Patrick Wolf On Considering Porn & Making Britney Pop With Alec Empire

Patrick Wolf tells Luke Turner about choosing Alec Empire over Mark Ronson as he leaves Universal to go it alone with new album _Battle_

LISTEN: Matthew Shaw’s Among The Never Setting Stars

Dorset-based artist Matthew Shaw has filtered loss and the Cornish landscape into one of the ambient releases of the year. Brian Coney speaks to him about drone, sonic economy, recording in ancient sites, hallucinating Eno and more

No Fucks Left To Give? Arab Strap Interviewed

“The internet is literally Thatcher’s Dream: an entire society of strangers out there working for themselves.” Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton are back and – despite their protestations, says Elizabeth Aubrey – they patently care now more than ever

Floating Points To Release Second Album, ‘Crush’

It sees Sam Shepherd getting to grips with the Buchla synth

Supersonic 2012: A Radical Spirit – Jarboe Interviewed

Ahead of her performance at this month's Supersonic festival Ned Raggett talks to Jarboe about Swans, Phil Anselmo and how she's more radical now than ever before. Main picture by Cedric Victor

LISTEN: David Bowie – Lazarus

New single from forthcoming album ★

Thirteen Albums I Currently Like, From A To M. By Stephin Merritt

As he releases new Magnetic Fields album 50 Song Memoir, Stephin Merritt doesn't delve into the past for his Baker's Dozen list but instead gives tQ an A-Z of some contemporary favourites, from Japan to Marc Almond, bawdy cockney songs and the BBC Radiophonic Workship. Pic by Marcelo Krasilcic

Rough Trade Book Extract: From Shop To The Egos Of The Smiths

An extract from _Document and Eyewitness - An Intimate History of Rough Trade_, the new tome by Neil Taylor

Happy New Year Dear Reader

Far From Useless, Far From Good: Marillion’s Script For A Jester’s Tear

In among the pomposity and the queuing cumbers of the 80s prog-rockers' debut album, Taylor Parkes tries to pinpoint exactly why it captivated his adolescent self

LISTEN: Laurel Halo Remixed By Actress

Rework of 'Constant Index' on our Soundcloud