Pitchfork

Kanye West's 808s and Heartbreak isn't just the album of the winter, it's a major pop achievement. And it's a potential salve for those whose personal experiences this month aren't dominated by hope and change.

Max Tundra talks to us about overcoming his addiction to a web-based word game, the prank phone call that had BBC censors working overtime, and his preference for Polish audiences. [Interview: Tyler Grisham]

This historic week in Washington, D.C. included a lot of music. Pitchfork's Stephen M. Deusner braved the cold at the Lincoln Memorial to catch sets by Bruce Springsteen, U2, and Stevie Wonder, and then attended the Big Shoulders Ball at the Black Cat a day later to see acts including Andrew Bird with members of Tortoise, Ted Leo, Eleventh Dream Day, and Freakwater.

As they prepared to head out on tour in support of their tremendous new record Merriweather Post Pavilion, we spoke to Avey Tare, Panda Bear, and Geologist of Animal Collective about their long history, their relative lack of musical chops, early Pavement singles, and the critical importance of album sequencing.

Why is Kanye West, the biggest star in hip-hop, trying to sound like a robot? To answer that, Poptimist wonders what being a robot might mean and why pop music has a cybernetic impulse.

Currently on tour in Europe, Volker Bertelmann corresponded with us by email, discussing how his new album took shape, the relationship between image and music, and how childhood memories can often provide the best material when composing.