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

From Mato, From London — Ben Howard Devon (UK) Acústica folk, preciosas acrobacias de guitarra y una voz a la que se le oye el terciopelo y la dulzura. Como escuchar a Nick Drake por primera vez. Te gustará si te gustan Todo lo que hay en el medio entre Mumford and Sons y... more info

Guardian Music — Other acts confirmed for California desert event include Pulp, Florence + the Machine and Noel Gallagher's High Flying BirdsRadiohead, Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg are to headline this year's Coachella festival in California. The event takes place in the de... more info

411 Mania — Mumford and Sons keyboardist gives his support... more info

Guardian Music — Figures show digital album sales passed the 100m mark for the first time in 2011Ten years after Steve Jobs promised to reinvent the music industry with the iPod, digital downloads have overtaken physical sales of singles and albums for the first time... more info

Detroit Free Press — 1. Adele, "21" 2. Taylor Swift, "Speak Now" 3. Lady Gaga, "Born This Way" 4. Jason Aldean, "My Kinda Party," below 5. Susan Boyle, "The Gift" 6. Lil Wayne, "Tha Carter IV" 7. Nicki Minaj, "Pink Friday" 8. Mumford & Sons, "Sigh No More" 9. Rihanna, "L... more info

Guardian Music — The key moments in making music in 2011 so, so dullBBC wins the rights to The VoiceThere was always the chance that the BBC would Fame Acadify this US format, pompously focusing on a quest for authenticity in a place where there was demand for none, ... more info

Guardian Music — She can guest-verse a track to greatness, but can she hold her own on that all-important second album? Clue: rhymes with 'hoe'It's a well-known fact that any song sounds better if you add a Nicki Minaj guest verse. Britney Spears's 'Til the World End... more info

411 Mania — As well as the lead single... more info

Guardian Music — We handed over this week's Film&Music features to the young volunteers of Live magazineNewsPJ Harvey – Let England Shake is our album of the yearBeach Boys reunion rumours resurfaceMumford & Sons plan 'doom folk' albumAmy Winehouse's family open to... more info