The big music stores of London close one after the other:

The Woolworths chain in London, with a history of 99 years, was forced to close a total of 200 stores due to the financial crisis. The BBC reports that efforts are being made to find a buyer for the chain, but it is estimated that almost 25,000 employees will lose their jobs. Woolworth’s financial problems have had an impact in the distribution department of the Entertainment UK (EUK), which in turn affected the Zavvi chain, which is one of its basic collaborators. The Zavvi chain, with 125 stores in England and 11 in Ireland, announced that they as well will close many of them.

One million dollars for Mariah Carey:

Asking for a star to sing on New Year’s Eve is a big deal and so Mariah Carey thought to ask for one million dollars in order to sing just four songs at a New Year’s Eve party. The event had been organised by the son of the Libyan dictator, Colonel Gaddafi, in one of the Caribbean islands. Of course, the programme included other stars such as Jay-Z and Timbaland. Equally impressive were the guests, among which you could detect Daniel Craig who stars in the James Bond movies, and Eddie Murphy. Mariah Carey is not the first who takes a huge amount of money on New Year’s Eve. Kylie Minogue received the same amount last year for one appearance in Dubai.

London Zoo:

Critics hurried to nominate it as one of the best records last year and not unjustly. The Bug’s third personal album is probably one of the most interesting releases that Ninja Tune offers from Amon Tobin’s Bricolage. Bug, better known as Kevin Martin, joins dubstep, reggae, and UK Garage and hip-hop elements to create a multi-collectable which beats like the mystical drums of the Amazon. The different individuals used for vocals keep the interest up from the beginning till the end. Moreover, his verses, via their socio-political stance, can be accepted by many more people than just the dub and black sound fans. It's a tight production, ever changing atmospheres, impeccable interpretations. Do you have anything better?

For Emma, Forever Ago:

Though the composer's autobiographical elements are not something used in record critiques, the story behind the creation of this record is particularly interesting. Justin Vernon, the man behind this project composed the biggest part of this record while isolated in a cabin in Wisconsin for four snowy months. Bon Iver’s folk guitar music is full of the natural sounds of the isolation and has all the energy of a human soul when it's away from the noise and stress of the outside world. Vernon’s falsetto and his warm and familiar voice act as a catalyst so that you receive a deep and sincere relationship with him.  One more artist who proves that Jack Johnson has many more things to learn . . . just a guitar and a good voice do not always make a serious composer.