I'll Send You The Stars Due Out January 3 via Barsuk
Jan 02, 2020By Stephen Axeman
Benjamin Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie and Postal Service fame), and Telekinesis have shared their versions of two of James Mendenhall's tracks off of the forthcoming commemorative compilation album, I'll Send You The Stars, due out January 3 via Barsuk Records, and we are pleased to premiere it. More
Telekinesis (the project of Seattle-based singer/songwriter/drummer Michael Benjamin Lerner) released a new album, Effluxion, back in February via Merge. Now he has shared a video for the album's title track, "Effluxion." More
Issue 65 is Out Now and Also Includes Interviews with Sharon Van Etten, Deerhunter, Foals, and Kurt Vile; Plus a Tribute to Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit, and Much More
Mar 01, 2019By Mark Redfern
Under the Radar is excited to announce the full details of our new print issue, Issue 65, which is out now nationwide (on newsstands, in such stores as Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million, and elsewhere) and available to buy directly from us here. The issue features Mitski on the front cover and boygenius (Julien Baker + Phoebe Bridgers + Lucy Dacus) on the back cover. More
Telekinesis (the project of Seattle-based singer/songwriter/drummer Michael Benjamin Lerner) has released a new album, Effluxion, today via Merge. Now that the album is out, you can stream the whole thing here. More
Plus Jessie Ware, Drugdealer, Jenny Lewis, SASAMI, and a Wrap-up of the Week's Other Notable New Tracks
Feb 15, 2019By Mark Redfern
It was pretty rough week to be a Ryan Adams fan. We won't regurgitate the details, but if you haven't already done so then you should read The New York Times article detailing the sexual misconduct allegations made against him by Mandy Moore, Phoebe Bridgers, and several other women. More
Telekinesis (the project of Seattle-based singer/songwriter/drummer Michael Benjamin Lerner) is releasing a new album, Effluxion, on February 22 via Merge. Earlier this week he shared another new song, "A Place in the Sun," via a video for the song. More
Plus The Drums, Cass McCombs, Tamaryn, James Blake, C Duncan, Glen Hansard, and a Wrap-up of the Week's Other Notable New Tracks
Jan 18, 2019By Christopher Roberts
Welcome to the second Songs of the Week of 2019. This week's list includes tracks from freshly announced albums (Strand of Oaks, The Drums, Tamaryn, C Duncan, Glen Hansard), as well as by artists who have already made this list with previous songs from their upcoming albums (Telekinesis, Piroshka, Cass McCombs). More
Telekinesis (the project of Seattle-based singer/songwriter/drummer Michael Benjamin Lerner) is releasing a new album, Effluxion, on February 22 via Merge. Previously he shared a lyric video for its first single, "Set a Course" (which was one of our Songs of the Week). More
Plus James Yorkston, Telekinesis, Sneaks, TEEN, TOY, and a Wrap-up of the Last Two Weeks' Other Notable New Tracks
Nov 30, 2018By Christopher Roberts
We didn't do a Songs of the Week last week due to the Thanksgiving holiday and long weekend. Beyond the fact that we were taking a break from work, there simply weren't enough songs released last week to justify a Songs of the Week wrap up. More
Telekinesis (the project of Seattle-based singer/songwriter/drummer Michael Benjamin Lerner) has announced a new album, Effluxion, and shared a lyric video for its first single, "Set a Course." He's also announced some tour dates. More
Under the Radar favorite Telekinesis (the project of Seattle-based singer/songwriter/drummer Michael Benjamin Lerner) is releasing his fourth album, Ad Infinitum, next Friday (September 18) via longtime label Merge. Now you can stream the whole thing below, via NPR First Listen. More
Under the Radar favorite Telekinesis (the project of Seattle-based singer/songwriter/drummer Michael Benjamin Lerner) previously announced his fourth album, Ad Infinitum, which is due out on September 18 via longtime label Merge. More
Issue 54 Also Includes Interviews with New Order, Garbage, Foals, Beirut, Jesse Eisenberg, Low, FFS, Destroyer, Wolf Alice, Tamaryn, the Casts of Fear the Walking Dead and Wet Hot American Summer, and More
Under the Radar favorites Telekinesis (the project of Seattle-based singer/songwriter/drummer Michael Benjamin Lerner) are back with a new full-length album and have shared its first single and an album trailer. More
Currently working on the follow-up to his 2013 album Dormarion, Michael Benjamin Lerner, a.k.a. Telekinesis, has premiered a new track called "Can't See Stars" for Polyvinyl's ongoing 4-Track Singles Series. More
While the days of watching music videos on television are long gone, over the past several years the visual art form has certainly found second life (like so many other things) as an excellent online commodity. More
"I had this pretty unbelievable Where's Waldo costume when I was in elementary school." - Michael Lerner
Oct 28, 2013By Mark Redfern
We sent out the same set of Halloween-related questions to a bunch of different musicians. All Halloween week we are posting their responses. Here are some spooky answers from Michael Lerner of Telekinesis.
