Guardian Music — Minimalism, jazz, folk, classical – it all seemed impenetrable when I was hooked on the three-minute pop songArt is long, life is short; but not so short that you have to spend it cramming in culture. You can afford to take your time. Only rec... more info

The Mirror — Tragic former Playboy centrefold Anna Nicole Smith's life is to be turned into an opera, it was announced today. The production - which has been co-written by one of the creators of Jerry Springer: The Opera - will be staged at one of the UK's most v... more info

Sky News — If Kathryn Bigelow wins the Oscar for best director tonight, she will be the first woman ever to do so - and is only the fourth even to be nominated. more info

Pitchfork — Before there was Band of Horses, there was Carissa's Wierd, a folk-pop collective co-founded by ex-BoH member Mat Brooke (of Grand Archives) and Jenn Ghetto, and featuring BoH leader Ben Bridwell and former BoH drummer Sera Cahoone. The Seattle group... more info

The Music Fix — News Flash: with their own four 'Seasons' EPMusic Fix faves Tiger Please have enlisted Romesh Dodangoda (Kids in Glass Houses, Funeral for a Friend, Twin Atlantic) to produce their upcoming 'Seasons' EP. The 4-track release will feature a song for ea... more info

Guardian Music — The notorious piano-destroying, soft-toy loving Charlemagne Palestine is in the UK this weekend. Alfred Hickling gets a rare audience with a pioneer'My best performances are the ones I can never remember," says Charlemagne Palestine. "The music takes... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — by Andrew Frisicano DOWNLOAD: Glass Ghost - The Same (MP3) DOWNLOAD: Glass Ghost - Like a Diamond (MP3) Here We Go Magic @ South Street Seaport - Summer 2009 (more by Chris La Putt) Here We Go Magic, a band... more info

ContactMusic — Like many of the kids who first pored over Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass , critics have found both delight and displeasure in... more info

All About Jazz — Fabrikant Records is proud to announce the release of Looking Glass, the debut recording from an exciting new modern jazz quartet known as Loose Grip. The group is led by ex-pat Canadian drummer Chris Wallace and features 2009 Scottish Jazz Award win... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — Cold Cave @ Glass House in Pomona, CA on February 17th (Darryl Leung) "Eisold led a performance teeming with brooding melancholy and Cold Cave managed to transform Pomona's Glass House into Factory Records' Hacienda in Manchester of the mid 80's.... more info