http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.43306&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rssIt would be nice to think that the Shins just exploded into the indie rock world back in 2001, arriving out of nowhere and inspiring immediate devotion from those who like their pop charged with smarts. Truth is, the roots of the band stretch back nearly five years earlier, when singer/lyricist James Mercer had the band Flake in New Mexico. Flake begat Flake Music. Flake Music did an album, toured and basically embodied the sound of an indie rock band struggling, but to their credit doing much more than that, by creating slighty spiky, melodic pop. The key factor in the story came when James Mercer decided he wanted to do his own project, his own songs, either for his own solo album or under the unlikely name of the Shins. He goes for the Shins. His compatriots in Flake Music heard the new songs, jumped ship and suddenly everyone is a Shin. The songs were recorded and ended up over at Sub Pop, and the next thing you know, the Shins are touring and eeking their way into the indie rock subconscious, helping Sub Pop sell more records than they have in years. As for the music: you can't hear "New Slang" and not think it's a good song. It's just impossible. The group's other songs walk that much-coveted line between familiarity and originality. There's a little bit of Kinks, a little bit of Beach Boys, some Echo & The Bunnymen, but it's truly nothing like any of those. It's book-smart pop that doesn't try to be too witty; it just wants to be part of the musical landscape for maybe a few minutes, maybe more. Through this, they've become romanticized and even imitated. A success story, to say the least, further cemented with a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album for 2007's <i>Wincing The Night Away</i>. - Jon PruettBaroque Popen720Fri, 4 Dec 2009 13:49:40 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.43306&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss It would be nice to think that the Shins just exploded into the indie rock world back in 2001, arriving out of nowhere and inspiring immediate devotion from those who like their pop charged with smarts. Truth is, the roots of the band stretch back nearly five years earlier, when singer/lyricist James Mercer had the band Flake in New Mexico. Flake begat Flake Music. Flake Music did an album, toured and basically embodied the sound of an indie rock band struggling, but to their credit doing much more than that, by creating slighty spiky, melodic pop. The key factor in the story came when James Mercer decided he wanted to do his own project, his own songs, either for his own solo album or under the unlikely name of the Shins. He goes for the Shins. His compatriots in Flake Music heard the new songs, jumped ship and suddenly everyone is a Shin. The songs were recorded and ended up over at Sub Pop, and the next thing you know, the Shins are touring and eeking their way into the indie rock subconscious, helping Sub Pop sell more records than they have in years. As for the music: you can't hear "New Slang" and not think it's a good song. It's just impossible. The group's other songs walk that much-coveted line between familiarity and originality. There's a little bit of Kinks, a little bit of Beach Boys, some Echo & The Bunnymen, but it's truly nothing like any of those. It's book-smart pop that doesn't try to be too witty; it just wants to be part of the musical landscape for maybe a few minutes, maybe more. Through this, they've become romanticized and even imitated. A success story, to say the least, further cemented with a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album for 2007's <i>Wincing The Night Away</i>. - Jon Pruett http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.14477512&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss Baroque Pop Tue, 10 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700 The Shins Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.14477512 alb.14477512 The Shins art.43306 0.99 Live at Austin City Limits Music Festival 2006: The Shins alb.14477512 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/1/1/9/0/1020911_170x170.jpg 2007-04-10 00:00:00.0 2007-11-07 00:00:00.0 true false single http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.14477512&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.14477512&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13580531&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss Baroque Pop Sat, 26 Feb 0007 00:00:00 -0800 The Shins Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.13580531 alb.13580531 The Shins art.43306 0.0 The Shins: The Rhapsody Interview alb.13580531 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/0/3/4/984306_170x170.jpg 0007-02-26 00:00:00.0 2007-02-25 00:00:00.0 true false other http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13580531&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13580531&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13135057&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss Baroque Pop Tue, 23 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800 The Shins Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.13135057 alb.13135057 The Shins art.43306 9.99 Wincing The Night Away alb.13135057 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/2/7/9/6/1286972_170x170.jpg 2007-01-23 00:00:00.0 2007-01-23 00:00:00.0 true false main-release http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13135057&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13135057&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13023865&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss Baroque Pop Tue, 16 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800 The Shins Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.13023865 alb.13023865 The Shins art.43306 1.99 Phantom Limb alb.13023865 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/9/0/6/6/1286609_170x170.jpg 2007-01-16 00:00:00.0 2007-01-16 00:00:00.0 true false single http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13023865&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.13023865&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.8684598&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss Baroque Pop Tue, 8 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800 The Shins Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.8684598 alb.8684598 The Shins art.43306 9.99 Chutes Too Narrow alb.8684598 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/4/7/0/1270740_170x170.jpg 2005-11-08 00:00:00.0 2003-10-21 00:00:00.0 true false main-release http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.8684598&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.8684598&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.17839847&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss Baroque Pop Tue, 1 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 The Shins Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.17839847 alb.17839847 The Shins art.43306 2.99 So Says I alb.17839847 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/3/3/8/7/1277833_170x170.jpg 2008-01-01 00:00:00.0 2003-09-30 00:00:00.0 true false single http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.17839847&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.17839847&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.8684595&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss Baroque Pop Tue, 8 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800 The Shins Discography on Rhapsody Online alb.8684595 alb.8684595 The Shins art.43306 9.99 Oh, Inverted World alb.8684595 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/9/6/4/8/1298469_170x170.jpg 2005-11-08 00:00:00.0 2001-06-19 00:00:00.0 true false main-release http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.8684595&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=alb.8684595&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-shins%2Fdiscography.rss