In the news today: Devin Townsend, Ben Folds, Barry Can't Swim, Ninja Tune, Negative Approach, Paint It Black, Screaming Females, Fest, Gainesville, Chat Pile

Kids dream of Christmas morning, but for many - including Jen Cray - THE FEST is the most treasured of annual holidays.

The Fest isn’t just another music festival, it’s a community – one that Jen Cray is happily a part of.

You may not expect it from a 3 day punk rock festival over Halloween weekend, but THE FEST – as Jen Cray found out – feels like a gigantic hug!

Merchandise makes Gainesville, and Matthew Moyer, swoon like teenagers at an early ’90s Morrissey concert… and that’s a very, very good thing.

The question on Matthew Moyer’s mind, when checking out the trimmed-down version of Cult of Youth, was this: will they still be able to pull off the rich hues and near-psychedelic textures of this album? The answer: a resounding YES!

Caribou come to Florida to repay Canada’s debt for bands like Loverboy. S D Green was there to bear witness and soak up all the positive karma from this Canadian music renaissance.

Dear and Glorious Physician (New Granada). Review by Matthew Moyer.

In a Million Pieces (Epitaph). Review by Scott Adams.

For his first show at home, in Gainesville, in 13 years Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers brought along The Strokes and- unannounced- special guest Stevie Nicks. Jen Cray couldn’t believe her luck at being able to attend and photograph the event.

Using the blog format as a literary device is an innovative gambit, and Ian Koss is suitably impressed with the results in Jim Munroe’s new novel. This also answers the question about what to do when you’re young and you’ve got a winning occult ritual/performance art piece - go on tour with indie bands!

A double bill of white boy blues rock starring The Black Keys and The Hentchmen, and Jen Cray reveals her long-obvious crush for Detroit.

Compilation (Epitaph). Review by Troy Jewell.

High Gain Villains (self-released). Review by Julio Diaz.

Won (Doghouse). Review by Brian Kruger.

There’s no such thing as a quiet night in on Cat Dissections time. As Iggy Pop would say, Time To Go Nightclubbing. But are we what’s happening?

Hey, he got hit by a car, it’s pretty self-explanatory. And ugly.

Precipitate8 sweeps back into Gainesville on a wave of degradation and bad vibes. Too much hurt. Time to get a real job. Time to hide.

Precipitate8 returns to Orlando, and things go downhill from there. Have you ever been to the Melody Motel?

Another Gainesville summer comes to an end for Precipitate8, mired in psychotropics and succubi of all sorts.