Featured in the

Summer 2007 Issue

Cover Story:

In 2006, after 18 months of touring in support of their 2004 album So Jealous, identical twin sisters Tegan and Sara Quin celebrated their 10th year of playing music together by taking an extended break from studio recording and performing. So Jealous, which sold over 150,000 copies in the U.S., saw the singer/songwriters master the art of power pop with undeniably catchy guitar-and-synth rockers like “Take Me Anywhere,” “Speak Slow,” and, most notably, “Walking With a Ghost,” a song that made such an impression on The White Stripes that they released a cover version in 2005.

Building a larger fan base and establishing themselves as tour headliners relieved Tegan and Sara of the pressure that they felt, before So Jealous, to make a hit record. For their follow-up, the twins, who live on opposite coasts of Canada, took advantage of the time off between albums to challenge themselves as songwriters and producers, recording intricately arranged home demos of their songs and exchanging feedback long-distance. The end result, The Con, is a 14-song collection that brims with collaborative musical ideas and often moving lyrical reflection. Co-produced by Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla, The Con is the most diverse and dynamic-sounding of Tegan and Sara’s five albums. “Back in Your Head” and “Hop a Plane” prove that the hooks are still there, while ”Like O, Like H” and “Are You Ten Years Ago” substantiate the sisters’ desire to dig deeper lyrically and instrumentally.

Writer Chris Tinkham interviewed Sara in November for a preview of the album in Under the Radar’s Winter 2007 issue and followed up with both Tegan and Sara in May and July 2007 for this cover story. He also talked to Walla and Matt Sharp, who played bass and a bit of keyboards on the album, about the unorthodox method of recording The Con. And because Tegan and Sara frequently bring their mom into conversations—their quick-witted storytelling/bickering is a hallmark of their live shows—we asked Sonia Clement, Tegan and Sara’s mom, to have her say in the article. Photographers Crackerfarm photographed Tegan and Sara exclusively for Under the Radar at their New York City studio in May.

“Our parents got divorced when we were five, and I think I had a lot of anxiety when I was a kid. I worried that I was sick a lot.” – Sara Quin

“I would lie on the back deck, eating popsicles, and come in and watch Dog the Bounty Hunter and think about what the purpose of my existence was.” – Tegan Quin

Main Features:

Editors: Escaping the Nest Writer Lorraine Carpenter Writer Lorraine Carpenter interviewed Editors’ vocalist Tom Smith about the British band’s second album An End Has a Start, the follow-up to 2005’s acclaimed debut The Back Room. Photographer Derrick Santini photographed the band exclusively for Under the Radar in his London studio. “It’s still an Editors record, but it’s just turned up to 11….We’ve tried to push ourselves to try new things. With the first record, we would’ve been uncomfortable and scared of even having a piano on it, let alone trying a choir or strings or more acoustic instruments, or even just different synth sounds.” – Tom Smith

Interpol: Our Confusion to Ignore Writer Matt Writer Matt Fink interviewed Interpol’s vocalist Paul Banks and guitarist Daniel Kessler about their third album, and major label debut, Our Love to Admire. “A lot of people don’t get us.” – Paul Banks “There’s a lot of humor in the first two records. Sometimes people think we’re so dour.” – Daniel Kessler

The New Pornographers: The Band Behind the Curtain Writer Matt Fink interviewed Writer Matt Fink interviewed The New Pornographers’ Carl Newman, Neko Case, and John Collins about the Canadian collective’s history and their fourth album Challengers. Photographers Crackerfarm conducted an exclusive photo-shoot with the band for Under the Radar in their New York City studio. “I’ve thought for years that one thing that helps with originality is the inability to duplicate what you’re trying to copy.” – Carl Newman “In defense of Carl, we don’t tally up the minutes of who did what. That’s not as important as the end result.” – Neko Case

