As my personal evolution into the alternative scene continued to expand over my teenage years, I happened to find a small little movie called Garden State. In this movie, Sam (played by Natalie Portman) hands over her headphones to Andrew (played by Zac Braff), and tells him that “this song will change your life.” The song was The Shins’ “New Slang,” and effectively helped change my musical listenings. This was the first time that I had ever heard of the band – so in retrospect – it seems like Natalie Portman introduced me to them. [Read more...]