Aaron Dessner (The National) and Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) join forces once again for their second Big Red Machine endeavor. It’s filled with so many guest appearances that you’re immediately reminded that no matter how personal it gets, music fosters community. That being said, How Long Do You Think…

Ben Howard’s newest album, Collections From The Whiteout, is an outstanding collection of songs. On the London native’s fourth album, he explores both an introspective personal journey from the last few years and retells a series of absurd stories from which he drew inspiration. What results is a stunning set of minimalist…

Taylor Swift, “Folklore.” Taylor Swift’s rise from country star to pop icon had lows to match highs. Considering the abysmal, transparent coping mechanism that was 2017’s Reputation, all 2019’s Lover had to do was not be embarrassing. It wasn’t, but the album’s overblown pop sound felt more detached from…

The National performs at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley on July 29, 2016. Nick DeCicco/STAFF. Director Tom Berninger did not gain an appreciation for indie rock after completing a documentary about his older brother’s Brooklyn band, The National. Mistaken For Strangers, which metamorphosed into a drama about the relationship…

Matt Berninger (center) and The National, courtesy. Two weeks ago I spoke to Matt Berninger, lead singer for The National, who perform just prior to Sir Paul McCartney next Friday at Outside Lands. I have twice before interviewed the band’s bassist, Scott Devendorf. You can read a story here and…