Idolator

Visa issues—which have affected artists from the Mercury Prize-winning Klaxons to the fantastic Holly Golightly—have seemingly become the No. 1 reason for overseas artists to shelve their tours lately, so the Wall Street Journal took a look at the increasingly difficult process they have to go through to get their paperwork in order. At issue is the P-1 visa, which forces bands who are coming to the U.S. to prove that they have been "internationally recognized" for a "sustained and substantial" time period. Apparently, the perfect storm of increased "homeland security," the fragmentation of the music industry, and rascally Internet buzz has resulted in the bureaucrats employed by our government to start passing muster on not just the musicians whose visa applications they're processing, but the Web sites that help transmit news of said artists across the pond: More »

Sometimes, revenge is best administered quietly; Holly Golightly's slow-burn post-breakup song "Virtually Happy" is more than ample evidence of that fact. The ex-Headcoatee's solo output, with its unabashed love of rock's mustiest days, has been consistently great since her first album came out ten years ago; we've also included her cover of Ricky Nelson's glum "Lonesome Town," which she recorded in her kitchen. More »