Aquarium Drunkard — Released last month, Free Again: The 1970 Sessions highlights a fertile, if transient, period in Alex Chilton’s life and career. As the the decade began the twenty year old Chilton found himself at a crossroads. Having already achieved preternatura... more info

Pop Candy — Each Tuesday I write about my favorite new music release. Got a suggestion? E-mail popcandy@usatoday.com. more info

Popdose — In 1970 Alex Chilton was fed up with is role in the Box Tops and still a year away from Big Star. The music he made that summer was a bridge to the future more info

LargeHeartedBoy — The only new music I plan to pick up this week is the Alex Chilton compilation Free Again: The 1970 Sessions, which contains several unreleased tracks. The week is heavy with vinyl and reissues, notably the remastered edition of... more info

Guardian Music — Big Star's commercial failure bequeathed pop one of its great what-if storiesWith some hugely influential bands who failed to sell many records in their prime you can sort of get the reasons for their lack of commercial success. Take Hüsker Dü – ... more info

LargeHeartedBoy — At the Calgary Herald, author Patrick DeWitt lists his favorite Western films and novels. Watch the trailer for the forthcoming documentary Nothing Can Hurt Me: The Big Star Story. The List of Online Year-End 2011 Music Lists was updated yesterday... more info

Guardian Music — Our music team pick the songs or albums, old or new, they just can't turn offSiri Nilsen Alle Snakker Sant The title track from the American-Norwegian singer's excellent new album is, like the rest of the record, sung in Norwegian. But you don't need... more info

Here Comes The Flood — Alex Chilton’s first post-Box Tops and pre-Big Star recordings are being released on Omnivore Recordings. Free Again: The "1970" Sessions will be available on CD, LP and digital. The first 1,500 LPs are pressed pressed on clear vinyl. As an added... more info

Swedesplease — If your idea of Swedish music is something exotic like Lykki Li, First Aid Kit, and/or Jens Lekman the music of might surprise you. On the whole the new record hews closer to Big Star meets Wilco dad rock than the drum and bass electronica music comi... more info

Stereogum — Name: R.E.M. Progress Report: Mike Mills talks greatest hits, covering Big Star, and life after R.E.M. It’s kind of hard to comment on the progress of a band that just released a career-capping retrospective and officially broke up. Still, it’s h... more info