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Mehan JayasuriyaAbout Mehan Jayasuriya A veteran of many a cold winter, Mehan was born in Montreal and reared in Southeastern Wisconsin. After four years spent earning a degree in Japanese literature at the University of Chicago, he spent a year living in Japan before finally landing in Washington D.C. A technology policy activist by day, Mehan spends his nights listening to, watching, photographing and writing about music. You can visit his personal website at http://www.mehanjayasuriya.com. Features
In Circles: Sunny Day Real Estate ReconsideredIn anticipation of a reunion tour, the two albums produced by the original Sunny Day Real Estate lineup get remastered and repackaged with extra tracks and expanded liner notes. They are ripe for revisiting. [15 September 2009] Like Tiny Bacteria Running Around: An Interview with the Dirty ProjectorsThe Dirty Projectors' Dave Longstreth discusses Bitte Orca, his recent collaborations with Björk and David Byrne and the art of discharging firearms in Canadian shopping malls. [15 June 2009] Jigsaw Falling Into Place: Revisiting Radiohead’s ‘90s OutputWith deluxe reissues of Radiohead's first three albums in stores next week, PopMatters takes a look back at Pablo Honey, The Bends and Ok Computer. [16 March 2009] Requiem for a Record Store: An Interview With Atomic Records’ Rich MenningAtomic Records, one of the Midwest's most storied independent record stores, will soon close up shop after nearly 25 years. We sit down with Atomic founder Rich Menning to talk records, rock 'n' roll and the future -- or lack thereof -- of independent record stores in America. [11 March 2009] The Big Shoulders Ball: Celebrating the Inauguration, Chicago StyleA busload of Chicago's best and brightest independent musicians storm the nation's capital on the eve of the Presidential inauguration and a former Chicagoan turned Washingtonian discovers that maybe you can transport the spirit of the Windy City -- if only for one night. [26 January 2009] PHOTOS: SXSW Music Days 2-4Pics of Simian Mobile Disco, Le Loup, Clipse, No Age, Woods and many more. [17 March 2008] PHOTOS: SXSW Music Day 1Pics from the event at Emo's including The Wedding Present, Why?, The Mae Shi and YACHT. [14 March 2008] Reviews
Fucked Up: Couple Tracks: Singles 2002-2009Toronto hardcore heroes collect some of their long out-of-print singles on this stopgap release. [26 January 2010] 
These United States: Everything Touches EverythingEarnest Americana act broadens the scope of its sound with regretfully middle-of-the-road results. [12 January 2010] 
The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir: ...And the Horse You Rode in OnChicago chamber-pop group indulges its love for the Smiths and Belle and Sebastian with mixed results. [8 January 2010] 
Wale: Attention DeficitInsecurity, bulimia, infidelity, intra-racial discrimination, self-loathing and coked out, aspirational celebrities: welcome to Wale's coming out party. [11 November 2009] 
Lullatone: We Will Rock You ... to SleepJapan-based husband and wife duo release a sampler chronicling six years of delicate, twinkling electro-pop. [22 October 2009] 
Atlas Sound: LogosWith Logos, bedroom pop auteur Bradford Cox steps out of the shadows and into the light of day, producing one of the year's most accomplished indie-pop albums in the process. [19 October 2009] Sunny Day Real Estate: 27 September 2009 - New YorkClearly, Sunny Day Real Estate are a band that inspires a rare kind of devotion in their fans. If you want to understand why, you need look no further than their intense, technically impressive live show. [5 October 2009] 
Dizzee Rascal: Tongue ‘N CheekCatchy yet largely disposable, Tongue 'N Cheek embodies many of the pitfalls of radio-friendly hip-hop. [25 September 2009] 
David Bazan: Curse Your BranchesCurse Your Branches, a brutally-honest document of one man's struggle with his faith, begs us to reconsider Bazan's place in the singer-songwriter pecking order. [31 August 2009] 
Patrick Wolf: The BachelorHe's had quite a run thus far but at the tender age of 25, eccentric chamber-pop wunderkind Patrick Wolf finally has his first bona fide misstep on his hands. [12 June 2009] 
Burial/Four Tet: “Moth”/“Wolf Cub”On the surface, Four Tet and Burial don't seem to have much in common. That's precisely what makes this enigmatic 12" single so rewarding. [2 June 2009] 
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band: Outer SouthConor Oberst's post-Bright Eyes growing pains continue with an overstuffed, half-baked album that feels more like a compilation. [4 May 2009] 
