LHB’s Shorties (Jason Molina, Andrew Bird, and More)

Drowned in Sound interviews Magnolia Electric Co.'s Jason Molina.

DiS: Can you tell us more about the collaboration with Will Johnson [of Texan bands Centro-matic, and Dan’s Silverleaf]? I.e. what did you each bring to the table, and how the project came about?

Molina: That project was wonderful top to bottom. It was beautiful to be out under the Texas sky watching the season change. Writing was very seriously taken by Will and I. We wrote all the time and everyone involved put their back into it. There was no real plan for how the record had to be in the end. Will is a wonderful songwriter and musician and that was a starting point. The most important thing is that not a single record label was involved. He and I paid for everything and then sent the recordings out as if we were starting from scratch. We did the recordings in secret and sent out the first recordings to our friends and then to labels. Secretly Canadian records were on the phone the day they had it on their desk and I am proud that even outside of the formula of Magnolia/Ohia/Molina/Pyramid record-making this is a group that backs my projects. The songs on the Molina/Johnson record are some of Will's finest of all time.

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Fingertips offers a "free and legal mp3 manifesto" for the music industry.

The Village Voice profiles Matt and Kim.

Matt and Kim, the people, are Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino, two New England natives who studied at Pratt and met at a party. Matt and Kim, the band, are a party, an immensely likable clap-punk blast universally known for their boisterous live shows.

Preview the new Muxtape.

At Drowned in Sound Andrew Bird breaks down his new album, Noble Beast, track-by-track.

NPR's Mountain Stage features streaming performances by Nellie McKay and Mia Doi Todd.

- David Gutowski