The Shins
Encyclopedia
The Shins are an American indie rock
band comprising singer, songwriter
, and guitarist
James Mercer
, guitarist/bassist Dave Hernandez
, Eric Johnson of Fruit Bats, drummer
Joe Plummer
and bassist
Ron Lewis. Their sound draws on several musical genres, including pop
, alternative rock
, indie rock
, and folk
. The Shins were formed in Albuquerque, New Mexico
, but are now based in Portland
, Oregon
.
as a side project for singer/songwriter James Mercer, whose primary band was Flake Music in Albuquerque, New Mexico
. Mercer formed Flake Music in 1992
with Neal Langford on guitar, Phil Higgs and then Marty Crandall on bass, and Jesse Sandoval
on drums. During the next 5 years Flake Music released several singles, a full-length album, and began touring largely due to the help of other bands like Modest Mouse
.
In 1997
, Mercer began writing songs that would eventually become the first Shins EP, "Nature Bears A Vacuum
". Around this time Flake Music had come to an end, which left The Shins with an opportunity to record their work. Recruiting Sandoval to play drums, Nature Bears A Vacuum
was released with low expectations for being popular beyond Albuquerque. The Shins first few appearances originally featured only Sandoval and Mercer. However, the released single attracted enough attention for a full band to form. Crandall was brought into the fold on keyboards, and band friend Dave Hernandez
(frontman of local punk legends Scared of Chaka
, which had played dozens of shows with Flake Music) was given bass duties.
After a year as this lineup, during which half the songs on debut album "Oh, Inverted World
" (including "New Slang
") were penned, Hernandez moved to New York City. Neal Langford was selected as his replacement, and it was this lineup that saw the group embark on a tour with Modest Mouse.
, Sub Pop
's Jonathan Poneman asked The Shins to contribute a single to the label's Single of the Month Club, which eventually became an offer to release The Shins' 2001 single, "New Slang
", and their debut album, "Oh, Inverted World
". The group spent the rest of the year touring. The release of singles such as "Know Your Onion!
" and "The Past and Pending" kept The Shins' success going into 2002
, cementing "Oh, Inverted World" as one of the definitive indie-rock albums of the early '00s and The Shins as one of the genre's leading younger bands. It received critical acclaim for its lyrically deft and jangly pop sound. The song "One By One All Day" was featured in the 2003 film A Guy Thing
, starring Jason Lee. Two other songs from this album, ("Caring Is Creepy
" and "New Slang
") were featured prominently on the soundtrack for the 2004 film Garden State
, starring and directed by Zach Braff
, exposing the music of The Shins to a much wider audience. Their music was also featured in the television series The OC, the film The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
and they performed on an episode of Gilmore Girls
. Oh, Inverted World appeared at #71 on Pitchfork Media's Top 100 Albums of 2000–2004.
Relocating from Albuquerque to Portland, OR in 2002
, Mercer and Sandoval (as well as Crandall, working with the band from Albuquerque) lost Langford to his true passion, professional hot air ballooning. Dave Hernandez (at this point living in nearby Seattle) rejoined The Shins in 2003
playing guitar and bass. The band began tracking new material in Mercer's basement that summer. In an effort to balance the home-recording method used on Oh, Inverted World with a studio finish, producer Phil Ek
(Built To Spill
, Modest Mouse) was brought in to mix and produce the album. Chutes Too Narrow
was released by Sub Pop in the fall of 2003
to much fanfare in indie music circles, featuring even more multi-layered lyrics, as well as a musical approach that explored new genres, song structures, and levels of production fidelity. In 2006, the band helped to curate an edition of the British All Tomorrow's Parties
festival. Nonstop touring of everywhere from Australia to Norway, as well as the US countless times over contributed to pushing sales past 500,000 worldwide, exceeding everyone's expectations, including the band's. Chutes Too Narrow appeared at #47 on Pitchfork Media's Top 100 Albums of 2000–2004.
An enhanced single release in 2004 included a live version of "New Slang
" recorded with Iron and Wine, a studio mix of "Fighting in a Sack," a multimedia tack of "So Says I," and a cover of the Marc Bolan
song "Baby Boomerang". The Shins have also recorded a cover of "We Will Become Silhouettes" by The Postal Service, which was released on that group's 2003 single "Such Great Heights". In May 9, 2005, the video for "Pink Bullets" (directed by Adam Bizanski
), was one of the first videos to demonstrate iTunes music store's new capability to sell videos.
