Q&A: Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold on Day Jobs, Recording and Why He Isn’t a Prophet

Robin Pecknold will see you now ...

I had the estimable pleasure of speaking to the man behind what will surely be one of the year’s most highly acclaimed albums and, as it turns out, he didn’t seem so convinced of its greatness. Fleet Foxes main brain Robin Pecknold is humble to say the least, which is why I had to ask him how he wound up with the role of “Prophet” credited to him in the liner notes of Helplessness Blues. Read our talk to find out why that was a stupid question, and also to read the man’s thoughts on life, work, death and George Lucas.

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Review: Fleet Foxes Stretch Out, Search for Meaning on the Masterful ‘Helplessness Blues’

Fleet Foxes, "Helplessness Blues"

Though Fleet Foxes sounded wise beyond their years on 2008’s self-titled debut, Helplessness Blues finds age creeping on singer Robin Pecknold. “So now I am older than my mother and father when they had their daughter,” he sings for the album’s opening line. “Now what does that say about me?” The nature of his question says a great deal about Pecknold’s band …

It’s one of the year’s great albums, so why not read more at The A.V. Club.

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Q&A: Blitzen Trapper’s new, weird America

On it’s recent Sub Pop debut, Furr, Portland band Blitzen Trapper tows a wonderfully weird line between Pavement, Beck, Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin. In this interview, singer/songwriter Eric Earley talks plainly about ripping off Dylan, tweaking the format by adding a little Neil Young, and his more literary lyrical influences (i.e. Cormac McCarthy).

Also, the video for “Furr.”