Guardian Music — Eric Watson's photographs of the Pet Shop Boys defined the notion of image-making as a vital part of the way the post-punk generation took control of its own marketing more info

Guardian Music — Super-producers Trevor Horn and Steve Lipson on the subtle art of coaxing an outstanding performance from a singerWhen technology companies say artists should view recorded music as a promotional tool and make their living by touring, they forget tha... more info

Guardian Music — Photographer whose portraits of Pet Shop Boys juxtaposed shiny pop and crumbling decayEric Watson, who has died of a heart attack aged 56, was an important shaper of 1980s pop photography. His work for Smash Hits during a key era in British pop helpe... more info

Guardian Music — Andrew Khan explores the gangster aspirations and gay culture references of the Russian pop music scenePussy Riot's anti-Putin agit-punk may have temporarily made them international stars, but explicit political messages are a rarity in the Russian c... more info

Nialler9 — I’ve been paying attention to St. Lucia since Neon Gold first gave the producer a stamp of approval last year. Originally from Johannesberg, Jean-Philip Grobler’s music sounds like the Pet Shop Boys put through a modern electro-pop filter for sur... more info

Guardian Music — This Swedish 17-year-old crafts sublime Fleetwood Mac-tinged electro-pop. Think Stevie Nicks goes synthHometown: Stockholm.The lineup: Amanda Ulrika Magdalena Mair (vocals).The background: We were always going to like Amanda Mair and her self-titled ... more info

Pop Justice — Kylie's just announced (http://www.kylie.com/news/2012/03/kylie-anti-tour-shows-announced/) (after much teasing and faffing around Upon The Twitter) the first dates of her Anti tour. Here are five of several million songs we'd like to see her perfo... more info

Guardian Music — The serial backroom boy is finally stepping out of the shadowsHometown: Lewisham.The lineup: Kwesi Sey (vocals, music).The background: although the area of music he operates in couldn't be more different, Kwes is one of those backroom types like Emel... more info

Here Comes The Flood — photo: Mark Uyl Anneke van Giersbergen has dropped the "Agua de Annique" bit and releases her new album under her own name. A seasoned veteran in the Dutch music scene she has returned the big sound that sounds familiar for fans of The Gathering, th... more info

Guardian Music — Jazz Cafe, LondonPop stars become producers, but producers rarely become pop stars. Mark Ronson, for one, has unintentionally demonstrated the pitfalls awaiting studio wizards who step from behind the mixing console to centre-stage, only to find them... more info