Mark Shikuma

Jeff Tweedy has been navigating his band Wilco through various musical waters since 1995 with some drastic line-up changes along the way. With the release of The Whole Love, the third studio recording with his current lineup, Wilco finally emerges with a logical follow-up to the excellent, organic folk-rooted Sky Blue Sky, released in 2007. While the […]

After the band Sleater-Kinney broke up in 2006, guitarist and vocalist Carrie Brownstein had little interest in playing music. “It took well over three years before picking up a guitar meant anything to me other than an exercise,” said Brownstein on the NPR All Songs Considered blog, where she is a frequent contributor. “In fact, […]

Charles “Packy” Axton, son of Estelle Axton, co-founder of Memphis’ Stax Records, may have been a lost minor — yet key — figure in the city’s rich history of soul and R&B music. He was a sax player, hustler, producer and songwriter – always in search of the next hit single. And, he had the […]

Tinariwen, a group of musicians from Northern Mali led by guitarist and main vocalist Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, draws inspiration from Mali’s land, people and culture. The nomadic Toureg culture, centered in the desert lands between mountain ranges, has been disappearing — mainly due to droughts and political unrest. On its fifth full-length release, Tassili, the […]

In the case of dizzyingly prolific songwriter and vocalist Robert Pollard, lo-fi icon and leader of the late Guided By Voices, you often get the entire kitchen sink. His enormous solo output, including a number of projects under a myriad of names, has forced fans to dive into Pollard’s musical dumpster to pull out the […]

If you look at a map to see Downey, Calif., a suburb just south of Los Angeles, you wouldn’t exactly think the dot was a breeding hub for an eclectic group of musicians who influenced modern music in their approaches. The list includes Brian Wilson, Karen and Richard Carpenter, Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon and brothers […]

Recent Nashville transplants The Ettes have never veered far from the course of straight-up garage music. Even though they possess a more tuneful pop delivery than their garage predecessors, notably the industrial clamor of The Gories and the growling soul of Greg Cartwright and his outfit Reigning Sound, this trio consistently draws influence from Detroit […]

One need not be well-versed in the history of Pakistan to know that in recent times its society suffered a series of wars, military coups and drastic social and governmental shifts. During a period in the mid-‘60s through the mid-‘70s, filmmakers, television programmers and musicians enjoyed a relatively brief window of uncensored creativity. In 1977, […]

Chicago-based singer, songwriter and guitarist Eric D. Johnson has an artistic pendulum that constantly swings back and forth. His forays as a musician-sideman (playing on the road with Vetiver, The Shins and Califone), soundtrack composer (scoring Max Winkler’s upcoming comedy, Ceremony) and as a solo artist/bandleader have garnered Johnson respect, especially among his peers. Johnson’s […]

Contemporary composer, musician and performer Julianna Barwick uses her vocals as an instrument, and with the assistance of loop machines constructs intricate layers that weave into unique compositions. After catching the ear of Pitchfork, who bestowed Barwick’s haunting EP Florine an honorable mention for last year’s “Best Releases,” Barwick has drawn more critical attention, including […]

Brooklyn-based R&B soul singer Charles Bradley has traveled down a hard, crooked road, eventually making a circuitous journey back to his old stomping grounds after stops in Maine, Alaska and California. Now, at the age of 63, Bradley has finally gained some recognition with his excellent, aptly-titled debut, No Time For Dreaming, accompanied by Menahan […]