Joshua Tillman has ambition. Not only has he been steadily putting out music at a near Darnelle-ian rate over the last five years, but these days he can claim to be a one of the most talented solo cats (better known as J. Tillman) you would probably never recognize on the street. Tack that onto also being a member of a critically acclaimed, bearded indie band you would also probably not recognize if they walked through Times Square in a Flying V formation: Fleet Foxes.
His new track, “Though I Have Wronged You”, is a breathtaking apology that seems to take you from bended knee to the river to the church all in one, never coming across nearly as cliche as that may sound. It’s an eerily quiet soulful ballad complete with some hand-claps at the end that make us wish we could just craft immaculately timeless pop songs when we mess up with our girlfriend (or whoever he’s apologizing to). No matter, this song is more than worth your next three and a half minutes.(Via: Vulture via Stereogum)
When Kurt Cobain signed with Sub Pop over a decade and a half ago and together they released the definitive rock album of the 90s, he was probably thinking locally. The money probably helped a bit, but ultimately dude was thinking “I really just want to be at a label that’s going to enter into a joint-venture with the largest shoe corporation in the world!” Alright, so maybe this wasn’t the direction Kurt or co-founder Bruce Pavitt saw the label going, but all kidding aside these things look kind of sweet. And hey, skateboarders listen to early Shins albums too. After all, what good does it do to be half-owned by Warner Brothers if you can’t get a skate shoe or two out of the deal. Sure, the two SP logos are a bit excessive. Sure, generic statement about indie rock being officially over and nothing being sacred anymore. We live in hard times. Cash is cash, folks.
We’ve been scrambling to keep you up-to-date as Glastonbury’s slowly leaked megaconfirmation after megaconfirmation in the past few months. But today’s full lineup announcement is something to behold, the headlining package of Neil Young, the Boss and a reunited Blur now propped up by a roster so behemoth and iron-clad, it’s equal parts intimidating and enticing. Also playing: Bloc Party, Lady Gaga, Jarvis Cocker, Regina Spektor, Maximo Park, Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, Lily Allen, Tom Jones, Pete Doherty, Q-Tip, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Streets, Ray Davies and and and and… Read the full story
Southern California’s Local Natives make it hard to draw comparisons. There are similarities here and there — Broken Social Scene and Fleet Foxes are among the contemporary names thrown around — but the Natives’ style is less erratic than BSS, more ballsy than the Foxes. Their harmonic style is indicative of the influence of hazy beach bums of 60s SoCal and Zombified Brit pop, while their percussion philosophy derives from somewhere more natural: a unifying connection between the five-piece developed over hours spent living together in their own guerilla hideaway in Silverlake, Calif. Read the full story
Featuring music from: North American Halloween Prevention Initiative, Maserati, North Atlantic Oscillation, Yeasayer, Deluka, Division Day, Logan Lynn, Donkeyboy, Chromeo, Woolfy, Neon Indian, Vampire Weekend, The Yearbooks, Fanfarlo, Frightened Rabbit, Middle Distance Runner, Headlights, The Very Foundation, Bloc Party, The Soft Pack, Wolfmother, A Mountain Of One, Field Music, and Yo Majesty
