Guardian Music — Our writers are picking their favourite albums. Here, Miranda Sawyer relates how Damon Albarn and co helped her through the breakdown of a relationshipBlur's 13 is a weird album. Overtly emotional, full of yearning and upset, yet scratchy, scuzzy, so... more info

Guardian Music — Gareth Daley is the first Brit-soul boy contender with serious commercial potential since Mick HucknallHometown: Manchester.The lineup: Gareth Daley (vocals, music).The background: We might as well get the comparisons out the way: he's a blue-eyed so... more info

Guardian Music — (Split Records)For all their talk of Latin beats, south Londoners Flash Fiktion are a psychedelic indie-electro act, whose riotous music nods to Klaxons, early Blur and Simian Mobile Disco when they were plain Simian. That in itself is nothing new, b... more info

Guardian Music — Whether it's theatrical sets or performing in costume, bands are taking stagecraft seriously in a bid to stand out from the crowdFin Greenall has spent more than a decade working in front of live audiences – first as a DJ for the Ninja Tune stable,... more info

Guardian Music — Our writers are picking their favourite albums – here, Gareth Grundy explains his love for The Good, the Bad and the Queen"It's hard to imagine an anti-war song becoming a radio hit, as it might have done in the 60s. The way people listen to music ... more info

Stopcryingyourheartout.com — U.K.’s The Hours, hailed by the mighty Gallagher as well as artists like Damon Albarn and Bono, have announced their next appearances in North America this November for nine dates opening for Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, starting in Toront... more info

Guardian Music — This former art history student specialises in murky disco full of reverb, delay and enigmatically ethereal vocalsHometown: Tallinn, Estonia.The lineup: Maria Juur (vocals, music).The background: Maria Juur, alias Maria Minerva, is a post-Pink record... more info

Guardian Music — Albarn among 11 western producers collaborating with Congo musicians as part of Oxfam DRC fundraising operationOxfam have announced details of their first DRC Music album, matching 11 western producers with musicians from the Democratic Republic of C... more info

The Quietus — Kinshasa One Two features the likes of Actress and Dan The Automator, alongside local Congolese musicians, to be released on Warp in October more info

NME — 'Kinshasa One Two' is due out on November 7 more info