Nov 10, 2011
By Laura Studarus
Web Exclusive
In our video interview Under the Radar spoke to Anders Trentemøller about unusual soundtracks, good vs. evil, and why it’s healthy to give yourself a few rules. More
Oct 11, 2011
By Kyle Lemmon
Web Exclusive
Let's get this out of the way first off: prog-pop sibling duo The Fiery Furnaces are still a band and Eleanor Friedberger's debut solo album, Last Summer, is simply an outlet for the singer-songwriter's passion for '70s-influenced rock, pop, and fashion. Under the Radar talked with Friedberger about how the Furnaces' last proper album, I'm Going Away, led to her inaugural suite of solo recordings, musical love letters to New York, and her appreciation for Lindsay Anderson's 1973 surrealist comedy-drama fantasy, O Lucky Man!. More
Oct 10, 2011
By Laura Studarus
Web Exclusive
It’s hard not to smile when listening to a Casiokids album. The 8-bit melodies—created via their namesake Casio keyboards, of course—bounce and crackle with a Mario Bros. meets of Montreal energy. Check out our silly conversation about time travel, secret identities, and mayonnaise with the “kids.” Be sure to catch their set at our CMJ party on October 19. More
Oct 07, 2011
By Ben Schumer
Web Exclusive
Spencer Krug is a restless man who has never been shy about his myriad ambitions or apologized for them. His two bands—Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown—have been parked under “indefinite hiatus” for the foreseeable future. With his two beloved bands on the backburner, Krug is content to let his muse carry him wherever it may go. His perpetual creative momentum has led him to creating the alias Moonface which Krug hopes will help him avoid creative stagnancy. His debut LP as Moonface, Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I’d Hoped, is full of warm, buzzing organ drones, cascading melodic figures, analog beats and loops, but, as the title suggests, no vibraphone. More
Sep 12, 2011
By Ben Schumer
Web Exclusive
Over the past few years, Handsome Furs—Dan Boeckner and his wife, Alexei Perry—have toured through regions of the world rarely ever visited by Western bands (Poland, Myanmar, Yugoslavia, China, etc.). As a result, they’ve been exposed to things about which we North Americans know little to nothing. Their third LP, Sound Kapital, finds the duo embracing the role they refer to as “closet journalists,” and as a result, morphing into a political band. More
Sep 09, 2011
By John Norris
Web Exclusive
Ask a blog-approved artist these days what bands from yesteryear were especially influential on them, and you'll often hear names like Galaxie 500, Spaceman 3, Orange Juice, The Cure, OMD, the evergreen MBV and Joy Division, and so on. More
Aug 19, 2011
By Kyle Lemmon
Web Exclusive
Blitzen Trapper's gnarled musical roots are so diverse and far-reaching that when they make a "back to their roots" album such as American Goldwing it's not a retread of past glories. Instead, the Portland, Oregon quintet's sixth album is another delightful tinkering with the dusty engine of Americana music. These Pacific Northwestern mechanics aren't interested in admiring from afar. They get on their backs and give the old jalopy a much-needed overhaul. (It comes as no surprise to learn that singer/songwriter/guitarist Eric Earley's father was a musician-cum-mechanic.) More
Aug 12, 2011
By Kenny S. McGuane
Web Exclusive
It's been over three years since Hercules and Love Affair released their sophisticated and captivating self-titled debut. Hercules and Love Affair was one of 2008's most talked about records; disco-revivalism at its finest, indeed. Their sophomore album, Blue Songs (released this past January in the U.K.) is finally coming to America on August 16th. Hercules and Love Affair's mastermind, New York City-based DJ Andy Butler, was gracious enough to give Under the Radar a few minutes in between shows on their European tour to talk (briefly) about Blue Songs, its delayed stateside release, Greek mythology, and his personal affection for Chicago house. More
Aug 05, 2011
By Frank Valish
Web Exclusive
Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub) and Euros Childs (Gorky's Zygotic Mynci) have been friends since the mid-'90s, and their debut collaboration as Jonny is everything one might expect from the meeting of such songwriting minds. Blake and Childs spoke with Under the Radar about their self-titled debut and what's next. More
