This week begins a whirlwind October that, when all is said and done, will result in close to 45 recorded sessions and two potential road trips to festivals in New York City (CMJ) and New Orleans (Voodoo Fest) for other sessions.

Alex Riggen and Nick Pompou will perform their first public show as Murnau on Saturday at East Moline's Mixtapes, but the duo's ambitions are already clear.

Based in Morrison, Illinois, the band is named for the expressionist silent-film director F.W. Murnau (who made Nosferatu and Sunrise), and in addition to a trio of demos it has already recorded a score for the 1929 surrealistic classic short Un Chien Andalou as part of an EP with the single "We March on." The songs for a full-length have been written, the drums are recorded, and the album should be released next year, Riggen said last week.

"We've just always focused on recording and releasing ... to a wide audience [on the Web] rather than finding shows," he said. "We just like to write."

The UK's Parlophone Records imprint has announced an upcoming benefit album to raise funds for War Child's efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Heroes is due November 24, and follows in the tradition of Help! in 1995, Hope in 2002, and the fastest-selling digital album in history, Help: A Day In the Life, in 2005.

Big thumbs up for Oasis, taking a unique approach to publicize their upcoming album by slapping moronic Guitar Hero enthusiasts with a dose of reality. Joining forces with their home country's Arts Council of England and the weekly music magazine NME, the cheeky lads are encouraging fans to lay off the colorful little buttons and pick up an actual guitar.