Jun 04, 2009 By Kyle Lemmon Winter 2009 - Anticipated Albums of 2009

Milestones in life tend to be linked with their corresponding dates. For Rose Elinor Dougall, July 17, 2006 saw the release of her band The Pipettes’ unforgettable debut. At just 20 years old, Dougall cradled an indie-pop treasure in her hands. We Are the Pipettes recalled singles-oriented ’60s girl groups with stunning grace. More

Apr 24, 2009 By Kyle Lemmon Project Jenny, Project Jan

Jeremy Haines, the Brooklyn electro-pop vocalist of Project Jenny, Project Jan (PJPJ) never stops daydreaming, even when he and programmer/keyboardist Sammy Rubin are holed up in the most unimaginative of places: a stuffy Days Inn. Haines, who also creates much of the vibrant artwork for the duo’s website and albums, is doodling on the hotel room stationery: “I’m actually drawing this woman-man. Looks a lot like Cathy from the comic strip, except with the worst haircut and she’s looking at this strange mutant Kermit the Frog character, or maybe the Salt Flats of Utah.” Such gonzo cartoons come closer to describing PJPJ’s sound than laborious R.I.Y.L. lists or the latest silly genre invented by a critic: laptop rock. More

Feb 01, 2009 By Jim Scott Winter 2009 - Anticipated Albums of 2009

The Invisible don’t sound like anyone else. The comparison points all come with a but or a kind-of. How often does this happen in this day and age of constant cataloguing, categorizing, and pigeonholing? In a gun-to-the-head situation, TV on the Radio would be mentioned for their singularity, and Brian Eno’s production as a sonic jump-off point, but… More

Feb 01, 2009 By Mike Hilleary Revolver

The Parisian members of Revolver—Ambroise Willaume, Christophe Musset, and Jérémie Arcache—are not native English speakers. When they speak, their sentences often succumb to the occasional slip in verb tense or syllable emphasis. There are even instances of hesitation and momentary pause when the search for the optimal phrase leaves them somewhat at a loss. More

Nov 01, 2008 By Kyle Lemmon Year End 2008 - Best of 2008

Back in their home base of Donnington, England, Late of the Pier’s career started with a jumbled mess of dusty synthesizer equipment, guitars in various states of disrepair, and scattershot drum kits. The band’s keyboardist/sampler, Sam Potter, remembers those early days stuck in a musty attic well. “Our singer/guitarist Sam [Eastgate]’s dad played in a couple bands in the ’80s,” Potter explains. “A lot of the original instruments we played came from that attic. We used to practice with this old battered blue drum kit and this old guitar that was covered in comics. We used to get stoned and just go crazy.” More

Nov 01, 2008 By Nate Daly Year End 2008 - Best of 2008

Life was looking grim for Will Roan last winter. “A year ago, I was working making raincoats and just trying to be able to pay rent and being really scared because my band was breaking up. It’s a really strange place to be in now—recording a full-length record. Bizarre,” says the singer for Brooklyn’s Amazing Baby. More

Oct 01, 2008 By J. Pace Apse

“We understand why we get the post-rock thing, but we hate it,” says Robert Toher, guitarist/vocalist of Apse, speaking from his home on Cape Cod. Apse can’t seem to avoid the comparisons to Sigur Rós, Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, and their ilk. More

Sep 02, 2008 By Frank Valish Vivian Girls

For Cassie, Katy, and Ali of Brooklyn’s Vivian Girls, being in a band began as a fun extension of a life filled with other pursuits. When the band started in March 2007, Cassie was studying illustration at Pratt Institute, Katy was finishing degrees in physics and education at Rutgers University, and Ali, also at Rutgers, was majoring in German. However, after three 7” singles and a limited-run pressing of the band’s debut album—which sold out within a week of its May release—things have been heating up. In fact, Cassie, Katy, and, Ali—who all prefer to be referred to only by their first names—were lucky to make it out of school at all. More

Sep 02, 2008 By Marcus Kagler Fall 2008 - Jenny Lewis

“Not everyone sees the genius in bluegrass,” says Mumford and Sons vocalist/guitarist Marcus Mumford. “Our banjo player, Winston, is the driving force behind the bluegrass leanings in Mumford and Sons. He taught himself how to play banjo while in high school. He’s really the bluegrass guy, but we all love it.” More