Champion of the Noisy Negativists

Formed in 2001 as a solo vehicle for Madison, WI native Krist Krueger, moody Portland, OR-based indie rock outfit Southerly, who are often compared to the National and Tindersticks, specialize in the kind of brooding, ornate, and orchestral pop that began to blanket the rocky Pacific Northwest in the mid-2000s. Like fellow lush West Coast collectives the Decemberists and Fleet Foxes, Southerly’s approach to pop music is often conceptual, grandiose, and drenched in atmosphere. Released in 2004, the...