May 8 to 14

One of the most anticipated music releases of the year, High Violet by The National, is out this week. This Ohio/New York band has remained something of a cult among music fans so far but that's changing rapidly. Bruce Springsteen and REM are fans, Barack Obama used one of their songs for a campaign video, and tickets for their show at London's Royal Albert Hall sold out in four minutes. In short, they are on the verge of becoming a big name (and what a great name it is). If you are not yet familiar with their epic, stately sound, this is the week to listen and find out. Dh51, Virgin, Amazon, iTunes

People, places and things on our hot list this week.