Don’t tell anyone, but that secret you told barely a half hour ago to your mom, wife, or any other being with ovaries and a good dose of estrogen, is already out.

Everything Gossip’s Nathan Howdeshell (a.k.a. Brace Paine) says is charming. It’s not necessarily the content of his words, but that it’s all tinged with an appealing drawl, the result of his Arkansas upbringing. So it’s sweet when he says that “fuck” is his favorite curse word, or when he tells me that if he could he would eat at McDonalds every day. And it’s even sweeter when he divulges his affinity for smoking pot after a long day because, well, yeah. Nathan and his band swing through New York tonight when they take the stage for the first time at Terminal 5 with openers MEN and Apache Beat. But first, he spoke with me about his online ventures, tonight’s show, and what he has planned for the end of the world.

Islands, Vapours (Anti-) - Once a schizophrenic, overstuffed Montreal outfit full of potential, Islands have finally learned to edit. The result: an infectious and weird third album that was worth the wait. Lead singer Nick Thorburn, more commonly known by his stage name Nick Diamonds, and his crew have stripped away the orchestral layers and theatrical pomp that turned the band’s sophomore album, Arm’s Way, into a bloated, highfalutin’ rock opera. What’s left is masterful, refreshing synth-pop, served up pure and simple. Snappy drums drive the album’s first single “No You Don’t,” while Thorburn’s charming, spot on lyrics come through loud and clear -- “Don’t buy dope from the man you don’t know.” What he said. --Alexandra Vickers

October 1 - In a few months, when people start calling the W Barcelona (opening today) “the WB,” remember you heard it here first.

Disappointingly, Beth Ditto and company’s follow-up to Standing in the Way of Control favors formula over originality. All the key Gossip elements—Ditto’s demanding tenor, clanking guitars, hard-kicking drum and high-hat accompaniment—are in place, but the spirit has been micromanaged: Music for Men is Gossip, tamed.

Scarlett Johansson Anywhere I Lay My Head (ATCO)