Merrill Garbus’s enigmatic musical experiments are released under the odd moniker tUnE-yArDs. Ink 19 caught up with tUnE-yArDs to dish on her new album, BiRd BrAiNs, out now on vinyl.

Gail Worley finds drummer Chris Pennie of Coheed & Cambria to be one rad guy.

Tim Wardyn speaks with the alt-country septet voted one of The Onion’s worst band names of the year in 2007, Or, the Whale.

Dan Donegan gives Ink 19’s Elianne Halbersberg the lowdown on Indestructible, Disturbed’s third consecutive No. 1 album, following in Metallica’s footsteps, and getting laid at concerts.

S D Green sits down (in front of a computer) and chats with (emails) White Denim bassist Steve Terebecki. What follows is a conversation about their new album Fits, opening for ABBA, and Thomas Jefferson. Kind of.

Rob Levy braves the danger and mayhem of one of the UK’s most legendary punk bands to interview Captain Sensible , guitarist and longtime member of The Damned , about a variety of topics including the new album So Who’s Paranoid?

William Weikart , the mastermind behind the band Obscured by Clouds , is one literate and surprising person. Tim Wardyn unveils Weikart’s impressive cast of influences (including Chris Cornell and Baroque music), how ex-girlfriends contributed to one of the best songs on their album Psycheclectic, and how his bandmate Thee Slayer Hippy got his name.

It’s been eight years since the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies released an album, but lead singer Steve Perry has been keeping himself quite busy. Tim Wardyn talks with Perry about their latest album Susquehanna, becoming a real daddy, and… molecular biology?

A boy called Girl Talk. A bio-engineering DJ. Rick Astley and Metallica? Gregg Gillis wholly embraces the philosophy of the “mash-up.” Reyan Ali wonders if what Girl Talk does is legal, good for the industry, or can even be considered music. So, he asked Gillis about it, point blank.

First-time author and rock-concert veteran Steve Weinberger has written perhaps the funniest overview of the mosh-pit population ever. Like a mad scientist, Weinberger categorizes and analyzes every species of concertgoer in No Air Guitar Allowed, painting them with deft satirical strokes and a surprisingly empathetic eye. Ink 19 and Weinberger discuss how he spent years of his life illustrating the differences between KISS and indie-rock fans.

Ron MacLean weaves a dream-like reality, exploring detachment and loss in his short story collection Why the Long Face?. S D Green conducts an unconventional interview with the author exploring, in part, technology’s impact on human interaction and contemporary literature. Does it work? You be the judge.

Erica Belfiore gets in a Q&A with neo-metal explorers Kayo Dot at their recent show in Jacksonville, FL. Though she didn’t discover their favorite ninja turtles, she did manage to unearth some reflections on the band’s music and the populist approach to a maudlin of the Well comeback.

There’s something in the “vatten” in Sweden. They just keep churning out these awesome, ethereal folk bands. P. McEver corners one, Fredrik , to find out just what makes them tick. Don’t be surprised if the answers include raspberries, imaginary friends, and submarines…because they do.

Word on the street (OK, biology class) is that an ant can carry up to 25 times its body weight. As beatmeister for hip-hop duo Atmosphere, Ant has been delivering truly heavy funk for over a decade. Chris Catania goes backstage to get the lowdown on Ant’s beats, rhymes, and life.

On the historic day that America elects its first African-American president, an eloquent messenger for “change,” Q-Tip releases The Renaissance. Coincidence? John-Thomas Crockett sits down with “The Abstract” prior to the outcome to discuss The Renaissance, Obama, and how he feels about Q-Tip vs. Lil Wayne.

Jen Cray discusses brainwashing, politics, war, and even a little bit of music with Rise Against drummer Brandon Barnes.

How do you dethrone the “King of Pop”? Let the current king disappear to Bahrain and get sued for $7 million by an Arab sheik; take your kaleidoscopic and playful songs to California’s Westlake Studios where Michael Jackson recorded Thriller; or simply be a boy named Pop. Pop Levi goes 2 of 3 and emerges with Never Never Love, an album shot through with the ghosts of Prince, MJ, and R. Kelly. S D Green and the musical shape-shifter talk the process of Pop.

Oneida is one of the most adventurous bands in one of the most adventurous cities: Brooklyn, New York. P. McEver catches up with drummer Kid Millions between installments one and two for a few words on performing, creating, and bodily functions.

In today’s music world, great new musicians are few and far between. Add to that a stunning sense of humor and a heart of gold and you’ll find none other than Nashville singer/songwriter Dave Barnes. Lynn Wallace talks to the musician about his new album, touring, and how he manages to be so freakin’ funny.

Shelton Hull refers to the feminist vision of the inimitable Lydia Lunch as “seminal” and lives to tell the tale.