ETHEL + Robert Mirabal: Tuvan Ride

Genre-crossing string quartet ETHEL’s latest endeavor is a new studio album with their regular collaborator, native American musician Robert Mirabal. Merging classical with the sacred and spiritual, The River releases 24 June via Innova Recordings—get a sampling with this recording session of “Tuvan Ride” at Mirabal’s home on the Taos Pueblo, in New Mexico. Strings bounce along with Mirabal’s piercing, birdlike flute as well as …

America’s Vanishing Rest Stops

Photographer Ryann Ford captures the eerie beauty of the primitive picnic table and shade set-up

The rest stop is a man-made oasis. Some are fancier—WiFi is now offered at many, along with various fast food and gas options—but the primitive set-up of a bench and shade (and sometimes a random barbecue pit) can bring tears to the eyes after a hundred-mile stretch on the interstate. It’s the latter that caught the attention of Austin-based photographer Ryann Ford—beginning with an unusual …

The Strokes: Drag Queen

In a surprise move last week, NYC indie-rockers The Strokes dropped not one but all three songs off their brand new Future Present Past EP—at roughly the same time via three different radio shows. Each track pushes the band’s signature sound in new directions but “Drag Queen” jostles and jangles along with such force it warrants further attention. There’s definitely an essence of Joy Division …