Exclusive Premiere: M. Ward's "Rave On" Video

In Issue 1073 (fronted by Taylor Swift), Rolling Stone's Jenny Eliscu took a close look at how M. Ward's vintage sound has made him indie rock's go-to collaborator (his recent pairings include work with Lucinda Williams and Jenny Lewis, and he's also known as the male half of She & Him, his band with Zooey Deschanel). The 35-year-old songwriter still plays the $50 guitar he found in a pawnshop nearly 10 years ago and is opposed to using digital equipment when recording, but his new video for his Buddy Holly cover "Rave On" features some fancy — but still charming — animation. Click above to watch the Mike Please-directed clip, and keep reading for Ward's updated tour dates.

April 17 - Indio, CA @ Coachella
April 18 - Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
April 19 - Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
April 20 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
April 22 - Tulsa, OK @ Cain's Ballroom
April 23 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
April 24 - Milwaukee, WIK @ Pabst Theater
April 25 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
April 26 - Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
April 27 - Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix Theatre
April 28 - Montreal, QC @ Le National
May 16 - Oakland, CA @ Fox Theatre
May 18 - Visalia, CA @ Fox Theatre
May 22 - Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theater
May 23 - George, WA @ Sasquatch Music Festival
July 23 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Twilight Concert Series*
July 27 - Athens, GA @ 40 Watt
July 28 - Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom
July 30 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
August 1 - New York, NY @ Summerstage*

*FREE to the public

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

More Song Stories entries »

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