In a Pitchfork Media
interview, Mercer announced that Eric Johnson of fellow Sub Pop band Fruit Bats had joined the Shins.
The band's third album, Wincing the Night Away
, was recorded in Portland during 2006 by a largely solo Mercer, but with the production assistance of Joe Chiccarelli. It was released on January 23, 2007 and debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200
album chart with 118,000 copies sold in its first week, the highest sales week and chart position an album released solely on Sub Pop
has ever achieved. The album was leaked to the Internet on October 20, 2006 and was available for pre-order on iTunes
, with an extra track. It was nominated for a 2008 Grammy award
in the category of Best Alternative Music Album.
In 2007 the band did a Take-Away show acoustic video session shot by Vincent Moon
, and recorded a version of "Little Boxes
" for the Showtime series Weeds
. On November 27, 2007, the group was featured on a Darfur
charity album released by Waxploitation
.
On January 24, 2008, "The Past and Pending" was played at the funeral of Heath Ledger
.
According to an interview published on Pitchfork Media
on May 6, 2009, "keyboardist Marty Crandall and drummer Jesse Sandoval
had been replaced by Ron Lewis from Grand Archives
and Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats on bass and Joe Plummer
of Modest Mouse
on drums". In the same interview, Mercer said the next record "is still in its very early stages" and that he's "aiming for a release early next year". Regarding the lineup change, he commented that "I started to have production ideas that basically required some other people", but that he "wouldn't say I'd never work with them again".
In a lengthy interview published in The Portland Mercury
, former drummer Jesse Sandoval claimed that his departure from the band was not due to "aesthetic differences", but rather that he was fired, saying, "I understand [Mercer is] probably doing it out of respect for me reading interviews, it might be hard for him to say it, but... I got fired. There's no other way of looking at it."
On July 26th, 2011, the band announced via Facebook
that they will soon release news about upcoming shows and new music.
On August 1, 2011 Pitchfork reported that The Shins would be releasing an album in 2012 on Mercer's Aural Apothecary Label, via Columbia Records. The Shins also announced additional tour dates for their North American tour. The new band backing Mercer on this tour include singer/songwriter Richard Swift
, Modest Mouse
drummer Joe Plummer
, Yuuki Matthews of Crystal Skulls, and singer/songwriter Jessica Dobson.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band comprising singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
James Mercer
James Mercer (musician)
James Russell Mercer is an American guitarist and Alternative rock musician. He is a founding member and lead singer-songwriter of the Grammy-nominated indie rock group The Shins. In 2009, Mercer and producer Danger Mouse formed the side project Broken Bells, for which they released a...
, guitarist/bassist Dave Hernandez
Dave Hernandez
Dave Hernandez plays guitar and bass in the American indie band The Shins.Hernandez met Shins frontman James Mercer when both lived in Albuquerque playing in underground bands in the early/mid 90s...
, Eric Johnson of Fruit Bats, drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Joe Plummer
Joe Plummer
Joe Plummer is an American drummer from Portland, Oregon. Since 2004, Plummer has been a member of the indie rock band Modest Mouse and performed on their album, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank...
and bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Ron Lewis. Their sound draws on several musical genres, including pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
, indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
, and folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
. The Shins were formed in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
, but are now based in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.
From Flake Music to The Shins (1992–2000)
The Shins began in 19971997 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy...
as a side project for singer/songwriter James Mercer, whose primary band was Flake Music in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
. Mercer formed Flake Music in 1992
1992 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s....
with Neal Langford on guitar, Phil Higgs and then Marty Crandall on bass, and Jesse Sandoval
Jesse Sandoval
Jesse Sandoval is the former drummer of U.S. indie rock group The Shins. Sandoval initially formed Flake with singer-songwriter James Mercer, guitarist Neal Langford and bassist Marty Crandall in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1992...
on drums. During the next 5 years Flake Music released several singles, a full-length album, and began touring largely due to the help of other bands like Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse is an American indie rock band formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington, by singer/lyricist/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. They are based in Portland, Oregon. Since their 1996 debut album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think...
