Indie Folk
The Mountain Goats Share New Song “Wage Wars Get Rich Die Handsome”: Stream
The Mountain Goats have release their rollicking new single “Wage Wars Get Rich Die Handsome.” The song is taken from the group’s upcoming twentieth album Bleed Out, which is due to drop on August 19th. Listen below. “Wage Wars…” is filled to the brim with high-octane life advice, which the Durham, North Carolina indie rockers distill over churning guitars and crashing cymbals as frontman John Darnielle sneers, “Floor the pedal at the green light/ Watch the traffic all drift right/ Barrel forward unimpeded, switch lanes as needed/ Be flexible, be unreplaceable/ In a world of heavy footprints, be untraceable” before jumping into the shout-along chorus. “When I write an album that revolves around a theme, it usually takes two or three songs before I notice what’s going on,” Darnielle confess...
Sufjan Stevens in 10 Songs
This article originally ran in 2015; we’re dusting it off in celebration of Sufjan Stevens’ birthday on July 1st. Ever felt overwhelmed by an artist’s extensive back catalog? Been meaning to check out a band, but you just don’t know where to begin? In 10 Songs is here to help, offering a crash course and entry point into the daunting discographies of iconic artists of all genres. This is your first step toward fandom. Take it. It’s been nearly 30 years since Sufjan Stevens first appeared on the music scene as a solo artist, but it’s still difficult to think of him as a real person. The man films videos of himself playing banjo on a farm with a curled baseball cap on his head. He dances awkwardly in neon duct tape and strands of lights. He faces audiences with a set of feathered wings strap...
Lana Del Rey Unveils Cover of Father John Misty’s “Buddy’s Rendezvous”: Stream
Back in January, Father John Misty teased a snippet of Lana Del Rey covering his Chloë and the Next 20th Century cut “Buddy’s Rendezvous.” Now, the track has now been brought to all streaming services after previously only being available as a 7-inch single included in the limited edition box set of the album. Listen to it below. With airy, piano-driven production highlighted by strings and a saxophone, “Buddy’s Rendezvous” is the perfect match for Del Rey’s throwback aesthetic. Even though FJM has said the song is written from the perspective of a man who gives some “pretty shitty advice” to his daughter after getting out of the prison, certain lyrics like “What’s the point of being everybody’s girl?/ Maybe you think that way there’s no chance getting hurt/ Living for no one costs me...
TOLEDO Share New Single “L-Train”: Stream
TOLEDO are riding the “L-Train” right to Grand Jury Music. The Brooklyn indie folk duo have joined a roster that includes Hovvdy, Samia, and recent Artist of the Month Jordana at the New York-based label, and they’re celebrating with a new single. “L-Train” further demonstrates the impeccable harmonies of Dan Álvarez de Toledo and Jordan Dunn-Pilz, as if their lifelong friendship has synched their vocals as much as their personalities. The gentle track has a turbulent undercurrent, haunting arrangements swirling beneath the steady dance of guitar strings. It’s a blend of pleasant and anxious that reflects the lyrics’ exploration of social excess. “[‘L-Train’ was] written at a low point for the both of us,” TOLEDO said in a statement. “We had just moved to Bushwick and started playing shows...
Big Thief Announce Israel Tour Dates, Internet Boos
Big Thief have extended their world tour by adding two dates in Tel Aviv, Israel, cushioning the announcement with a statement claiming to be “open to other people’s perspectives” regarding the country’s conflict with Palestine. Noting that bassist Max Oleartchik is from Israel, the band explained that they wanted to explore Oleartchik’s hometown and meet his family and friends in the same way that he had done for them as they toured the United States. “It is important for us to go where we have family to share space and play for them,” the band said. “It is foundational. It is in that spirit that we made our decision to play in Israel.” Aware that many fans would likely not support their decision to perform in a country currently occupying another, Big Thief went on on to add, “We ar...
Andrew Bird Breaks Down New Album Inside Problems Track by Track: Exclusive
Our feature series Track by Track allows artists to run through every song on their newest release. Today, Andrew Bird breaks down his latest album, Inside Problems. Multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Andrew Bird returns today (June 3rd) with his newest full-length LP, Inside Problems. Inspired by complex thoughts awoken by silence and the idea of thresholds, Bird looks to offer wisdom on the lush 11 tracks. Bird has always remained busy. Prolific in his artistic output, whatever form that may take, he seems to have an unquenchable thirst to create. Preceded by 2019’s My Finest Work Yet, 2020’s holiday-themed Hark!, and 2021’s collaborative These 13, Inside Problems marks Bird’s fourth album in as many years. In the same time period, he’s also taken up acting (check out his perfor...
