© 2026 Boise State Public Radio
NPR in Idaho
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The Austin 100: Current Joys

NPR | By Stephen Thompson
Published March 1, 2018 at 4:00 AM MST
Matthew James Wilson
/
Courtesy of the artist

Hometown: Henderson, Nevada

Genre: Bedroom Pop

Why We're Excited: Nick Rattigan sings and plays drums in the surf-rock band Surf Curse, but he's been doing more and more with the solo bedroom pop songs he writes under the name Current Joys. Propelled by sinewy guitar lines and sweeping synths, songs like "Fear" — from a new, self-directed "visual album" titled A Different Age — reflect on the underbelly of modern life without resorting to self-pity.

SXSW Schedule:

  • March 14: Barracuda Backyard (611 E 7th St.)

  • March 16: Mohawk Indoor (912 Red River St.)

    • Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

    Music
    Stephen Thompson
    Stephen Thompson is a host, writer and reviewer for NPR Music and Pop Culture Happy Hour. He appears frequently on All Songs Considered and NPR newsmagazines.
    See stories by Stephen Thompson

    You make stories like this possible.

    The biggest portion of Boise State Public Radio's funding comes from readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

    Your donation today helps make our local reporting free for our entire community.

    Donate