Over the past 20 years, The New Pornographers have proven themselves one of the most excellent bands in indie rock. They’ve constantly offered new sonic surprises with every album, and ‘Continue as a Guest’ is their greatest leap to date. The group’s ninth album and first for Merge establishes them alongside modern luminaries like Yo La Tengo and Superchunk when it comes to their ability to evolve while still retaining what made them so special in the first place. The critically acclaimed supergroup will be touring in support of the new record while also playing a plethora of favorite tunes from across their expansive catalog.

There’s an obvious chemistry emanating throughout Finom’s (formerly known as Ohmme) music that’s so tangible it can only come from a decades-spanning friendship. Songwriters Sima Cunnningham and Macie Stewart formed their unbreakable bond performing throughout the fringes of Chicago’s many interlocking communities, collaborating with titans from the city’s indie rock, hip-hop, and improvised worlds. But together they’ve stretched the boundaries of what guitar music can do. Finom formed as an outlet for Cunningham and Stewart to explore an unconventional approach to their instruments. “That’s the whole genesis of the band: us walking up to our guitars and saying, ‘how can we make this noisemaker do something different?’”