Guardian Music — In a year in which we questioned our obsession with all things retro, James Blake pulled off the unthinkable, taking dubstep, soul and even barbershop to create a new musical languageThis year's most talked-about music tome was Simon Reynolds's Retro... more info

BBC 6 Music — The electronic musician looks back on the success of 2011 more info

Guardian Music — Dave Guetta's ubiquitous productions made Alexis Petridis feel like his dad – thank heavens for PJ HarveyThere were moments when the 2011 singles chart seemed likely to trigger an existential crisis in music fans of a certain age. This summer I tur... more info

Guardian Music — From traditional Irish music to St Vincent and the Frames, the first night of this intimate festival spoke to myriad traditionsIt really isn't a large congregation that fills St James's church in Dingle, County Kerry, for Other Voices. The advance pu... more info

Guardian Music — If they ever did a dubstep week on The X Factor, Youngman could be a guest mentorHometown: Derby.The lineup: Simon Smith (vocals).The background: Simon "Youngman" Smith has the melismatic vocals and politely charismatic presence of a future star, and... more info

Guardian Music — Our music writers are currently picking their albums of the year. What would yours be?December is nearly upon us, bringing the inevitable blizzard of best-album-of-the-year lists. The Guardian will of course be participating; as you read this, an arm... more info

Altsounds — Having enjoyed a rollercoaster year since the release of his highly acclaimed debut album in February, James Blake has been ceaselessly touring the globe picking up waves of new fans as he goes. This Friday he's bringing the show back to the UK wit... more info

411 Mania — This week's MBML has news on Busdriver, Radiohead, and James Blake. Also, I've got an exclusive interview with Los Campesinos!, discussing their new album. And of course, I've got new recommended listening picks. All this and more! more info

Stereogum — James Blake has a new EP called Love What Happened Here arriving next month. Last week, we posted his track “Curbside.” And below, we’ve got another one, a relatively restrained beat-driven instrumental called “At Birth.” Listen to a radio ... more info

Totally Fuzzy — Oliver Tank. Twenty-one years old, Australian, mop-headed. Musician. The adjectives can keep coming, but all of them lead Oliver Tank to be unassuming of so much talent. He's been compared to Bon Iver, James Blake, Boards of Canada and Mount Kim... more info