The final piece of the Vampire Weekend trilogy once again finds a winning combination, and is perhaps the best of the bunch.

The anticipation for Modern Vampires of the City (XL Recordings), the third album from Vampire Weekend, has been building for quite a while now. The band has given us a little taste of what to expect through some calculated live performances and online videos, but this week the full scope of what's been brewing for the past few years finally comes to realization. A band always tied to high expectations and hype, Vampire Weekend consider Modern Vampires of the City to be the final piece of a trilogy that began with their 2008 self-titled debut and their Billboard topping follow-up Contra in 2010. This new album doesn't just follow in the footsteps of their first two albums, it challenges both its predecessors to be musically more creative and lyrically more stimulating.

From Barry Manilow To Patti Smith, Clive Davis Can Hear A Hit

May 10, 2013 - At the age of 81 music biz mogul Clive Davis slowed down enough to write his autobiography The Soundtrack of My Life. But talking with him you realize that it is just a moment before he is off again.

Rod Stewart’s Best Songs Are the Ones He Writes Himself!

May 10, 2013 Rod Stewart has little to prove as a rock star. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame twice, once solo and once with The Faces. Of late he has had enormous success with a series of albums singing other people’s songs including standards of The Great American Songbook.

Sacred Steel Virtuoso Slide Brothers Take Us To Church

May 9, 2013 - Robert Randolph, the spectacular young pedal steel guitarist, was the first player from the Sacred Steel tradition to break out to a wider audience.

Phosphorescent’s Matthew Houck Once Thought The Songs on Muchacho Were Too Personal

May 8, 2013 - It is easy to hear the steady growth in the music of Phosphorescent’s Matthew Houck since his 2009 Willie Nelson tribute album. His last album, 2011’s Here’s To Taking It Easy, was a sprawling, languorous, epic written with his road band’s performances in mind.

Hey Marseilles With Chamber Folk From Seattle

May 7, 2013 - Seattle’s Hey Marseilles formed around the collaboration of singer Matt Bishop and guitarist Nick Ward when the two were students at the University of Washington. The band just grew organically into the seven piece band that made their new album Lines We Trace.

Brits Treetop Flyers Channel LA In The 60's

May 6, 2013 - London’s Treetop Flyers effortlessly capture the CSN&Y sound of California Folk-rock in the 60’s on their debut The Mountain Moves. They all met on the periphery of the London folk scene that gave the world Mumford & Sons and Laura Marling.

A set of songs doused in honest Americana, sung by Patty Griffin - one of the most engaging voices in music...

Patty Griffin is really one of those rare treasures. Over the course of a career that started about 20 years ago, she has stayed true to her music, her fans and most importantly herself. She's built and endured a career as a true singer-songwriter, letting her voice and songs carry the weight. Her new album American Kid (New West) is a special collection as it's a tribute to her late father. It's a reflective and touching collection of songs told through both her eyes and his. Musically it's what we've come to expect (and admire) from Patty Griffin, a set of songs doused in honest Americana and sung by one of the most engaging voices in music.

The UK singer-songwriter, Laura Mvula, releases her gorgeous, exotic, engaging debut album, Sing To The Moon, on May 14th.

No stranger to the music scene, British singer-songwriter Laura Mvula has consistently captivated Europe’s music scene with her soulful yet remarkably astonishing voice. Characterized as an artist who can easily sweep music lovers off their feet.

Nick Cave On Push The Sky Away And Excerpts From Berlin Concert

May 3, 2013 - Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds are back, minus founding member Mick Harvey on guitar, with "Push The Sky Away." We are going to hear live performances recorded in Berlin this past February. The elegant yet emotive performer sounds great.