How the hell did the BackstageRider end up drinking Beck’s and talking Beck with Gomez while watching Danish band Efterklang? The story starts in 1998. And then weaves its way to 2010 and the Cultural Olympiad in which Tom Gray discusses what he wants from the band’s new album… and it isn’t wallpaper. Click through for exclusive pics and interview.

What is Mike Doughty’s Question Jar? It is a thing of beauty. And when the Brooklynite came through town this past weekend, we felt obliged to metaphorically tip the thing over on a quest to discover its awesomeosity. And we did.

Denton, Texas’ Midlake stopped by to drop some heavy flute and guitar action on Vancouver. And it was good.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club bravely performed 8 songs off of their new album Beat the Devil’s Tattoo, on March 6 at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom. Then they played the good stuff off of their first two albums. They even smiled. And Robert even – gasp – chatted a bit. Here is visual proof of a pretty decent gig in all its well-lit glory.

What’s Stuart Braithwaite’s favourite Mogwai song? Are they louder than Dinosaur Jr? If the universe were to implode in on itself taking with it every guitar effects pedal except for one, which one would Braithwaite choose? Find out the answers.

In which a critic subjectively goes through an album and determines its relevancy based on taste, easily dismissable by the reader. In this installment, and belatedly because the Olympics put me off by two weeks, Hot Chip’s happy clappy dancey “One Life Stand”.

Throwin’ the horns. The Devil’s hand. Rock Hand. Call it what you will, it is the sign of ULTIMATE MUSICAL MAYHEM. And like revenge it is best served cold…and it is very cold in Toronto where Paul Banwatt from electro dance geeks Woodhands come from.

From disastrously sleepy to utterly sublime: how Hal Willner’s Neil Young Project was saved from snoozeville by Elvis Costello, Lou Reed, Metric and a few other indie rockers.

Hey Britta Phillips from uber-cool indie scenesters Dean & Britta! Will you be our Valentine? You will? Will you talk sexy at us? You will? *swoon* (And remember, our lists GO RIGHT TO 11!)