Under the Radar Magazine

As part of Full Time Hobby’s tribute to singer/songwriter Tim Hardin, Okkervil River covered his dark ode to addiction, “It’ll Never Happen Again.” (via Listen: Okkervil River – “It’ll Never Happen Again (Tim Hardin Cover)” | Under The Radar)

Despite having once written a song titled “The President’s Dead,” Okkervil River singer and songwriter Will Sheff says he hasn’t really written any songs that he considers to be overtly political. But as a keen observer of the spectacle of American politics, he isn’t shy about expressing his opinions on the role of music in social movements and the extent to which artists should be using their work to push for change. As a student of the art of protest songwriting, he offers a provocative thesis: perhaps protest music makes no difference at all. (via Okkervil River’s Will Sheff on Environmental Issues and Protest Songs: Still Waiting for Change | Under The Radar)

Under the Radar magazine’s Protest Auction ends tomorrow, Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. EST. The auction features all of the autographed protest signs created by musicians for the magazine’s The Protest Issue, which is on newsstands now. All profits will go to the War Child charity. (via Protest Sign Auction Ends Tomorrow at 2:00 PM EST | Under The Radar)

Just a reminder that the not-to-be-missed digital version of Under the Radar’s The Protest Issue includes all the same articles that appear in the printed version—plus 132 extra pages of editorial content not found in the print edition. Included are extra interviews with Andrew Bird, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Dan Deacon, Death Cab for Cutie, Dinosaur Jr., The Drums, EMA, Richard Hawley, Fucked Up, Liars, Bob Mould, Tom Morello, The New Pornographers, Okkervil River, Amanda Palmer, Laetitia Sadier, JD Samson of Le Tigre and Men, Tegan and Sara, and more. (via Digital Version of Under the Radar’s Protest Issue Contains 132 Pages of Extra Content | Under The Radar)

Under the Radar magazine’s Protest Auction starts tomorrow at 2 p.m. EST. The auction features all of the autographed protest signs created by musicians for the magazine’s The Protest Issue, which is on newsstands now. All profits will go to the War Child charity. (via Under the Radar’s Charity Protest Auction Starts Tomorrow | Under The Radar)

In our 2012 Protest Issue, which is on newsstands now, there is an article titled “The Music of Occupy” which examines the role of protest music in the Occupy movement that has been going on for the last year. For the article we talked to Fucked Up’s Damian Abraham, Erika M. Anderson (aka EMA), of Montreal’s Kevin Barnes, The Mynabirds’ Laura Burhenn, Dan Deacon, Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, and Okkervil River’s Will Sheff about their thoughts on the relationship between Occupy and protest music. (via “The Music of Occupy” Protest Issue Article Discusses Music’s Role in the Occupy Movement | Under The Radar)

“The thing with Obama is that I liked the figure of him, I guess, but I’m more just terrified of the alternative.” – Okkervil River’s Will Sheff, from the new issue of Under The Radar, on Stands now. 

(via Under the Radar’s Protest Issue feat. Dan Deacon and Tegan & Sara covers hits newsstands next week! | Under The Radar)

The digital version of Under the Radar’s 10th Anniversary Issue includes the same articles that appear in the printed version—plus 70 extra pages of editorial content not found in the print version, including extra full page photos, 13 bonus articles, and 11 bonus reviews. While we certainly still encourage you to pick up the print version (on newsstands now), we also recommend checking out the digital version, which is viewable on your iPad, Mac, PC, and Android device and can be downloaded here. (via The Digital Version of Under the Radar’s 10th Anniversary Issue Features 70 Extra Pages of Content | Under The Radar)

Classic Interview: 

Few lyricists today weave a story as intricate and involving as Will Sheff, lead singer and songwriter (not to mention sole constant member) of Okkervil River. Sheff’s tales of heartache and addiction populated 2002’s Don’t Fall In Love With Everyone You See and 2003’s Down the River of Golden Dreams with living, breathing characters. But with 2005’s incredible, haunting Black Sheep Boy, Sheff rendered emotions even more bare—like the soundtrack to a Diane Arbus photograph. The success of Black Sheep Boy afforded a new sense of confidence in a singer who has often said he chose music for its inevitable path to failure. With that confidence, Sheff has stepped onto a (slightly) sunnier side of the street on the surprisingly upbeat The Stage Names. (via :.. Okkervil River | Under The Radar ..:)

Issue #35 - Winter 2011 - Death Cab for Cutie

Under the Radar’s Winter 2011 issue is about to hit stands. The cover features Death Cab for Cutie, who gave writer Matt Fink insight into the band’s forthcoming album, Codes and Keys (due out in May). The article features an exclusive photo shoot with the band conducted by co-publisher/photographer Wendy Lynch Redfern at a creepy former retirement home in Seattle.

