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KSVR Radio Show: From a Garage on a Hot Summer Day

It’s summer here in Skagit, and that means the Farmer’s Market is back, it’s time for summer house projects, the Seattle to Portland bike ride is coming up, and the days are, quite frankly, way too long. Light at 4am, light until 10pm; it makes for some early mornings and late (yeah, I’m getting old) evenings. Summer also means less time for FensePost, so bear with me/the site. Especially during the month of July.

I’m back on themed shows, and the latest follows my current obsession: lo-fi garage rock and pop. Even so, my June 14 show was filled with plenty of variety. Check out the playlist and tune in to KSVR every Friday from 10pm to midnight PST for another show!

Jeffrey Tambor: All You Need is Smiles

Stuarto, Rhonda E and I were talking about Arrested Development before the show (they’ve never seen it), so I felt I needed to enlighten them with a little song by Jeffrey Tambor (or his character Oscar Bluth).

The Aquadolls: Shalala

“Shalala” is not only the name of the song, but an adequate descriptor for the style of girl-group-pop the band creates. These ladies pull it off a hell of a lot better than the over-hyped group The Pipettes from a few years back; it has a better, raw-er edge to it thanks to some lo-fi and garage-pop traits.

Jacco Gardner: The Ballad of Little Jane

Whenever I listen to this song, I get a strong sense the Beatles were heavily channeled in its creation. I cannot yet speak to the rest of Gardner’s album, but with such a solidified sound here, I wouldn’t be surprised if it follows suit. Here’s my feature on the song from a few months back.

The Hendersons: Delilah

Like Gardner above, The Hendersons definitely channel a 60s-era pop with a light hint of The Beatles as well. In fact, both The Hendersons and Gardner both channel that band without being a total rehash better than any other artist I’ve discovered yet. Kind of surprising, given they both surfaced with new albums this year. I hear a little influence of earlier Of Montreal as well.

The Memories: Softly

The Memories have a new album coming out on Burger Records. While I didn’t have anything to play off it, I do have “Softly”, my favorite track off their self-titled LP from a few years back. Super catchy melody, fun summer pop chords, sometimes out-of-tune singing; it’s all fun.

Johnny De Courcy: Andrea’s Song

My buddy Shane Impey from We Found A Lovebird requested I play a track by Johnny De Courcy and the Death Rangers. The band released an LP toward the end of last year and and EP a year before that, but the first track they dished out via bandcamp was “Andrea’s Song”, which was my choice for the night.

King Tuff: Sun Medallion

I am SOOO obsessed with this song right now, one of a few on tonight’s playlist. “Sun Medallion” is off King Tuff’s LP Was Dead, newly reissued on Burger Records.

The Everywheres: Someone Disappeared

Tonight’s feature artist is The Everywheres, who release their new self-titled LP next week on Father/Daughter Records. “Someone Disappeared” is the first song I stumbled upon and it drew me in like wildfire; within a few minutes of the song ending its first play, I had already ordered the LP from FDR.

The Mantles: Marbled Birds

From the band that released my favorite LP of 2009, it’s The Mantles and the opening track off that LP’s follow-up, Long Enough to Leave. This album comes out on Slumberland Records next week.

The Babies: Places

A lot of my favorite bands these days have some relation to garage rock, psych rock or all the above. Cue The Babies and the B-side to their single for “Moonlight Mile”. The song is called “Places” and it’s a bit more stripped down than many you’ll find on last year’s LP, Our House on the Hill

Alex Bleeker and the Freaks: Don’t Look Down

Check out my feature on Alex Bleeker and the Freaks and their song “Don’t Look Down” off LP How Far Away.

The Sufis: Wake Up

The Sufis attracted me with their super thick garage-laden psych-pop. Last year’s self-titled LP made it effortlessly on my year-end list. “Wake Up” was the song that initially drew me in.

Maston: Messages

Check out my feature on Maston’s video for “Messages” off their Shadows LP.

Psychic Ills: Ring Finger

I’ve really fallen in love with Psychic Ills this year, thanks to their new LP One Track Mind. The other week, I broke down and picked up their 2011 LP, Hazed Dream. While not nearly as stunning as the new one, it is growing on me.

The Woolen Men: Hazel

Much like Alex Bleeker (the two share a label in Woodsist), The Woolen Men seem to fit quite nicely on their new home. Woodsist, of course, being the label that gave us Woods and Real Estate.

The Everywheres: Strangers Below the Wire

The second track from tonight’s feature band, “Strangers Below the Wire” is just as catchy and laid-back as “Someone Disappeared”. Once again, their new LP is out June 25 on Father/Daughter Records.

Campfires: Simple Things

Lo-fi folk-pop, Campfires have changed their tune a bit on their new LP, Tomorrow, Tomorrow. No longer the wildly noisy lo-fi rock they once were, the new sound is a bit softer and a bit more catchy.

Jib Kidder: New Crimes

“New Crimes” has a punch to it. Check out my feature of this stellar Jib Kidder track.

Jeremy Jay: We Were There

A bit more synth-heavy than much of his other works, Jeremy Jay’s Slow Dance opens with a familiar tune, “We Were There”. The song originally appeared as the A-side of a 7″ in 2008; Slow Dance wouldn’t come out until March of 2009. Pretty sure the track was either re-recorded or re-mastered for this LP.

Kelley Stoltz: Wave Goodbye

After listening to “Wave Goodbye” for the first time in about 6 years, I realize that I need to give Kelley Stoltz’s 2006 LP Below the Branches some more time, because damn that’s a good song!

The Men: Half Angel Half Light

Check out my review of The Men’s New Moon.

Parquet Courts: Yonder is Closer to the Heart

Check out my review earlier this year of Parquet Courts LP Light Up Gold.

Ty Segall: The Hill

Ty Segall was my favorite artist of 2012, capturing my #1 album of the year thanks to Twins. It wasn’t that Twins was my true favorite, it was that he achieved such prominence while also releasing full LPs as The Ty Segall Band (Slaughterhouse) and a joint LP with White Fence.

The Lovely Bad Things: Fried Eyes

Check out the non-LA premiere of “Fried Eyes” written by me.

The Everywheres: Easy Bells

The third and final track by The Everywheres, “Easy Bells” is a bit louder and crazier than many of their other tunes.

Flower Orgy: Our Song

I love lo-fi folk pop bands like Flower Orgy, especially when they create a song as catchy as “Our Song”. The title track off their new 7-inch on Fire Talk has the cool, laid-back feel of a mid-summer anthem.

Family Trees: Dream Talkin’

Lo-fi beachy folk-pop, “Dream Talkin'” was among my favorite 7-inch singles from a few years back. Here’s my original review of the band’s single from way back in 2010.

Teen Daze: Let’s Fall Asleep Together

Before Teen Daze spun off into a more electronic, chill-wave-influenced sound, the Vancouver B.C. artist put out a truly amazing four-song EP called Beach Dreams. “Let’s Fall Asleep Together” in particular stood out with Beach Boys-esque harmonies, dreamy vocals and a sunny-pop signature to the year it was released: 2010. To this day, the song remains, in my opinion, his best work.

Sonny and The Sunsets: Dark Corners

There’s a hint of summer haze in “Dark Corners” off Sonny & The Sunsets’ Antenna To The Afterworld that is oh so cool. The album is out on Polyvinyl Records, yet it channels its lesser-known psych-pop, garage-pop and even synth-pop contemporary greats.

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