Stream Islands' Vapours

LP3 (out Tuesday on ANTI-) finds Nick Thorburn reunited with Jamie Thompson on drum machines and sequencers. In January Nick told us, "It's a very stripped down affair, with minimal instrumentation and sparse arrangements. This is not Arm's Way II."... CONTINUE READING STREAM ISLANDS' VAPOURS»

Posted on September 17, 2009 (3 comments)
Tags: Islands

New Islands - "Vapours" (Stereogum Premiere)

Nick Diamonds and his Islands are some album details and one MP3 into the promotional swing for their forthcoming Arm's Way followup, Vapours. Today they reveal the set's title track, which does more in under three minutes to pique interest... CONTINUE READING NEW ISLANDS - "VAPOURS" (STEREOGUM PREMIERE)»

Posted on August 25, 2009 in MP3 (7 comments)
Tags: Islands

Islands Reveal Vapours Tracklist

In addition to giving us a listen of lead MP3 "No You Don't" and revealing that steamy album art, today Nick Diamonds' reconfigured Islands offer a glance at the song titles that will constitute their forthcoming Vapours LP. The followup... CONTINUE READING ISLANDS REVEAL VAPOURS TRACKLIST»

Posted on July 30, 2009 in Album Art (11 comments)
Tags: Animal Collective | Islands

New Islands - "No You Don't"

At the end of September, Nick Diamonds & his shape-shifting Islands are following up 2008's Arm's Way with their third studio album, Vapours. The 12-song collection includes the drum machines and sequencers of Jamie Thompson, who left the band after... CONTINUE READING NEW ISLANDS - "NO YOU DON'T"»

Posted on July 21, 2009 in MP3 (9 comments)
Tags: Cass McCombs | Islands

Islands Cover Beck

Yesterday we heard Sonic Youth cover an old Beck song and vice versa. Today we've got Islands' Nick Thorburn covering an even older Beck song. "Cyanide Breath Mint" can be found on the newly reissued One Foot In The Grave.... CONTINUE READING ISLANDS COVER BECK»

Posted on April 21, 2009 (3 comments)
Tags: Beach Fossils | Beck | Islands

We Got The Tweet: The Week's 50 Best Rock Star Twitters

Microblogging service Twitter has signed up countless celebrities in recent months, and among them are some of our favorite musical artists: Trent Reznor! Colin Meloy! Ed Droste! Diddy! Stereogum Tweets too! But who can keep up with all that lunch... CONTINUE READING WE GOT THE TWEET: THE WEEK'S 50 BEST ROCK STAR TWITTERS»

Crayola Maintains Indie Cred With Unicorns Tune

As long as Crayola invents new ways to color, it looks like they'll find more indie bands to pair with their product. It started with Animal Collective's "Sweet Road" plug of Color Explosion markers, then went to Dan Deacon and... CONTINUE READING CRAYOLA MAINTAINS INDIE CRED WITH UNICORNS TUNE»

Posted on March 23, 2009 in Commercial Appeal, Video (23 comments)
Tags: Islands | Nick Thorburn | The Unicorns | Thom Yorke

New Human Highway Video - "The Sound" (Stereogum Premiere)

Nearly a year after Islanders Nick Thorburn and Jim Guthrie's Human Highway side-project presented itself via this sunny standout, the duo is recharging and offering itself yet again, via spring tour, and via fucking with their facial alignments. The former... CONTINUE READING NEW HUMAN HIGHWAY VIDEO - "THE SOUND" (STEREOGUM PREMIERE)»

Posted on February 25, 2009 in Tour Dates, Video (8 comments)
Tags: Human Highway | Islands | Jim Guthrie | Nick Thorburn

Progress Report: Nick Thorburn

NAME: Nick Thorburn (Islands, Human Highway) PROGRESS REPORT: Recording Islands' third LP at Stratosphere Studio in New York City; recording a solo LP, I Am An Attic at home; releasing a comic book, This Is Howie Doo, through Bodega Distribution.... CONTINUE READING PROGRESS REPORT: NICK THORBURN»

New Islands Video - "Creeper"

When writing about Nick Thorburn's Reefer, we also made sure to mention his work with Human Highway and, his most popular project, Islands. As far as the latter, this creepy "Creeper" clip's the first we've heard from Islands since they... CONTINUE READING NEW ISLANDS VIDEO - "CREEPER"»

Posted on October 16, 2008 in Video (3 comments)
Tags: Coachella | Friendly Fires | Islands | Nick Thorburn

New Reefer - "Let It Go" (Flying Lotus Remix) & New Islands Live EP, Live Dates

Nick Thorburn is a busy guy. Between Islands and Human Highway, it's unclear how he finds the time to keep up those fashionable haircuts. We recently reported on HH's first live shows. Now Islands, who have a six-song Live Session... CONTINUE READING NEW REEFER - "LET IT GO" (FLYING LOTUS REMIX) & NEW ISLANDS LIVE EP, LIVE DATES »

Human Highway Just Played Their First Shows

Human Highway, the duo of Islands' Nick Thorburn and jingle master Jim Guthrie, played their first shows ever at Cake Shop on Monday and a show at Joe's Pub last night. Both were co-headliners with Paul Simon's son Harper Simon... CONTINUE READING HUMAN HIGHWAY JUST PLAYED THEIR FIRST SHOWS»

Posted on September 17, 2008 in Concert, Video (3 comments)
Tags: Human Highway | Islands | Jim Guthrie | Nick Thorburn

How To BBQ With Islands And A Top Chef Chef

We've followed the New York x New York concert-and-something-else-not exactly-involving-music series pretty closely, because it has been pretty great. The list is a fun to rattle off: indie rock karaoke with Michael Showalter and of Montreal (and Paul Rudd, and... CONTINUE READING HOW TO BBQ WITH ISLANDS AND A TOP CHEF CHEF»