.
In 1997
1997 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy...
, Mercer began writing songs that would eventually become the first Shins EP, "Nature Bears A Vacuum
Nature Bears a Vacuum
Nature Bears a Vacuum is a 7" EP released by indie rock band The Shins. The EP was released on the Omnibus Records label in 1998. According to one reviewer , the EP is meant to be played at a different speed on each side....
". Around this time Flake Music had come to an end, which left The Shins with an opportunity to record their work. Recruiting Sandoval to play drums, Nature Bears A Vacuum
Nature Bears a Vacuum
Nature Bears a Vacuum is a 7" EP released by indie rock band The Shins. The EP was released on the Omnibus Records label in 1998. According to one reviewer , the EP is meant to be played at a different speed on each side....
was released with low expectations for being popular beyond Albuquerque. The Shins first few appearances originally featured only Sandoval and Mercer. However, the released single attracted enough attention for a full band to form. Crandall was brought into the fold on keyboards, and band friend Dave Hernandez
Dave Hernandez
Dave Hernandez plays guitar and bass in the American indie band The Shins.Hernandez met Shins frontman James Mercer when both lived in Albuquerque playing in underground bands in the early/mid 90s...
(frontman of local punk legends Scared of Chaka
Scared of Chaka
Scared Of Chaka is a punk rock band based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, which was formed in 1993 by guitarist/vocalist David Yanul Hernandez, bass guitarist Dameon Waggoner and drummer Jeff Jones. Jone was later replaced by Ron Skrasek. The band played a Dickies inspired mix of garage and...
, which had played dozens of shows with Flake Music) was given bass duties.
After a year as this lineup, during which half the songs on debut album "Oh, Inverted World
Oh, Inverted World
Oh, Inverted World is the first album by The Shins, released on June 19, 2001 to critical acclaim. Omnibus Records put out an initial run of vinyl distributed by Darla...
" (including "New Slang
New Slang
"New Slang" is a song by The Shins. It was released as a 7" single in 2001, and subsequently appeared on their album Oh, Inverted World. It achieved mainstream popularity after its inclusion in the soundtrack of the film Garden State and its appearance in a McDonald's television commercial...
") were penned, Hernandez moved to New York City. Neal Langford was selected as his replacement, and it was this lineup that saw the group embark on a tour with Modest Mouse.
Signed to Sub Pop (2001–2007)
At a San Francisco performance with Modest Mouse in 20002000 in music
See also:* 2000 in music Record labels established in 2000-Events:*January – Gary Glitter is released from jail, two months before his sentence for sexual offences ends.*January 1**John Tavener is knighted in the New Year's Honours List....
, Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
's Jonathan Poneman asked The Shins to contribute a single to the label's Single of the Month Club, which eventually became an offer to release The Shins' 2001 single, "New Slang
New Slang
"New Slang" is a song by The Shins. It was released as a 7" single in 2001, and subsequently appeared on their album Oh, Inverted World. It achieved mainstream popularity after its inclusion in the soundtrack of the film Garden State and its appearance in a McDonald's television commercial...
", and their debut album, "Oh, Inverted World
Oh, Inverted World
Oh, Inverted World is the first album by The Shins, released on June 19, 2001 to critical acclaim. Omnibus Records put out an initial run of vinyl distributed by Darla...
". The group spent the rest of the year touring. The release of singles such as "Know Your Onion!
Know Your Onion!
"Know Your Onion!" is the 4th song on the album Oh, Inverted World by The Shins. It was released as the second single on June 4, 2002 on Sub Pop Records...
" and "The Past and Pending" kept The Shins' success going into 2002
2002 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI...
, cementing "Oh, Inverted World" as one of the definitive indie-rock albums of the early '00s and The Shins as one of the genre's leading younger bands. It received critical acclaim for its lyrically deft and jangly pop sound. The song "One By One All Day" was featured in the 2003 film A Guy Thing
A Guy Thing
- Plot :Karen and Paul are about get married. However, after his bachelor party, Paul wakes up next to Becky , a dancer at the party. Assuming they slept together, Paul rushes Becky out of his apartment and hopes never to see her again. He tries to cover up the connection for the few days before...