Currently on the road supporting his newest album Dormarion, Telekinesis' Michael Benjamin Lerner has premiered a brand new video for his single "Empathetic People." More
Last night, our favorite singing drummer Michael Benjamin Lerner (who plays as Telekinesis) made his late-night debut on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.More
Plus Iron and Wine, Telekinesis, Chromeo, and More
Sep 20, 2011By Wendy Lynch Redfern
Check out photos from Day Two of ACL Music Festival 2011 in Austin, TX including Stevie Wonder, Alexander, Chromeo, Cut Copy, Iron and Wine, My Morning Jacket, Telekinesis, Twin Shadow, and more.More
Auction Also Features Surfer Blood and Owen Pallett, and Includes Signed Posters, Vinyl, Headphones, and a Guitar Donated by Hooray for Earth
May 12, 2011By Mark Redfern
Under the Radar magazine's online charity auction for the Japan relief effort ends today, Thursday, May 12, at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST. It's your last chance to get bids in to win an Under the Radar SXSW poster signed by all the artists who played our party, either a guitar autographed by Hooray for Earth or top-of-the-line headphones from Shure, plus 11 pieces of vinyl, 3 CDs, 1 cassette, 2 bags, and an Under the Radar subscription!
Auction Also Features Surfer Blood and Menomena, and Includes Signed Posters, Vinyl, Headphones, and a Guitar Donated by Hooray for Earth
May 05, 2011By Mark Redfern
Under the Radar magazine is hosting an online charity auction for the Japan relief effort that starts today and features Okkervil River, Menomena, Owen Pallett, Telekinesis, Surfer Blood, Hooray for Earth, and Porcelain Raft. More
Telekinesis' Michael Benjamin Lerner stopped by the AV Club headquarters in Chicago not too long ago to take part in the site's Undercover series, a video/music segment where visiting artists are asked to play a single song from a list of 25 compiled tracks. More
During the two days of Under the Radar’s SXSW parties we recorded exclusive greetings from some of the artists playing. In case you missed them on our Twitter and Facebook feeds, we’ve collected them here. More
The morning of day three began a bit like day two: a bit begrudgingly. While both sides of the snooze/sleep debate had very compelling arguments, it was ultimately decided that checking out cool, new music trumped physical recovery.
Issue Includes Interviews with R.E.M., Bright Eyes, The Decemberists, Cut Copy, Jens Lekman, Okkervil River, Panda Bear, Lykke Li, Iron and Wine, Elbow, Duran Duran, Destroyer, and more
Inspired by a broken heart, wrecked van, and Berlin, Telekinesis’ Michael Benjamin Lerner recorded the follow-up to debut album Telekinesis! under duress. The result, 12 Desperate Straight Lines (out February 15th via Merge) is a bass-driven ode to what the press release calls, “heartache, anger, and even a little hopefulness.”More
The Morning Benders, The Chap, Chilly Gonzales, Land of Talk and The Depreciation Guild
Sep 03, 2010By Laura Studarus
So much media so little time. Below is a roundup of all the videos that have been circulating around our office in the last week including: Telekinesis, Vampire Weekend, Dead Man’s Bones and more. More
Under the Radar's Summer 2010 Issue is a special issue named the Wasted on the Youth Issue that features musicians and actors talking about their childhood memories and things they loved when they were kids. We're also posting web-exclusive essays that were not printed in the issue, including this one by Telekinesis' Michael Benjamin Lerner. More
Includes Telekinesis, Superchunk, The Love Language, and Let’s Wrestle
Mar 31, 2010By Hong Le
In celebration of Record Store Day, a yearly celebration in which independently owned record stores collaborate with artists to commemorate the art of music, Merge will release three exclusive 7-inches. There will be one each from TelekinesisandSuperchunk, along with a split 7" with The Love Language and Let's Wrestle. All will be released on April 17. We have the details. More
New Issue Features Bat For Lashes, Camera Obscura, Doves, The Lonely Island, Depeche Mode, Flight of the Conchords, and much more!
