5 Questions with
Chad Valley

Interviews, Madison
Hugo Manuel, a.k.a. Chad Valley, makes mesmerizing synth pop that is as danceable as it is fixating. Manuel, an original founding member of Blessing Force, released his first album as Chad Valley last year. You...

Smith Westerns: “Varsity”

Songs
Barely 20-something indie glam rock darlings Smith Westerns created one of the finest albums of 2011 in Dye It Blonde. They've got a new one due out in June and the first single, "Varsity," follows in its foots...
75%Overall

Cold War Kids
Dear Miss Lonelyhearts

Albums
A while ago I was discussing with a friend how quickly and easily bands seem to wane in relevance in this internet age of constant discovery. Tastemaker sites like Pitchfork play a big role in this, we acknowle...

Wavves: “Demon to Lean On”

Songs
Wavves' Nathan Williams has written a lot of distortion-heavy, youth burnout-centered punk rock songs but "Demon to Lean On" may be the best yet. It's got an ambling, summer afternoon feeling to it, perfect for...

Concert Review:
STRFKR

Concert Reviews, Madison
I knew STFKR had made a name for themselves over the past six years and three albums, but it still felt odd having to jockey for a position on the ground floor to see them at a sold-out Majestic Theatre last Th...

The Strokes: “All the Time”

Songs
The Strokes officially release their fifth album, Comedown Machine, next week but it's currently streaming online if you'd like to give it an early listen. The album's first single, "All the Time," features you...
73%Overall

Youth Lagoon
Wondrous Bughouse

Albums
On Youth Lagoon's superb 2011 debut record, The Year of Hibernation, Boise State dropout Trevor Powers channeled his inner anxieties into simple keyboard arrangements that lead into swirling drum machine beats....

HAERTS: “Wings”

Songs
Brooklyn-based dream pop bands seem to be a dime a dozen nowadays. However, HAERTS — yes, they chose to spell their name that way and in all caps — could be a promising diamond in an endlessly homogenous indie ...

STRFKR: “While I’m Alive”

Songs
STRFKR — also known, and pronounced, as "Starfucker" — are something of indie electro-pop legends. Since 2007 they have been refusing to drop their playful but inaccessible name for any lengthy period of time, ...