Kings of Leon, The Shins, Passion Pit, Big Gigantic and More Highlight Hangout's Opening Day
... like the set-closing "God's Love to Deliver" now almost feel like My Morning Jacket songs. Some of the festival's marquee indie bands got into the festival's hippie-beach spirit, too. Grizzly Bear remarked that they could finally "check Alabama off the list" of states they played while
The Shins invited Jessie Baylin--who was at the festival to see her husband, Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill--to sit in on "Simple Song."
The Shins often introspective singer James Mercer also broke character and cheerfully thanked "whoever invented the bikini." Kings of Leon,
The Shins, Passion Pit, ...
[ read more ]The Shins' 'Live at Third Man' Release "Coming Soon"
... Last year's Port of Morrow was a long time coming, but fans won't have to wait as long for
the Shins' next offering, as the James Mercer-led indie pop troupe are already prepping a new record, albeit a live one. The band will contribute a 12-inch to Third Man Records' ongoing Live at Third Man series.
The Shins recorded a set at the label's own Blue Room in October 2012. As Modern Vinyl points out, the news comes via the label's scrolling "Coming Soon" bar on its site, so there's not much else to report at this point. Apparently, though, the band mostly focused on songs from Port of Morrow for the set. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.
The Shins' 'Live at Third Man' Release "Coming Soon" ...
[ read more ]Hear Ex-Shins Members Sad Baby Wolf's Full Emotive 'Electric Sounds'
... Albuquerque-based band's eight-song LP is out today Marty Crandall and Neal Langford, both former members of
the Shins, have returned to Albuquerque for new band Sad Baby Wolf. That homecoming feels crucial to debut album Electric Sounds, which radiates the emotion-wracked, atmosphering-scraping crunch they might've heard in those pre-
Shins days from bands like the Promise Ring and Camden, as "emo" was becoming a dirty word and groups associated with it were stretching out their arrangements. The five-piece -- which also features guitarist Jason Ward, bassist Sean McCullough, and drummer Maury Crandall (Marty's younger brother) -- previously shared the eight-song LP's waltzing title track, along with singles "8th Level" and "Survival Guide." The full album, mixed and produced by McCullough, is out today, and you can stream it here. Hear Ex-
Shins Members Sad Baby Wolf's Full Emotive 'Electric Sounds' ...
[ read more ]
The Shins
(1996-)
James Mercer (vocals, guitar)
Jesse Sandoval (drums) 1996-2009
Martin Crandall (keyboards) 1998-2009
Dave Hernandez (guitar) 1998-2009
Jessica Dobson (guitar) 2011-
Yuuki Matthews (bass) 2011-
Richard Swift (guitar, vocals) 2011-
Joe Plummer (drums) 2011-
Artistfacts®: You can leave comments about the artist/band at the bottom of the page.
In 2009, The Shins frontman James Mercer stared in a movie with Wild Flag front woman Carrie Brownstein called Some Days Are Better than Others. At the time, Brownstein was already an established actress through her TV show Portlandia with Saturday Night Live's Fred Armisen, but Mercer had yet to break into the acting business. The movie was directed by Portland filmmaker Matt McCormick, who had already directed music videos for The Shins, YACHT, comedian Patton Oswalt, and Brownstein's previous band Sleater-Kinney.
The Shins frontman James Mercer isn't one to mince his words. When asked why the band left their label Sub Pop in 2009, Mercer said it was about making more money. After the split, Mercer started his own label, Aural Apothecary, and explained that even though running your own label is more work, the financial benefits are worth it.
The Shins frontman James Mercer appears on The Dark Night of Soul, a collaboration album he created with producer/DJ Danger Mouse and Alt-Country rockers Sparklehorse. Mercer told Pitchfork that "the challenge of writing to somebody else's music was really fun."
The Shins frontman James Mercer isn't a bit fan of Valentine's Day. Mercer believes the occasion is "synthetic" and that "it's one of those greeting card holidays." Mercer says that although he enjoyed Valentine's Day in elementary school, he doesn't sweat it like some of his married friends do.
The Shins frontman James Mercer met his wife during a press interview. She was writing for Spin at the time and asking him questions about the band. The couple didn't want an extravagant wedding, so they went to Hawaii to elope. Mercer's parents were there but other friends and extended family members were not invited.
In 2006, actor John Krasinski from The Office interviewed The Shins for Stereogum. Krasinski said one of the coolest compliments he ever got was that The Office was the indie rock of television. The Shins frontman James Mercer agreed, complimenting that the show "really is amazing."
The Shins frontman James Mercer also plays in a band called Broken Bells with producer Danger Mouse. Mercer says the duo formed because life in The Shins had become "heavy" for him. The pair actually met at the famous Roskilde Festival in Denmark in 2004.
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Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"
The Prince-penned "Manic Monday" was the first song The Bangles heard coming from a car radio, but "Eternal Flame" is closest to Susanna's heart, perhaps because she sang it in "various states of undress."
