The second album from Brooklyn trio Vivian Girls is dark, moody, and just as indebted to Nirvana and the Wipers as ’60s girl groups.

The threesome revels in its dark side on its punk-influenced sophomore release, Everything Goes Wrong. The signature harmonies that touched the Girls’ buzz-generating, self-titled 2008 debut are still present, but here, they answer that buzz with some dissonant noise of their own, as evidenced on tracks like the shoegaze-drenched “When I’m Gone.” Read More »

Over the last two decades, Warp Records has evolved from one of the best electronic-music labels in the world to one the best music labels in the world, period. Though its focus has widened to include indie rock, Britpop, noise rock, and other, less categorizable sounds, the quality has never dropped. This is likely because Warp privileges growth and exploration over repetition of past sounds and successes. The imprint’s long history feels more like a 20-year experiment — and today, that experiment remains as exciting as ever. Read More »

Parisian DJ and producer David Guetta usually relies on one or two singers to provide vocals on his albums. But Guetta — who’s recently produced tracks for the Black Eyed Peas — expanded his lineup of collaborators for his latest album, One Love (EMI). This medley mix includes many of the album’s tracks, and impressive guest stars like Estelle, will.i.am, Kid Cudi, and Akon.

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With their new album, Swedish duo Sally Shapiro find the sweet spot between ’80s Italo disco and Europop.

While Sally Shapiro’s singer (who also goes by the name “Sally Shapiro”) remains anonymous, it’s easy to recognize her crystalline vocals across new album My Guilty Pleasure. They’re still the centerpiece, though producer Johan Agebjörn indulges in more complex synth arrangements and faster rhythms for their sophomore LP. The result is as romantic as past efforts, but with an added sense of urgency. Read More »

Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner may have relocated to New York to be close to MTV girlfriend Alexa Chung, but Humbug‘s biggest influence comes from the West Coast. Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) produced the UK band’s third full-length, and his touch shows up from single “Crying Lightning” onward. Read More »

Perched above the Arctic Circle, Sasu Ripatti’s hometown never gets a full day of sunlight during winter. This phenomenon can make some people eat more; others feel disconnected from reality. But Oulu, Finland’s winter was perfect for Ripatti’s organic work as Vladislav Delay. Unlike the process behind his brighter records as Luomo, working on Tummaa (The Leaf Label) needed solitude. “Some people get sleepy or depressed, some really become night-active and creative, some turn to all kinds of drugs,” he explains. “I find it very inspiring to see nature struggle like that.” Read More »

MTV vet John Norris hosts this video site featuring HD interviews and performances from Dan Deacon, Animal Collective, and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart.

Noisevox focuses on high-quality artist chats, paired with live sets. The clips go beyond the sound-bite, allowing Japandroids to tell medical horror stories and the Thermals to explain songwriting metaphors. Noisevox also offers interesting live takes, such as Arctic Monkeys‘ snarling cover of Nick Cave’s “Red Right Hand.” Read More »