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Julian Plenti, the solo project behind Interpol's frontman Paul Banks, will be playing in Italy this week presenting his debut album "Julian Plenti Is... Skyscraper". Featuring contributions from Interpol's Sam Fogarino ("Games for Days"), Ratatat's Mike Stroud (Skyscraper) and Stiff Jesus's Stryker Manley ("Fun That We Have", "No Chance Survival"), the LP adds a new and interesting perspective on Banks' sound, revealing a delicate but energic mix of typical Interpol melodies with hints of a more intimate approach. Banks/Plenti will perform live for an Italian single-gig at Magazzini Generali (Milano) on Saturday 12th. Make sure to check TicketOne and Indipendente not to miss out the event!

David Portner’s falsetto rings like a wayward whistle in the infinitude of Animal Collective’s obscurities. In the fallout of an opaque autumn, The New York City-based progressive miracles return with the release of their fourth Extended Play, entitled Fall Be Kind – once again dispatching the listener to a realm that whispers noise. Hooves clatter, whales cry intricate elegies and glass shatter in a myriad of gleaming fragments; where their instruments fail, the avant-garde quartet utilizes an wide array of different natural sounds in order to convey their art. From the electronic drums and ringing bells of “What Would I Want? Sky”, featuring the first ever licensed Grateful Dead sample, to the fluid poetry of “On a Highway” – we find ourselves struggling to dissect, fathom and appreciate every second, as all of them seem to offer their own take on the enigmatic ensemble.

Vittorio De Sica’s 1948 sepia-tone investigation of human fallibility is now once again playing at the Lincoln Plaza in New York. A neo-realist dynamo, the iconic director recreates the stifling alleys and bustling streets of post-war Italy – the people melt together in fluid streams, that jet down the avenues. Antonio Ricci’s life flickers like a faint candle in the depression, having finally found a job that allows him to provide for his family once again. However, his exuberance drops like an anvil as his newly-purchased bike gets stolen before the first day of work – launching him into a labyrinthine chase across town. Amidst the thick lines of men, a father and his son twist and turn like November leaves in pursuit of a thief who, in the myriad of anonymous faces hides with a smirk of contentment. De Sica delves into human nature, casting ordinary factory workers and school children in this ghost of neo-realism, that slow-dances across the march-ice of the desperate mind.

The vibrato-riddled vocals of Devendra Banhart cuts through intricate sitars and ethnic sonic-booms just as well as it caresses hushed nylon-strings. Drawing inspiration from an array of eastern and western styles of music, the Venezuelan-raised Californian singer/songwriter delivers highly nuanced sounds throughout his discography – that nevertheless all boil down to the same air of some incense-scented, candle-lit nirvana. The new album What Will We Be features a conform to harsh, rock rhythms and distorted sounds, whilst still adhering to the signature arrangements on selected tracks. Banhart’s versatility and vibrant dynamics will undoubtedly prove live-favorites, in particular the track 16th and Valencia Roxy Music, where the modest guitar-drum ratio and sharp hook gently guides the three-minute piece. It is not without high expectations one awaits the November 23 show at the Music Hall in Williamsburg, New York. The bearded folk-guru arms himself and his band for what will most likely be a Brooklyn night to remember.