Grinderman are Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Martyn Casey and Jim Sclavunos. Their sound is loud, explicit, and makes no apologies for itself. And with songs like “No Pussy Blues”, do you think Grinderman are looking to hug trees and make friends with rainbows and dolphins?

The Grinderman web site is available for public consumption, and amongst other goodies such as song streaming and viewing lyrics by the very hand of Nick Cave, you can also subscribe to podcasts of recording fragments. Best of all, credits of who did what for the site are provided. Polly Borland worked magic on the monkey photographs – be sure to look at her photos of Alison Goldfrapp – and Graeme Swinton did a brilliant job with the web site. Rightfully they both deserve their credit. Kudos to Grinderman for recognizing the people behind the curtain, this sort of practice is what all sites should follow.

4AD released “Best of Lisa Gerrard” 13 February. No one, of course, cared. Seriously, what hapt to her? Lisa and Brendan rocked the mike as Dead Can Dance, but their solo careers… Well, at least she had a better run with it. But the woman is on tour and, surprisingly, tickets are affordable. I am just as shocked as you.

In better – nay, best – news, Explosions In The Sky have finally graced us with their new album “All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone”. “Welcome, Ghosts” has been floating around various music blogs for some time, but now the entire album is ours mine for the having. God have mercy on your soul if you haven’t yet purchased this album at your nearest independent music store. I would have done the same myself today, but I was too wrapped up in Britney Spears invoking the spirit of one Sinéad O’Connor. Don’t front, so were you all. Thank goodness Britney had the decency to pick out a pretty wig before checking herself back into rehab like a good little starlet should.

The point is: buy me things.

Sixteen years later, and this video still holds my attention rapt. Seriously, how do emo kids hold their heads high with the crap they call music? Oh, that’s right, they all suffer from horrible posture.

If you’re looking for a different kind of Valentine to send a friend or loved one, consider saying it with water.

I was listening to KEXP last week when I heard a Scottish voice gently singing over sonic layers that grew in their intensity. By the end of the song, I fell in mad crazy “I wanna have all yo’ babies” love with The Twilight Sad. I bought their EP at EM, and for now I must content myself with five songs to play over and over until the band releases another EP into the world. The EP design is the work of DLT: a job well done for making the release look how the band sounds. Hey, guys? For future reference, credit the design(er) with a link or something.

• The Twilight Sad EP on FatCat Records
• The Twilight Sad on MySpace