Wye Oak

An Idolator Enthusiastic Endorsement: Why You Should Drop Everything And Listen To Wye Oak’s “The Knot” Right Now

Kate Richardson | July 22, 2009 10:00 am
Kate Richardson | July 22, 2009 10:00 am

theknotAndy Stack and Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak are either two of the most talented musicians currently out there right now, or they’re aliens from a distant planet where all beings are born with the inherent ability to produce songs that are equal parts intelligent, emotional, challenging, and fun. Quite frankly I’m starting to think the latter, because they do it just a little too well. More »


What Would Be On Your “2009 Awesomeness” Playlist Right Now?

noah | July 17, 2009 6:00 pm
noah | July 17, 2009 6:00 pm

joyformidablecradleAs promised: The state of my “2009 awesomeness” playlist, in which I collect the songs that catch my ear as the year progresses in order to not make my best-of list a last-minute-of-December clusterfuck sort of thing. (It inevitably winds up being like that, but you know, I have noble intentions.) It’s after the jump, and has some contextual links added in. Feel free to make your own and share it here! More »


noah | June 10, 2009 5:00 pm
noah | June 10, 2009 5:00 pm

theknot The Knot, the second album from Baltimore dream-pop duo Wye Oak, comes out next month, but you can hear the whole thing streaming at Merge Records’ site right now. And you really should, as it’s an absolutely lovely record that only gets better the deeper you sink into it. [Merge Records] More »



What Records Help You Chill Out?

noah | April 17, 2009 6:00 pm
noah | April 17, 2009 6:00 pm

thenoiseLast night, between a very annoying Mets loss and a session of bug-searching, I took some time to listen to a side of the Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour while sitting on (well, leaning up against, really) a bean bag, a cold beer in my hand. And I did nothing else. It was nice! It was also the first time in a long time that I’d just spent listening to a record and staring into space and not doing anything else–not even a crossword puzzle. And today is a beautiful spring day in New York City, one that’s perfect for engaging in similar activities (while being outside). Three records that I need to really pull out and just chill out to sometime soon before I go crazy, after the jump. Feel free to share yours! More »


Wye Oak Take A Step Back

noah | April 16, 2009 1:00 pm
noah | April 16, 2009 1:00 pm

The Baltimore slowcore duo Wye Oak is one of the best acts to come out of the indie woodwork during my time at Idolator, and I’m pretty amped to hear their forthcoming album The Knot, which comes out on Merge Records this July. “Take It In” is the first “single” from the record, a gently strident bit of clambering indiepop that’s tugged along by Jenn Wasner’s confident alto; it reveals some—but not too much—maturing from Wasner and partner Andy Stack. After the jump, the video for “Please Concrete” from their fine debut album, If Children.

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80 ’08 (and Heartbreak): Announcing Idolator’s Year-End Extravaganza

Michaelangelo Matos | December 31, 2008 12:45 pm
Michaelangelo Matos | December 31, 2008 12:45 pm

What were the 80 most important musical recordings, artists, trends, events, and performances of 2008? What were the eight things this year that broke our hearts—or, at least, our ears? We’re happy to announce 80 ’08 (and Heartbreak), Idolator’s year-end overview. The list is below the jump.

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No. 78: Wye Oak, “I Want for Nothing”

Kate Richardson | December 8, 2008 1:00 am
Kate Richardson | December 8, 2008 1:00 am

It used to be that you had to lurk on fan sites and wait for someone to post a concert bootleg to hear unreleased material from your favorite bands, but that process has since been boiled down to a single YouTube search. Case in point: “I Want for Nothing,” an unreleased track by Baltimore’s Wye Oak.

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CMJ Day Five: In Search Of A Happy Ending

Kate Richardson | October 27, 2008 8:53 am
Kate Richardson | October 27, 2008 8:53 am

Saturday’s Daytrotter/Take the Handle/SnowGhost Music showcase at Brooklyn’s Glasslands Gallery had two things going for it: Wye Oak was on the bill, and it was in the afternoon. Hoping it might end my CMJ coverage on a much-needed high note, I camped out for most of the afternoon and heard some genuinely recommendable music at a lovely, mercifully couch-equipped venue.

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Wye Oak’s TV Eye Is Trained Upon You

noah | September 29, 2008 2:45 am
noah | September 29, 2008 2:45 am

I’m finding it hard to say much about the video… More »



noah | April 11, 2008 10:45 am
noah | April 11, 2008 10:45 am

Idolator-beloved Baltimore duo Wye Oak–p.k.a. Idolator-beloved Baltimore duo Monarch–had their debut album If Children reissued by Merge Records this week, and you should buy it if the idea of “an indiepop record that’s equal parts mid-’90s K Records and shoegaze” pushes your buttons like it does… More »


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