Email Author SARAH MADGES

2012 Stories by SARAH MADGES

• Dum Dum Girls+Crocodiles

  published December 19, 2012

  What began as a scuzzy lo-fi one-woman show run by Kristin Gundred (“Dee Dee”), expanded to a noise pop project that added textured... More >>

• Sufjan Stevens

  published December 19, 2012

  The ultimate Renaissance man of the indie scene, Sufjan Stevens creates folk of epic symphonic proportions. Now with a pair of Christmas albums... More >>

• The Killers+Teagan and Sara

  published December 5, 2012

  As if you haven’t heard of them, the Killers are an American rock band that mixes Britpop sensibilities with the lo-fi fuzz of early aughts... More >>

• The Polyphonic Spree

  published December 5, 2012

  The Polyphonic Spree is anything but subtle—with 20-plus members decked out in gimmicky “uniforms” performing oversized... More >>

• Deer Tick

  published December 5, 2012

  What began as John McCauley’s alt-country solo project emerged as the folk-meets-blues five piece, Deer Tick, in 2004. With two guitars,... More >>

• Conor Oberst+Ian Felice

  published November 14, 2012

  From Bright Eyes and Desaparecidos to his latest work with the Mystic Valley Band, Oberst’s work has almost always been a solo vision. On... More >>

• The Babies+Alex Bleeker and the Freaks

  published November 7, 2012

  Real Estate bassist Alex Bleeker’s solo offshoot edges closer to Neil Young–ish freewheeling folk than the surf-meets-psych-rock his... More >>

• Andrew Jackson Jihad+Future of the Left

  published October 24, 2012

  Phoenix folk punkers Andrew Jackson Jihad tap into the bleak comedy of human existence through satirical lyrics and unapologetic Americana. DIY... More >>

• Saint Etienne

  published October 17, 2012

  Forerunners of the '90s indie dance movement, Saint Etienne have mastered the successful synthpop algebra of saccharine vocals and sheer pop hooks... More >>

• Crocodiles

  published September 19, 2012

  San Diego post-punk meets shoegaze band Crocodiles make a lot of noise for two people. Charles Rowell and Brandon Welchez started the band in 2008... More >>

• Islands

  published August 29, 2012

  Indie rock band Islands came from the same masterminds behind short-lived but well-loved lo-fi punks the Unicorns. Although Islands dances between... More >>

• 2 Skinnee J's

  published August 15, 2012

  With ironic earnestness, 2 Skinnee J's take the hip out of hip-hop, producing nerdcore raps about topics as mundane as summer barbecues and the... More >>

• !!!+Lenny Williams

  published July 25, 2012

  Sacramento band !!! (pronounced by repeating any syllable three times, most commonly “chk chk chk”) combines house beats, slinky bass... More >>

• College+Anoraak+Electric Youth

  published July 18, 2012

  Although he released his first album as College in 2008, David Grellier gained recognition and serious play at Spotify-DJ’d parties... More >>

• The Babies+Night Manager+Beach Day+Daytona

  published July 18, 2012

  A product of indie incest, the Babies prove that when you add two lo-fi Brooklyn bands together, you don’t just get another Brooklyn lo-fi... More >>

• Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra

  published June 27, 2012

  Amanda Palmer (also known as Amanda Fucking Palmer) made her career as the brash-voiced lead singer and pianist of the self-described... More >>

• Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

  published June 27, 2012

  On last year’s Hysterical, these Brooklyn indie-rockers added bright synths and rhythms fit for a Killers album to their typical mix... More >>

• Mogwai

  published June 6, 2012

  Scottish post-rockers Mogwai spin complicated instrumentals around simple guitar centers, layering reverberating arpeggios, bright synths, drum... More >>

• Eef Barzelay

  published May 23, 2012

  Tel Aviv-born, New Jersey-bred Ifar “Eef” Barzelay is best known as the songsmith for alt-country band Clem Snide but in recent years... More >>

• Man Man

  published May 23, 2012

  As unpredictable lyrically as they are instrumentally, Man Man will offer munchkin-esque choral squeaks one moment and pair scats about... More >>

• The Polyphonic Spree

  published May 16, 2012

  The twenty-plus member Polyphonic Spree harness the sunshiney oversized pop of the 5th Dimension plus the glitzy gimmicks of Bowie to create... More >>

• The Budos Band

  published May 9, 2012

  Daptone’s The Budos Band jumped on the funk revivalism bandwagon and made it their own with Ethiopian-tinged instrumentation and sixties... More >>

• Hot Water Music

  published May 9, 2012

  Unlike other bands from the emerging early ‘90s punk scene in Gainesville, Hot Water Music offered lyrics that could’ve come from a... More >>

• Bear in Heaven

  published April 25, 2012

  Brooklyn-based Bear in Heaven dress up krautrock’s moody prog feel with the shimmering synths and throbbing bass of club stompers. With hazy... More >>

• Yann Tiersen

  published April 11, 2012

  It’s tempting to just list a series of adjectives when someone asks, “Who’s Yann Tiersen?” but to save time I usually... More >>