Was the last *new* Cover Art really from the holiday season? Boy does time fly. Well, I received this nice slab of vinyl in the mail the other day and I couldn’t help it. The camera came out and that led to this: the first Cover Art piece we’ve done in more than six months. The band is Charles The Osprey and the album is their latest, Consider, out now on Friction Records. And on green vinyl at that!

Encased in a cardboard gatefold sleeve, possibly recycled (a statement based solely on visible analysis only), and including an illustrated design that features only black ink, Consider is among the cooler pieces of vinyl acquired this year. An interesting aside about this band, as noted in the press release:

After a show early into the band’s tenure as kings of instrumental math-rock in their hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, they found a note on a bar table written by a woman who “really enjoyed your obvious LACK of musical talent” (her emphasis). “It also really helps to play your bad music really, really loud. Give me a call sometime.” The document was featured on the popular website Passive Aggressive Notes and later in a book published by the site’s creators.

However they sounded at the time, they’ve probably come a long way. Consider sounds pretty decent to me, and after a few spins on your turntable I wouldn’t be surprised if you arrive at a similar conclusion.

Download: “Scimitar Children And Their Rugs” by Charles The Osprey

Another Cover Art piece transferred over from that site, this time covering three out of print singles by one of the greatest Australian bands to ever exist — The Lucksmiths. The band may no longer be together, but their music stands just as strong as it did one the day it was released, be it from their humble beginnings in the early 1990s to their final release just a year or so ago. Here’s the original post:

Matinée Recordings recently sent out one of their occasional newsletters, and it included a note that immediately caught my attention. In the cleaning out of their storage room, they found a box or so of old deleted singles, items that until then were thought to be out of print. This news applied to artists like Harper Lee, The Fairways, and, one of my favorites, The Lucksmiths.

Of course, I couldn’t help but indulge a bit. Here are a few snapshots from the “dig.”

The list, chronologically:
Untidy Towns [1998]
Southernmost [1999]
T-Shirt Weather [2001]

If you dig Australian indie pop, obviously influenced by the twee movement and (no surprise) The Smiths, this band is for you!

Last week I featured Air Waves’ song “Keys” in the third installment of the FensePost Podcast and I made reference to this post. You see, a while back I created a little page called Cover Art and I did it outside of FensePost. Ultimately this site is the one that dominates my time, and I found it more cumbersome than anything else to update two music blogs on a regular basis. So I combined them and began transferring a few of the posts over. I didn’t realize that this one had not yet made the transition, as it’s been a solid six months since the last. Here’s the original post.

Air Waves‘ style of sunny California surf beach pop is fit for the creation of authentic packaging. Their acoustic sounds fit well with the fancy recycled paper, used as a 7″ single-worthy folded slip encasement. Add to that the simplicity of the CD itself, and brilliance ensues. It’s an indication of true creativity and modern indie affluence; to produce outstanding work in multiple formats. Air Waves is a prime example of why I started Cover Art.

That being said, I have two brand new Cover Art posts ready to go live and they will in the coming weeks. These will be the first new posts in at least six months, and I’m excited to revitalize this once dormant category. Hope you enjoy!

Download: “Keys” by Air Waves

On a recent drive to Seattle from my new hometown of Mount Vernon, I picked up my iPod Touch and changed the song to Royal City’s “Bad Luck”, putting it on a one-song repeat. The song clocks 3:04 and is only the palest shade less impressive than album opener “Here Comes Success”. Both songs are absolutely stunning, blending a gritty folk-rock with freak-folk and noise.

1999-2004 encompasses the years Royal City spent together, packing within its unique cover casing twelve songs. Being a rather new fan of Royal City is a bittersweet experience; it’s exciting to hear and discover such great tunes but unfortunate I will never have the chance to see the group in a live setting. From the mind-blowing noise-infused folk in the previously mentioned tracks to the minimal folk of “Can’t You Hear Me Calling” and “A Belly Was Made For Wine”, Royal City is truly a must-hear band.

The packaging for this release is unique, with thick front and back covers and a strong but thin black binding. It works well with the minimalist approach, featuring only the barest of exterior labeling in a beautifully scripted font. Add the great music within, and 1999-2004 is perfect for fans of the physical release.

