Stereogum — A quick listen of London-via-Sweden sextet Fanfarlo suggests they're building from the finer stock of 2006's crop, with surging melodramatics and instrumentation in the Arcade Fire and Beirut vein, lead vocals that are something like David Byrne via ... more info

AFP - The outlook for beleaguered French couture house Christian Lacroix looked bleak at the weekend after potential buyers let a deadline pass to deposit cheques ahead of Tuesday's bankruptcy court hearing. more info

The Vinyl Villain — I normally move away quickly to the opposite corner of the record shop as fast as I can if someone points in the direction of a charity record, for almost without exception they are well-meaning but crap.But not Dark Was The Night, a 2CD release fro... more info

L.A. Times - News — President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva may lose global influence by playing host to the Iranian leader, who is searching for new economic opportunities ahead of stiff sanctions the West has threatened. ... more info

The Playlist — Nice casting and a gooood luck. A few weeks ago it was reported that Cary Joji Fukunaga, the writer director behind one of the most auspicious debut features of the year, "Sin Nombre," had his next project on track and no it wasn't his musical with m... more info

Guardian Music — After a whirlwind six months, one of this year's biggest buzz bands have parted ways with a founding memberLess than six months into their time as a buzz band, the xx have lost a member. While keyboardist/guitarist Baria Qureshi was first reported as... more info

The Independent — Two years ago this month, Brooklyn's biggest bands-in-waiting both released their debut albums. Hard to remember a time when Williamsburg wasn't the beating heart of hipster cool, but it was MGMT's Oracular Spectacular and Yeasayer's All Hour Cymbal... more info

Live Daily — San Francisco's 3rd annual Treasure Island Music Festival again featured a bounty of artists. The thoughtfully designed two-day schedule offered fans a clear choice of either electronic-based, DJ-oriented talent, or rock and roll of a more traditiona... more info

AFP - Legendary US director Francis Ford Coppola and Taiwanese filmmaker Ang Lee are the star attractions at this year's Beirut International Film Festival, which showcases films from across the globe. more info

Music For Ants — When I first heard Jared Bartman’s music, my first thought was, “Well, get ready for some Beirut comparisons.” You could compare Bartman’s music to Beirut, Final Fantasy, the Decemberists, or even the Mountain Goats and you would be pretty sp... more info