The San Antonio Current profiles the Coathangers.

Despite their back-alley beginnings, the group, in just three-and-a-half years’ time, has three 7-inch records, two full-length albums, and an uncanny knack for crafting a hook from chaotic noise. The Washington Times described their sound as “new-wave party punk,” but Coathangers songs earn comparisons to everything from Death From Above 1979 to Teenage Jesus & the Jerks to a more jaded, pissed-off Toni Basil. Onstage, they Betty Boop their way through subversive “Monster Mash”-able clap-clap odes to broken tambourines and Tonya Harding. They swap instruments. They all sing. They shoot Silly String. They bat balloons. They’re in on the joke.

The A.V. Club has launched its "A.V. Undercover" series, where 25 bands will cover 25 songs in the website's office.

Members of Local Natives share their favorite things with Pitchfork.

NPR's Morning Edition interviews singer-songwriter Patty Larkin about her new album 25.

NPR's All Songs Considered previews SXSW 2010.

White Hinterland – “Amsterdam”

Real Estate – “Suburban Dogs”

As we did last year, we’ve once again scoured the internet to pull together a list of the exclusives that are being planned for Record Store Day (April 17th, 2010). There’s a lot of stuff coming, some that we’ve heard about already (Beach House, Pavement, Bon Iver/Peter Gabriel), and some that came as a surprise (Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, Neu!) The full list, which we’ll keep updated and current as RSD approaches (i.e. bookmark it now!) after the jump…

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Christian Hagemann

Yawn - “Acid” Kevin worked in an unpopular gallery space. All white walls with the sun careening through the windows like ten-foot slabs of hot butter. But mostly empty. The art, be it paintings of photorealist interpretations of photobooth portraits, or sculptures of giant vegetables made of copper, or installations of field recordings of john and yoko played backwards and filtered mathematically in a descending loop that produced what sounded like jungle sounds or mechanical rain, was underviewed at best. Kevin felt sorry for the artists and for the gallery owner, but they didn't have to sit through the days. They didn't have to experience the hours of endless walk-bys and peek-ins and giggling chatter. He would check his email to look busy or to try not to notice, but his periphery was loud and clear. No one wanted this stuff. [MySpace]

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