, starring Jason Lee. Two other songs from this album, ("Caring Is Creepy
Caring Is Creepy
"Caring Is Creepy" is the first song on The Shins' debut album Oh, Inverted World, released on June 19, 2001. It is notable because it is their first song as a signed band on the label Sub-Pop, serving as a first impression to a broader audience of listeners.The song appeared in the 2004 film...
" and "New Slang
New Slang
"New Slang" is a song by The Shins. It was released as a 7" single in 2001, and subsequently appeared on their album Oh, Inverted World. It achieved mainstream popularity after its inclusion in the soundtrack of the film Garden State and its appearance in a McDonald's television commercial...
") were featured prominently on the soundtrack for the 2004 film Garden State
Garden State (film)
Garden State is a 2004 comedy-drama film written by, directed by, and starring Zach Braff, with Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, and Sir Ian Holm. The film centers on Andrew Largeman , a 26-year-old actor/waiter who returns to his hometown in New Jersey after his mother dies...
, starring and directed by Zach Braff
Zach Braff
Zachary Israel "Zach" Braff is an American actor, screenwriter, producer, comedian, and director. Braff first became known in 2001 for his role as Dr. John Dorian on the television series Scrubs, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award and three Golden Globe Awards.In 2004, Braff made his...
, exposing the music of The Shins to a much wider audience. Their music was also featured in the television series The OC, the film The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie is a 2004 American animated film based on the popular Nickelodeon television series SpongeBob SquarePants. The film stars the voices of Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Doug Lawrence, Scarlett Johansson, Alec Baldwin, Jeffrey Tambor, and...
and they performed on an episode of Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...
. Oh, Inverted World appeared at #71 on Pitchfork Media's Top 100 Albums of 2000–2004.
Relocating from Albuquerque to Portland, OR in 2002
2002 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI...
, Mercer and Sandoval (as well as Crandall, working with the band from Albuquerque) lost Langford to his true passion, professional hot air ballooning. Dave Hernandez (at this point living in nearby Seattle) rejoined The Shins in 2003
2003 in music
-January:* January – following an investigation by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and London detectives, police raids in England and the Netherlands recover nearly 500 original Beatles studio tapes, recorded during the Let It Be sessions. Five people are arrested...
playing guitar and bass. The band began tracking new material in Mercer's basement that summer. In an effort to balance the home-recording method used on Oh, Inverted World with a studio finish, producer Phil Ek
Phil Ek
Phil Ek is an American record producer, engineer and mixer. Ek began his career in Seattle, Washington, in the early 1990s recording live sound in clubs. He then moved into studio recording, recording small projects and demos for local bands. Around this time, Ek was frequently working with...
(Built To Spill
Built to Spill
Built to Spill is an American indie rock band based in Boise, Idaho. The band has released seven full-length albums. Their most recent album, There Is No Enemy, was released on October 6, 2009.-History:...
, Modest Mouse) was brought in to mix and produce the album. Chutes Too Narrow
Chutes Too Narrow
Chutes Too Narrow is The Shins' 2003 follow-up to their debut album, Oh, Inverted World. The album title comes from a lyric in the song "Young Pilgrims." The album was well-received by critics, garnering an overall score of 88/100 on Metacritic...
was released by Sub Pop in the fall of 2003
2003 in music
-January:* January – following an investigation by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and London detectives, police raids in England and the Netherlands recover nearly 500 original Beatles studio tapes, recorded during the Let It Be sessions. Five people are arrested...
to much fanfare in indie music circles, featuring even more multi-layered lyrics, as well as a musical approach that explored new genres, song structures, and levels of production fidelity. In 2006, the band helped to curate an edition of the British All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
festival. Nonstop touring of everywhere from Australia to Norway, as well as the US countless times over contributed to pushing sales past 500,000 worldwide, exceeding everyone's expectations, including the band's. Chutes Too Narrow appeared at #47 on Pitchfork Media's Top 100 Albums of 2000–2004.
An enhanced single release in 2004 included a live version of "New Slang
New Slang
"New Slang" is a song by The Shins. It was released as a 7" single in 2001, and subsequently appeared on their album Oh, Inverted World. It achieved mainstream popularity after its inclusion in the soundtrack of the film Garden State and its appearance in a McDonald's television commercial...
