For the latest dispatch from Coldplay's seemingly bottomless reservoir of Viva La detritus, Chris Martin passes the mic to drummer Will Champion and lets him have a moment out in front. It's not so much a Martin ego-check as a recognition that the Champ's got a nice voice for songs like this one, a relatively (i.e. deliberately, self-consciously...

"The Take-Away Shows" meets "Black Cab Sessions" in this intimate recording shot by Vincent Moon for La Blogothèque's "In a Van". The Walkmen have already played You & Me's raggedly affecting midtempo howler "On the Water" everywhere from Juan's Basement to FOX 5 News, but it's interesting to see how many elements were there ...

A few weeks ago, Black Lips submitted a Progress Report on their forthcoming 200 Million Thousand. Having a real practice space for the first time (New Street Gallery in Decatur) allowed the band to practice a lot more than usual, drummer Joe Bradley told us. He also promised the LP was more melodic than Good Bad Not Evil and captured the band's...

Matador's deluxe Pavement reissue campaign continues with Brighten the Corners, the underrated record that signaled the group's turn toward the serious and mature. Also included are 32 outtakes and radio-session cuts that more accurately reflect the loose, ramshackle feel of the group's early-to-mid 1990s work.read more

Selecting from radio performances recorded between 1996 and 2001, including sets for the legendary John Peel, The BBC Sessions offers an appealing alternate portrait of Belle and Sebastian in their more ramshackle early days. read more