Soul-tinged US alt-rockers The Afghan Whigs recently reunited and last week produced their first song in over five years.

When the French folk-pop singer Mina Tindle supported fellow Gallic artist Camille at the Barbican recently, you could tell the lesser known musician had fairly slayed the audience, when before her final song, someone shouted out for Tindle to introduce herself (it may have been a savvy employee of her record label, mind you, but still...).

Hear the name Nigel Godrich and you'll likely think of Radiohead.

The new-wave synth sounds of George Lewis Jr, aka Twin Shadow, wouldn't have been out of place on the film soundtrack of the Ryan Gosling vehicle (ahem) Drive.

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The second album of LA band Best Coast arrives in mid May. I’ve previously written about the lead off song (and title track) “The Only Place” which continues in the vein of their debut album in offering lashing of West Coast surf pop meets garage rock - with newly added hints of country rock and Neutral Milk Hotel. The track can still be downloaded free at bestcoast.us.