Articles Index
Kill Rock Stars Profile
Profile of the long-running, fiercely-independent Pacific Northwest imprint, from riot-grrrl beginnings to its rebirth in Portland.
Death Cab for Cutie - Artist Profile
Potted, spotted history of the impossibly successful Seattle indie-rock icons, as told by its members.
Interview: Max Tundra
An entertaining chat with the London electro-pop midget about death, drugs, Amy Winehouse, and Coldplay lyrics.
Interview: Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear
Daniel Rossen talks his Elvis-obsessed childhood, mimicking Nick Drake, Department Of Eagle's dark songs, and the joyousness of 'Veckatimest'.
Elliott Smith - Artist Profile
Chronicle of the rise and demise of the ultimate depressive songsmith.
Interview: Emily Haines of Metric
The chatty Metric frontwoman talks sad songs, Canadian socialism, and music-industry exploitation.
Thrill Jockey Records Profile
Profile of Chicago's influential independent label Thrill Jockey.
Interview: Dean Wareham
The longtime Luna frontman dishes the dirt on his rock'n'roll memoir 'Black Postcards.'
Galaxie 500 - Artist Profile
Look at the brief, blindingly beautiful career of cult indie-rock outfit Galaxie 500.
J Mascis Kicks Lou Barlow Out of Dinosaur Jr
When the Dinosaur Jr honcho obtusely let his bassplayer go, Barlow turned around and aired his grievances in a series of Sebadoh songs.
Bon Iver - Artist Profile
Justin Vernon made a heartbroken record in a Wisconsin cabin in the middle of winter. Plenty of people have warmed to it.
Interview: Justin Vernon of Bon Iver
The woolly Wisconsinite discusses his blessed 2008, whether he's actually ever read Thoreau, and his skillz on the basketball court.
Tortoise - Artist Profile
A career-long look at Chicago's genre-razing, forever-experimental instrumentalists.
Interview: Eric Earley of Blitzen Trapper
Portland's Blitzen Trapper play a peculiar brand of Americana, and their leader has particular thoughts on the state of America itself.
Animal Collective - Artist Profile
Biographical history of Animal Collective, the shape-shifting American outfit whose earned a reputation as one of the new millennium's most important musical acts.
Arthur Russell - Artist Profile
Chronicle of the life and times of the fallen angel of disco-as-art, New York cellist and home-recording scientist Arthur Russell.
Interview: Jenny Wilson
The Swedish starlet explains how, artistically, motherhood and war go hand-in-hand.
Alternative Music 101 - Are 'Alternative' and 'Indie' the Same Thing?
We debate the question that has plagued mankind for centuries: what do 'alternative' and 'indie' actually really mean? And is it just the same thing?
Alternative Music 101 - Genre Guide
Don't know your shoegaze from your space-rock? Your twee from your C86? Read on to discover the peculiar secrets of all those baffling genre names.
Jeffrey Lewis - Artist Profile
Profile of NY's "maker of comic books, tragi-comic folk narratives, and acoustic psychedelia."
Interview: Stuart Murdoch of God Help the Girl
The B&S frontman talks of his 'story set to music,' his other band's history, and how there weren't any decent records released in the '90s.
Belle and Sebastian - Artist Profile
The life and times of the Scottish twee institution.
Interview: Paul Thomson and Bob Hardy of Franz Ferdinand
After the success of their debut record, Franz Ferdinand found themselves in interesting company: Hulk Hogan, James Brown, and The Nanny.
Interview: Isobel Campbell
Isobel Campbell, the one-time belle of Belle & Sebastian's twee-pop ball, talks about her true labour of love: a second collaboration with Mark Lanegan.
Matador Records Profile
A traipse through the history of New York's venerable mega-indie, Matador Records.