" recorded with Iron and Wine, a studio mix of "Fighting in a Sack," a multimedia tack of "So Says I," and a cover of the Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the founder, frontman, lead singer & guitarist for T. Rex, but also a successful solo artist...
song "Baby Boomerang". The Shins have also recorded a cover of "We Will Become Silhouettes" by The Postal Service, which was released on that group's 2003 single "Such Great Heights". In May 9, 2005, the video for "Pink Bullets" (directed by Adam Bizanski
Adam Bizanski
Adam Bizanski is a director of music videos, commercials and short films.-Career:Hailing from a self-taught animation background, he is best known for his award winning music video collaborations with bands such as the Shins, Wolf Parade, and Zero 7.In May 9, 2005, Bizanski's animated video for...
), was one of the first videos to demonstrate iTunes music store's new capability to sell videos.
In a Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
interview, Mercer announced that Eric Johnson of fellow Sub Pop band Fruit Bats had joined the Shins.
The band's third album, Wincing the Night Away
Wincing the Night Away
Wincing the Night Away is a Grammy-nominated album by indie rock group The Shins. It was released by Sub Pop Records on January 23, 2007. It is the band's third album, and the final under their contract with Sub Pop...
, was recorded in Portland during 2006 by a largely solo Mercer, but with the production assistance of Joe Chiccarelli. It was released on January 23, 2007 and debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart with 118,000 copies sold in its first week, the highest sales week and chart position an album released solely on Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
has ever achieved. The album was leaked to the Internet on October 20, 2006 and was available for pre-order on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
, with an extra track. It was nominated for a 2008 Grammy award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in the category of Best Alternative Music Album.
In 2007 the band did a Take-Away show acoustic video session shot by Vincent Moon
Vincent Moon
Vincent Moon is an independent filmmaker from Paris mainly known for his field work music videos of indie rock related musicians as well as some notable mainstream artists like Tom Jones, R.E.M. or Arcade Fire. Besides making music videos he also makes experimental films and documentaries...
, and recorded a version of "Little Boxes
Little Boxes
"Little Boxes" is a song written by Malvina Reynolds in 1962, which became a hit for her friend Pete Seeger in 1963.The song is a political satire about the development of suburbia and associated conformist middle-class attitudes...
" for the Showtime series Weeds
Weeds (TV series)
Weeds is an American television comedy created by Jenji Kohan and produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television. The central character is Nancy Botwin , a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling marijuana to support her family after her husband dies suddenly of a...
. On November 27, 2007, the group was featured on a Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
charity album released by Waxploitation
Waxploitation
Waxploitation was founded in 1996 by Jeff Antebi, who is still the company's creative director.Primarily a record label and artist management company, Waxploitation is best known for developing the careers of Grammy Award winning artists including Gnarls Barkley, Danger Mouse and the Grammy...
.
On January 24, 2008, "The Past and Pending" was played at the funeral of Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger
Heath Andrew Ledger was an Australian television and film actor. After performing roles in Australian television and film during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to develop his film career...
.
Leaving Sub Pop, Aural Apothecary, the future (2008–present)
On June 20, 2008, the band announced that they were leaving Sub Pop Records for James Mercer's own label, Aural Apothecary.According to an interview published on Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
on May 6, 2009, "keyboardist Marty Crandall and drummer Jesse Sandoval
Jesse Sandoval
Jesse Sandoval is the former drummer of U.S. indie rock group The Shins. Sandoval initially formed Flake with singer-songwriter James Mercer, guitarist Neal Langford and bassist Marty Crandall in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1992...
had been replaced by Ron Lewis from Grand Archives
Grand Archives
Grand Archives is an American indie rock band that formed in Seattle. They were originally called Archives and are led by principal songwriter Mat Brooke, formerly of Carissa's Wierd and Band of Horses.-The Grand Archives:...
and Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats on bass and Joe Plummer
Joe Plummer
Joe Plummer is an American drummer from Portland, Oregon. Since 2004, Plummer has been a member of the indie rock band Modest Mouse and performed on their album, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank...
of Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse is an American indie rock band formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington, by singer/lyricist/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. They are based in Portland, Oregon. Since their 1996 debut album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think...
on drums". In the same interview, Mercer said the next record "is still in its very early stages" and that he's "aiming for a release early next year". Regarding the lineup change, he commented that "I started to have production ideas that basically required some other people", but that he "wouldn't say I'd never work with them again".
