Said the Gramophone — Sweet readers, due to conditions beyond my control, I can't go into detail on my favourite records this year. Fortunately, I've gone into detail in the past so please check out the posts associated with each record, and if you like the song, buy th... more info

MTV.com News — 'When she goes for it, she goes for it,' director Wayne Isham says of tongue-in-cheek clip.By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias Britney Spears might not have been at her personal peak when she released Blackout in 2007, but she also wasn... more info

Guardian Music — High Voltage, ManchesterA lucky few can turn their passion to profit, and though an inherent eagerness may cushion the ride, that doesn't mean it's going to be an easy one. When Richard Cheetham's efforts with his High Voltage fanzine and club night ... more info

Kerrang! — The 2009 Kerrang! Readers’ Poll officially closes a week today (Friday, November 27) so now is your last chance to let us know who and what rocked your world in 2009! Will 30 Seconds To Mars' Jared Leto or The Blackout's Sean Smith be voted t... more info

NME — Your guide to the best free live music around the UK more info

Guardian Music — • Blackout causes panic in Rio and Sao Paulo• One third of population plunged into darknessIt was a typical Tuesday night in South America's largest nation. In Sao Paulo, maids and security guards made their way home after another day's g... more info

Pitchfork - Tours — 11-11 Lisbon, Portugal - Caixa Economica Operaria 11-12 Madrid, Spain - Joy Eslava11-13 Valencia, Spain - El Tinglado11-14 Barcelona, Spain - Nitsa Club11-17 Torino, Italy - Spazio 21111-18 Milan, Italy - Musicdrome11-19 Bologna, Italy - Covo 11-20 R... more info

MTV.com News — Black-and-white image features pensive close-up of singer's faceBy Gil Kaufman Rihanna's Rated R Photo: Def Jam After the blood-dripping song title, razor's-edge logo and barbed-wire wrap she wore on the cover of her "Russian Roulette" sin... more info

Pitchfork - Forkcast — Christmas Island, who have just put out a full-length, Blackout Summer, on In the Red, now have another Captured Tracks 7" on the way, with two age-themed sides: "Nineteen" b/w "Twenty Nine" evaluates a decade of maturity, with the B-side pairing mel... more info

Clickmusic — Young Guns and My Passion also for the 2010 gigs. more info