Death Cab For Cutie

Death Cab bassist Nick Harmer greets me at the door of Avast II Studios in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood...  read more

The Artists Den

“The governing principle behind The Artists Den is that great music deserves a great audience." ...  read more

Nikka Costa

Feisty funkateer Nikka Costa has many unusual curios in her collection...  read more

Band of the Week: Big Blue Hearts

It wasn’t until frontman David Fisher started writing his own songs that he realized he’d been experimenting with the wrong genre...  read more

Silkworm: A look back

In the wake of drummer Michael Dahlquist's death, Paste writer Andrew Earles takes stock of the indie band's two-decade career...  read more

Bright Eyes can't stop touring

After two separate tours in support of critically acclaimed January releases, I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, Bright Eyes is going on tour again. This time, Conor Oberst will be playing songs from all of the Bright Eyes releases to date. Tour Dates: 10/22/05 - Santa Barbara, Calif. - Santa Barbara Bowl 10/25/05 - Santa Cruz, Calif. - Santa Cruz Civic 10/26/05 - Reno, Nev. - Reno Hilton 10/27/05 - Davis, Calif. - Freeborn Hall 10/29/05 - Mountain View, Calif. - Bridge School Benefit 10/30/05 - Mountain View,...  read more

Dandy Warhols plan August suitcase tour

The Dandy Warhols have announced a promotional "Suitcase Tour" in which they'll play electric sets at radio stations in five markets using only the instruments that fit into a single suitcase (besides their guitars) during the day. And at night will throw free parties at local clubs in honor of their fifth album, Odditorium or Warlords of Mars, out Sep. 13. The band will also perform for the first time at CBGB's, paying its respects to the endangered NYC club during the CMJ Music Marathon in September. A full U.S. tour will kick off in November. Dandy Warhols Suitcase Tour...  read more

MIDIval PunditZ announce fall tour

On September 1st, New Delhi DJ duo MIDIval PunditZ will embark on its largest North American tour to date, covering 12 cities in the United States and Canada. By mixing South Asia's classical music traditions with elements of more modern, Western electronic music, Anoushka Shankar and Ustad Sultan Khan have earned recognition in DJ scenes around the globe. On this tour, they will be supporting their second full-length album, Midival Times, which came out in April. For tour dates and more details, visit MIDIval PunditZ's official Website. ...  read more

North Carolina field recordings featured on new release

(Pictured above: Filmmaker, archivist and photographer John Cohen) On Sep. 27, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings will release Dark Holler: Old Love Songs & Ballads, a collection of traditional North Carolina singing featuring Dillard Chandler and his peers from Madison Country, N.C. A bonus DVD of John Cohen's 1973 film The End of an Old Song highlights Dillard Chandler's extraordinary life. All but one of the tracks are reissued here for the first time since their initial release on the original Folkways label. These recordings—taken from several Folkways albums as well as John Cohen's films End of An Old Song and High...  read more

Sufjan Stevens sells out five New York dates

Sufjan Stevens, on tour in support of his critically acclaimed new album Illinois, has sold out five shows at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on Aug. 19-23. Joining Stevens will be his backing band, the Illinoisemakers, and special guests including Half-handed Cloud and the Danielson Famile. ...  read more

Sparhawk and Kozelek launch new collaboration

(Pictured above: Alan Sparhawk of Low) Alan Sparhawk (Low, Black Eyed Snakes) and Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon, Red House Painters) will join forces for a Fall 2005 tour. Longtime friends and musical compatriots, Sparhawk and Kozelek will be part of the The Retribution Gospel Choir, featuring Duluth, Minn., residents Eric Pollard on drums and Matthew Livingstone on bass. Breaking from their respective traditions, The Retribution Gospel Choir will be a classic-rock band, performing covers ranging from the Rolling Stones and Neil Young to Pink Floyd, along with interpretations of Sparhawk and Kozelek’s own catalog. In other news, Low has...  read more

Death Cab For Cutie announces fall tour

In anticipation of its new album, Plans—Death Cab For Cutie's Atlantic Records debut—the band has announced a seven-week fall tour. Dates: 10/3 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, B.C. 10/4 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, B.C. 10/5 - Whitman College - Walla Walla, Wash. 10/7 - In the Venue - Salt Lake City, Utah 10/8 - The Fillmore Auditorium - Denver, Colo. 10/10 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, Minn. (all ages) 10/11 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, Minn. (21 and over) 10/12 - Riviera Theatre - Chicago, Ill. 10/14 - Michigan Theatre...  read more

Jamie Cullum set to release new album this fall

On Oct. 11, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Jamie Cullum will release his second album, Catching Tales, on Verve Forecast. The 26-year-old pianist plans to tour the U.S. a bit in the fall with a more extensive schedule beginning in 2006. ...  read more

Mudhoney recording new album

Seattle elder statesmen Mudhoney are in the process of recording a new album for long-time label Sub Pop. Currently, the new project is without title and is tentatively scheduled for an early-2006 release. Production duties will be split between Phil Ek (Modest Mouse, The Shins), Johnny Sangster (The Posies, Young Fresh Fellows) and Tucker Martine (Jesse Sykes, Steve Turner). Additionally, several tracks will feature backup vocal harmonies by Christy McWilson and Amy Allison (daughter of Mose Allison), while a horn section peppers some of the album's other songs. ...  read more

Bloc Party remix album coming out this fall

Banking on the success of its full-length debut, Silent Alarm, Bloc Party will release a remix of the disc on Sep. 13 on Vice Records. Appropriately titled Silent Alarm Remixed, the album will come with a limited edition bonus disc including b-sides that were previously unavailable in the U.S. Track list: 1. Like Eating Glass (Ladytron Zapatista Mix) 2. Helicopter (Whitey Version) 3. Positive Tension (Jason Clark of Pretty Girls Make Graves remix) 4. Banquet (Phones Disco Edit) 5. Blue Light (Engineers ‘Anti-Gravity’ mix) 6. She’s Hearing Voices (Erol Alkan’s Calling Your Dub) 7. This Modern Love (Dave P. and...  read more