So Razorlight singer/guitarist Johnny Borrell needs a bit of love. Perhaps he might want to start by ditching the pseudo-80's getup. Seriously man, pearls? We get it...you're a sensitive fellow. You couldn't possibly "love in a house without feeling". But what's the better option? Hang with your mates in the dark with only a match to keep warm? I guess so

Paranoid Cocoon (Suicide Squeeze Records) is the first full length release from Page France front man Michael Nau under his new moniker, Cotton Jones. While it would be easy to compare this record to Nau's previous releases with Page France, it seems pointless to do so because they are, according to Nau, two completely different projects. Joining Nau in Cotton Jones is Whitney McGraw who was also a member of Page France. Her soft voice is laced throughout the album, making every song she sings in sound just a little bit sweeter and a little more innocent. Her voice is the perfect counter-balance to Nau's raspy drawl. And if the Page France influence wasn't quite strong enough, Clinton Jones, Page France drummer, designed the albums quirky layout and artwork.

Oh Chairlift...how they've jettisoned off into places we never would have dreamed possible when first we heard them this past summer. Giant tours, a possible major label deal with Columbia (?), a Baeble shoot, and an iPod commercial? Who knew... Regardless, we think it's all rather righteous.

This has been quite the week for late night T.V. At the beginning of the week we saw Ben Kweller performing the song "Fight" from his upcoming album Changing Horses on the Late Show with David Letterman. Tuesday night there were two more great performances from bands we love.

Mirah may not crack a champagne bottle over the bow of her highly anticipated new album until March 10th, but that doesn't mean we can't weigh in on the thing . We've got it after all...and well, we think you should know about it. So we're throwing (a)spera (K Records) under the weight of Baeble newbie, Greg Lozoff's careful critique. It's part of a brand new segment we're calling "A Rush to Judgment"; a new editorial series spotlighting noteworthy albums weeks before they're scheduled for release.

One of the perks of being a musician, or any sort of artist really, is the freedom to express yourself in any way you wish. Artists can, on a whim, decide to stop what their doing and try something completely different, whenever they please. Many times it is a conscious decision and often it is just change that comes with living and experiencing different things. Whether Ben Kweller decided to write a country album or whether that's just how it turned out is unclear. What is for sure is that Kweller's new album deviates from anything he has done in the past. Fortunately it is also one of his best albums to date.

It's January. So those bitter gusts swirling 'round and pressing up against the skin like fearless, icy needles shouldn't be too much of a surprise. But we'd like to call your attention to at least one good thing about all this wintery business; it allows those artists who mess around in the kind of sounds that warm the body and soul to truly hit their mark.

One such band whose music benefits from the season at hand is School of Seven Bells.

Last night, David Letterman and his guest, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, were treated to a rousing performance by alt country rocker and multi-instrumentalist Ben Kweller.

Youth and energy has its' definite place in music. Young, gun slinging musicians exuding careless confidence and shit pots of stamina for their booze infused, sexually motivated lifestyles will always be a necessary cog to keep the spirit and vigor of rock and roll cranking along. But as fun as goofing off at the kid's table with these punks can be, breaking a bit of bread with some honest to god adults is often beneficial behavior as well. It's there, after all, where life's more profound themes are discussed at length. It's there where people try and define what their lives are, or what they should be. It's there where "soul food" is generally the cuisine of choice. It's also there where listeners get the chance to pull up a chair with Andrew Bird on his latest release, Noble Beasts.

It turns out we are not the only ones who are in love with Animal Collective's new album Merriweather Post Pavilion.

The UK has provided us with some of the best music of all time. It may come then as no surprise that the ultra talented Florence Welch is from Camberwell in South London.

If there's one awfully big, double dare kind of challenge that'll always sit in front of any new recording effort tenderhearted, Brooklyn duo Matt and Kim enter in to, it's the daunting task of attempting to go toe to toe with their manic, live performances on record. Just how does one capture the penultimate energy, slightly inebriated edge, and punky passion that pours from the stage night after night on album? I suppose the answer is you don't. Thankfully, Matt and Kim know this. How else do you explain the band's rather blaring move towards a more natural sounding set of songs on their newest long player Grand?

