Guardian Music — Like Tinie and Tinchy, these purveyors of shiny, grime-y R&B have just enough grit. Think of them as a more credible JLSHometown: London.The lineup: Mark, Cairo and Pierre.The background: It was nice to read in the daily industry newsletter CMU an ar... more info

Guardian Music — Raised on hardcore punk, this Justin Vernon lookalike has retreated into haunting, atmospheric acoustic territoryHometown: Dublin.The lineup: James Vincent McMorrow (voice, guitar).The background: If you're in the mood for wintry wistfulness, James V... more info

411 Mania — Giving away downloads works... more info

Guardian Music — (Island)There is an argument that, of late, mainstream hip-hop and R&B has lost its once zealously guarded edge of originality. The genres appear comfortable in a sonic rut – the raveish synthesisers that added an icy edge to Rihanna's Umbrella, Au... more info

Idolator — Responding to fans who want to know why he didn’t release a track with longtime collaborator Missy Elliot on his Shock Value II project, Timbaland (via an uploaded vlog) explains that the album was “a rush project… it wasn’t time yet and I di... more info

USA Today Music — Musicians including Timbaland, Blondie and Bret Michaels are joining top scientists to get people excited by science. more info

Guardian Music — Touted as one of dubstep's new breed, this DJ turns beats, basslines and bursts of 8-bit mania into abstract R&BHometown: Manchester.The lineup: Stephen Gomberg (music, production).The background: Yesterday we got told off by a reader for only writin... more info

Perez Hilton — Then again, who doesn't? Timbaland reached out to his fans in a cool way this week. He posted a video on his Twitter page, answering questions from followers about what he's been up to. Topics ranged from his new free song giveaway to Kanye West. He ... more info

VH1 Blog — VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip After spending the month of October riding shotgun with the boys in 30 Seconds To Mars, it’s time to bid the emo rockers adieu and say hello to our VH1 Posted artist for the month of ... more info

Idolator — Nearly a year after the release of Shock Value II, new-to-Twitter super producer Timbaland has announced his intention to release new music each week as part of “Timbo Thursdays.” (Does this sound a little familiar to you?) “So my brother told ... more info