Tortoise
Climbing out of their shells, Chicago's premier post-rockers reveal to David Keenan how their new album redefines their standards even as it reaffirms their hardcore roots

Primer: The Residents
Edwin Pouncey peers into the famous eyeballs to explore the adventurous, satirical and groundbreaking sonic world of the Californian group that has defied attempts to unmask them for three decades

Secret Museum of Mankind
Drawing upon his treasure trove of ancient vinyl relics and arcane instruments, postman Pat Conte conducts CD séances that summon the musical spirits and ghosts of long lost words. By Richard Henderson

Invisible Jukebox: Gary Lucas
The former Captain Beefheart guitarist screams and crows about records by Charles Mingus, Dr Nerve, Martá Sebestyén, Jeff Buckley, Tisziji Muñoz, Leonard Bernstein and more. Tested by Mike Barnes

Bob Ostertag's Yugoslavian Diary
In these exclusive diary extracts, the American composer/ improvisor goes behind Serbian lines and confronts audience and police hostility while attempting to perform a work about the NATO bombings

Go To Commercial
From Raymond Scott's Manhattan Research Inc to Michael Jackson's jheri curl catching fire, advertising has placed taxing demands on musician's ingenuity and skill. By Ken Hollings

Lesser
Jason Döreck finds room for his beat-driven noise-drift in the electronic community of the Bay Area. By Philip Sherburne

Peaches
Merrill Nisker talks dirty about her cheap electro-punk with Anne Hilde Neset

John Schott
The Californian Junk Genius is using his guitar for a new Shuffle Play. By Andy Hamilton

Global Ear
Biba Kopf gets plucky with Tsugaru

Epiphanies
Dave Mandl recalls stalking some soon-to-be luminaries of NYC's downtown scene, The Public Servants

Print Run
Dream Brother: The Lives And Music Of Jeff And Tim Buckley, by David Browne; A Century Of Recorded Music: Listening To Musical History, by Timothy Day; Landing On The Wrong Note: Jazz, Dissonance And Critical Practice, by Ajay Heble; Free Jazz Black Power, by Philippe Carles & Jean-Louis Comolli; Thérémin: Ether Music And Espionage, by Albert Glinsky

Multi Media
Peter Shapiro meets Ian Helliwell, Britain's premier Super 8 auteur

On Location
Japanorama, UK: Exeter Phoenix; Ata Tak Night, Germany: Berlin Podewil; The Magnetic Fields, UK: London Lyric Theatre; A Silver Mount Zion, UK: Glasgow King Tut's