Guardian Music — Hull UniversityIf you want to turbocharge your band's prospects, recruit Johnny Marr. It worked for Modest Mouse – it was the hiring of the former Smiths guitarist that gave them a US No 1 album – and it's working for the Cribs. Ignore ... more info

Pop Tarts Suck Toasted — 30. M.I.A. - "Galang"; This is the song that turned M.I.A. into an international star. The song is catchy in its repetition and shows off a variety of styles and sounds all mixed into one crazy bag. It's what started the craze and set the rise of M.I... more info

Guardian Music — The Shins frontman has formed a new project, Broken Bells, with DJ producer Danger Mouse, with a debut album expected next yearJames Mercer has announced a new project, twinning the Shins' gentle frontman with New York producer, DJ and mash-up artis... more info

Guardian Music — If the Radiohead frontman wants to recreate his Eraser album live, then the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist is the man to help him – despite being famous for wearing a sock over his penisWe seem to be entering an era of peculiar collaborations. ... more info

NME — The band will visit Ireland in December, before hitting the UK more info

I Guess I'm Floating — Modest Mouse have been a favorite of mine since my early teenage years, so simply snapping photos 10 feet away from Isaac Brock was more than an eye-widening experience. It was very similar to the excitement brought on from listening to a band for a... more info

Guardian Music — In the first of five video interviews, the ex-Smiths and Modest Mouse explains why he joined the Cribs more info

Rolling Stone — • Janet Jackson Prepares VMAs MJ Tribute • Warped Turns 15 With Blowout Show • News Ticker: Lil Wayne, Jackson Tribute • Jay-Z Unleashes Blueprint, Tour Dates • The Beatles: Rock Band - The RS Review • NIN Reschedule Final L.A. Shows • ... more info

Rollo & Grady — Amoeba Records – Hollywood 1.) Arctic Monkeys – Humbug 2.) Imogen Heap – Ellipse 3.) Dead Weather – Horehound 4.) Mew – No More Stories 5.) Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix 6.) Soundtrack – (500) Days Of Summer 7.) Matisyahu – Light... more info

Stereogum — At Seattle's biggest music festival, rain is not unexpected; still, the downpours at Bumbershoot '09 were scary even for this neck of the Pacific Northwest. No bands got electrocuted, but the sound cut out during Black Eyed Peas' set, so that's so... more info