Fol Chen, in collaboration with Monome and The Machine Project, has announced the availability of the limited-edition Tetrafol, “a hand-held tangible electronic sound toy.” The Fol Chen track “So Good” is included with the Tetrafol and can be streamed in this post.

The official release is several weeks old – I’m behind – but I could let the opportunity slip to pass along the word that one of my favorite bands from the ’90′s, Garbage, have reformed and will be releasing a new album in Spring 2012.

News and Notes including the newest single by DeadJournalist.com alum Cassettes Won’t Listen

Catching up on news that includes videos by the UK band The Answering Machine and LA’s 60 Watt Kid; free downloads by Longwave to celebrate the completion of their year of touring; an exclusive MP3 by Peter, Bjorn and John from the Malaria No More benefit album; and notes on We Have Band, Passion Pit, The xx and more.

The Quietus is reporting that The xx guitarist Baria Quereshi has left the group. The band played their most recent show as a three-piece, but has canceled European dates while determining the future of the band. While, according to the story, the band has labeled her leave as temporary, the future may be up-in-the-air for a London-based band whose emergence has highlighted this year’s parade of new music.

Playing catch up … enjoy some new tunes this Monday. First, let me mention how much I’m enjoying listening to this track from Brooklyn’s Secondstar. Secondstar is a project by Liam Carey which is self-described as, “alt-folk-rock with guitar, banjo, layered vocals, some horns, drums, cello and whistling – with bunches of harmonies”. The song, [...]