Guardian Music — (Chandos, 2CDs)The jury is still out on James ­MacMillan's emotive 2007 opera, which controversially projects a tale from the Mabinogion on to a futuristic ­vision of Britain as a paramilitary tribal ­dystopia. Considered overwhelming by so... more info

All About Jazz — Michael Cuscuna is one of the most prolific record producers in jazz. His career has taken him from jazz radio to the deepest regions of some of the most fertile catalogues in recorded jazz history. He has produced records for the Atlantic, Motown, A... more info

Stereogum — Know nothing about this track except that it came via Ed Banger e-mail to every music blog's tip line moments ago with the suggestion to "share it or talk about it." Done and done. French electro duo Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay have an LP ou... more info

Guardian Music — The highly commendable decision to present Strauss's staggering opera uncut couldn't avoid a few inequalitiesStrauss hated it when Elektra was given with cuts, probably because it brought home to him that the challenges posed by his most remarkable s... more info

Live Daily — British pop sensation Little Boots [ tickets ] will celebrate her long-awaited full-length debut with a round of North American shows late this winter. The electro-pop performer--born Victoria Hesketh--will take to the road for a March 2 performan... more info

Music News Net — MUSIC NEWS - British dance-pop sensation Little Boots has announced the release of her US & Canada much-anticipated full-length album debut, “HANDS”, on March 2, 2010 (out via Elektra Records). “Hands” was released in June â�... more info

Pitchfork - Forkcast — Photo by Paul Jasmin L.A.'s Nosaj Thing, the dude behind last year's terrific Drift, reworks Charlotte Gainsbourg and Beck's "Heaven Can Wait", whose video you may recall seeing back in December. The Beck-produced LP, IRM, is out on January 26 ... more info

Guardian Music — Der Rosenkavalier is best savoured when life has taught you about regretThere's a school of thought that certain works of art are best appreciated at certain ages: DH Lawrence, I've always thought, is best read in the late teens. Other works of liter... more info

Guardian Music — Royal Opera House, LondonJohn Schlesinger's production of Der Rosenkavalier, first mounted for Georg Solti's Covent Garden return in 1984, hits its silver jubilee this month. The sets look their age and some of the busier scenes have become jumbled, ... more info

The attractive cast, notably the earthy Carla Gugino, tries hard to invest the one-note characters with a degree of humanity, but are betrayed at every turn by the thin material. more info