Detroit Free Press — Van Dyke Parks has never really been a household name, as he has primarily worked behind the scenes as a producer, arranger, songwriter and session musician and only occasionally released albums as a solo artist. But his significance in the world of ... more info

Guardian Music — It's not all about cardigans, sulking and C90 mixtapes. What are the tracks that define indie?As Richard King writes in the Guardian today, 'indie' is a slippery term. "A sympathetic understanding of indie music is to see it as a morass of of signifi... more info

Guardian Music — XOYO, LondonThe word of mouth about Django Django is growing deafening. As the London-via-Edinburgh quartet head towards the end of their first UK tour, the venue is so grotesquely rammed that crowd members appear to be taking turns to inhale and exh... more info

Guardian Music — Bobby Fuller was a rock'n'roller out of time, selling Buddy Holly when the world was buying a pop revolutionThe single thing many music fans know about Bobby Fuller isn't true. The Bobby Fuller Four were not the band behind the original of I Fought t... more info

Guardian Music — Both intimate and immense, Gabriel Levine's triumph of slow-burning melody demands repeated, rapt attentionHometown: Brooklyn.The lineup: Gabriel Levine (vocals, guitar) and friends.The background: There are certain labels you have to sit up and take... more info

411 Mania — Did Jimi Hendrix really open for the Monkees? Why do the Byrds have an album named (untitled)? Does someone really own the copyright for "Happy Birthday?" All this and more in this week's edition of Ask 411 Music! more info

Guardian Music — The country music impresario in his memory-filled home in WimbledonThe irrepressibly energetic Mervyn Conn gave retirement a go, and then thought: "I can't do this." Instead, this February sees him reviving the International Festival of Country Music... more info

Guardian Music — This Swedish boy wonder has made an early contender for album of the yearHometown: Sandviken, Sweden.The lineup: Sebastian Arnström (vocals, music) in the studio, plus Erik Klinga and Mathias Zachrisson in concert.The background: Shall we start the ... more info

Guardian Music — The country-rock pioneer proved songwriting could be uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time"The song is absolutely hopeless, beyond despair. It's the saddest song I've ever heard." That was Rolling Stone magazine's description of A Song for You... more info

Altsounds — _*MORE FROM BEASTIE BOYS, RYAN ADAMS and*_ _*SHARON JONES AND THE DAP KINGS*_ _*AND EVEN MORE FROM THE YARDBIRDS, THE BYRDS AND*_ _*THE LOVIN' SPOONFUL*_ When the best bands in rock history send a nod to the indie music stores, how much better can ... more info