Rilo Kiley: With No Apologies Writer Writer Matt Fink interviewed Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennett about their fourth full-length, Under the Blacklight, which finds the Los Angeles quartet embracing their pop side. “I think there’s so much focus on the perception of selling out and being too poppy, but the music that I grew up loving as a kid was pop music.” – Jenny Lewis “I personally don’t participate in music to get hipsters all stoked.” – Blake Sennett

Spoon: Growing a Classic Writer Matt Writer Matt Fink interviewed Spoon’s vocalist/guitarist Britt Daniel and drummer Jim Eno about their strangely titled sixth album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. Photographers Crackerfarm conducted an exclusive photo-shoot with the band for Under the Radar in their New York City studio. “There are a couple songs on the record that were always clearly about George W. Bush, but I find that a lot of people don’t really get that, and that’s fine.” – Britt Daniel

Architecture in Helsinki: Rebuilding the Band Writer Bryan Borzykowski interviewed Architecture in Helsinki’s lead vocalist Cameron Bird about the Australian band’s third album, Places Like This, how his move to Brooklyn impacted the recording process, the loss of two band members, the band’s new sound, and how he’s convinced that some of their fans will actively dislike the new album. Photographer Wendy Lynch Redfern conducted an exclusive shoot with the band for Under the Radar in Austin, Texas, at SXSW. “I’m sure a lot of people will hate [Places Like This]. I’m sure that will be the case.” – Cameron Bird

The Bees (aka A Band of Bees): Lost in Translation Writer Frank Valish spoke with the affable Aaron Fletcher, The Bees’ songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, about the British band’s new groove-heavy album, Octopus, and the home studio they built to record it. “We planned to try and make something that really reflected what was going on. It reflects our families and the way we live down here on the Isle of Wight. We’re right on the seaside and we’ve got fantastic countryside right behind us. Those are the things that made us: the influence of good people and a good environment.” – Aaron Fletcher

Iron & Wine: Dog’s New Tricks Writer Chris Drabick interviewed Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam about his new album, The Shepherd’s Dog, which features a fuller sound when compared to his earlier folk albums. “I can’t make music just to keep other people happy.” – Sam Beam

Shout Out Louds: The Dark End of the Beat Writer Frank Valish talked to Adam Olenius and Bebban Stenborg of the Stockholm five-piece Shout Out Louds about their darker, more percussive sophomore album, Our Ill Wills, as well as how the Swedish band’s two years on the road in support of its debut influenced the subject matter of the second album. Photographer Derrick Santini conducted an exclusive photo-shoot for Under the Radar with Shout Out Louds in London. “I think it’s hard not to change, no matter what you do. Since it was four years since we recorded [Howl Howl Gaff Gaff], I think it just happened naturally. Each member of the band had new influences and new perspectives. We’d learned more as musicians and we’d learned more about the process of recording, so I think it just felt like we were more experienced and more able to try things that maybe weren’t on the last one.” – Bebban Stenborg

Patrick Wolf: The One Percent Fantasy Writer Writer August Brown interviewed 24-year-old British singer/songwriter Patrick Wolf about his daring third album, The Magic Position, his threats to quit music, working with Marianne Faithful, his political fourth album, and the various media misconceptions about Wolf. Photographers Crackerfarm conducted an exclusive photo-shoot with Wolf for Under the Radar in their New York City studio. “There is this little part of me, a one percent of me that wants to stop being a public personality and go grow vegetables in West Cornwall, find a wife or husband and be a good cook for the one I love and make records during the day while my love is at work. That one percent fantasy is a life that’s very far away from my life as it stands right now, but to think about it helps me do my work at hand—that is to make sure as many people in the world as possible hear a record that comes from the bottom of my heart that I spent years and hours of blood, sweat, and tears and ears on.” – Patrick Wolf

Under the Radar's section dedicated to the best and most exciting new artists.

