Bevel

Where Leaves Block the Sun, Bevel's (a solo project from Drunk and Manishevitz's Via Nuon) second album, begins with a beautifully starry slice of instrumental brilliance; rolling guitars, luscious strings, pedal steel peeking through a...

Dinosaur Jr.

Dinosaur Jr continue to perfect their sound on their first release for Jajaguwar Records. The chemistry of the group really shines on this latest album which is often as moving as it is rocking. “Pieces”...

The Lucky Sperms

The Lucky Sperms are Jad Fair, Daniel Johnston, and Chris Bultman. It comes as no surprise that Fair and Johnston are kindred spirits, both musically and probably otherwise, and Bultman fits right in (although he...

Minus Story

Comparing someone to the best band in any genre is never particularly helpful. The Flaming Lips comparisons that The Minus Story have received may lead some to think they?re better than they actually are. Not... read more...
By James Hayashi-Tennant
Mar 10, 2006

Okkervil River

Finding a home in Texas by way of New Hampshire, Okkervil River sound like Ozark savants with lineage to Anton Chekhov, strumming away their broken, exiled souls with acoustic guitars,concertinas, and moonshine.

But I'll be...

Okkervil River

New Hampshire-born, and Austin, TX-raised Okkervil River combine bits of sad, minor-key weirdness with strong songs - in both writing and emotional power - on their recent mini-album, Black Sheep Boy Appendix. The weirdness is... read more...
By James Hayashi-Tennant
Mar 10, 2006

Okkervil River

Peter Wolf Crier

Bon Iver’s success hasn’t exactly inspired a run on the Eau Claire scene, but people are definitely paying more attention to it – and to bands like Peter Wolf Crier.  Peter Pisano and Brian Moen...

Sunset Rubdown

Swan Lake

The opener on Swan Lake’s debut, “Spanish Gold, 2044,” sounds as though David Bowie and Hawksley Workman got drunk listening to Purple Rain.  A belaboured description to be sure, but when you combine the oddest...

Sharon Van Etten

A fateful move to Brooklyn, New York in 2005 led Sharon Van Etten to the music industry. Fleeing a troubled relationship in Tennessee Van Etten found herself first back in the family home in New Jersey....

Wilderness

From the outset, Wilderness? self titled release is intriguing ? but what begins as intriguing eventually becomes fatiguing, especially after six or seven tracks. The Baltimore based band are post?everything, really, combining the instrumental swell... read more...
By James Hayashi-Tennant
Sep 5, 2005