For more than 25 years, Lou Barlow has been a prolific songwriter with a wide range of sounds and influences, whether it's the grunge of Dinosaur Jr. or the experimental folk of his Sebadoh project.

Flint, Michigan, quartet the Swellers aren't the first aspiring rock outfit to try something crazy to land their big break. While they were performing Wednesday at SPIN's NYC office, Swellers frontman Nick Diener revealed how a giant bumper sticker helped his band work their way into the heart of Paramore singer Hayley Williams:

Mulled cider, twill blazers, Kings of Convenience -- some things just go with autumn. Starting with the 2001 release of their cheekily-titled debut, Quiet is the New Loud, Norwegians Erlend Øye (the red-headed one) and Eirik Glambek Bøe have consistently crafted warm acoustic folk that gently breaks hearts and brings smiles in equal measure.

Fran Healy, singer/songwriter for the Scottish alt-rock band Travis, recently stopped by SPIN's lower Manhattan office to preview his acoustic tour (which runs through November). The tour features stripped-down versions of Travis favorites and rarities.

Since he broke onto the scene with 2002's Faces Down, Norwegian-born singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche has been adored for his conversational live shows and his sweet-sounding but nuanced pop songcraft. At his recent stop at SPIN's NYC office, he showed off loads of both.

Baseball's Nationals are cellar dwellers, basketball's Wizards finished in last place, and football's Redskins seem destined for a tough year, but our Nation's Capital has produced one winner in 2009: Rapper Wale, fresh off his breakout spot fronting the house band at this month's MTV Video Music Awards.