Bat For Lashes: The Sound of Dreams Writer Writer Matt Fink spoke to acclaimed British singer/songwriter Bat For Lashes (aka Natasha Khan) about her Mercury Prize-nominated debut album Fur and Gold, how dreams inspire her lyrics, and recording a song in a forest. “At the time I was dreaming a lot, and I had this particularly strong dream of the horse coming to me and taking me through the forest and then to these ghosts of children singing.” – Natasha Khan

The Brunettes: Modern Music Lovers Writer Writer John Motley interviewed both Jonathan Bree and Heather Mansfield of the New Zealand duo The Brunettes about their third album, Structure & Cosmetics, their first to be released in America. “Currently, I’m listening to some terribly questionable stuff: Olivia Newton-John’s late-’70s/early-’80s period. You know, ‘Physical,’ ‘Heartattack,’ and ‘Xanadu.’” – – – – – – – Jonathan Bree

Patrick Cleandenim: The Illusionist Writer J. Writer J. Pace interviewed 22-year-old Kansas-born singer/songwriter Patrick Cleandenim about his orchestral pop debut album Baby Comes Home. Photographer Aubrey Edwards photographed Cleandenim exclusively for Under the Radar in New York City. “I don’t put on a vest and baggy suit pants when I go out of the house every morning. But, in terms of being in front of people on stage, I think that if you pay money for a ticket to see a show, it should be a show, it should be some sort of spectacle.” – Patrick Cleandenim

Fields Writer Frank Valish spoke to singer/guitarist Nick Peill of the British band Fields about their debut full-length Everything Last Winter. “I think there’s still a lot of evolving for us to do, but it seems to be working.” – Nick Peill

Lucky Soul: Shake, Shake, Shimmy Writer Frank Writer Frank Valish interviewed Lucky Soul’s lead-singer Ali Howard about the British band’s retro-sounding debut album The Great Unwanted. “I’ve always been into the ’60s and Motown and that sort of stuff. Growing up, I wasn’t particularly exposed to a lot of music, but having said that, I’ve always sort of gone back to that era, and I’m quite proud of the fact that when I was seven years old, I was dancing away to Sandie Shaw.” – Ali Howard

Maps Writer Frank Valish spoke to Maps (aka James Chapman) about the British musician’s acclaimed Mercury Prize-nominated debut album We Can Create, the core of which was created by Chapman alone in his bedroom. “I knew I wanted to do music. But I had no idea that I’d be able to do it, take it any further than just playing in my bedroom.” – James Chapman

Miracle Fortress Writer J. Pace interviewed Miracle Fortress’ Graham Van Pelt about his debut album Five Roses, which was recorded in his Montréal bedroom. “I literally roll out of bed onto pedals and amps.” – Graham Van Pelt

St. Vincent: Out of the Crowd Writer Writer Matt Fink interviewed singer/songwriter Annie Clark, who goes under the name St. Vincent, about her ambitious debut album Marry Me. Clark was previously a member of The Polyphonic Spree and also played in Sufjan Stevens’ band. Photographer Wendy Lynch Redfern conducted an exclusive photo-shoot with Clark for Under the Radar in Los Angeles. “It’s not like I had been a member of a band and was like, ‘Oh, gosh. What if I wrote a song?’ I’ve been working on [St. Vincent] for as long as I’ve been playing music in a lot of ways.” – Annie Clark

The Twilight Sad: At the Dawn of a Happy Career Writer Marcus Kagler interviewed The Twilight Sad’s vocalist James Graham and guitarist Andy MacFarlane about the Scottish quartet’s debut album Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters. Photographer Wendy Lynch Redfern conducted an exclusive photo-shoot with the band for Under the Radar on the famous Los Angeles road Mulholland Drive. “I like My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth and stuff like that but I’ve never found them an inspiration. The whole wall of sound stuff that I found more inspiring was the Phil Spector stuff. It’s about starting off with a basic kind of song and adding loads of layers. Adding on as much stuff as possible to give it different colors.”
to give it different colors.” – Andy MacFarlane

