The Swimmers, an indie rock band from Philadelphia, released their new album "People Are Soft" earlier this month. Katy Metcalf describes it as "incredibly cohesive in its sound and production … a fantastically solid listen." Check inside to see why.

So what did you do Thursday night? Thousands of hip-hop fans made their way to Assembly Hall to see superstar Jay-Z perform. Reporter Will Fernandez was at the scene as well to get the scoop. Although some of the supporting acts were less than stellar, there was no denying the brilliance of Hova himself.

Jay-Z arrives in town this week to perform at the Assembly Hall in support of his latest album, "The Blueprint 3." Critic Will Fernandez says this third and final installment of "The Blueprint" series turns out to be a good album but not on par with classic works such as "Reasonable Doubt" and "The Black Album," which gave Jay-Z his legendary status in today's hip-hop world.

Have you ever tried to play a Jimi Hendrix solo that was so difficult that you weren't able go a few strums before failing miserably? Well, a new club at Uni is there for you to live out your rock 'n' roller dreams without all the practice. Will Fernandez had to get the scoop on Air Guitar Club and ask, "Are you ready to rock?"

With spacey vocals and ominous synthesizers throughout, Kid Cudi's debut album evokes feelings of a modern-day Pink Floyd, able to take listeners on a journey through sound and time. Very futuristic and very cool. This is hip-hop taken to the next level, and fans of both rap and indie rock will find much to like about it, according to Will Fernandez.

Did you miss this year's Pygmalion Music Festival last month? Don't worry, you can still catch highlights from the festival's fifth time around and hear an interview with the creator of Pygmalion, local music guru Seth Fein, put together in this video/slideshow by Sindha Agha and Will Fernandez.

Katy Metcalf loves Halloween — it might be her favorite holiday. "Now that I'm older, though, trick-or-treating is out and masked bashes are in," writes the OG's resident music critic. "I'm not hosting one this year, but I do have some music advice for those of you who are. Some of these are poppy, some are slow, and some are downright creepy. Happy haunting."

Sindha Agha has made plenty of musical discoveries since school started, and once again she's ready to share what she's found. This mixtape isn't themed, but as soon as fall weather hit Champaign-Urbana, she found these 12 tracks to be good company as the dreaded cold moved in. Give them a listen, and let her know what you think!

Six years ago, the day before Katy Metcalf turned 10, singer-songwriter Elliott Smith died. "Elliott was my hero," she writes. "I wanted to be him when I grew up … not a rock star, but a something better. I can't even describe it, but his death had a profound effect on my life. Not that day, maybe not that year. But the more I've matured, the more I appreciate his music, and the more I miss him."

Though synthpop is on the rise, it's rare to find a band that mixes real musical talent with technological innovation. Not so with British duo La Roux. Their self-titled debut album dances from snarky to biting to lovelorn to icy and back again. "In short, I love this album," writes Katy Metcalf. "I absolutely adore it." Read on to find out why.

When he began rapping in the early '90s, Litefoot was a pioneer in Native American hip-hop. According to Will Fernandez, "Litefoot ingeniously uses today's pop culture to make all of us more aware of America's first people. It's moving, it's powerful, and it's real." Check inside for Will's interview with this hip-hop innovator.

As indie-pop duo Matt and Kim took the stage at Parkland College a few weeks ago, they were sporting the widest smiles Sindha Agha had ever seen. They had just discovered they had won the MTV award for breakthrough video. They were ready to party with C-U, Matt said, and they would play until they were forced to stop.

Last week, The Fray performed a concert at the Assembly Hall. Many fans came to watch as they played big hits, such as "You Found Me" and "How to Save a Life." According to Nikita Dutta, the moment lead singer Isaac Slade sat down at the piano and began playing the opening to "How to Save a Life," she was sold.

Generally, music critic Katy Metcalf would start a CD review with some witty and innovative twist on the album's title or a lyrical something or other. But after listening to Modest Mouse's new EP, only one reaction came to mind: She's floored. All in all, she writes, it's a fantastic album, with marvelous range and depth for such a short piece.