Guardian Music — Johnny Marr may have left the Cribs, but he didn't take the joyous pop hooks with him For a band that often get unfairly dismissed as lo-fi racket makers, the Cribs have worked with some pretty interesting and varied people. Their second and third al... more info

Guardian Music — This month Tim goes pastoral and discovers something stranger than folk - "weirdlore"Franz Ferdinand once declared that their mission was to "make music for girls to dance to", but if you're more fond of making girls scream like a One Direction gig i... more info

Gigwise — Friendly Fires also join line-up for September event in German capital more info

KEXP Seattle — Hans-Peter Lindstrøm has probably remixed a band you really like. Best Coast, Roxy Music, LCD Soundsystem, Bear In Heaven, Franz Ferdinand, Doves, and Glasser are among his victims. But other than 12″ b-sides and Deluxe Edition bonus tracks, not t... more info

Stereogum — Last year, Franz Ferdinand released their Covers EP, which collected other bands’ versions of their songs, on Record Store Day. Now, they’ve brought in a few other people to remix those covers. Below, listen to Brennan Green and dOP’s revisions... more info

411 Mania — Two of them... more info

Guardian Music — Guitar-driven music is not in the rudest of health, but little by little its vital signs are getting stronger, industry insiders say"I have no doubt rock is not dead," says the man often suspected of being its killer. George Ergatoudis, the head of m... more info

Guardian Music — Tim Jonze sticks his neck out to declare the era of indie rock not overI'm trying to put a finger on the most surprising thing about the Guardian's Best Albums of 2011 list, published last month. Was it the virtual absence of any indie rock bands? Or... more info

Guardian Music — TrangressiveHaving a passing relationship with "Yorkshire grunge", Leeds-based hardcore loons Pulled Apart by Horses are one of the current must-see live experiences, where their lurching rock and shaking hair put the fear of God into vulnerable ampl... more info

Guardian Music — Sales figures suggest alternative rock is in a dismal place right now. Will it ever recover? And should we care?This year's Brit awards will be a melancholy experience for indie rock fans. The genre's big live performers will be Blur and Noel Gallagh... more info