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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

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

Animal Collective Members Share Cover of Silver Jews’ “Ballad of Reverend War Character”

Avey Tare and Geologist Cover is in Tribute to the Recently Deceased David Berman

Aug 30, 2019

Animal Collective (in this case members Avey Tare, aka David Portner, and Geologist, aka Brian Weitz) have shared a cover of Silver Jews’ “Ballad of Reverend War Character” in tribute to David Berman of Silver Jews and Purple Mountains, who took his own life earlier this month. 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

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

Jul 05, 2012

Out now via Drag City, Silver JewsEarly Times is pretty much what the name implies—a reissued collection of early recordings by the band. Still haven’t picked up a copy? Today the band issued a little extra encouragement in the form of a promo video. More

May 30, 2012

On June 19 Drag City will release Early Times, a compilation album collecting a number of early recordings by the Silver Jews. 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