After a whirlwind initial phase of writing, recording, and touring at a frenetic pace, Plum marks a period of relative patience for Wand, a refocusing and a push toward a new democratization of both process and musical surface. Process, surface, democratization - sheesh! Listen, above all it's some deeply moving and exploratory-as-fuck rock music, and there’s no better example of these sonic attributes than freshly dropped new single, “Blue Cloud". For some insightful journalism, we refer to a quote from esteemed British rag, Uncut,... (read more)

If you, the discerning record collector, has even a passing interest in the posthumously named genre "acid folk", surely the name Ed Askew is in your golden pantheon. Askew recorded the sublimely gorgeous LP Ask the Unicorn in 1968 for the legendary proto-DIY label ESP records, which has now been recognized as a god-damn underground classic. Armed only with a tiple (sort of a South American mandolin), Askew spun tales of doomed sisters, crashing universes, budding gay love, and a serious fondness for roses on his rare, precious and beautiful album.  

Yeah, so Rock and roll? Basically a used-up coloring book at this point. Some nice colors and shapes in there; for anyone who worked one of them, a useful blueprint. But when you're trying to raise high out the beams of something for NOW, who better than to Dead Rider to savagely rip out pages and paste in new color combination to suit the mood of today? Take "The Ideal"! Ever wonder how Crew foreman Todd Rittmann has been able to sling smooth rhythm &... (read more)

Chris Gantry's music was always stylistic fusion: his 1967 album debut Introspection sounded a little bit folk, a little bit pop and only a little bit country, with smooth melodies and verdant string charts. But the 60s were afoot, and by the time of Chris' second LP in 1970, Motor Mouth, his approach had radicalized into a wide-eyed, hard-edged delivery. The critics dug it, and Chris played on Johnny Cash's TV show, but the next Gantry record didn't appear for five more years.... (read more)

With the release of her Drag City debut, Sapropelic Pycnic, out on September 22nd, Ka Baird emotes a much-needed cry for the sacred and the divine in our everyday life. Far away from the flies of the media and the marketplace, she manifests an evolving selfhood in the witness of holy spirits that we all too often ignore in the rush of our tech-infused, 24-7 info-feeds. This is the essence of Ka's music - forged under two albums released under the name Sapropelic... (read more)

Sean O'Hagan's work spans enough decades that you probably aren't aware of all the places you've heard it. Of course, he's been the guiding voice in the High Llamas world of avant pop since way back in the 90s, and you should likely know him as a key arranger for Stereolab (he's collaborated with Tim Gane on other projects as well, including Turn On); older heads may also be familiar with his first band, Microdisney. Old news to you? Read on, friend!

IS THERE SOME PLACE LIKE HOME?

The summer of long (neé love) is dragging on. We're still here, however improbable it is to call something so unfamiliar 'here'. But that's life - the world we came into is ever-receding, and we're left to erect new landmarks (but heaven forbid, statues! - up-to-the-minutemen ed.) along the horizon as we increasingly lose ourselves in it. Some folks make their mark and then move on. Not good ol' Drag City. The marks made by... (read more)

Listen, it's no secret to us the world over loves 'em some Bill Callahan. Apparently, it's not lost on Bill, either!  Slowly but surely, the dude's put together an eclectic string of dates this fall which covers enough territory to realistically call it a world tour. So dig it, things kick off with a brief run of festival action in Europe before coming home to visit the southeast part of these United States in October - now that's a region that could use... (read more)

Get ready to go platinum and order up the ice cream--Royal Trux are coming to town! Rock and roll's iconoclastic duo are setting their sights on San Francisco this fall, marking their first trip to the West Coast in over two years. The unholy duo died for your sins and now they're Royally resurrected, baby! With "LIVE" Platinum Tips + Ice Cream still hot on our heels, Jennifer and Neil bring the ol' dog & pony show back on the road and we... (read more)

It's been fifty years since Pearls Before Swine first appeared. A genteel, oft-hushed missive from a far corner of the psychedelic hive mind, One Nation Underground was released on an independent outlier of a record label (ESP-Disk), removed from the mainstream - and still its spirit came to be deeply appreciated by a generation and more. Today, this music has been reissued by labels around the world dozens of times, but it hasn't been heard properly in decades! This 50th-Anniversary edition, however, has been returned... (read more)