Voice of the Year: Fleet Foxes' Robin Pecknold
With robo-vocals ruling the charts, the rise of Pecknold and his otherworldly pipes is nothing less than a small, hairy miracle.
By Amanda Petrusich 12.24.08 8:43 AM
In 2008, indie rock discovered a brand-new mecca: the woods.
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Discover Anya Marina's Lauper-Like Warble
With help from Spoon and Louis XIV, a former radio DJ finds her inner rock chick.
By Mikael Wood 12.24.08 8:35 AM
Before she moved to Los Angeles to concentrate on her career as a musician, Anya Marina spent her days spinning other people's records -- lots of 'em -- at a series of San Diego radio stations. So it's probably safe to assume that she knows what she's talking about when she says she hates singer-songwriter music.
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Racist Music Goes Digital
Where can one find the latest white-power band? iTunes, Amazon, and other online retailers.
By David Marchese 12.23.08 10:15 AM
Like any musician, Brutal Attack's Ken McLellan wants to be heard. Only, what he wants people to hear are self-described "white power" anthems with lines like "This is the Final Solution / Our turn / They'll burn."
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Exclusive Download: Passion Pit
Boston dance poppers light up blogs with a homemade EP, make Rick Rubin boogie -- listen now!
By Matt Diehl 12.22.08 12:37 PM
"Pain in the ass!" rasps Michael Angelakos as he struggles to heave a Fender Rhodes keyboard onto the stage of Los Angeles' Henry Fonda Theater. Angelakos, 21, is the benevolent dictator of synth poppers Passion Pit, and his band are soundchecking for their slot opening for French electro sensation Yelle.
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Franz Ferdinand, 'Tonight: Franz Ferdinand' (Domino/Epic)
Bumping and grinding with rock's sauciest cads.
By Brian Raftery 12.22.08 9:41 AM
How did Scottish people ever have sex before the existence of Franz Ferdinand? No offense to the Highlands' cozy twee-pop lineage, but until this Glasgow band's lusty 2004 debut, the height of Scot-rock ribaldry was either (a) Shirley Manson or (b) Rod Stewart in a kilt.
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Mark Olson & Gary Louris, 'Ready for the Flood' (New West)
Y'all-ternative twosome still know how to put tears in beers.
By Rob O' Connor 12.19.08 1:38 PM
Though this duo have recorded and toured together since Olson quit the Jayhawks in 1995, Ready for the Flood is their official reunion album, and it's pure rootsy, rustic alt country. Harmonies are raw and unpredictable in the Bob Dylan tradition, with the pair often sounding as if they're singing at each other.
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