Grannies Rock

Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger of the Fiery Furnaces released their second album of the year, Rehearsing My Choir, on October 25. It's a concept album based on the life of their 83-year-old grandmother, Olga Santos. She shares narration duties with Eleanor. The liner notes say the disc was mixed in San Diego at Singing Serpent, Rafter Roberts's label.

The Friedbergers (who, unlike the White Stripes, really are brother and sister) have a reputation in the music industry because of their frequent disagreements and fights. When I saw the Chicagoans at the Troubadour in Los Angeles in September, Matthew called out the sound guy mid-song. "Turn my fucking monitor back on," he said, and stared at him the rest of the show.

"They are difficult to work with, but that's only because Matt has a restless mind," Roberts said. "He's constantly changing, revising, [and] re-envisioning things so nothing is ever safe, which I think is a great way to work. They were nothing but sweet people to me, but I'm sure that they're a bit hard on each other sometimes."