Even though there's something sacred about time-honored traditions, there's only so many years you and your beloveds can sit beside the Christmas tree and listen to Sufjan or "Last Christmas" or the…   Read Story »

This morning we sent out the final 'Gum Drop of 2009 and in the spirit of the season decided to pass along an updated take on a Holiday standard. Last year Neutral Milk Hotel/Music Tapes' Julian…   Read Story »

Julian Koster has a specific vision and saw-singing sound for The Music Tapes, so you shouldn't be too surprised by much of what goes on in the Pluto-homaging "For the Planet Pluto" video. It…   Read Story »

The spate of recent Jeff Mangum sightings tended to obscure the fact that, yes, there are other people who were/are involved with Elephant 6, Neutral Milk Hotel, etc. One such lifer is wire recorder,…   Read Story »

NPR is streaming the 10/21 Bottom Lounge stop on the recent E6 Holiday Surprise Tour. Tunes from Olivia Tremor Control, Apples In Stereo, Music Tapes, Neutral Milk Hotel and other Athens all-stars…   Read Story »

The crew here managed to fly through some 70+ sets of music last week, and boy is our abilty-to-wade-through-the-sadness-that's-passing-for-buzzed-up-indie-rock tired. There's a very scientific…   Read Story »

Joining the Tobacco triumph a few days earlier, Mercury Lounge hosted a couple more of my favorite sets this fest in the recently revitalized (and recently Mangum-ized) Music Tapes, and Baltimore…   Read Story »

We've checked in with Music Tapes a few times this year, and before that got all sincere over In The Aeroplane's 10th birthday, but things have been fairly quiet on the Jeff Mangum front in '08.…   Read Story »

Anyone who's listened to Julian Koster's work in Neutral Milk Hotel or the (newly revived) Music Tapes knows he's into the singing saw. So, though it's a hot and sticky day and a longtime from the…   Read Story »

A ways back we posted the happy news that Julian Koster was dusting off the singing saw and wire recorder for a new Music Tapes record. Now you can stream it in its entirety at Merge. (Thanks for the…   Read Story »