Marc Rimmer While Montreal-based pop-experimentalists Braids aren't the only rookie act present in the short list for this year's Polaris Prize, drummer Austin Tufts still marvels that his band's debut disc, 'Native Speaker,' made the grade. "It was a huge honour," the percussionist tells Spinner of the nomination. "To receive that kind of ...

Jason Merritt, FilmMagic While the Walkmen's 2010 album, 'Lisbon,' wasn't recorded in Portugal, the two vacations the group spent there a few years back certainly inspired the breezy settings singer Hamilton Leithauser laid out in his moony lyrics. Now in the early stages of plotting their next set, the sigh-inducing indie rockers, whose ...

Dare to Care Records Socalled mastermind Josh Dolgin is a magician, literally. While many know the Montreal-based musician as a dizzying Klezmer/hip-hop hybrid artist -- on top of being a rapper, producer and piano player, among other things -- the guy is just as adept at performing classic sleight of hand. For his part, he's not so sure ...

Sub Pop While electronic artist Jimmy Tamborello has received acclaim for his glitched-out work as Dntel, it's no secret the musician has seen more success in a group setting. As one half of electro-pop duo Postal Service (alongside Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard), Tamborello made a lasting impression on every 'O.C.'-obsessed indie ...

Brian Tamborello Considering the danceable late-night grooves that pop up on Dntel's two new EPs -- the aptly named 'After Parties 1' and 'After Parties 2', both available Dec. 7 -- you'd be forgiven for thinking the musician behind the project was a bit of a party animal. The beatsmith also known as Jimmy Tamborello may supply enough electronic ...