April 11, 2012 – Lollapalooza has confirmed the lineup for its 16th American edition, the fest's eighth year in its Grant Park, Chicago, locale. The bare-chested stars of Lolla 1992(!), the Red Hot Chili Peppers will return to reclaim their rightful headlining spot, joined by the mighty Black Sabbath in whatever form they're taking these days. Other names in the big fonts include the Black Keys, Jack White, Avicii, Justice, Florence + the Machine, Bassnectar, the Shins, and Passion Pit.

April 10, 2012 – New York skingrater crew White Suns have unleashed a noise-punk masterpiece with their new 40-minute voidscape Sinews. After helping lead the charge of new NYC pigfuck (see also the Men, Pop. 1280, Pygmy Shrews, and Twin Stumps), they may have just topped them all with their first release for venerable noise-rock label Load. Sinews is a masterful use of negative space, treating the feedback of bands like Sonic Youth and Swans used as a means to an end, a joyless churn painted in a dozen shades of grey. When the band does decide to "rock" (in their decidedly Jesus-Lizard-on-rabies fashion), they burst out of curtains of noise like a flurry of random Aylergrind punches. Sinews exists on some invented Venn diagram of '80s power electronics, '90s AmRep noise-metal, '00s Fort Thunder cartoon scree and modern Sacred Bonesy industrial revival.

April 4, 2012 – The American debut of Kid Koala's "Space Cadet Headphone Experience," held in Brooklyn's Irondale theater, was a triumph of whimsy and trust. "Whimsy" because half the show meant milling through the DJ's please-touch science fair where you could marvel at sculptures of colorful comic-book fauna and skritch-scratch around on his personal collection of vintage musical equipment. "Trust" because he has faith that 250 fans a night won't break all his shit… And I've seen fans completely destroy a Wilco art exhibit. Obviously Koala fosters a kinder, gentler, IKEA-ready beatfiend, his work increasingly focusing on drawing graphic novels starring adorable little spacemen, appearing on Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! and selling oven mitts as merch.

April 3, 2012 – Deliciously grating noise-rap trio Death Grips are just weeks away from releasing their major label debut, The Money Store and the run-up has been intense: the explosive "Lost Boys", the wubbing nuclear cloud "Blackjack", the spazzy freak-out "Get Got", and the scum-flecked headbanger "Fever (Aye Aye)". Now the band's latest release, a collabo with the Creator's Project, is a wall of 109 gifs means to be played all at once in clusterfucky fashion. Here's the band talking to the Creator's Project about this insanity: "There are 109 loops that you can start and stop at will. Depending on the number of loops you trigger and the way you time them, an infinite number of visual/audio combinations are possible... It’s inspired by Mercury being in retrograde right now (until April 4, 2012). The piece is an expression of the infinite/fractal nature of every moment in time.

March 29, 2012 – The legacy of E-40 cannot be understated: pioneer of the independent hustle, hyphy ambassador and inventor of half of Snoop Dogg's favorite slang words. His motormouthed spieling and uniquely blapping beats — many courtesy of his son, Droop-E — have carried him two decades in the game; and he just released his 15th, 16th and 17th albums this week, the three-volume set The Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil. For almost three and a half hours, Forty Water swerves around in the lane that he paved — Bay Area slappage, slow-rolling asphalt beaters and the some of the most evocative narratives around — without ever stopping in "Rack City" or "Marvin's Room." E-40 stopped by the SPIN offices to sprinkle us. It's amazing that your records never leak until days before they hit stores… I turn mine in at the last minute, the last deadline.

March 29, 2012 – Download tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 18 and 19. You'll have one of the best rap albums of the year and will save yourself $4.07. Forget the rest exists.

March 27, 2012 – Dave Mustaine: We found him living in a parking lot with a bunch of junk cars around him. He had a little soul, and we just felt it when we saw him. We knew that he needed our help, you know? His hair was ruined, he was in really bad shape, he didn't like people. And now he's the friendliest horse — he'll come running up to you no matter where you're at. We live in kind of a hilly area. The coyotes, they come and lie down by him 'cause they know that he's not a threat. He was dribbling spit when you guys were doing the photo shoot because my wife was feeding him apples. I was like, "Don't do that!" I know the green skin on the apples is gonna make green spit, and he's gonna look like a rabid horse. We've had him inside the house, but it's usually just for special things, like around Christmastime. We celebrate all of our animals.

March 27, 2012 – Noise-rap firestarters Death Grips are still celebrating being the the weirdest thing signed to a major label since Daniel Johnston. Dudes already dropped the explosive "Lost Boys", the wubbing mushbomb "Blackjack" and the jittery nicotine fit "Get Got" from their upcoming album, The Money Store. Now here comes the album's Tron ligh-cycle acceleration "Fever (Aye Aye)," full of Stefan Burnett's husky scream and Zach Hill's bonkers drumming. Check out the rad clip which old-timers will notice bears quite a resemblance to the Rolling Stones' "Emotional Rescue" video. For the the other 99 percent, uh... check out these Waka-levels of yelling and a shirtless Zach Hill! Yuh!

March 12, 2012 – "We got off tour in October. I’ve basically been in the studio most of the time since then without much break and I'm pretty much run dry," says Michael Gira, lead purger for legendary noise-rock pummellers Swans. "I’m a completely wrung out wash cloth of a human being." Gira has been more than busy crafting The Seer, a the megalithic follow-up to 2010's cauterizing as ever reunion bid My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to the Sky, promising a whopping two hours of music on double CD and triple vinyl. Adds Gira, "and it might even include more extra things if I ever find the time to mix a few things" Gira promises guest spots from Karen O, Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker of Low, and previous collaborators Akron/Family doing Beach Boys-style harmonies. "It’s a really, varied record.

March 9, 2012 – Tireless sludgemuffins the Melvins are as busy as ever in their 29th year. Their 5-track Scion A/V EP The Bulls & The Bees is due March 13; their 13-LP Sugar Daddy Live split 12" series is slowly rolling out via Amphetamine Reptile; they're making their network TV debut on Last Call with Carson Daly in April; and they're weeks away from launching a 21-date tour with fellow noise-metal muckos Unsane. But right now, all Melvinmaniacs are turning their eyes to Freak Puke, the band's 21st studio album. Recorded without the Big Business half of their freight train double-drummer line-up, veteran guitarist King Buzzo and drummer Dale Crover teamed with Trevor Dunn, famed bassist of Mr. Bungle, Fantômas, Madlove, and various Tzadik improv workouts.