Guardian Music — 'I often take my children on tour. I order them room service, wash their clothes in the sink - then do my show'What got you started?My family. My dad's mum and dad were coal-miners; they had a piano, and loved music like Fats Waller. Then on my moth... more info

The Vinyl Villain — In the days of i-phones, blackberrys and all sorts of methods of instant messaging and communications, it must be high odds against ever meeting someone for the first time and having to resort to ink and skin for the oh-so-vital phone number:-mp3 : ... more info

Aquarium Drunkard — Ernie Graham was a member of Eire Apparent, whose claim to fame was their Sunrise album, produced by Jimi Hendrix. His brilliant 1971 solo record often gets the ‘pub rock’ tag, but sounds closer to genuine Americana, like The Band record that nev... more info

Guardian Music — Are the 44 best albums of the last decade really all made by white people? Is Outkast's B.O.B. really better than Crazy in Love?As the decade draws to an end, the English language seems to be trying to pull us back from the abyss of retrospective ind... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — No Age @ ATP NY in September (more by Ryan Muir) tonight in NYC * Lenny Kravitz @ Irving Plaza * Uninhabitable Mansions @ Cake Shop * Nick Lowe, Bill Kirchen @ City Winery * Erin McKeown, Jill Souble @... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — Heavy Trash @ Mercury Lounge in June (more by Tim Griffin) tonight in NYC * Iggy Pop @ Barnes & Noble * The Raveonettes @ Maxwell's * Nick Lowe, Bill Kirchen @ City Winery * Digable Planets members @ Southpaw... more info

Stereogum — New episodes start 12/9 on Sundance Channel. This second season at the Apollo will feature Elvis' Q&A/performances with Bono and the Edge, Bruce Springsteen, Neko Case, Nick Lowe, Levon Helm, Ray LaMontagne, Richard Thompson, and others. Tivo! more info

Guardian Music — Musical arranger best known for his work with Nick DrakeIn his first year as a music student at Cambridge University, Robert Kirby sought to join Footlights, the undergraduates' fabled arts and drama club. He was turned down, but the events of that d... more info

Live Daily — Nick Lowe [ tickets ] will tackle a lineup of fall road gigs to support his recent career-spanning collection, "Quiet Please ... The New Best of Nick Lowe." The veteran British singer/songwriter kicks off the outing with an Oct. 3 performance at S... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — [Nick Lowe] is a rarity in popular music: an artist who enjoyed a first flush of success as a younger man, then took time to reinvent himself, embracing his maturity and advancing age. "I think of my career in two... more info