Posted on July 25, 2008 (33 comments)
Tags: Islands | Top Chef

Islands And Annuals And Jicks: Siren Fest 2008 In Photos

I couldn't make Siren Festival this year and Amrit and Brandon were at Pitchfork, so ... how was it? Based on the photographic display from Kyle Dean Reinford I guess sweaty? How was the sound? Did you shoot the freak?... CONTINUE READING ISLANDS AND ANNUALS AND JICKS: SIREN FEST 2008 IN PHOTOS»

Islands Cover Brian Eno And Themselves, Are Not Trust Funders

Recently Highwayman Nick Thorburn & his Islands stopped by Daytrotter, committing four songs to tape, including Return To The Sea's "Where There's A Will There's A Whalebone" (sans Subtitle) and "Swans (Life After Death," along with Arm's Way's "The Arm."... CONTINUE READING ISLANDS COVER BRIAN ENO AND THEMSELVES, ARE NOT TRUST FUNDERS»

Posted on May 19, 2008 in MP3 (16 comments)
Tags: BLK JKS | Brian Eno | Islands | SXSW

The 'Gum Drop XXXVII: Hear New Indian Jewelry, Win An Eastwood Guitar Signed By Islands

We dug Invasive Exotics, Indian Jewelry's 2006 long player, but the feedback feels warmer, the structures more assured, expansive, unhinged and less Doors-y/VU-derived on Free Gold!. In fact, even if you didn't like the Houston crew's older work, you might... CONTINUE READING THE 'GUM DROP XXXVII: HEAR NEW INDIAN JEWELRY, WIN AN EASTWOOD GUITAR SIGNED BY ISLANDS»

Posted on May 14, 2008 in Giveaway, MP3 (1 comments)
Tags: Indian Jewelry | Islands

New Human Highway (Nick Thorburn & Jim Guthrie) - "The Sound" & "Sleep Talking"

When not talking about Vampire Weekend and vaginas or performing with his Islands, Nick Thorburn's teaming up with Royal City-associated songwriter and solo artist (and current Islands guitarist) Jim Guthrie as Human Highway. The duo has a forthcoming full-length, which... CONTINUE READING NEW HUMAN HIGHWAY (NICK THORBURN & JIM GUTHRIE) - "THE SOUND" & "SLEEP TALKING"»

Posted on May 9, 2008 (3 comments)
Tags: Human Highway | Islands | Jim Guthrie | Nick Thorburn

Islands' Nick Thorburn On Vaginas And Vampire Weekend

There's an interesting interview with Islands' frontman Nick Thorburn over at Merry Swankster (thanks for the tip, Kelli). In it, Thorburn gives his two cents on Graceland -- wow, that album's on everybody's minds these days -- and therefore on... CONTINUE READING ISLANDS' NICK THORBURN ON VAGINAS AND VAMPIRE WEEKEND»

Posted on April 17, 2008 (50 comments)
Tags: Islands | Vampire Weekend

Islands Are Just Gonna Have To Explain This Album Art To Us One Day

Because as album art goes this is pretty out there, team. We're talking about Islands' forthcoming Arm's Way, which has inspired a few gushes here and there. And by the LP's newly revealed artistic rendering, the way of the arm... CONTINUE READING ISLANDS ARE JUST GONNA HAVE TO EXPLAIN THIS ALBUM ART TO US ONE DAY»

Posted on April 8, 2008 in Album Art, Video (19 comments)
Tags: Islands

New Islands - "Creeper"

Diamonds are forever, although maybe not as stage names go. But if you haven't seen Islands since Nick went back to given name Thorburn -- and if you somehow missed our dispatches from Austin and their effusive Islandeering -- the... CONTINUE READING NEW ISLANDS - "CREEPER"»

Posted on April 2, 2008 in MP3, Tour Dates (7 comments)
Tags: Islands

Stereogum's Texas Music Trivia - Round 2

In addition to shooting a ton of performances in Austin last week, we subjected many of our favorite acts to Texas music trivia. You saw part one. In this follow-up, we test the smarts of Islands, My Brightest Diamond, Peter... CONTINUE READING STEREOGUM'S TEXAS MUSIC TRIVIA - ROUND 2»

SXSW: Islands Are Awesome

It's in the blogger code to toss out superlatives with reckless abandon, but really -- we weren't lying when called Islands set at Cedar St. the best of this fest. (OK, maybe Fuck Buttons @ Volume today is a contender.)... CONTINUE READING SXSW: ISLANDS ARE AWESOME»

Posted on March 15, 2008 in Concert, MP3, Video (17 comments)
Tags: Islands | Subtitle | SXSW

SXSW: Thursday In Photos

Interested in filling a rock club to the rafters? Simple: Just have Nada Surf and Destroyer play back to back sometime. People were stuffed asses to elbows at Volume night club for the first day of the Stereogum/PASTE party, although... CONTINUE READING SXSW: THURSDAY IN PHOTOS»

SXSW: Thursday Featured Showcases

Dinner time in Austin, time to munch tacos and figure the night sched. As the picture suggests, tonight's the night for Jens Lekman fans: y'all have two chances to catch the Swedish troubadour (Emo's at 8PM, Mohawk at midnight). For... CONTINUE READING SXSW: THURSDAY FEATURED SHOWCASES»

New Islands - "The Arm"

Song's called "The Arm," the forthcoming album's called The Arm's Way (out 4/28 on Rough Trade) ... so you're entitled to think this is a look at the LP's sonic blueprint, then. The prevailing mood: Jubilation! Even though Diamond's singing about lifeless carcasses and car crashes and anxiety tapestries. All you need is jigging strings and rolling-tom beats and lots and lots of passages to turn that existential frown upside down.