From the outset, Iron & Wine was painted into a corner. Sam Beam adopted that moniker and released The Creek Drank The Cradle in 2002, an album that prompted a wholesale renewal of interest in creaky, bedroom folk. But hushed acoustic music can only take you so far; Beam became the leader of a sound that seemed like a passing niche at best. However, as the decade’s unfolded, Beam has built Iron & Wine into a fascinating musical unit, capable of traveling wherever his restless creativity takes him. more ›

Band of Horses Cease to Begin (Sub Pop) Editors Note: This review reflects the personal opinions and experiences of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of the Ist network as a whole. Enjoy! In your typical southern suburban town of Irmo in Columbia, South Carolina is where Band of Horses singer Ben Bridwell and I went to high school. Among the strip malls and neighborhood watch signs, between high school football games... more ›

José González In Our Nature (Mute) Last year, González talked to us about the never-ending tour schedule, the slow process of songwriting, and how his next record --well, this record-- would focus on the guitar. His first full-length, Veneer, wooed us back in 2003, and though Gonzalez has been touring fairly relentlessly in support of it, he has found time to put together this work, a ten song album that sounds quite similar to... more ›

It takes a special artist to bridge the gap between The White Stripes, My Morning Jacket, and Norah Jones, and apparently M. Ward is that man. Ward has opened for all of these acts in the past two years, and has somehow managed to appeal to all of their audiences. His wonderful album Post-War met with universal acclaim upon release, ending up on best of '06 lists from The Onion, Paste, The Guardian, and... more ›

Here's another batch of bands from my ACL Artist Previews Page; remember you can check out the whole site at any time. David Ford - "State of the Union" is quite possibly the most amazing song I have stumbled upon while writing these previews, proving that David Ford is not just another singer/songwriter. (full preview) Ghandaia - Austin's Ghandaia is a nine-piece "Latin groove ensemble" that blends as many influences as there are members... more ›

We've probably mentioned Ghostland Observatory a time or two in the past, well make it a time or three, as the boys have recently been added to the star-studded Lollapalooza lineup. The dynamic duo of Thomas Turner and Aaron Behrens will be playing a noon-time set on the opening day of the three-day fest in Chicago’s Grant Park. Apparently promoter Charles Attal saw the boys perform at halftime of a recent rollerderby and was... more ›