Apr 11, 2009By Mark Redfern
Under the Radar's Spring Issue will be hitting stands soon. Bat For Lashes' Natasha Khan graces the cover and the issue features an in-depth nine-page interview with Khan that traces the long road to her amazing new album Two Suns. More
To end out the week, we ask Telekinesis some questions about endings and death. Telekinesis is the project of Seattle-based singer/songwriter/drummer Michael Benjamin Lerner, whose new album is titled Effluxion, which comes from the Latin term meaning "to flow." More
Michael Benjamin Lerner on 2015's Best Albums, Getting Fired, and Early Childhood Memories
Feb 23, 2016By Mark Redfern
For Under the Radar's 13th annual Artist Survey we emailed some of our favorite artists a few questions relating to 2015. We asked them about their favorite albums of the year and their thoughts on various notable 2015 news stories involving either the music industry or world events, as well as some quirkier personal questions. Here are some answers from Michael Benjamin Lerner, who records as Telekinesis. Telekinesis' most recent album, Ad Infinitum, was released last year via Merge. More
"It's sort of like Desmond in Lost pushing the button in the hatch," says Michael Benjamin Lerner with a laugh, of the isolation he often experienced during the creation of the latest Telekinesis album, the synth-heavy Ad Infinitum. "You start feeling like him if you don't have anyone around all day while you're pushing buttons, and just a little crazy." More
Michael Benjamin Lerner on U2's Free Album, the Ice Bucket Challenge, Mark Kozelek vs. The War on Drugs, and His Worst Haircut
Dec 16, 2014By Mark Redfern
For Under the Radar's 12th annual Artist Survey we emailed some of our favorite artists a few questions relating to 2014. We asked them about their favorite albums of the year and their thoughts on various notable 2014 news stories involving either the music industry or world events, as well as some quirkier personal questions. More
"I had this pretty unbelievable Where's Waldo costume when I was in elementary school." - Michael Lerner
Oct 28, 2013By Mark Redfern
We sent out the same set of Halloween-related questions to a bunch of different musicians. All Halloween week we are posting their responses. Here are some spooky answers from Michael Lerner of Telekinesis.
