Email Author Ian Traas

2011 Stories by Ian Traas

• Wilco

  published November 30, 2011

  Wilco is a little like baseball—you probably know the rules, but the diehard fans see skill and nuance that are impossible to convey to the... More >>

• Foster the People

  published November 30, 2011

  At this point it's pretty safe to say that "Pumped Up Kicks" is the crossover smash of the year. Foster the People's debut single is omnipresent... More >>

• Beirut

  published November 30, 2011

  Five years ago, when Zach Condon rose quickly through the indie ranks, he was just 19 years old. A hugely talented multi-instrumentalist with a... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Foster The People at First Avenue, 12/4/11

  published Dec 05, 2011

  Foster The People might be the biggest band in America right now.  There's no better marker of the evident crossover between indie and pop than the massive popularity garnered by the young band, ... More >>

• Austra, Young Galaxy

  published November 23, 2011

  Too many current synth-pop bands pride themselves on sounding cold (I'm looking at you, Ladytron), so a shift toward humanity is a welcome change.... More >>

• Tech N9ne

  published November 16, 2011

  There aren't many acts that can bridge the gap between Rock the Bells and the Gathering of the Juggalos, but Tech N9ne is not your average rapper.... More >>

• M83

  published November 16, 2011

  Anthony Gonzalez (the lone musician behind M83) is cursed with being both meticulous and ambitious. While his sound is huge in both sentiment and... More >>

• Lykke Li

  published November 9, 2011

  Lykke Li has said in interviews that her art is about escaping reality, but that's hard to believe given that her music looks to document the... More >>

• Method Man and Curren$y at First Avenue, 10/28/11

  published Oct 31, 2011

  This Halloween we found out that Method Man is a monster. His intensity on Friday night at First Avenue for the local leg of the Smoker's Club Tour entirely made up for numerous disappointments -- inc... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Ladytron at the Fine Line, 10/3/11

  published Oct 04, 2011

  LadytronOctober 3, 2011Fine Line Music Cafe, MinneapolisOver the course of the past decade, Ladytron have fashioned an ice-cold persona out of beats and synthesizers that gleam with mechanized cool. B... More >>

• James Blake

  published September 28, 2011

  No one could tell when James Blake burst onto the scene with intricate, sample-heavy compositions that he would morph into such a convincing... More >>

• Japandroids

  published September 21, 2011

  If the name Japandroids conjures up images of, say, Voltron, you're only slightly off the mark. The Canadian duo doesn't really look like a... More >>

• Toro y Moi

  published September 21, 2011

  Chillwave is enjoying its time in the sun right now, but Chaz Bundick (a.k.a. Toro Y Moi) seems most at home when he's confined to some dim... More >>

• The Horrors

  published September 21, 2011

  In 2006, the Horrors seemed like the tardiest latecomers to the new garage-rock boom, but their macabre attitude (and buckets of eyeliner) turned... More >>

• Electric Six

  published September 21, 2011

  Maybe it's best to start with a short list of things that Electric Six are not: measured, restrained, self-serious. If you're looking for those... More >>

• Braids

  published September 14, 2011

  Just as the coldest, most unbearable part of winter grabbed us all by the throat, Braids' Native Speaker (thankfully) popped up on the... More >>

• Black Moth Super Rainbow

  published September 7, 2011

  It's kind of a shame for Black Moth Super Rainbow that "acid" was a genre of music before they came along. Their vocoder-and-synth approach feels... More >>

• TV on the Radio

  published August 24, 2011

  The untimely passing of bassist Gerard Smith put TV on the Radio's tour on hold as the band mourned their dear friend and bandmate. The... More >>

• Peter Bjorn & John

  published August 24, 2011

  Indie pop as a genre isn't known for its adventurousness (maintaining a polite atmosphere and crafting immaculate hooks seem to be its only... More >>

• Adele

  published August 24, 2011

  There were a number of disappointed fans turned away from First Ave when Adele canceled her June show (enough to fill the entire venue), but there... More >>

• George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic

  published August 17, 2011

  At an age when most artists are winding down (or retired for good), George Clinton is still active, still hitting the road, and still bringing the... More >>

• Lollapalooza: Day 3 at Grant Park, Chicago, 8/7/11

  published Aug 08, 2011

  When you've spent your entire weekend at Lollapalooza, the third day is exhausting. A few fresh faces with single day passes milled through the crowd, but the vast majority of party people were obviou... More >>

• Lollapalooza: Day 2 at Grant Park, Chicago, 8/6/11

  published Aug 07, 2011

  If the first day of Lollapalooza is marked by enthusiasm, the second day is marked by hitting limits.  The Day 2 crowd was more pronounced and did not wait until late in the day to show up, and p... More >>

• Lollapalooza: Day 1 at Grant Park, Chicago, 8/5/11

  published Aug 06, 2011

  Even before entering this year's Lollapalooza festival, the Grant Park grounds were littered with reminders that this year's event is supremely sold out. There were scalpers, signs, massive lines, and... More >>

• Wiz Khalifa

  published June 15, 2011

  It's a good thing that Wiz Khalifa's outdoor showing at the summer-standard Cabooze Plaza is an all-ages event, since the rapper has an... More >>