January 17, 2012 – No one does propulsive agit-pop quite like the British. In the tradition of Gang of Four and the Fall, Prinzhorn Dance School set fierce lyrical jeremiads to jittery guitar and compellingly herky-jerk drum and bass patterns. Clay Class, Tobin Prinz and Suzi Horn's undiluted follow-up to their self-titled 2007 debut, is out January 31 on DFA, and the album's "Usurper" fits perfectly alongside the rest of that label's rhythmically charged roster. Get mad. Get funky.

January 17, 2012 – On Monday night's typically trenchant installment of The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly dropped some keenly insightful hip-hop knowledge on conservative commentator Bernard Goldberg. See, the two were talking about a New York Times column that called Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney "the whitest white man to run for President in recent memory." And during the dialog, O'Reilly ribbed Goldberg for being whiter than white. Goldberg protested by showing a photo of himself with Ice Cube — only he said it was Ice-T. O'Reilly pounced. "That's Ice Cube, Bernie! That's how white you are! ... I'm a brother, man. You can't be doing that to me! I know the Cubes from the Ts." Hopefully O'Reilly finds a way to test his rap knowledge against Sarah Palin, who believes hip-hop fell off after 1979.

January 16, 2012 – Avant-pop maestro Matthew Dear raised his profile considerably with 2010's excellent Black City. "In the Middle (I Met You There)" from Dear's new EP, Headcage, out January 17 via Ghostly, displays much of its predecessor's spooky R&B vibe, as Dear sings in a decadent Bowie-esque yowl over ghostly vocal samples, glassy keyboard lines, and a hard art-funk beat.

January 16, 2012 – Right at the tail end of 2011, Sleigh Bells shared "Born to Lose," the first single from their upcoming new album Reign of Terror. Today, the Brooklyn duo have released another track, the perfectly poppy, devastatingly heavy "Comeback Kid." According to Pitchfork, if you pre-order the LP on iTunes, you'll get a download of "Comeback Kid" right away. "To me, the 'Comeback Kid' melodies are straight R&B," says singer Alexis Krauss about the song, which finds her voice deployed in a clearer, less aggressive, and more radio-friendly fashion than was generally the case on 2010's Treats.

January 13, 2012 – Didn't see this coming: When we rang up the singular South African rap-rave sensations Die Antwoord at their place in Johannesburg to talk about their upcoming TEN$ION, due February 7, they revealed that they have their hearts set on collaborating with a certain Quebecois singer. "I fucking love Celine Dion," gushed Ninja, the duo's spindly-scary MC. "Celine is the ultimate. We want to work with her more than anybody. I'm going to keep saying it interviews because I want it to happen so badly." " 'Think Twice' is Ninja's favorite Celine song," piped in Yo-Landi Vi$$er, Die Antwoord's other half. "I drive around listening to that song stupid loud," adds Ninja. "I nearly crash the car because I get emotional overload. It's dangerous. I shouldn't listen to it while driving anymore." But what would Celine do on a Die Antwoord track?

January 12, 2012 – One thing we now know: Lil Wayne is writing a memoir about the eight months he spent at Rikers Island prison on a gun possession charge in 2010. One thing we believe: It is almost impossible to imagine a situation where this book will not be awesome. Grand Central will publish the book, Gone Till November, which is slated for a November release. "He kept detailed journals of his inner and outer life while he was on Rikers Island and they certainly tell as story," the publishing house's executive editor said in a statement. This we sort of knew: Weezy published a blog called Weezy Thanx You while incarcerated in which he replied to fan mail and its first post was titled "Gone 'til November." So we knew he was listening to Hot 97 and keeping tabs on the Washington Redskins' trade for quarterback Donovan McNabb while doing his jail job (watching over suicidal inmates).

January 12, 2012 – On January 14, PBS' venerable Austin City Limits presents world-beaters Arcade Fire, the latest solid booking in a sterling season that has so far brought viewers Coldplay and Tom Waits. But January 14? That's a whole two days away! Don't worry, though, below you can check out a preview clip of the band playing "We Used to Wait" on the telecast. (The live footage is intercut with behind-the-scenes shots.) The concert's set list also reportedly includes "Keep the Car Running," "Rebellion (Lies)," "Wake Up," and "Haiti." Should be a good show.

January 10, 2012 – On their upcoming sophomore effort, The Lion's Roar, due out January 24, Klara and Johanna Söderberg of Swedish sister duo First Aid Kit prove that their 2010 debut, The Big Black and the Blue wasn't a one-off success. In fact, new songs like the silvery "Emmylou" demonstrate the Söderbergs' knack for beautiful, close-harmony folk remains wholly undiminished. Full of classic country and folk overtones, The Lion's Roar, produced by Bright Eyes' Mike Mogis, places the sisters firmly in the lineage of close-harmony family acts — a tradition of which they're proudly aware. "Families have a way of singing that's impossible to copy," says Johanna. "It's an amazing gift." Below, the two shared some of their favorites. The Carter FamilyKlara I'm reading a biography of them right now and it's obvious they were one of the founders of country genre.

January 10, 2012 – God bless, Jack White. He's weird in all the right ways. Monday night on the History Channel's American Pickers, the rocker-impresario welcomed the show's Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz to Third Man Records Nashville for a little wheeling and dealing. As you might expect, Mr. White drives a hard bargain. The pickers offer him five grand for his vintage jukebox and a black-and-white photo booth. Jack asks for six. Did they strike a deal? Did Tempest, the world's oldest burlesque dancer, step in to sweeten the pot? And what carcass causes Jack to exclaim, "I love the majesty of taxidermy." Find out at 5min.com. The full episode, titled "The Elephant in the Room," can be seen at the American Pickers site.

January 9, 2012 – James Mercer is the only remaining original member of the Shins, so supporters could be forgiven for feeling some apprehension about the band's upcoming disc Port of Morrow. Ah, but fear not, fans of plangent guitar-pop. The album's first single "Simple Song" is buoyed by yet another unsinkable Mercer melody and crunchy six-string part. Some light organ and burbling synths also suggest that the Shins' mainman has learned a few production tricks from his Broken Bells partner Danger Mouse. To hear "Simple Song" you need to sign up for the band's mailing list. Seems, uh, simple. Port of Morrow is due out March 20 via Columbia and Mercer's own Aural Apothecary imprint.