Only hours after sharing the stage with President Barack Obama at a campaign rally in Madison, Wis., unassuming indie-rock group the National finally seemed poised to shed their bashful ways and play to the kind of larger audiences that rock stars — even presidential ones — are accustomed to. Continue reading
Building on the critical success of 2007’s “Boxer,” Brooklyn-based the National toss down the gauntlet for rock album greatness with their new disc, “High Violet.” In a time when iTunes singles are the new normal, here’s a body of indie-rock anthems that while thoroughly modern, invite a return to the best of the album era. Continue reading
Thanks to opening duties for some of underground-rock’s best-loved artists, New York low-fi rock group Grizzly Bear has seen its profile extend beyond the arty clubs and warehouses of Brooklyn to the top of music world tastemakers’ homepages. The group’s new album magnificently reinforces the buzz. Continue reading
With a new album hitting stores, New York art-rock combo TV on the Radio is presented with the unenviable task of wowing fans as they did with their much-praised, post-9/11 masterwork, “Return To Cookie Mountain.” But for the follow-up, the band skews heady expectations and instead throws a New Wave dance party. Continue reading
If you ever wish your favorite rock gods would just rawk out like they used to, the Hold Steady aims to satisfy. The Brooklyn, N.Y., quintet is an indie-rock sensation by championing and recreating the big, dumb sounds of the ’70s and ’80s. Their new album is more of the same. Continue reading
Saddled by more than a century of pop music history, it’s difficult to craft a truly original sound. New York art-rock combo TV On The Radio takes this challenge and their new album, “Return To Cookie Mountain,” is the full-flowering of their unique musical vision. Continue reading
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