Artist The Shins

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The Shins

Producing more or less exactly the sound people are describing when they say something is “indie rock,” The Shins have been one of the most respected members of the community since changing their name from Flake Music and issuing 2001’s Oh, Inverted World. That’s the album with “New Slang,” the song that Natalie Portman promised would change Zach Braff’s life in Garden State; but life changed for the band with 2003’s Chutes Too Narrow and 2007’s Wincing The Night Away, the latter of which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Here, the reconstituted Shins—keyboardist Marty Crandall and drummer Jesse Sandoval have left—will presumably show off new songs from their upcoming fourth album, which sees them moving from Sub Pop to leader James Mercer’s Aural Apothecary imprint.

Updated 05/07/2009