Apr 10, 2013By By Michael Lerner (as told to Laura Studarus)
My Favorite Thing is our recurring series when an artist tells us about one of their favorite things (favorite album, movie, book, TV show, comic book, food, etc.). Here Michael Lerner of Telekinesis talks about one of his favorite albums, Flin Flon's A-Ok.More
2012 Artist Survey Bonus Answers: Telekinesis - Michael Benjamin Lerner Reflects on the Last Year
Feb 15, 2013By Under the Radar Staff
For Under the Radar's 10th annual Artist Survey we emailed some of our favorite artists a few questions relating to 2012. Pick up the Best of 2012 issue to read many of the responses. We are also posting additional web-exclusive bonus answers to the website. These are from artists whose surveys are in the print magazine, but are extra answers that didn't fit in the issue. Here are bonus answers from Michael Benjamin Lerner of Telekinesis. More
Musicians reflect on their first concerts. Includes stories from Tegan & Sara, Camera Obscura, Girl Talk, Owen Pallett, Art Brut, The Hold Steady, MGMT, Broken Social Scene, Ariel Pink, !!!, Mew, Real Estate, The Dears, Vivian Girls, Mayer Hawthorne, The Drums, Telekinesis, Fuck Buttons, El Guincho, and more. More
One might say that Telekinesis' Michael Benjamin Lerner was born to play music. Growing up the son of a classic rock radio disc jockey with a Beatles obsession, Lerner's house was filled with music from the time he was an infant. As Lerner tells it, he was singing "Drive My Car" when he was still in diapers. But the Seattle native's own musical pathway may have been set even before that. More
Faint and without much variation, Telekinesis is for fans of straight-forward, utopian power pop. Michael Benjamin Lerner's elementary, all-parts-self-made dimes are too easy for listeners that yearn to be wowed. More
Telekinesis' Michael Benjamin Lerner pieced together their last record, Dormarion, with a vibrant mix of all the musical ideas that came before it. The result was a sonic collage of possibilities, whereas Ad Infinitum feels like an exploration of just one of many. Most of the punk rock energy and guitars are left behind for rich synths, and rhythm parts are almost exclusively limited to throbbing basslines and drum loops. More
Telekinesis has always had pure pop swing in its music, a certain melodic sensibility that harkened back to the '60s, no matter how presentation varied in terms of instrumentation or fidelity. More
SXSW 2013 Thursday and Friday Recap – Sharon Jones, TOY, Savages, Youth Lagoon, Telekinesis, etc.
Mar 25, 2013By Mark Redfern
Having survived the first two nights of SXSW and Under the Radar's first two days parties, despite a crying newborn back in our hotel room, I ventured out into the Austin night yet again. Here is a recap of what I saw Thursday and Friday night of SXSW 2013, including sets by TOY, Charles Bradley, Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, Telekinesis, Akron/Family's Cy Dune with 30 drummers, Savages, Youth Lagoon, and more. More
SXSW Day Three: TOY, Charles Bradley, Sharon Jones, and Telekinesis
Few things come as more of a surprise than the third day of SXSW. Regardless of superficial whine-inducing aches, the night was filled with heavy hitters: TOY, Charles Bradley, Sharon Jones, andTelekinesis.More
Shure Presents the Under the Radar SXSW 2011 Party Recap – Okkervil River and More
We were pretty sure that people would show up to our Thursday SXSW party because of our exclusive set by Atlas Sound, and while we were confident that we had an equally strong lineup for our Friday party (which was presented by Shure), we still weren’t certain how many fans would show up. But our immediate concern at the start of the party was whether our first artist would make it in time (if at all). Porcelain Raft (aka Italian born, London-based, Mauro Remiddi) had underestimated how far his hotel was from our venue (The Flamingo Cantina), was running late, and had a dead cell-phone and thus no way to let us know that he was indeed on his way. Thankfully the charming Remiddi arrived with a thousand apologies 10 minutes before he was scheduled to perform and because he’s a one-man band, was pretty much ready to go on time. The crowd, by the way, was as healthy in numbers as the day before, with a to-capacity venue and a line down the block most of the day.More
SXSW Recap Days 3 and 4: Porcelain Raft, Telekinesis, The Dodos, Revolver
The morning of day three began a bit like day two: a bit begrudgingly. While both sides of the snooze/sleep debate had very compelling arguments, it was ultimately decided that checking out cool, new music trumped physical recovery.
For someone whose biggest musical aspiration was once nothing more than to play drums in someone else’s rock band, Michael Benjamin Lerner is making a heck of a go as a multi-talented source of propulsive hooks and power pop craftsmanship More
You're strolling through your local independent record store when you stumble upon the latest Telekinesis release. "Oh, cool," you say to yourself, "a new EP." The latest Telekinesis EP is a lot of things, but "new" isn't one of them. More
The exclamation point at the end of Telekinesis' self-titled debut may be a bit over the top, but if any band has earned itself an exclamation point, Telekinesis certainly has. Seattleite Michael Benjamin Lerner (the power behind Telekinesis' power pop) makes music that's straightforward and familiar—if not especially challenging—and with its hooks, perfect chord progressions, harmonies and hand clap-ready rhythms, Telekinesis! is one of the strongest power-pop debuts in years. More
