Don't Mess with Texas.

XLR8R goes down to Texas and gets the skinny from the mayor of the dirty south, Bun B. We also hit the streets of Minnesota with Atmosphere and the shoe shops of S.F. with Lyrics Born. We check in with M83’s Anthony Gonzales and fellow Francophone Miss Kittin, then speak with photographer extraordinaire Paul Hartnett, Kelpe, Jamie Lidell, Jeremy Jay, Bird Peterson, Ghostland Observatory, and more. It's a trip!

Battles on the cover. Equally as perplexing as Battles’ rhythms are those of London jagged jazzists Soil & Pimp and Brah! Records. XLR8r met Justin Broadrick of Jesu, and nu-disco experimenters Joakim and Michoacan. Other features include the new school of Detroit hip-hop, Explosions in the Sky, Tracey Thorn, a Vis-Ed feature by Friendswithyou, and we go around the world to discover Brazilian tecno brega.

To kick off 2008, Oakland’s imitable indie rockers Xiu Xiu grace XLR8R's Jan/Feb cover. They also get the real deal from Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox and his Atlas Sound side-gig. Then, they interview dancehall’s hottest young star, Munga, before chatting it up with Heralds of Change, Boy 8-Bit, Yeasayer, James Pants, The Pack, and Jay Haze. Plus, some fine pics of stylish indie movers and shakers like Telepathe, Crunc Tesla, Soft Circle, and more.

Paris, Je t'aime !" Chloé, Chateau Flight, Busy P, Teenage Bad Girl, Ekler?o'shock, Kitsuné, Poni Hoax, Institubes, Turzi, colette shop

On the cover of this issue we have Digitalism, melding rock distortion and dirty dance beats to create something out-of-this-world. Also in this issue Devin The Dude, Strategy, Black Strobe, Escort, Mice Parade and Milanese.