darkness on the Edge of Town sessions, The Promise: The Lost Sessions: Darkness on the Edge of Town. (out November 16th)

American Songwriter interviews Elizabeth Ziman of Elizabeth & the Catapult.

Blog on the Tracks interviews Damon Albarn.

Mother Jones profiles singer-songwriter Basia Bulat.

Singer-songwriter John Vanderslice discusses his song "I'll Never Live Up to You" and his recent free EP at The Bay Bridged.

The Smiths: Extra Track (and a tacky badge) is a remaster project of Smiths singles where "all tracks were taken from the best/earliest possible sources to avoid modern mastering techniques which crush the dynamics."

Slicing Up Eyeballs reports that Paul Westerberg has released 3 new songs under the moniker of Mr. F in a 7-inch vinyl/digital combo.

Drowned in Sound shares a 10-step guide to making a mixtape.