This February, indie rock darlings, the Morning Benders, whose album Talking Through Tin Cans was selected as Itunes' best independent album of 2008, are hitting the road

Hailing from Ontario, Canada, Tony Dekker and Erik Arnesen, who are known to most as Great Lake Swimmers, are set to release to the world their fourth full length album, entitled Lost Channels.

For all you sorry sorts (present company included) locked out of this week's limited round of Animal Collective shows, the band recently announced a bit of news that should place you somewhere near cloud nine by post's end.

Baeble editor David Pitz sits down with Matt and Kim to discuss recording an album in Matt's childhood bedroom, being Brooklyn's go to party band, the writing process, and their brand new album Grand.

For any non-believer in the church of NYC hipster culture, a stroll down the 20 or so odd blocks that is Williamsburg Brooklyn's Bedford Ave can be an awfully unpleasant experience. As the home of said culture in all its' tragic glory, the stretch of pavement can sometimes seem like nothing more than a sad, sad catwalk of sorts; an unfortunate place where freaky folks are all too willing to put their fashion faux pas, bizarre behavior, alcohol abuse, and bad attitude on display.

There isn't a whole lot to say about Merriweather Post Pavilion that hasn't already been said. As a product of a hyperactive blog culture, the latest full-length album from Brooklyn/Baltimore based Animal Collective is as divisive an offering as they come. On one hand, you have the obsessives who approach every Animal Collective related project with wide-eyed acclaim and suffocating enthusiasm, while on the other side you have the tunnel vision pundits who hold firm that the band and all its byproducts are a vacuous representation of a vampiric hype culture. However, to say that the answer lies somewhere in between would be way too easy-- the truth is, Merriweather Post Pavilion is an accurate representation of both sides of the argument with very little wiggle room in between. In short, yes, it is overhyped beyond reasonable measure, however, it's also very, very good, and is without a doubt worthy of the polarizing dialogue it inspires.

Saturday Night Live continued to work up its' taste for a wider variety of independent talent this past weekend, inviting one of last year's better break out bands to perform their rather pleasant brand of CSNY laden folk rock for a national audience. And though Fleet Foxes didn't use the moment to put any kind of spruce into their scraggly image (mmmm...granola), the Seattle band did run through rather flawless performances of "Mykonos" and "Blue Ridge Mountains".

And now, a debt of gratitude to those brave souls willing to take up arms and traverse the country in the name of Anton Newcombe's oft-beleaguered band the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Thanks be to them for putting it all on the line to ensure the band's terrifically tumultuous legacy beats on just a little while longer.

Last week NPR delighted all of us with news that their ultra excellent music site was featuring a full on stream of Andrew Bird's rather radiant new album Noble Beasts - 2 weeks before it's intended release mind you! Tough to top for sure, but at the very least their latest long player preview at least goes toe to toe with Mr. Bird.

Forget responding to that offensive invitation to your 10th anniversary, high school reunion. On their soon to be released, self-titled LP, Audrye Sessions seem more than happy to take you screeching back to those awkward, lovesick days when, chances are all you ever really wanted to do was disappear deep inside a deafening soundtrack of Siamese Dream, Vs., and The Bends. Unless of course you just so happened to actually get the itch to strap on one of those electric guitars for yourself. Then mimicking your early '90's idols was how you dreamed your days away.

Winter weather got you down? Say you could use a little prize pack pick me up? For our first hook up of the year we're celebrating the release of Audrye Sessions' live performance at Electric Lady Studios with the kind of give away that proves that, in addition to being amazing musicians, this Bay Area band has a keen eye for arts and crafts. Amazingly, the band has taken the time to hand craft five wallets...which we'll of course be giving away. Looks like more of you will have the opportunity to get in on the Baeble Hookup. In addition, we'll also throw in a copy of their newest EP, out this February 17th on Black Seal Records.

