Guardian Music — If Darth Vader was in a band, then this would be his chosen instrumentWhat is it? In our previous column, we looked at synthesisers that pretend to be guitars. Now we take a look at the keytar's evil 1980s twin-synthesisers pretending to be guitars. ... more info

Stereogum — We passed along details about M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel's sophomore album Volume 2 many moons ago, but now we can offer the album art, a tracklist (eleven originals plus NRBQ and Skeeter Davis covers), a listen to first single "In The Sun" (feat... more info

All About Jazz — WE'LL LICK YOUR DECALS OFF ANYTIME! Yesterday was the 69th birthday of Don Van Vliet, better known to sonic freaks and general weirdos everywhere as Captain Beefheart, the leader of a Magic Band and carver of one of the most unusual musical mytholog... more info

My Old Kentucky — What's ol' Shooter been smokin'? After three studio efforts and a live album with The 357s dedicated to putting the 'O' back in country, the man in the aviators is back with a new band, Hierophant, and a new record, Black Ribbons. Allow me to save yo... more info

All About Jazz — Her first three albums were pivotal in the American singer-songwriter movement. The classic Primordial Lovers has fondly been christened the Mother Album of "grrrl power." LOS ANGELES, Calif. --Sandy Hurvitz's transformation into Essra Mohawk happ... more info

Topix — Zappa Plays Zappa: 8:30 p.m. Friday, January 8. Revolution, 200 W. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. more info

New Times Broward-Palm Beach, FL — Dweezil Zappa, the eldest son of late avant-garde rock composer Frank Zappa, has been performing songs from his father's career for the past three years on the "Zappa Plays Zappa" tour. The multimedia shows include a wide range of the elder Zappa's m... more info

Starpulse — Happy Birthday to: Prolific rock guitarist Frank Zappa (1940; d. 1993)[...] Read more! more info

Topix — This May 7, 2008 file photo shows a couple sitting beneath a statue of Frank Zappa in Vilnius, Lithuania. more info

It took more than a year, but Baltimore officials finally decided where to put a bust of rocker Frank Zappa that was given to the city by his fans in Lithuania. more info