I know the Shins well and how hard they worked on this album. Also, don’t forget that Joe Chicarelli deserves a lot of credit for helping to produce this album. The collaboration between Joe and James was exceptional. Both are musical geniuses.

The massive amount of Decemberists MP3s posted on blogs three months before the release of The Crane Wife didn’t hurt the sales at all, as it debuted in the 20s on the charts. The acclaim from internet sources boosted the sales, making it their most profitable to date.

I understand some labels have a difference of opinion, and I state at the top to e-mail me if they would like me to take something off. The kind folks at Sub Pop requested for me to do so and I complied immediately.

It’s really not a big deal.

that’s great, but maybe you should think about who made the MP3s you are posting. they’re not yours. the band and the label put a lot of work and thought into deciding which single to release and when to release them. you taking those tracks that don’t belong to you and publicly releasing them on the interwebs however you please isn’t your decision.

Many have said this is more of the same but I couldn’t disagree more. If anything it sounds similar to Oh, Inverted World but the songwriting is much more mature, complex, and achieved. Some of the songs have a hard groove which is a welcomed departure from their strictly “art indie” genre treading. But despite the growth and exploration, The Shins are still The Shins, just a new, braver, more interesting Shins. All of the poppy and summery atmospheres we have come to love are present, but with Wincing The Night Away they have evolved from being a cutesy, albiet great, indie band to just a great, solid band. My only question is why is it coming out in two and a half months when they’re sending out advance copies now? Are they waiting for “Grammy season”?

I care for quality over traffic, as I’m sure you do too over at the DIY (one of the better blogs, btw). I’m just posting two highlights off of an album with eleven tracks, and if people like what they hear, then they can use the ‘BUY’ link to purchase the album… which I highly recommend (it has grown on me as my favorite album from the band).

I understand where you’re coming from though. I just enjoy mixing up the often “obscure” artists with a few popular ones like The Shins and Of Montreal here and there because I find it enjoyable to write about music that has literally hijacked my iPod. I do this for personal enjoyment and not for traffic. As long as more than one person is reading the site, I’ll continue to do it. Anyways, keep up the good work.