The very busy M. Ward's latest is "A Wasteland Companion" and it's on Merge Records. Made it a point to see Ward at Coachella this year where he had moments of transcendent brilliance, then turned so-so, just as we all do. He's like this pop rock guy for the new millennium on top of his game throughout this one, keeping it simple on songs such as "Primitive Girl," which will live in your head for daze much like the brief but wild speeding ticket-inducing guitar solo on "Me and My Shadow." The slow mo blues rock from the title tune will make you fan if you aren't already and besides all that, Ward is a top notch guitar player. This one will make most Year End lists.

Rock 'n' roll never starts on time, but this was really pushing it. One-time 805 local M. Ward -- now a part of that very happening Portland music scene -- was slated to do an interview with The Star to chat about the busy week he's got coming up, including gigs today and April 20 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio and on Saturday at SOhO in Santa Barbara, the latter another of those ultra-groovy Club Mercy gigs.

The interview has been in the works casually for about a month, but negotiations grew more impatient and hectic this past week. After a few weeks, Ward let it be known that it would be cool to do a weekday phoner -- but that was out because of my day job. So onto Plan B -- an email interview. Even that took a whole week, his answers not arriving in my in-box until Tuesday night. By the looks of things, Ward spent a whole five minutes (if that) on his responses -- but then again, maybe I could've asked better questions. Read more »