Dan Deacon: BromstDan Deacon holds a warped funhouse mirror up to his inner electronic composer. Don't worry, he hasn't matured. Rather, he's evolved. [27 March 2009] The Future of Music Coalition D.C. Policy Day 2009Music and tech industry insiders -- including Clap Your Hands Say Yeah frontman Alec Ounsworth, Bomb Squad founder Hank Shocklee, and legendary manager Peter Jenner -- gather in Washington D.C. to discuss the future of music creation, marketing, and commerce. [19 March 2009] 
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone: Advance Base Battery LifeChicago's battery-powered bard serves up a solid singles collection in advance of his fifth full-length. [13 March 2009] 
Slaraffenland: Sunshine EPDanish collective's tour EP features three originals and two covers, all of which prove too indistinct to be memorable. [3 March 2009] 
Au Revoir Simone: Reverse MigrationOn Reverse Migration, Au Revoir Simone and their collaborators manage to craft a remix album that largely preserves the warmth, delicacy, and charm of the band's breakthrough LP, The Bird of Music. [2 March 2009] 
Various Artists: Made in IcelandThis collection might have been swallowed up by Iceland's financial crisis, but perhaps that's just as well -- it probably wouldn't have made much of an impact anyway. [26 February 2009] 
Benjy Ferree: Come Back to the Five and Dime, Bobby Dee, Bobby DeeOn …Bobby Dee, Benjy Ferree is a musical and temporal chameleon, moving fluidly between genres and decades as if time were just another instrument to be played. [17 February 2009] 
Andrew Bird: Noble Beast/Useless CreaturesWith the exception of a few standouts, Noble Beast finds Chicago multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird inching toward the middle of the road. Luckily, the instrumental bonus disc Useless Animals picks up some of the slack. [19 January 2009] 
Japanther: Tut Tut, Now Shake Ya ButtBrooklyn noise punks' attempt to combine rock and roll with spoken word poetry results in an album that's as frustrating as it is rewarding. [13 January 2009] 
Death Cab for Cutie: Something About Airplanes (Deluxe Edition)Like an old friend, Death Cab for Cutie's debut album is still every bit as warm, inviting, and lovable as it was ten years ago. Those already familiar with its charms, however, will find relatively little of interest in this two-disc, deluxe reissue. [5 December 2008] 
Crystal Antlers: EPDebut EP from this soulful psych-punk outfit is sure to please fans of the Murder City Devils, At the Drive-In, and the Mars Volta. [18 November 2008] 
The Donkeys: Living on the Other SideLiving on the Other Side is a delightful slice of sunny, hazy California rock, the perfect soundtrack to a lazy Sunday afternoon spent daydreaming. [15 September 2008] 
Tilly and the Wall: OOn their third full-length, Omaha's Tilly and the Wall exhibit all of the signs of an awkward adolescence: the search for identity, the transparent posturing, the uncertain first steps into new territory. No one ever said that growing up was easy. [4 September 2008] 
Ra Ra Riot: The Rhumb LineOn their debut album, this promising young five-piece justifies the hype with musically rich, emotionally complex meditations on love and loss. [29 August 2008] 
Re-Up Gang: Clipse Presents: Re-Up GangMore like Clipse Presents: A Handful of Second-Rate Remixes and Phoned-In New Tracks from the Re-Up Gang, in a Painfully Obvious Attempt to Court the Commercial Market. [12 August 2008] 
Conor Oberst: Conor OberstFor the first time in his career, the usually self-serious Oberst sounds loose, relaxed and even playful. Ironically enough, he's starting to sound like a songwriter worth taking even more seriously. [4 August 2008] 
Crystal Castles: Crystal CastlesA battery-powered fortress of disorienting electro-punk, Crystal Castles serves as the perfect introduction to the twisted world of Ethan Kath and Alice Glass. [21 July 2008] 
New Order: Live in GlasgowThe first posthumous release from the post-punk/dance pioneers proves that New Order was a great live band, after all. But that wasn't always the case. [27 June 2008] 
Sigur Rós: Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaustA major departure, Með Suð... finds Sigur Rós throwing their well-worn playbook out the window. Joyous, experimental, stripped-down and playful, it is unmistakably Sigur Rós, even as it diverges from their previous work. [24 June 2008] 
Mixel Pixel: Let’s Be FriendsWhile Mixel Pixel has a knack for constructing short, lo-fi pop songs, their penchant for penning silly, juvenile lyrics often makes it hard to take those songs seriously. 
