Indie Folk
Adam Melchor Shares the Origins of New Single “I’m Ready”: Exclusive
Origins is our recurring feature series that provides artists a platform to dive into everything that inspired their latest release. Today, Adam Melchor takes us through “I’m Ready.” Adam Melchor has returned with “I’m Ready,” the latest single from his upcoming debut album Here Goes Nothing!, on Friday, September 9th. The dreamy indie-folk tune doubles down on Melchor’s knack for warm harmonies and frames him as wholeheartedly in love. As soon as the inviting, ocean-like ambiance introduces the tune, the tone of the song is immediately obvious. Before Melchor even utters the first line, you know it’s a love song. The instrumentation, with its finger-picked acoustic guitar and chime embellishments, simply feels like love incarnate. So, it comes as no surprise when Melchor proceed...
Plains (Katie Crutchfield and Jess Williamson) Don’t Talk About “Abilene” in New Song: Stream
Jess Williamson and Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield have shared “Abilene,” another new song from their project as Plains. Listen to the track — and watch Yoga with Adriene’s own Adriene Mishler star in its music video — below. The classic country waltz melodies of “Abilene” soundtracks Plains’ journey to distance themselves from the Texas city, and the lives it once housed. “Young lovers like to dream/ We’ll settle down and we’ll make a good team/ Well Main Street was cute and the rents there were cheap/ But I was too much for you and for your Abilene,” Williamson sings. Crutchfield shared the inspiration behind the latest Plains song in a statement. “The song ‘Abilene’ really solidified the vision of the album for me,” she said. “I’ll never forget how giddy I felt when Jess sent me t...
Angel Olsen and Sharon Van Etten Wrap “The Wild Hearts Tour” in New York City’s Central Park: Photos
On what turned out to be a perfect summer evening in New York City, Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten, and Julien Baker played the penultimate show of their joint “The Wild Hearts Tour.” Taking place Saturday, August 21st at Central Park’s SummerStage, the show validated why we called the trek one of this summer’s must-see tours. Having such a heavyweight trio of performers may lead to some relatively truncated setlists, but each musician gave their all during their time. Baker took her songs from delicate to ripping , Van Etten was at a dynamic peak, and Olsen broke up her emotive alt-country with a card’s wit. It was a wonderful night of powerful music delivered by three of the best in the biz. Closing with SVE joining Olsen for “Like I Used To” and Baker coming out for “Without You” by...
Brandi Carlile Taps Maren Morris, Sara Bareilles, Wynonna for Girls Just Wanna Weekend Festival 2023
Brandi Carlile’s Girls Just Wanna Weekend festival will return to the Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya, Mexico next year. Set for January 9th through 13th, 2023, the fourth installment of the women-fronted destination concert will feature Maren Morris, Sara Bareilles, Wynonna Judd, and more. Lucius, Yola, Allison Russell, Joy Oladokun, Ruby Amanfu, Natalie Hemby, Brandy Clark, and Brittney Spencer round off the Girls Just Wanna Weekend lineup. Carlile will, of course, headline the event. Guests will have the choice of staying at either the Hard Rock Hotel or the adults-only Barceló Maya Riviera Resort for the all-inclusive destination festival. Packages offer guests such perks as unlimited drinks and access to spas and fitness centers, while those who choose to stay at the Barceló Maya Rivi...
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...
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...
