"All those wasted miles/ All those aimless drives through green aisles/ Our careless lifestyle/ It was not so unwise.” On “Green Aisles”, the second track from Real Estate’s second album, lead singer Martin Courtney pretty much delivers the thesis statement of his band’s existence. more ›

The Baltimore duo Wye Oak have spent the last few years creeping onto the indie rock landscape. An early demo landed them a deal with Merge Records, which helped Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner find a larger audience as they toured relentlessly with the likes of The Decemberists, Spoon, and Shearwater. Wye Oak return to Austin this week to debut new album Civilian, which has earned them the best reviews of their career. We recently spoke to Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner about pop music, touring, and the beast that is SXSW. more ›

On Friday night, Austin's own Shearwater returned to town to play a packed room at The Parish. They were supported by Baltimore's Wye Oak. Our photographer Chad Wadsworth was there to capture all the action. more ›

Shearwater often get described as “otherworldly,” which is a plausible label given their sprawling, anachronistic bent coupled with the difficulty of describing their sound. But the “otherworldly” label is also a pity, because it totally bypasses the tactile, immediate nature that has defined Shearwater from its beginnings. On the other hand, for describing the confidence Shearwater demonstrates in its audience (which is another way of referring to the band ‘taking risks,’ a thing that’s always popular with music critics), “otherworldly” may not be a bad moniker. Few bands in this day and age go to the trouble of creating through their albums a comprehensive musical world for listeners- this is probably because listeners can no longer be relied upon for the entire length of an album. But Shearwater followers have shown that they can be counted on to visit and re-visit the landscapes Jonathan Meiburg maps out via the Shearwater discography, and then some. more ›

Wye Oak, Blitzen Trapper and The Walkmen performing at an official aftershow of the Austin City Limits Music Festival 2009 at Emo's, Austin Texas, October 1, 2009. Photos courtesy Steve Hopson. more ›

Somehow, nestled among the antlers and fur and teeth of indie rock, like Max in his wolf suit, the new feels primal, and the young feel wise. But enough speculation…one thing is for sure, tonight’s lineup is a wild romp. The woozy, warm impressionist tones of Wye Oak will give way to the raucous processional through craggy terrain that is Blitzen Trapper. This is a band that could have sprung fully formed from the pages of a German Romantic novella- their sensibility is textbook witching hour. And like Halloween, it’s a hell of a lot of fun. Check out "Woof & Warp of the Quiet Giant's Hem" off their 2007 bohemian primer “Wild Mountain Nation,” for example. more ›

It's about that time of day when the potbellied devil arrives on one's shoulder amidst a puff of smoke and, tapping the end of his trident on your earlobe, whispers, "I don't care if it's a weeknight. Let's catch a show and show up at work tomorrow smelling like PBR." If you're like us, the angelic foil arrives on the adjacent shoulder, putting out a Triple 5 on her sandal, chiming in her two cents, "sure why the fuck not?" more ›

Shearwater sure has built themselves a little sea swell of fanhood and critical approval these past few months, and it's no surprise. Since frontman Jonathan Meiburg—the man with the super-big voice—made the executive decision that his days in established local faves Okkervil River had to end, the added focus on Shearwater has allowed the band to release a widely-praised LP, Rooks, not to mention tour the country like bandits. By making music that is not even remotely afraid of the dramatic, Meiburg, along with Kimberly Burke and the Austin ever-present personality Thor Harris, has drawn fawning comparisons to eighties pillars of profundity Talk Talk, and have made sure that they are a band to be reckoned with, not only on album but with their big-sound live shows. more ›

Curiously, there aren't ten bands playing before Baltimore's indie-darling duo Wye Oak takes the stage this evening. Maybe Emo's is paring down their marathon line-ups. Probably not. There's one, actually, and it's The Cocker Spaniels (a.k.a. Sean Padilla) whose brand of "New Power Emo" will put a smile inside your mouth and a sparkle in your step for days to come. Wye Oak will too, for that matter. more ›