The crackle of a log on the fireplace is nice for those with cozy log cabins in the woods, but for those of us who live in the city, the crackle of a well-loved album on the record player makes a similarly comforting substitute. Now that Halloween is over, Thanksgiving is still over a week away, and sunny, 67-degree weather seems just as likely as a few inches of snow (at least in New York), it’s time that we forced ourselves to embrace this transitional season. After the jump, in an attempt to help you do just that, we’ve rounded up 10 great albums that go perfectly with teapots, cardigans, and end-of-year contemplation.

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We admit, we don’t usually follow the ins and outs of celebrity romance, but this, unfortunately, is a special occasion. Alternative rock’s royal couple Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore have split up after 27 years of marriage, throwing Sonic Youth’s future into uncertainty and the romantic ideals of a generation into disarray. Their famously solid marriage has inspired many an alternative-rock romance, but it seems that flannel-wearing bandmates must now court each other without the shining light at the end of the tunnel.

The news was confirmed in a statement from their rep at Matador records, which reads, ”Musicians Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore, married in 1984, are announcing they have separated. Sonic Youth, with both Kim and Thurston involved, will proceed with its South American tour dates in November. Plans beyond that tour are uncertain. The couple has requested respect for their personal privacy and does not wish to issue further comment.”

First R.E.M. and now this? Our teenage years are begging for mercy.

[via Spin]

Here’s something that probably won’t surprise you about Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon’s 16-year-old daughter, Coco Gordon Moore: She’s a tall, gorgeous blonde who knows how to front a freaking rock ‘n’ roll band. We had the pleasure of seeing her perform back in the fall, as part of a combo called She Murders at a tribute concert for Kathleen Hanna; Coco sang a reverent and energetic version of Bikini Kill’s “Rebel Girl.”

Now, Pitchfork points us to Coco’s other band, Big Nils, whose debut album, Sibling, is streaming on their Bandcamp site. For $5, you can download it. The eight-song recording is pure, skronky, adolescent punk, featuring one song about STDs (“You got the herpes/ What you gonna do about it?”) and an eyebrow-raising number about a mother-daughter relationship (“Deep Dark Death”). Speaking of moms, what’s sure to make the biggest impression on Sonic Youth fans is just how much frontwoman Coco sounds like Kim — although she evidently prefers a tortured scream to Gordon’s signature ice-cold whisper.

1. Today in Sarah Palin news: The state of Alaska will release 24,000 pages of its former governor’s emails to members of the press who have requested them (note: they’ll have to pay the shipping fees for the five boxes, which weigh 55 pounds apiece). Last night in Sarah Palin news: She took a break from her patriotic bus tour to sit down for a slice of pizza with Donald Trump.

2. Thurston Moore told NME last night that Sonic Youth will be getting together later this year to record new material. As for their recent time off? “We made the decision to have a good solid year of not doing too much as a band,” he explains. “We just wanted to regenerate.”

3. Former sitcom writer Ken Levine (Cheers, M.A.S.H., Frasier) has come out against Roseanne Barr’s recent piece in New York magazine, saying that she “treated people like shit” and was “endlessly combative.” Barr says that he just loathes women. Meanwhile, Laurie Gelman, the first female writer-producer to work on Roseanne, is on Team Levine, and claims that Barr’s actually the sexist one. Barr says Gelman is just mad because she isn’t funny. Who to believe? [via Vulture]

4. Jesse Eisenberg may be reuniting with his The Squid and The Whale director Noah Baumbach; the film, which will also star Naomi Watts, tells the story of “a 40-ish childless couple that begins feeling alienated from their friends as those friends start to procreate, and strike up an unlikely friendship with a younger couple.” [via LAT]

5. This first look at the puppet from Guillermo Del Toro and The Jim Henson Company’s upcoming Pinocchio movie is definitely the creepiest thing you’ll see all day — especially when you remember that Nick Cave is doing the film’s soundtrack.

Bonus link: A Chanel bag made out of hand-stitched sheets of beef jerky

On the same day that Demolished Thoughts, the album he produced for Thurston Moore, hits stores comes news of yet another high-profile Beck collaboration: He’s producing Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks’ new record, Mirror Magic. To tide us over until that album’s release, August 23, we’re taking a look back at Beck’s rich history of working with other artists. From Calvin Johnson in 1994 to Moore in 2011, we present a fairly comprehensive guide to Beck’s collaborations.

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Monday shouldn’t be all bad — so if you’re still wandering around in a bleary-eyed, post-weekend haze, we have just the thing to wake you up. This week brings a great selection of new music to stream, including Cults’ long-awaited debut album, a welcome change of pace from Thurston Moore, and the new one from everyone’s favorite teen-soap stars Death Cab for Cutie. The five best excuses to hide behind headphones until it’s Tuesday are after the jump.

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Hello, Flavorwire music fans, and welcome to our mixtape for this week. We’ve got some tracks fresh off the SXSW trail from the likes of up-and-comers Cults and Texas sweethearts White Denim, plus some mellower installments from rabblerousers of yore Thurston Moore and Pusha T. Right click + “Save As” to download or scroll down to the end to get the entire mix.

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There is something endlessly fascinating about seeing members of our favorite bands wearing the T-shirts of other acts. Sure, these wardrobe choices may sometimes be ironic. But for the most part, musicians seem to wave other musicians’ flags for exactly the same reasons we do: to proclaim our undying fandom. And it’s always exciting to see that someone whose music we’re into shares some facet of our musical taste. After the jump, we’ve collected 20 great photos of our favorite icons — Joan Jett, Kurt Cobain, Thurston Moore, Jay-Z — wearing other bands’ T-shirts.

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Paul D. Miller is best-known to the world as DJ Spooky (and sometimes That Subliminal Kid). His music, video, and prose creations are all indicative of a drive to mash up culture, both popular and intellectual. He’s released dozens of albums, remixes, and scores, and collaborated with everyone from Thurston Moore to Kronos Quartet.

In addition to his constant creative output, Miller teaches graduate classes in Switzerland, edits collections of essays by the likes of Brian Eno and Chuck D., and is setting up an artists’ retreat in the South Pacific. It goes without saying that he’s passionate about what he does, and that comes through when he speaks. That’s why he was a perfect choice to take part in our Interactive Interview Series. Click through and control the video interview all on your own.

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Collecting four decades of work, James Hamilton’s You Should Have Heard Just What I Seen combines the dedication of a photojournalist with the passion of a true music fan and the eye of a fine-art photographer.

The new book, edited by longtime friend and frequent subject Thurston Moore, chronicles Hamilton’s 40 years immersed in the downtown NYC music and art scene. Lovingly culled from the artist’s vast private archive, the volume also features never-before published candid photographs of icons from Joni Mitchell to the Ramones.

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