Guardian Music — This French DJ and producer is being hailed as a bona fide eclectic warrior, capable of flitting wildly between stylesHometown: London.The lineup: Julian Brambilla.The background: They've been great, haven't they, this year's Guardian Albums of 2009?... more info

Aquarium Drunkard — Van Dyke Parks is best known for his work with Brian Wilson, penning those imaginative lines from the the SMiLE era (”I’ve been in this town so long that back in the city I’ve been taken for lost and gone and unknown for a long, long time”)... more info

411 Mania — The White Stripes, Drive-By Truckers, Bob Dylan, OutKast, Animal Collective and others score best reviews of the decade... more info

Guardian Music — With eight albums behind them, it was the dizzying charm of Animal Collective's ninth that won the Baltimore quartet the acclaim they so richly deserveWhich other albums made our critics' poll 2009 list?When Animal Collective's ninth album was releas... more info

L.A. Times - Pop & Hiss — Brian Wilson’s “Smile,” the long-delayed Beach Boys project that he resuscitated and finished in 2004, has come in atop Metacritic.com’s list of the best-reviewed albums of the decade, while Austin, Texas, indie-rock group S... more info

Guardian Music — These West Palm Beach indie rockers surf the zeitgeist (if not the waves) with their percussive lo-fi medley soundHometown: West Palm Beach, Florida.The lineup: John Paul Pitts (vocals, guitar), Tyler Schwarz (drums), Thomas Fekete (guitar), Marcos M... more info

Live Daily — In 1985, after countless hit records, Grammy nominations, American Music Awards, and gold and platinum albums, J.D. Souther [ tickets ]--one of the principal architects of Southern California country-rock--decided to walk away from his solo career, s... more info

L.A. Times - Pop & Hiss — Dave Alvin, Harper Simon and the Living Sisters help the Beach Boys legend make Sunday's 'Songs of the Sun' concert a memorable ode to the California experience. At the end of Sunday's "Songs of the Sun" concert, part of the... more info

Guardian Music — It is only a matter of time before these US alt-rockers will be acclaimed for their slow, atmospheric lo-fi lullabiesHometown: Baltimore, Maryland.The lineup: Victoria Legrand (vocals, organ) and Alex Scally (guitar, keyboards), with live percussion ... more info

Guardian Music — This sole female auteur of the sun-kissed surf-pop scene has penned a love letter to LA, full of sunny yet sorrowful tales of boys and break-upsHometown: Los Angeles.The lineup: Bethany Cosentino (vocals, guitar).The background: Best Coast sounds lik... more info