“There are some songs [on the new record] that are dark and deal with darker themes, but there are also songs that are very celebratory and things that I think people will be surprised to hear coming out of my mouth.” – Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard

“I hesitate to say that it’s an electronic record, because I think that means something in contemporary terms that this record isn’t. But if I said in 1978 that we were making an electronic record, I think that’s sort of what it is.” – Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla

The issue also includes the 2011 Preview section, for which we checked in with some artists who were ready to discuss their upcoming 2011 projects. Artists we talked to with albums due out in April 2011 or later include: The Antlers, The Big Pink, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Japandroids,Jens Lekman, Okkervil River, Panda Bear, and Vivian Girls. There’s also info on 27 other albums coming out later this year.

“They’re all heartbreak or post-heartbreak songs.” – Jens Lekman, on his next album

“We want to make [an album] that has a good groove to it, like a Dr. Dre, early Sean Paul, or Sly and the Family Stone album.” – The Big Pink’s Milo Cordell, on the band’s next album

“I like records that put you in an altered headspace. That’s what I was looking for on this record, something that would give you that sort of uncomfortable feeling.” – Okkervil River’s Will Sheff, on the band’s next record

We also looked ahead to new artists prepared to make a splash in 2011 with an expanded Pleased to Meet You section, a new artists for 2011 section which includes interviews with: Anna Calvi, Chad Valley, IO Echo, Porcelain Raft, Smith Westerns, Treefight For Sunlight, and Yuck; as well as info on 19 other new artists to check out this year.

“I listen to what I do a lot afterwards just to understand what I’m doing.” – Porcelain Raft’s Mauro Remiddi

 “I think I can be quite fearless in music, but not so much in real life.” – Anna Calvi

For our Detection section, we chatted with the following artists about their new albums: Bright Eyes, British Sea Power, The Dears, The Decemberists, Destroyer, The Dodos, Duran Duran, Elbow, Iron and Wine, Lykke Li, R.E.M., Telekinesis, and Toro Y Moi.

“The best thing to do as an artist is to follow your own impulses and do what you feel compelled to do at the time regardless of how people are gonna react to it.” – Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst

“Thinking back on how it happened, of course I had to get into a car accident in order to make the record that I made.” – Telekinesis’ Michael Benjamin Lerner

“When I was writing [“Calamity Song”] Sarah Palin was talking about how everybody was going to move to Alaska when the end times come.” – The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy

Over 120 CDs, DVDs, books, comic books, films, TV shows, and comic books are reviewed in the issue, including reviews of releases by: Acid House Kings, Akron/Family, Richard Ashcroft, Asobi Seksu, Juilanna Barwick, Beans, Bright Eyes, Tim Buckley, Anna Calvi, Cut Copy, Danielson, The Dears, Death, DeVotchKa, The Dodos, Drive-By Truckers, Ducktails, The Duke Spirit, Duran Duran, East River Pipe, Eisley, Erland & The Carnival, Ensemble, Esben and the Witch, Eulogies, The Get Up Kids, The Go! Team, Grouplove, PJ Harvey, Heidecker & Wood, Lia Ices, I Was A King, Talib Kweli, The Kills, La Sera, The Low Anthem, Lykke Li, David Lynch, J Mascis, Jessica Lea Mayfield, MEN, Mogwai, The Mountain Goats, The Naked and Famous, Noah and the Whale, Papercuts, Josh T. Pearson, Peter Bjorn and John, Parts & Labor, Porcelain Raft, Puro Instinct, R.E.M., Rival Schools, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Seefeel, Sin Fang, Smith Westerns, Tahiti 80, Telekinesis, Tennis, Toro Y Moi, The Twilight Singers, John Vanderslice and the Magik*Magik Orchestra, The Veils, Kurt Vile, Wye Oak, Young Galaxy, Young Prisms, Yuck, and much more.

Under the Radar is distributed across the USA and Canada on newsstands, in independent record and book stores, and at such chains as Borders, Barnes & Noble, Hastings, and Books-A-Million. 

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Reviews

All Eternals Deck
Anna Calvi
Blood Pressures
Civilian
Collapse Into Now
Degeneration Street
Gimme Some
Gone Blind EP
La Sera
Last Night on Earth
Last of the Country Gentlemen
Let England Shake
Music Sounds Better With You
Nightingale
No Color
Passive Me, Aggressive You
Rolling Blackouts
ST/II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT
The People’s Key
The United Nations of Sound
Wounded Rhymes
Yuck
Zonoscope

(via :.. Under The Radar ..:)