In a lengthy interview published in The Portland Mercury
The Portland Mercury
The Portland Mercury is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Portland, Oregon. It serves to chronicle the ever-changing Portland music scene, and generally includes interviews, commentaries, reviews, and concert dates...
, former drummer Jesse Sandoval claimed that his departure from the band was not due to "aesthetic differences", but rather that he was fired, saying, "I understand [Mercer is] probably doing it out of respect for me reading interviews, it might be hard for him to say it, but... I got fired. There's no other way of looking at it."
On July 26th, 2011, the band announced via Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
that they will soon release news about upcoming shows and new music.
On August 1, 2011 Pitchfork reported that The Shins would be releasing an album in 2012 on Mercer's Aural Apothecary Label, via Columbia Records. The Shins also announced additional tour dates for their North American tour. The new band backing Mercer on this tour include singer/songwriter Richard Swift
Richard Swift
Richard Swift was an American composer and music theorist.Richard Swift studied with Leland Smith, Grosvenor Cooper, and Leonard Meyer at the University of Chicago, where he received an MA in 1956. His career was spent teaching at the University of California, Davis, from 1956 until his retirement...
, Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse is an American indie rock band formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington, by singer/lyricist/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. They are based in Portland, Oregon. Since their 1996 debut album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think...
drummer Joe Plummer
Joe Plummer
Joe Plummer is an American drummer from Portland, Oregon. Since 2004, Plummer has been a member of the indie rock band Modest Mouse and performed on their album, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank...
, Yuuki Matthews of Crystal Skulls, and singer/songwriter Jessica Dobson.
Albums
- Oh, Inverted WorldOh, Inverted WorldOh, Inverted World is the first album by The Shins, released on June 19, 2001 to critical acclaim. Omnibus Records put out an initial run of vinyl distributed by Darla...
(Sub Pop Records, 2001) - Chutes Too NarrowChutes Too NarrowChutes Too Narrow is The Shins' 2003 follow-up to their debut album, Oh, Inverted World. The album title comes from a lyric in the song "Young Pilgrims." The album was well-received by critics, garnering an overall score of 88/100 on Metacritic...
(Sub Pop Records, 2003) #86 (U.S.) - Wincing the Night AwayWincing the Night AwayWincing the Night Away is a Grammy-nominated album by indie rock group The Shins. It was released by Sub Pop Records on January 23, 2007. It is the band's third album, and the final under their contract with Sub Pop...
(Sub Pop Records, 2007) #2 (U.S.) #2 (CAN) #5 (AUS) #16 (UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
) #44 (GERGERGER or Ger may refer to:* Great Eastern Railway, a British railway company formed in 1862* The Olympic and FIFA country code for * Great Eastern Run, a running event in Peterborough, United Kingdom* Granular endoplasmic reticulum, a cell organelle...
) #2 (Global Album Chart) #8 (IRE)
EPs / singles
- "Nature Bears a VacuumNature Bears a VacuumNature Bears a Vacuum is a 7" EP released by indie rock band The Shins. The EP was released on the Omnibus Records label in 1998. According to one reviewer , the EP is meant to be played at a different speed on each side....
" 7" (Aural Apothecary, 1998) - "When I Goose-StepWhen I Goose-Step"When I Goose-Step" is a 7" vinyl by The Shins.-Track listing:#"When I Goose-Step" - 2:25#"The Gloating Sun" - 1:42...
" 7" (Omnibus Records, 2001) - "New SlangNew Slang"New Slang" is a song by The Shins. It was released as a 7" single in 2001, and subsequently appeared on their album Oh, Inverted World. It achieved mainstream popularity after its inclusion in the soundtrack of the film Garden State and its appearance in a McDonald's television commercial...
" 7" (Sub Pop Records, 2001) - "Know Your Onion!Know Your Onion!"Know Your Onion!" is the 4th song on the album Oh, Inverted World by The Shins. It was released as the second single on June 4, 2002 on Sub Pop Records...
