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What WAW lack in originality--another lupine name, another Gang of Four sound--they make up for in execution. Post-punk's polyrhythmic slams and torqued guitars sound fresh again (and again) in the trio's abuzz production, blues-driven songwriting, and sheer belief in the cause.

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The story of how Once went from a low budget indie film to an Oscar nomination (and win!) is arguably more compelling than the movie itself. But its simple storyline and amazing soundtrack is why it deserves such praise. Last night, Glen Hansard and girlfriend, Once co-star, and singing partner Marketa Irgl?va (a.k.a. Swell Season) took home the Oscar for Best Original Song. If you haven't heard "Falling Slowing" yet, it's only two clicks away. Here's our review:

"Ireland's Frames have built one of the more lovely and melancholy pop … Read more

The British singer-songwriter rocketed to stardom in the late '90s with a husky-voiced folk-pop that sounded both sensitive-guy sweet and intriguingly hardbitten. That mix has spawned many lesser imitators--think James Blunt--but this greatest hits set reminds that the inventor still does it best.

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Everyone's favorite sightless Southerners continue their remarkable late-career run with "Down in New Orleans," a record that comes by NoLa love (a common theme these days) honestly and authentically. Helped by Allen Toussaint and local luminaries, the guys offer ideally seasoned gospel harmonies.

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This San Francisco native distills many of his city's eclectic musical styles into one inimitable brew. Latin melodies mingle with shifty electro-beats, a busker's spirit meets a mixmaster's tools, and the improv spirit of jazz gets funneled through an R&B/folk voicebox.

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When Power Downloader is hard at work in the Powerlair he often has several programs running simultaneously. Though he has plenty of RAM in his super system, Power likes to keep track of memory usage to see what's taking up the most space. It also helps to have memory tracking apps when he needs to diagnose system slow downs.

To keep track of how much memory is being used by his mission-critical apps, Power Downloader uses FreeMeter. With this free program on his computer, Power can track disk space usage, memory usage, disk transfer rates, and more all from … Read more

On second disc "Our Ill Wills," the Swedish crew proves it's lost none of the raw indie spirit that made 2005's "Howl Howl Gaff Gaff" sparkle. The record plays like a frenzied coda to '60s jangle-pop and '70s smile-rock, with string-popping guitars, glissy strings, and wounded vocals.

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Former pro skater Tommy Guerrero stopped by Studio C last week to promote his latest CD, Return of the Bastard. Along with telling skating tour stories, talking about Amy Winehouse, and breaking down his term "fatinum," Tommy got down on his guitar and strummed a few tunes for us, too.

Listen to Tommy Guerrero live in Studio C

Listen to tracks from Return of the Bastard

Ben Mullins' new project might be a vision of bedroom pop's future. Built of choppy drum loops and shiny synth leads, it nonetheless feels soulful in spirit, showing how, with the right melodies and mixing, a "sterile" vocabulary can make music that's far from it.

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