London’s finest breath of fresh air has returned to us once again.  And on his third outing, The Nearest Door, the lovely Robin Grey gets even more personal than we have heard in the past.  He has many a tale and lament to tell and confess.  With his distinctively English vocals, and beautiful interpretations of earth, sea, and love, this folk hero soars to his greatest heights even succeeding beyond his sophomore release Strangers With Shoes.  Which I will admit, seemed to be impossible.

Let’s just get this out of the way right now, if you ever use the line “you’re the sugar to my tea”, you should be getting laid.  Portland based singer/songwriter Shawn Lawson Freeman definitely knows this.  And when you sing and play guitar in the fashion of Sting or Justin Nozuka, yet have a real depth to your style that comes off more like Neil Young or a happy-go-lucky Elliott Smith, you may have created a “winning” combination.  And on Freeman’s latest project under the surfer friendly pseudonym, Beneath Wind and …

Orca Team is Seattle’s answer to twee-ish post-punk beach pop, and they prove it with their new HHBTM Records 7-inch single. Title track “Take My Hand” is packed with a 60s-pop bass, a jangly guitar, reverb-soaked vocals, and hefty stomping drums with plenty of cymbal rides.

First hearing “Endless Summer” a few months back, it may have been slightly difficult to understand what Sub Pop saw in their new signee, Still Corners. Granted, the song is very good, but it alone fails to demonstrate the sheer power this band holds. That power is conveyed throughout Still Corners’ debut Sub Pop LP, Creatures of an Hour.

There’s nothing like the joy felt in realizing an artist sounds just as good live as they do on a studio album. Such is the case for Danish band Figurines. Still in the wake of their 2010 self-titled release, the guys are back with a fully charged live recording of a recent show at Vega, Copenhagen.
A specific, dynamic, and energetic performance it’s obvious the band believes in their music, a confidence that makes the five live recordings a nice supplement to the band’s previous albums. With sultry vocals, …

Six years is how long it has been since we’ve heard anything from coastal rural California band Built Like Alaska gave us their sophomore release Autumnland. In that time, the band has had plenty of member changes, recreating — in a way — their identity.
In Troubled Times… is Built Like Alaska’s third release and it finds the band rejuvenated and focused on creating an album packed with pop greatness occasionally thwarted by rock ferociousness.
Built Like Alaska did the same to a point on Autumnland, developing …

There are very few certainties in life. With the economy in a downfall, natural disasters coming from all angles, and the earth slowly warming, it is very easy to become weary about any sort of regularity in this world. But, there is are two certainties you can always count on: 1) you are going to get older and 2) Blitzen Trapper is going to release an album that just gets better and better. Both of these have inevitably happened this year. And however you feel about …

Eclectic pop music and Portland seem to go together like coffee, cigarettes, and Sartre. The branding itself really seems like a rationalization by critics, press gurus, and bloggers alike who can’t seem to fit an artist into a category. And this is probably where an act like the Portland (and the rest of Oregon) based John Craig & The Weekend come into play. And it is suffice to say that this is truly a wonderful characteristic by nature. Versatility is a virtue that should be exploited …

You might remember a piece about folk artists Shiny and the Spoon we ran in April of last year. With more than a year having passed and a new autumn season upon us I am excited to once again have the opportunity to write about the duo’s latest album Ferris Wheel.

Clarity is an odd thing. Subjective and open to interpretation. There is clarity behind the vocals of Denise Nouvion, contrasting the dream-like nature of Evan Abeele’s compositions. Together they make up Memoryhouse, and next month they will release The Years EP courtesy Sub Pop Records.
The Years EP is a collection of five beautifully produced song, lucid yet evasive of reality. From opening track “Sleep Patterns”, the listener is treated to a hypnotic set of songs that filter life through a translucent haze.
The EP builds …