If you’ve ever wondered where the MP3 form of audio encryption was born and how it came to dominate and change the industry, check out this interesting piece by Jacob Ganz and Joel Rose posted today at NPR Music.

Fleet Foxes are auctioning off a test pressing of the double vinyl of their new record, Helplessness Blues, with 100% of the proceeds supporting the relief efforts in Japan. Current bidding stands at $2700. A tight lid has been kept on this forthcoming album, with only two songs currently available for listening: the title track, which is the first single, and the newly-streamable “Battery Kinzie.” So, the ultimate winner of this auction is set for a feast for the ears.

One of my favorite shows at this year’s SXSW Music Festival was by Lafayette, Lousiana’s Givers. Part of KUT‘s Friday night showcase at Momo’s, it was also the last performance I caught. It was wonderful to end things on such a high note; the band has the kind of exuberance that keeps you smiling for days. The NPR Music site has their full performance available for audio streaming.

Taylor Guarisco of Givers

As part of a performance and interview session at the Last.fm studios, Paul Noonan of Bell X1 relates the SXSW-grounded story behind the band’s new single, “Velcro.” Fans and industry professionals alike hear much about the hard-knock life of bands on the road. It’s refreshing to get the flip side: the intense bonds that touring forms.

Check out this wonderful short essay from NPR Music‘s Ann Powers about the blurring of racial and cultural lines in indie rock, and the benefits reaped from those blurred lines as evidenced at SXSW.

TV on the Radio at SXSW 2011

Our good pal Christina Rentz got to represent Merge Records at the Grammys. We just saw that Billboard printed her running diary of the event. Check it out! And congratulations, once again, to Album of the Year recipients Arcade Fire.