Stereogum — Yesterday we posted a live version of an ethereal new tune Bat For Lashes did at Australia’s Vivid Festival. The second part of the Opera House set was performed acoustic with a string quartet — six songs of which five were covers (The Cure, Depe... more info

Stereogum — Kate Bush is back in the news and so is one of her offspring: Over the weekend Natasha Khan and a string quartet performed a new Bat For Lashes song at the Sydney Opera House during a two-night stand as part of Australia’s Vivid Festival. She also ... more info

ContactMusic — Paul Weller, Dave Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Coldplay and Mark Ronson are among the rockers auctioning off their guitar plectrums for charity. Hanson, Emmylou Harris, Depeche Mode, Weezer, Duran Duran and Toploader have also offered up their guitar picks ... more info

Guardian Music — Former Haçienda DJ Dave Haslam's True Faith strand at MIF serves as a great showcase for the best new Manchester bands. Here's his guide to the class of 2011Pictured, left to right:Young british artistsThey haven't been shouting as loudly about ... more info

Totally Fuzzy — Excellent BBC FOUR Documentary, originally aired in 2009, following a generation of post-punk musicians who took the synthesiser from the experimental fringes to the centre of the pop stage. In the late 1970s, small pockets of electronic artists in... more info

Stereogum — This week we’ve got new clips from Depeche Mode, James Blake, Beyoncé, Calvin Harris, Princeton, and Alcoholic Faith Mission. The Depeche Mode clip is directed by Patrick Daughters. He’s one of my favorite directors, but it looks like he’s bee... more info

Guardian Music — Singer's former producer, Robin Millar, reveals an improbable route to global successShe's sold 50m records worldwide – almost half of them in the US – and has had a career spanning four decades, all of it on her own terms, while barely compromis... more info

Totally Fuzzy — Friendly Fires is an English dance punk band from St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. They are currently signed to XL Recordings. Their self-titled debut album was released on 1 September 2008 and was announced as one of the shortlisted twelve for th... more info

ContactMusic — Recovering addict Dave Gahan is strict about who he hangs out with because he fears he will be easily tempted back to drugs. The Depeche Mode rocker became hooked on heroin in his band's heyday in the 1980s and 90s and almost died from an overdose... more info

NME — Singer receives award for staying free of drugs for 15 years more info