Angel Olsen Delivers Country-Sized Emotions on Big Time
Angel Olsen has never repeated herself. Her debut Half Way Home introduced Olsen as a psych-folk songwriter with a powerhouse voice, before the lo-fi indie of Burn Your Fire For No Witness reframed her within the context of a band. Two years later, My Woman upped the production value and saw Olsen at her most intense and confrontational. All Mirrors wiped clean any pre-conceptions of Olsen, and even when she literally repeated herself with Whole New Mess, it felt like an entirely new statement. Since the one-two punch of All Mirrors and Whole New Mess, Olsen has kept fans guessing on which direction she might be headed next. In 2021, she released her Sharon Van Etten collaboration “Like I Used To,” a victory lap of an indie rock song for two of the genre’s most accomplished singer-songwrit...
Sharon Van Etten Shakes Out Her “Mistakes” on Colbert: Watch
Sharon Van Etten swung by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Friday night to perform her song “Mistakes.” Watch the musical number below. Decked out with shaggy dark hair, heavy black eyeliner, and a head-to-toe red outfit, Van Etten resembled something like a modern Joan Jett as she passionately belted out the funk-rock tune. “Mistakes” is featured on the indie rocker’s brand new album We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong, which was released on May 6th via Jagjaguwar. While it didn’t contain any advance singles, the album follows one-off tracks “Porta” and “Used to It.” In Consequence’s official review of the album, Paolo Ragusa said Van Etten “is at an all time high, crafting a powerful journey on the subjects of motherhood, partnership, loving one’s self, and navigating the darkness...
Sharon Van Etten Shakes Out Her “Mistakes” on Colbert: Watch
Sharon Van Etten swung by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Friday night to perform her song “Mistakes.” Watch the musical number below. Decked out with shaggy dark hair, heavy black eyeliner, and a head-to-toe red outfit, Van Etten resembled something like a modern Joan Jett as she passionately belted out the funk-rock tune. “Mistakes” is featured on the indie rocker’s brand new album We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong, which was released on May 6th via Jagjaguwar. While it didn’t contain any advance singles, the album follows one-off tracks “Porta” and “Used to It.” In Consequence’s official review of the album, Paolo Ragusa said Van Etten “is at an all time high, crafting a powerful journey on the subjects of motherhood, partnership, loving one’s self, and navigating the darkness...
Angel Olsen Shares New Piano Ballad “Through the Fires”: Stream
Angel Olsen is back with “Through the Fires,” a sentimental piano ballad billed as the “centerpiece” of her upcoming album, Big Time. Listen to the single below. Olsen keeps her voice low in “Through the Fires,” letting sweeping strings do the talking as she learns to let go of all earthly desires. In a press release, she called the song “the centerpiece statement of this record. It’s a song I wrote to remind myself that this life is temporary, the past is not something to dwell on, that it’s important to keep moving, keep searching for the people that are also searching, and to notice the moments that are lighter and bigger than whatever trouble I’ve encountered.” The track comes with an equally delicate music video shot by Angela Ricciardi, in which Olsen unwinds in a creek, surroun...
Dawes Announce Misadventures of Doomscroller LP, Share “Someone Else’s Café / Doomscroller Tries to Relax”: Stream
Dawes have announced their eighth studio album, Misadventures of Doomscroller. Arriving July 22nd via Rounder Records, the seven-track LP is being previewed today with the jazzy nine-minute single “Someone Else’s Café / Doomscroller Tries to Relax.” Recorded alongside producer Jonathan Wilson (who also helmed 2018’s Passwords), the new LP follows 2020’s Good Luck with Whatever (which featured one of our favorite songs of that year, “Didn’t Fix Me”). This latest full-length finds the Los Angeles quartet going from a minimalist approach to a deliberately maximalist one. Bassist Wylie Gelber described it in a press release as, “Eight legs and eight arms, in a room, stretching deeper than we ever knew we could… The intros have outros. The outros have bridges.” Added frontman Taylor G...
Sharon Van Etten Releases New Album We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong: Stream
Sharon Van Etten has released her sixth studio album, We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong. Listen to the album below via Apple Music and Spotify. Van Etten recorded and engineered much of We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong herself in her home studio, co-producing the album with Daniel Knowles. She played guitar, synthesizers, piano, drum machine, wurlitzer, keys, and more on the LP, while Jorge Balbi contributed drums, Devon Hoff lent a hand on bass, and Charley Damski added extra synthesizers and guitars. Release day is especially exciting for LP6, since Van Etten didn’t release any singles for the album. “I wanted to approach this release differently, to engage my fans in an intentional way, in an effort to present the album as a whole body of work,” the artist explained i...
