Chris Nixon

After spending the past seven years building their reputation as a no-frills bluesy grit-rock duo, Black Keys vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney felt they needed a fresh perspective. So they turned to Brian Burton, better known as Danger Mouse, half of Gnarls Barkley, and a recent go-to producer...

A mere 16 minutes of recorded music shot the Canadian kids in Tokyo Police Club into the indie-rock spotlight. Since the release of the seven-song EP A Lesson in Crime in 2006, Dave Monks (vocals, bass), Josh Hook (guitar), Graham Wright (keyboards), and Greg Alsop (drums) have amassed an impressive...

When political times get tough, artists get dreamy. Stuck in the Vietnam War and immersed in the civil rights movement, musicians in the ’60s engaged in psychedelic escapism. Fumbling through the Iraq War and trapped in the murky quicksand of the economy, the current political tenor resembles the chaotic ’60s...

When political times get tough, artists get dreamy. Stuck in the Vietnam War and immersed in the civil rights movement, musicians in the '60s engaged in psychedelic escapism. Fumbling through the Iraq War and trapped in the murky quicksand of the economy, the current political tenor resembles the chaotic '60s...

Rilo Kiley: It's pop so good your mom will love it — if your mom has good taste in pop music. After sowing some wild musical oats with sweet, sorrowful acoustic country music and sunny indie pop, Jenny Lewis (vocals, keyboards), Blake Sennett (guitar, vocals), Pierre de Reeder (bass guitar,...