White Rabbits: Breeding Distinction Writer J. Pace conducted an e-mail interview with White Rabbits, who answered Under the Radar’s questions collectively. The six-piece band, who recently released their debut album Fort Nightly, all live together in a Brooklyn loft. “Apart from arguing about dishes we also get to write and play whenever we want. It allows us to explore ideas when we feel inspired. More than anything it just makes it easier to coordinate schedules.” – White Rabbits

Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators: Searchin’ & Reachin’ Writer Cory Frye Writer Cory Frye interviewed Brooklyn-bred/Finland-based soul singer Nicole Willis about Keep Reachin’ Up, her collaboration with the funky Finish combo The Soul Investigators. Willis was in an early lineup of what became ’90s trippy trio Deee-Lite and has also sung with the late Curtis Mayfield. “Soul has never really left.” – Nicole Willis

Reviews:

180 albums, singles, EPs, books, and DVDs reviewed, including releases by the following artists:

1990s
A Sunny Day In Glasgow
Aesop Rock
Amiina
Angels of Light
Architecture in Helsinki
Art Brut
Art in Manila
Arthur & Yu
Avett Brothers
Battles
Beastie Boys
The Bees (aka: A Band of Bees)
Benni Hemmhemm
Bjork
Frank Black
Brakesbrakesbrakes
Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew
The Brunettes
Jeff Buckley
Tim Buckley
Caribou
The Chemical Brothers
Chikita Violenta
Patrick Cleandenim
The Cribs
Dappled Cities
Datarock
Dan Deacon
Dead Bodies
Matthew Dear
Digitalism
Dinosaur Jr.
Dog Day
Nick Drake
Earlimart
Echoboy
Editors
Eisley
The Electric Soft Parade
Elk City
Epo-555
Jason Falkner
The Field
Fields
The Flaming Lips
Fog
Foreign Born
Adam Franklin
Fridge
Garbage
Get Him Eat Him
The Ghost is Dancing
Gogol Bordello
Gonzales
Jose Gonzalez
The Good Life
Grails
Robin Guthrie and Harold Budd
Emily Haines
Hallelujah the Hills
Handsome Furs
Calvin Harris
Heavy Trash
The Horrors
Hot Chip
Hot Hot Heat
Immaculate Machine
Imperial Teen
Interpol
Iron and Wine
Je Suis France
Jennifer Gentle
Joan As Police Woman
Juliette and the Licks
Kinski
Lavender Diamond
Sylvie Lewis
Liars
Lightning Dust
The Long Blondes
Los Campesinos!
Lucky Soul
M.I.A.
The Maccabees
Magnolia Electric Co.
Manic Street Preachers
Maps
Maserati
Meat Puppets
Memphis
Metric
Malcolm Middleton
Minus Story
Mirah and Spectratone International
Misha
Mogwai
Montag
Moonbabies
The Mooney Suzuki
Thurston Moore
My Morning Jacket
The New Pornographers
The Nightwatchman
Sarah Nixey
No Age
Nouvelle Vague
Numbers
Christopher O’Riley
Of Montreal
OFFICE
Okkervil River
Oliver Future
Patton Oswalt
Pinback
Pissed Jeans
Emma Pollock
The Polyphonic Spree
Portugal. The Man
Queens of the Stone Age
Ra Ra Riot
The Rentals
Rilo Kiley
Josh Ritter
Robbers On High Street
Rogue Wave
Mark Ronson
Ulrich Schnauss
Sea Wolf
The Sharp Things
Shout Out Louds
Sister Vanilla
Slaraffenland
The Smashing Pumpkins
Spoon
St. Vincent
Stereo Total
Tegan and Sara
They Might Be Giants
They Shoot Horses Don’t They?
Tiny Vipers
Tomahawk
Bjorn Torske
Trembling Blue Stars
UNKLE
John Vanderslice
Suzanne Vega
VHS or Beta
Von Sudenfed
Rufus Wainwright
Wheat
White Rabbits
The White Stripes
Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators
Wooden Wand
YACHT
You Say Party! We Say Die!
Young Marble Giants
And more…

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