Moon Duo - Horror Tour EP

Horror Tour is the new EP from Moon Duo, who you may have seen mentioned on Popsiculture before.

It's a four-track sparkler of a composition, perfectly timed to coincide with Halloween - and it lives up to that billing well, with haunting sustained instrumentals and minor chords aplenty.

However, that doesn't mean this is purely background music for haunted houses - it's also a surprisingly mellow, laid-back EP of chillout tunes. If you've got a dark winter commute and need to pass the time, stick these songs in your ears and you'll soon be home.

The Coathangers - Hurricane/Johnny Flexidisc

One from our friends over at X-Ray Recordings today, the double A-side Flexidisc single from The Coathangers, featuring Hurricane and Johnny.

This is very much for those of you who like your music to come in a physical format. The transparent disc is hand-numbered and limited edition, so you own something truly unique - a far cry from digital downloads that can be reproduced almost at will.

You can order Hurricane/Johnny from X-Ray Recordings now.

Neon Indian - Era Extrana

Neon Indian's new album is actually called Era Extraña, but in case the accented n causes you any web browser issues, we're going to call it Era Extrana. OK? OK, it's a deal.

Now that's out of the way, we can worry about the music. Only, with Era Extrana, there's not much to worry about. It has all the hallmarks of that music designed to send your brain into an alpha-wave rhythm.

If you've never heard of that, it's music you're supposed to listen to on headphones, that directly influences your thought patterns, putting you into a dreamlike state, or a heightened creative state.

Era Extrana has a similarly mellowing-out effect, but without needing the headphones. In fact, I'd say it deserves to be played aloud, to appreciate the nuances of the chilled vocals and electronically charged instrumentals.

Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

We'll steer clear of a lengthy eulogy, but without Steve Jobs, much of this site would be far less interactive than it is.

The iTunes charts to the right would simply not exist without Apple's digital music downloads store.

Our text and image links to albums on iTunes - a common feature of our reviews - would be impossible too, leaving all of our readers facing the journey to their local record shop (like when I was growing up...) to get the latest releases.

As for you lot - your entire record collections fit in your pockets. And half of you have probably never held a vinyl record, anyway.

While many of today's tributes focus on the iPhone and iPad, let's remember, in our little music-centric corner of the internet, that Steve Jobs' legacy will live on in every iPod dock and digital download, from now until - at the very least - the Next Big Thing in the evolution of digital music comes along.

RIP Steve Jobs.

The X Factor 2011 - The Final 16

The X Factor judges have made their decisions, the contestants have mixed things up a bit by choosing to drop out, revealing past criminal convictions and generally adding to the pantomime that is The X Factor, but finally it seems 16 acts have been chosen to go through to the live shows.

So, did your favourite make it through? And who do you think is in with the best chance of taking the title this year?

The Favourites

The girls stand out as a particularly strong category, as usual. Any time there's debate over whether the right people went through, it means some talent got left behind - and this year, that talent is in the form of Jade Richards.

Zola Jesus - Conatus

Conatus is the new album from Zola Jesus, out at the end of September and already finding new fans for the unique vocalist.

Second single Seekir is due for release on October 3rd on Souterrain Transmissions - you can preview it below, or read on for our full take on Conatus.