This week saw the release of a few albums that we’ll review in the coming weeks, including the latest from the band Real Estate.  They got a lot of buzz and critical acclaim from their previous album, Days, so it’s no surprise that they’re getting the feature treatment from a lot of the rock press.  Rolling Stone has a quick interview with the band, and Pitchfork has a much more in-depth profile as well.

Real Estate as people, not property

Another group that is looking to capitalize on a breakthrough 2011 album is The War on Drugs.  Their followup to Slave Ambient will be released on March 18, but there are already features that have been published about the group.  Grantland has a good piece about the band and where they stand today, and Stereogum has an extended profile that I’ll be reading up on this weekend, probably with “Baby Missiles” on repeat.

If nostalgia is more your thing this weekend, Stereogum has you covered there as well, with an appreciative look at the 20th anniversary of Superunknown.  We’ve linked to the info on the upcoming reissue of the album, so you may have already noticed that we’re fans of the album (and of Soundgarden in general).  We may use this piece as a jumping-off point for a broader look at Soundgarden, but it does a good job of focusing on a few interesting details that some may not be familiar with, so it’s definitely worth reading at some point.

NPR has an article reporting that about five percent of the population lack the ability to feel pleasure from music.  Clearly, this is an affliction that is unfamiliar to the people both behind this site and our readers, but it’s fascinating to hear about the scientific reasons behind this condition.

And finally, here’s a cool piece talking about how Alec Ounsworth of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah went on a “living room tour” over the past few months, and I’m not sure if quotation marks are necessary, because living rooms were the exact venues where he performed.  He talks a little about the fun and logistics of the experience, and I’m excited to learn from the article that CYHSY will be releasing a new album in May.