Mac McCaughanRalph Lee "Mac" McCaughan (; born July 12, 1967) is an American musician and record label owner, based in North Carolina. His main musical projects have been Superchunk since 1989, and Portastatic since the early 1990s. In 1989 he founded the independent record label Merge Records with Superchunk bandmate Laura Ballance. Musical historyAs a child, McCaughan adored the classic rock of bands such as AC/DC and the Rolling Stones.Laura BallanceLaura Jane Ballance (born February 22, 1968) is the bassist in the rockbandSuperchunk (also contributing occasional backing vocals) and co-founder of Merge Records along with Mac McCaughan. In 2013 she announced that she would no longer be touring with the band due to her worsening hyperacusis. Musical historyDespite her hyperacusis and announcement that she will no longer be touring with the band, she has remained in Superchunk since 1989.Independent record labelType of record label This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources.
SuperchunkSuperchunk is an American indie rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Formed in 1989, they were one of the bands that helped define the Chapel Hill music scene of the 1990s and were at the forefront of the indie rock scene at the time. The band's lineup consists of singer-guitarist Mac McCaughan, guitarist Jim Wilbur, bassist Laura Ballance, and drummer Laura King. They are known for their energetic, high-velocity style and strong DIY ethic.
Camera Obscura (band)Camera Obscura are a Scottish indie pop band from Glasgow. The group formed in 1996, and have released six studio albums to date. Led by primary singer and songwriter Tracyanne Campbell, the band consists of guitarist/vocalist Kenny McKeeve, bassist Gavin Dunbar, and drummer Lee Thomson. Following the death of long-serving keyboardist Carey Lander, the band went on hiatus from 2015 to 2018.
Neutral Milk HotelNeutral Milk Hotel was an American band formed by Jeff Mangum in Ruston, Louisiana, in the late 1980s. They were active until 1998, and then from 2013 to 2015. The band's music featured a deliberately low-quality sound, influenced by indie rock and psychedelic folk. Mangum wrote surreal and opaque lyrics that covered a wide range of topics, including love, spirituality, nostalgia, sex, and loneliness.
The Magnetic FieldsThe Magnetic Fields are an American band founded and led by Stephin Merritt. Merritt is the group's primary songwriter, producer, and vocalist, as well as frequent multi-instrumentalist. The band is named after the André Breton/Philippe Soupault novel Les Champs Magnétiques. The band released their debut single "100,000 Fireflies" in 1991.
The SuburbsSingles from The Suburbs "The Suburbs"/"Month of May"Released: 2010"We Used to Wait"Released: 2010"Ready to Start"Released: 2010"City with No Children"Released: 2011"Speaking in Tongues"Released: 2011"Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)"Released: 2012The Suburbs is the third studio album by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire, released on August 3, 2010, by Merge Records.
North CarolinaNorth Carolina ( KAYR-ə-LIE-nə) is a state in the Southeastern and South Atlantic regions of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia to the southwest, and Tennessee to the west. The state is the 28th-largest and ninth-most populous of the United States. Along with South Carolina, it makes up the Carolinas region of the East Coast.
Billboard (magazine)Billboard (stylized in lowercase since 2013) is a Manhattan-based multinational music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The publication group and miscellaneous media corporation provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events and styles related to the music industry.
SeattleCity in Washington, United StatesCity in Washington, United StatesSeattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It is the 18th-most populous city in the United States with a population of 784,777 in 2025, while the Seattle metropolitan area at over 4.15 million residents is the 15th-most populous metropolitan area in the nation.
Durham, North CarolinaDurham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, being the county seat of Durham County, with outskirts of the city limits also extending into Orange County and Wake County. Durham is the 4th-most populous city in North Carolina and 70th-most populous city in the United States with a population of 283,506 at the 2020 census.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.