Conflict is the basis of every absorbing tale. For music, that tension and resolve conveys a sense of drama. On the other hand, uniform, cheerful and comfortable music often fails to convince with a fictitious, inauthentic narrative. When musicians break the constraints of inertia and commit to personal or…

Portrait photos: Che Holts Cole Smith is not a fan of the popular perception of guitar rock. He and his bandmantes in New York rock band DIIV stray as far as possible from blues-heavy chugging guitar chord that lean on the contributions of others during the past five or six…

DIIV. Courtesy photo. Zachary Cole Smith, the enigmatic frontman and artistic leader of New York rock band DIIV, wishes he could take it all back. At the time of the release of his band’s sophomore album, Is the Is Are, in February, Smith felt obligated to describe the album’s…