" (Sub Pop Records, 2002) - "So Says ISo Says ISo Says I is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, the third track of their second album Chutes Too Narrow. It was released as a single, one of three from the album, on 21 September 2003 on Sub Pop Records....
" CDEP (Sub Pop Records, 2003) - "Fighting in a SackFighting in a Sack"Fighting in a Sack" is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, and is the sixth track on their second album Chutes Too Narrow. It was released as the second of two singles from that album, with the first being "So Says I".-Track listing:...
" (Sub Pop Records, 2004) - "Phantom LimbPhantom Limb (song)"Phantom Limb" is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, and is the fourth track on their third album Wincing the Night Away. The song was also released as the first single from that album in the United States on November 14, 2006 as a digital download and a week later on CD. On January 22,...
" 7" (Sub Pop Records, 2006) - Live Session (iTunes ExclusiveITunes StoreThe iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
, 2007) - "AustraliaAustralia (The Shins song)"Australia" is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, and is the second track on their third album, Wincing the Night Away. The song was released as the second single from that album in the United Kingdom on 9 April 2007....
" 7" (Sub Pop Records, 2007) - "Turn on MeTurn on Me"Turn on Me" is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, and is the seventh track on their third album Wincing the Night Away. The song was released as the third single from that album in the UK on September 3, 2007....
" 7" (Sub Pop Records, 2007) - "Sea LegsSea Legs (song)"Sea Legs" is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, and is the fifth track on their third album Wincing the Night Away. The song was also released as the fourth single from that album in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2007 as a digital download. The 7" was limited to only 500 copies and...
" 7" (Sub Pop Records, 2007)
Singles
| Year | Song | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. Alt. |
U.K. UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | "New Slang New Slang "New Slang" is a song by The Shins. It was released as a 7" single in 2001, and subsequently appeared on their album Oh, Inverted World. It achieved mainstream popularity after its inclusion in the soundtrack of the film Garden State and its appearance in a McDonald's television commercial... " |
— | — | — | Oh, Inverted World Oh, Inverted World Oh, Inverted World is the first album by The Shins, released on June 19, 2001 to critical acclaim. Omnibus Records put out an initial run of vinyl distributed by Darla... |
| "Know Your Onion! Know Your Onion! "Know Your Onion!" is the 4th song on the album Oh, Inverted World by The Shins. It was released as the second single on June 4, 2002 on Sub Pop Records... " |
— | — | — | ||
| 2003 | "So Says I So Says I So Says I is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, the third track of their second album Chutes Too Narrow. It was released as a single, one of three from the album, on 21 September 2003 on Sub Pop Records.... " |
— | — | 73 | Chutes Too Narrow Chutes Too Narrow Chutes Too Narrow is The Shins' 2003 follow-up to their debut album, Oh, Inverted World. The album title comes from a lyric in the song "Young Pilgrims." The album was well-received by critics, garnering an overall score of 88/100 on Metacritic... |
| 2004 | "Fighting in a Sack Fighting in a Sack "Fighting in a Sack" is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, and is the sixth track on their second album Chutes Too Narrow. It was released as the second of two singles from that album, with the first being "So Says I".-Track listing:... " |
— | — | — | |
| 2006 | "Phantom Limb Phantom Limb (song) "Phantom Limb" is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, and is the fourth track on their third album Wincing the Night Away. The song was also released as the first single from that album in the United States on November 14, 2006 as a digital download and a week later on CD. On January 22,... " |
86 | 16 | 42 | Wincing the Night Away Wincing the Night Away Wincing the Night Away is a Grammy-nominated album by indie rock group The Shins. It was released by Sub Pop Records on January 23, 2007. It is the band's third album, and the final under their contract with Sub Pop... |
| 2007 | "Australia Australia (The Shins song) "Australia" is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, and is the second track on their third album, Wincing the Night Away. The song was released as the second single from that album in the United Kingdom on 9 April 2007.... " |
— | — | 62 | |
| "Turn on Me Turn on Me "Turn on Me" is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, and is the seventh track on their third album Wincing the Night Away. The song was released as the third single from that album in the UK on September 3, 2007.... " |
— | — | — | ||
| "Sea Legs Sea Legs (song) "Sea Legs" is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, and is the fifth track on their third album Wincing the Night Away. The song was also released as the fourth single from that album in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2007 as a digital download. The 7" was limited to only 500 copies and... " |
— | — | — |
Other releases as Flake or as Flake Music
- Flake "Mieke" 7" (Resin, 1993) - EP
- Flake "Spork EPSpork EP-Track listing:#"Pull Out of Your Head Size" – 4:30#"Dying Lack of Spit" – 4:19#"Totto" – 3:24#"Nuevo" – 4:03#"Dilly Dally" – 3:36#"6." – 4:19-References:1...
