Sub Pop’s folk, however, isn’t a collection of campfire classic retreads. The Shins, of Albuquerque, N.M., have rock roots. But they’ve sold about 100,000 copies of 2001’s “Oh, Inverted World” with a centerpiece tune, “New Slang,” that’s more of a modern Simon & Garfunkel than Soundgarden. Sam Beam, who records as Iron & Wine, couldn’t be less of a rock star: he teaches at Miami International University of Art & Design; recorded the anthemic Southern songs on last year’s “The Creek Drank the Cradle” “on his computer in his closet, basically,” says Poneman; and apparently sleeps on a pillow with little stars.
His vibe is low key enough that when he and Shins singer James Mercer toured recently, they were getting golf claps–a far cry from the elbow-tossing evenings in the mosh pits. “It was a little intimidating–the silence,” e-mails Mercer. “Like having all the kids on a playground stand silent and focus on one kid.” A tad awkward? Yeah, but you don’t get great music from people who don’t feel a bit alienated. It’s just that there’s less yelling about it on Sub Pop these days.