Jeremy Jay: A Place Where We Could GoLo-fi, L.A. songwriter follows up a string of strong 45s with an album of mostly uninspired, throwback '50s pop. [20 June 2008] 
Wolf Parade: At Mount ZoomerHow do you follow up a well-received album of ragged, messy indie rock? Why, with a sprawling, dystopian epic, of course. [17 June 2008] 
Panic on the Streets: by Phill GatenbyFor the sort whom no bit of Smiths trivia is too, well, trivial, you'll want to add Panic to your collection of Smiths tomes, as few others can probably match Gatenby's privileged knowledge of the band and its environs. [10 June 2008] 
Dawn Landes: FireproofWhile you'd be hard-pressed to find a satisfactory definition of "alt-country", Dawn Landes' recently released full-length makes a pretty strong case for the sub-genre's existence. [23 May 2008] 
Russian Circles: StationOn their sophomore release, this Chicago duo inches closer to post-rock without completely abandoning its metal trappings. [15 May 2008] 
Nik Freitas: Sun DownLush, Beatles-influenced pop that offers a glimpse of what a more well-adjusted Elliott Smith might have sounded like. [6 May 2008] 
Peter Morén: The Last TycoonA collection of half-baked bedroom folk songs, The Last Tycoon brings to mind an age-old retort: don't quit your day job. [30 April 2008] 
Thee Oh Sees: The Master’s Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night InRegardless of how well dressed the master’s bedroom might be, it's not worth spending a night in. [16 April 2008] 
Son Lux: At War With Walls and MazesThere are rewards to be had here for the patient listener -- the sort of person who doesn't mind digging in his or her heels until melodies start to blossom. [13 March 2008] 
Why?: AlopeciaIf Elephant Eyelash is Why?'s most upbeat work, Alopecia is its evil twin; dark, disillusioned and unrelenting, it serves as the messy breakup to Elephant Eyelash's honeymoon. [12 March 2008] 
Flowers Forever: Flowers ForeverEnergetic and impassioned, yet confused and unfocused, Flowers Forever really does sound like the product of a nervous breakdown -- for better or for worse. [28 February 2008] 
Boys Noize: Oi Oi OiThe original Daft Punk clone finally turns in a full-length that's too little, too late. [20 February 2008] 
Food For Animals: BellyUltimately, non-commercial hip-hop outfit Food for Animals' Belly proves to be a compelling record, despite its limitations. [31 January 2008] BlogsNotes from the Road: Raekwon: 15 December 2009 - Washington D.C. [17 December 2009]Notes from the Road: The Pixies: 30.Nov.09 - Washington DC [2 December 2009]Mixed Media: Eels - “Little Bird” (video / MP3) [20 November 2009]Notes from the Road: Baroness: 18.Nov.09 - Washington DCNotes from the Road: P.K. 14 + Xiao He: 14.Nov.09 - Washington DC [16 November 2009]Notes from the Road: Cold Cave: 13.Nov.09 - Washington DCNotes from the Road: Fuck Buttons + Growing: 4.Nov.09 - Washington DC [6 November 2009]Notes from the Road: Girls + Real Estate: 3.Nov.09 - Washington DC [5 November 2009]Notes from the Road: Bruce Springsteen: 2 November 2009 - Washington DC [4 November 2009]Notes from the Road: Dirty Projectors: 22 October 2009 - The Black Cat, Washington D.C. [27 October 2009]Notes from the Road: Atlas Sound + Broadcast: 17 October 2009 - The Black Cat, Washington D.C. [20 October 2009]Notes from the Road: David Bazan House Show: 3 September 2009 - Washington D.C. [8 September 2009]Sound Affects: Cold Cave - “Life Magazine” [25 August 2009]Sound Affects: “These Are My Twisted Words”: Yet Another New Radiohead Track? [13 August 2009]Sound Affects: Radiohead - “Harry Patch (In Memory Of)” [5 August 2009]Notes from the Road: The Wooden Birds - 12 April 2009: Washington, DC, The Black Cat [20 April 2009]Mixed Media: Say Hi - “November Was White, December Was Grey” (MP3) [16 February 2009]Notes from the Road: Better Late Than Never: On Seeing Hum After a 10 Year Wait [14 January 2009]Notes from the Road: M For Montréal: Day 3, Part 2 [8 December 2008]Notes from the Road: M For Montréal: Day 3, Part 1 [5 December 2008]Sound Affects: Glassjaw’s Triumphant Return and the Redemption of Ross Robinson [4 December 2008]Notes from the Road: M For Montréal: Day 2, Part 2 [3 December 2008]Notes from the Road: M For Montréal: Day 2, Part 1 [1 December 2008]Notes from the Road: Radiohead - 12 August 2008: Camden, NJ, Susquehanna Bank Center [15 August 2008]Notes from the Road: PHOTOS: SXSW Day 4: MSTRKRFT (DJ set) @ Vice [17 March 2008]Notes from the Road: PHOTOS: SXSW Day 4: Best Friends Forever @ Mohawk (Inside)Notes from the Road: PHOTOS: SXSW Day 4: Woods @ Mohawk (Inside) [16 March 2008]Notes from the Road: PHOTOS: SXSW Day 4: Vivian Girls @ Mohawk (Inside)Notes from the Road: PHOTOS: SXSW Day 3: Simian Mobile Disco (DJ set)/Matt and Kim/Diplo @ 421 W 3rd Street [15 March 2008]Notes from the Road: PHOTOS: SXSW Day 3: Fucked Up @ Lamar Street BridgeNotes from the Road: PHOTOS: SXSW Day 3: No Age @ Emo’sNotes from the Road: PHOTOS: SXSW Day 3: Exit Clov @ Lovejoy’sNotes from the Road: PHOTOS: SXSW Day 3: Le Loup @ Emo’s AnnexNotes from the Road: PHOTOS: SXSW Day 2: Clipse @ The Mowhawk [14 March 2008]Notes from the Road: PHOTOS: SXSW Day 1: The Wedding Present @ Emo’s Annex [13 March 2008]Notes from the Road: PHOTOS: SXSW Day 1: WHY? @ Emo’sNotes from the Road: PHOTOS: SXSW Day 1: The Mae Shi @ Emo’sNotes from the Road: PHOTOS: SXSW Day 1: YACHT @ Emo’s |
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