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The Shins' Newfound Fame

The Shins.
Courtesy of the artist
The Shins.

The Shins formed in 1996 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and were a well-regarded indie band making jangling pop music. After great reviews for their 2003 album, Chutes Too Narrow, and the prominent placement of their song "New Slang" on the soundtrack to the 2004 Zack Braff movie Garden State, the Shins suddenly became a major rock act. Now, three years later, they've finally released a new album, called Wincing the Night Away.

Copyright 2022 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air.

Ken Tucker reviews rock, country, hip-hop and pop music for Fresh Air. He is a cultural critic who has been the editor-at-large at Entertainment Weekly, and a film critic for New York Magazine. His work has won two National Magazine Awards and two ASCAP-Deems Taylor Awards. He has written book reviews for The New York Times Book Review and other publications.
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