How do you catch Craig Finn, Damian Kulash, and T. Bone Burnett all in the same day without getting overpowered by the B.O. of thousands of sweaty music-fest attendees? You put on your sport coat, grab your laptop, and head to The Future of Music Coalition's annual summit in D.C., of course. At least, that's [...]
Nine years. Nine years is a long time for pretty much anything, but, apart from The Wrens, nine years between records for an intact band is not the norm. But Superchunk, who visited the 9:30 Club on Friday in support of its first full-length since 2001, Majesty Shredding, has never fallen into the "norm" category. [...]
In 2007, for one brief moment, the sun came out on The Clientele. The moody London-based quartet's breakthrough–'05s Strange Geometry–framed suburban melancholy in surrealist lyrics and reverb-laden guitars. It was somber stuff. But by the time the band completed its next record, God Save the Clientele, it's outlook had improved. Interviewed back then, guitarist/songwriter Alasdair [...]
Think of all the truly awesome things that Merge Records has accomplished in its 20-year existence. Not only has the label—founded in the late ’80s by Superchunk members Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan—released countless 7" singles, LPs, and at least one boxed-set by myriad worthy artists, but they've pulled off a few truly improbable feats. [...]
If Children, the debut album by Baltimore-based duo Wye Oak, is a record to drink tea to. The band's soft-edged shoegaze textures and wistful melodies make the perfect soundtrack for spending the entirety of a chilly fall day at home laying around in pajamas, burning scented candles, and reading books.
I can't help but wonder [...]