For entry, just follow the simple steps after the break:

Since its' inception in 1969, Electric Lady Studios has seen some of the greatest artists and musicians record within its' hollowed halls. David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, John Lennon, The Clash, The Rolling Stones...all can credit the studio for laying some of their most well known work to tape. But when the legendary company opened its' doors to us, they did so with a striking eye to the future. Who caught their eye? Promising, Bay Area band Audrye Sessions, that's who.

Karin Dreijer Andersson certainly knows how to drive a fever. Back in '06 she and brother Olof damn near drove most of the music world mad in the wake of Silent Shout; the remarkably vibrant set of synth pop the two presented under the moniker The Knife. Of course success can be exhausting. And after obtaining #1 status in their home country, scooping up 6 Swedish Grammys, and piecing together a string of timeless live outings, some obvious downtime was in order. For Karin, that time meant having her second child and getting to work on a new batch of songs inspired by her "most productive daydreaming".

The name Richard Reed Parry may not light up the area of the brain reserved for recognition in quite the same way the Arizona Cardinals did their opponents this past weekend. But I'm guessing you'd probably recognize the tall, lanky, redhead for his rather manic role in Arcade Fire. But when he's not busy being retained for those duties in the most beloved of Canadian bands, Parry fills a little free time lending his multitude of talents to the grandiose, pop prescriptions instrumental outfit Bell Orchestre administers.

Broken hearted bastards beware. Bon Iver has emerged with a brand new, albeit miniature, set of songs that's sure to tug on your most tattered of strings...but I'm guessing you'll actually be all for it. I know I am.

If by chance you happen to be one of those folks who have plunked down the bulky $199.00 for Merge's 20th Anniversary subscription series box sets, I'm gonna take a careless stab in the dark that this next bit of news may just make you lose your schtuff.

Yes, Deer Tick pen the sort of songs fit for trailing gravel roads off into the distant, dusty horizon...then again, that shouldn't come as much of a surprise. John McCauley and his fellow band mates do hail from Road Island after all. Yikes. That's probably the worst humor you've read all day...but a great segue way none the less to our latest bit of news involving the band.

So Wisconsin is where the broken hearted go to lick their wounds? That is of course where Justin Vernon famously retreated to in order to sew his soul back together...oh, and he emerged with last year's undeniable masterstroke, Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago in the process. Now it seems the state is handing down another no frills kind of folkie in the immensely talented Cory Chisel. And though he and his Wandering Sons released the Cabin Ghosts EP (Black Seal) several months ago, the mostly heavy heart that pumps through these six songs should do for Chisel what it did for Vernon just over a year ago. Here's hoping, anyway...

Since its' inception in 1969, Electric Lady Studios has seen some of the greatest artists and musicians record within its' hollowed halls. David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, John Lennon, The Clash, The Rolling Stonesall can credit the studio for laying some of their most well known work to tape. But when the legendary company opened its' doors to us, they did so with a striking eye to the future. Who caught their eye? Promising, Wisconsin based singer-songwriter Cory Chisel, that's who.

This sort of thing does little for us except slightly perk our own interest in his upcoming album, but maybe you get a kick out of the subtle clues artists like to tip their audiences off on ahead of new releases.

Wish we could say it was happening here, but we're never above sending you elsewhere in the name of something worthwhile. Today, Andrew Bird fans might want to consider taking a quick trip to npr.org for quite a nice new years' treat.

Wayne Coyne must be up to something...a recruitment program or a class at an OK community college perhaps. How else does one explain the hyper-diverse set of psychedelic pop music beaming out of the dust bowl these past few years? Yes, Flaming Lips started it long ago. But a new batch of wannabes and disciples - students primed to emulate the ways of the master - have continued the tradition of drugged out, Okie optimism over the years.