" 10" (Science Project, 1995) - EP - Flake / Henry's Dress split 7" (Omnibus Records, 1995) - EP
- Flake "Been There, Done That" compilation 7" w/ Scared of ChakaScared of ChakaScared Of Chaka is a punk rock band based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, which was formed in 1993 by guitarist/vocalist David Yanul Hernandez, bass guitarist Dameon Waggoner and drummer Jeff Jones. Jone was later replaced by Ron Skrasek. The band played a Dickies inspired mix of garage and...
, Bring Back Dad, Treadmill (Science Project, 1995) - EP - Flake "Music" 7" (Headhunter/Cargo, 1996) - EP
- Flake Music "When You Land Here, It's Time to Return" (Omnibus Records, 1997) - CD/LP
- Flake Music / Scared of ChakaScared of ChakaScared Of Chaka is a punk rock band based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, which was formed in 1993 by guitarist/vocalist David Yanul Hernandez, bass guitarist Dameon Waggoner and drummer Jeff Jones. Jone was later replaced by Ron Skrasek. The band played a Dickies inspired mix of garage and...
split 7" (702/Science Project, 1997) - EP - Flake Music "3, 2, 1... ACTION!" compilation 7" w/ Luxo-champ, The Rondelles, Anchorman, The Honeys (Pocket Protector Records, 1997) - EP
Compilation Appearances
- Wicker Park (Soundtrack)Wicker Park (Soundtrack)Wicker Park is the accompanying soundtrack to the 2004 film of the same name. The soundtrack is composed entirely of songs from popular rock bands, with occasional covers like Coldplay's The Scientist...
(2004 · Lakeshore RecordsLakeshore RecordsLakeshore Records is the independent music division of Lakeshore Entertainment . They started out as WILL Records.Will Records were started by Skip Williamson in the early 90s...
) song: "When I Goose-Step" [Alternative Version] - The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (soundtrack) (2004 · SireSire RecordsSire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
/Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
) song: "They'll Soon Discover" - "Causes 1" (compilationCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
) (2007 - WaxploitationWaxploitationWaxploitation was founded in 1996 by Jeff Antebi, who is still the company's creative director.Primarily a record label and artist management company, Waxploitation is best known for developing the careers of Grammy Award winning artists including Gnarls Barkley, Danger Mouse and the Grammy...
) song: "Turn On Me (Clint Mansell Remix)" - The Saturday Sessions: The Dermot O'Leary ShowThe Saturday Sessions: The Dermot O'Leary ShowThe Saturday Sessions: The Dermot O'Leary Show is a 2-disc compilation album of BBC Radio 2 popular music recordings, released in the United Kingdom in July 2007...
(2007) - "Breathe" (Pink Floyd Cover) - SCORE! Merge Records: The First 20 Years song: "Plenty Is Never Enough" (Tenement Halls cover)
- Awesome Record, Great Songs! Volume One (2008) song: Tim and Eric - "Never Gonna Wipe My Butt (featuring The Shins)"
- Yo Gabba Gabba!Yo Gabba Gabba!Yo Gabba Gabba! is an American children's television show currently airing on the Nick Jr. cable network in the United States and the Nick Jr. networks in the United Kingdom & Ireland, Italy, France and Australia as well as Treehouse TV network in Canada and RTE2 on RTEjr see Raidió Teilifís...
Music is Awesome! (2009) song: "It's Okay, Try Again" - Levi’s Pioneer Sessions: The Revival Recordings (2010) song: "Goodbye Girl" (Squeeze Cover)
Awards and nominations
- Nominated: (2008) Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music AlbumGrammy Award for Best Alternative Music AlbumThe Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums in the alternative rock genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
for Wincing the Night Away