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News

May 20, 2022

For a select few of us who can claim to be bona fide hometown fans of the NFL’s Houston Oilers circa the 1980s into the early ’90s, there is a certain level of gluttony for punishment that goes along with that honor. More

Mar 18, 2020

Australia’s The Avalanches (Tony Di Blasi and Robbie Chater) have shared a new song, “Running Red Lights,” via a video for the track. The song features Pink Siifu and Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo. More

Scott Walker, David Berman, Etc. Snubbed by Grammys In Memoriam; Ric Ocasek’s Name Spelled Wrong

Talk Talk’s Mark Hollis and The Prodigy’s Keith Flint Also Not Included

Jan 27, 2020

The In Memoriam segment at this year’s The Grammy Awards failed to include some influential musicians: Scott Walker, David Berman (Silver Jews, Purple Mountains), Talk Talk’s Mark Hollis, The Prodigy’s Keith Flint, and more. On top of that, they misspelled Ric Ocasek from The Cars’ name. More

First Aid Kit Share New Song About David Berman and Cover Silver Jews’ “Random Rules”

New Song “Strange Beauty” in Tribute to the Recently Deceased Silver Jews and Purple Mountains Singer/Songwriter

Aug 22, 2019

Swedish sister alt-country/folk duo First Aid Kit (Klara and Johanna Söderberg) have shared a new song, “Strange Beauty,” in tribute to David Berman of Silver Jews and Purple Mountains, who took his own life earlier this month. They have also shared a cover of Silver Jews’ “Random Rules,” from 1998’s American Water. More

Drag City Posts Moving Tribute to David Berman

The Silver Jews and Purple Mountains Frontman Took His Own Life Last Wednesday

Aug 12, 2019

David Berman passed away last Wednesday. Over the weekend, The New York Times confirmed that he took his own life. We posted our own tribute to Berman on Friday. Now his longtime label Drag City have posted their own moving tribute to Berman. Read it below.

On the Last Day of Your Life, Don’t Forget to Die: Remembering David Berman

The Silver Jews and Purple Mountains Singer and Songwriter Died This Week at Age 52

Aug 09, 2019

America lost one of its greatest contemporary songwriters on Wednesday. It also lost its most aberrant, bizarre, and beautiful writer. Would it have gone any other way? For an artist so obsessed with mythologizing the self, I don’t think so. More

Stephen Malkmus, Bob Nastanovich, and More React to the Passing of David Berman

The Silver Jews and Purple Mountains Frontman Died Yesterday

Aug 08, 2019

David Berman passed away yesterday and in our post last night we included social media tributes from many of his fellow musicians. Since then several others have also paid tribute to Berman, most notably his original Silver Jews bandmates Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich. You can read their tributes here, along with some from other musicians. More

R.I.P. David Berman of Purple Mountains and Silver Jews

He Was 52 Years Old; Fellow Musicians Pay Tribute to Him

Aug 07, 2019

David Berman has died. The 52-year-old was best known as the frontman (and sole constant member) of Silver Jews. But he recently returned to music after a long hiatus with a new project, Purple Mountains. Fellow musicians have paid tribute on social media. More

Purple Mountains (aka David Berman) – Stream the New Album

Purple Mountains Out Now via Drag City

Jul 12, 2019

Purple Mountains is the new project of David Berman, who was previously the frontman (and sole constant member) of Silver Jews. Berman’s self-titled debut album under the Purple Mountains name was released today via Drag City. Now that the album is out, you can stream the whole thing here. More

Jun 28, 2019

Purple Mountains is the new project of David Berman, who was previously the frontman (and sole constant member) of Silver Jews. Berman’s self-titled debut album under the Purple Mountains name is due out July 12 via Drag City. Now he has shared another song from it, “Margaritas at the Mall.” More

11 Best Songs of the Week: Marika Hackman, Shura, Sleater-Kinney, Bat For Lashes, and More

Plus Bruce Springsteen, Black Belt Eagle Scout, Purple Mountains, and a Wrap-up of the Week's Other Notable New Tracks

Jun 14, 2019

Welcome to another Songs of the Week. We couldn’t quite limit it to a Top 10 this week, there were enough strong new tracks to stretch it to a Top 11. There were several notable albums announced this week, which meant a lot of strong new singles to choose from. More

Jun 12, 2019

Purple Mountains is the new project of David Berman, who was previously the frontman (and sole constant member) of Silver Jews. Berman’s self-titled debut album under the Purple Mountains name is due out July 12 via Drag City. Now he has shared another song from it, “Darkness and Cold,” via a video for the track. More



Interviews

My Favorite Album: Emily Haines of Metric on Silver Jews’ “American Water”

“Listening to American Water is like having an intelligent conversation with a friend.”

Jun 29, 2020

Thinking of the songs and lyrical lines from Silver Jews’ 1998 album American Water on a regular basis, Emily Haines is extremely emotional about frontman David Berman’s unexpected death on August 7, 2019 at age 52. More


Reviews

Jul 23, 2019

What is there to say that the man himself hasn’t already stated? The return of poet and singer/songwriter David Berman (Silver Jews) under the newly minted moniker Purple Mountains caught a restless and devoted fanbase entirely by surprise. More