Brooklyn Vegan — Outsider folk musician Jandek (aka Sterling Richard Smith) is playing a few rare shows this year including two in Brooklyn this month. He plays Vaudeville Park on March 23 and March 26. He'll be joined at both shows by... more info

Chorus.fm — *Tim Williams* (http://www.absolutepunk.net/timwlliams)' new project *Soft Swells* (http://modernoutsider.com/SoftSwells.aspx) will release their self-titled debut, which was produced by Dave Lynch (Ed Harcourt, Clearlake, Liam Finn), on February 28t... more info

411 Mania — His days of selling millions of records are over... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — Ume at CMJ 2010 (more by Chris La Putt) Back in June we mentioned that Ume had signed to Modern Outsider, who will release their debut full length Phantoms on August 30. We're still eagerly awaiting that album, and fortunately,... more info

Detroit Free Press — "Everything and the Kitchen Sink -- An Exhibition of Michigan Outsider Art" is on display 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Thu. and Sat., 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri., noon-5:30 p.m. Sun. through Aug. 28 at Ann Arbor Art Center, 117 W. Liberty, Ann Arbor. 734-994-8004 or ... more info

Impose Magazine — This article at The Daily Beast about the 60th anniversary of Catcher in The Rye struck me as a bit odd. Written by Ned Vizzini, here's part of the opener: [Holden Caufield] is the White Outsider—a Caucasian kid who despite his advantages ... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — Ume at CMJ 2010 (more by Chris La Putt) "How could I have not known about Ume? An Austin trio fronted by a whirling dervish of a singer guitarist who in the standard PR band head shot looks like she... more info

BBC 6 Music — From Endtroducing to The Outsider, Shadow says he's on course for making the 'best' yet. more info

Stereogum — Last year we mentioned that DJ Shadow was at work on his first album since 2006’s The Outsider. Yesterday he announced via Facebook that his album, The Less You Know, The Better, was finished, and that he had also completed a single and remix EP ca... more info

Totally Fuzzy — An excellent sampler by San Francisco label Friendly Fire Recordings, home to artists like Acrylics, Asobi Seksu, Camphor, The Concretes, David & the Citizens, Elk City, Faunts, Oh No Ono, Old Soul, The Phenomenal Handclap Band, Regina, Violens, ... more info