The state of the music “business” continues to evolve and fracture in ways that make HBO’s Vinyl, which lavishly presents the decadent record industry of the 1970s, look like something out of the stone age — or an unintentionally hilarious satire. The last few weeks alone have given us a bounty of unexpected releases — from Radiohead and James Blake to Chance the Rapper and Beyoncé — that continue to change the game as we knew it, from slow-burn tease to overnight surprise.
Beyond these high-profile drops is a seemingly endless supply of lesser-known but no less vital artists also going their own way. Seattle’s The Cave Singers released four atmospheric Folk Rock gems for a pair of our finest indie labels (2007’s Invitation Songs and 2009’s Welcome Joy for Matador and 2011’s No Witch and 2013’s Naomi for Jagjaguwar) before deciding to self-release its latest, Banshee, in February. Read more about the band in this week’s Sound Advice.
The Cave Singers play MOTR Pub Saturday with Blank Range. More info:
motrpub.com .
This article appears in May 25 – Jun 1, 2016.