1999-2004 by Royal City is out now on Asthmatic Kitty.

Royal City: A Belly Was Made For Wine [mp3]

Royal City: Can’t You Hear Me Calling [mp3]

“Mykonos” was the most noteworthy song off Fleet Foxes‘ debut Sub Pop EP Sun Giant, and now they give it the single-worthy nod of recognition it deserved at the time by releasing it on 7-inch vinyl.

The sleeve is unique for the format: a gate-fold keeps the record nice and cozy amidst distinct art that fits well with the song and the band. The b-side is “False Knight On The Road”.

Fleet Foxes have literally taken the nation by storm, having already triumphed the Seattle area. They quickly followed Sun Giant with their self-titled debut LP, one of the greatest albums of 2008.

Fleet Foxes: Mykonos [mp3]

One never gets the impression that Erlend Oye will ever top the releases from his past, namely that from the duo Kings Of Convenience. But with each subsequent release, first under his own name and now under the moniker The Whitest Boy Alive, he always seems to deliver. And while Rules took a few listens to catch on, it is no exception.

The stark contract of black-and-white art makes this album creative worthy; the booklet features an array of word-association drawings that beg to be pondered. It is fairly similar to the group’s 2006 release, Dreams, but the booklet is unique. The art is by Geoff McFetridge, who also did Dreams.

Seattle’s TacocaT brings back the riot grrrl sound full force while channeling a substantial Bratmobile sound, as correctly noted to me by Finest Kiss. In my opinion, there’s even a little punked-up B-52s sound in there. Their debut LP, Shame Spiral is out now on Don’t Stop Believin’ Records, the label responsible for giving us releases by See Me River, The Pharmacy and Your Heart Breaks.

What makes Shame Spiral cool is the art on the cover and slip, as well as the lyric sheet. These are fairly standard pieces, when it comes to the realm of covers, but this one is special because it fits so well with the music. TacocaT really expands upon the sarcasm, the palindrome with the capitalization of both T’s, and the fun artwork. Yes, it all fits well with the highly upbeat songs backed by distorted guitars, boisterous percussion, and bubblegum lyrics.

This is, undoubtedly, the most metal side of Death Cab For Cutie you will ever see. Released around the turn of the century puts this unique 7-inch closer to the group’s beginning than today, and was pre-dated (in Barsuk standards) only by Something About Airplanes, though the single was released in March 2000 to coincide with the release of We Have The Facts And We’re Voting Yes.

The long hair and grungy metal look is almost appropriate for the series this single appears in — Death Cab is much mellower than your typical Sub Pop Singles Club artist. The Sub Pop Singles Club has long been a mainstay for fans of some of the greatest up-and-coming acts in the independent scene (In other words, you’ll definitely be seeing more from the Singles Club on Cover Art, from its early days in the 90s to the third installment championing Sub Pop’s 20th anniversary).

Here, the group delivers two well-known tracks from their early days: “Underwater” and “Army Corps Of Architects”. The B-Side, “Army Corps Of Architects”, was originally released on You Can Play These Songs With Chords, released via Elsinor Records as a cassette in 1997.

Long a favorite, this split single wasn’t released until after Bunkbed‘s Keith Krate had passed away. The 7-inch features two songs, one which finds Xiu Xiu covering Bunkbed, and vice versa. “Fallen Angel II” is a Xiu Xiu original re-crafted by Bunkbed; it is one of the most moving and touching melodies one can have the honor of hearing.

The sleeve is cropped short, displaying the clear-green vinyl that otherwise would have been hidden. Everything is perfect — the color, the texture of the paper, the pristine vinyl. It is no surprise this Turn Records 7″ single is long out of print.

Unfortunately, to my knowledge, no tracks from this release are cleared to post, but you can hear both Xiu Xiu’s version of “Fake Soul” and Bunkbed’s take on “Fallen Angel II” on Last.FM.

Rare is it that you see formats outside the standard compact disc or even cherished wax vinyl. But cassettes seem to be popping up more and more as a cool retro item. With vinyl’s popularity, it seems this is the only place to go – reel to reel is out for obvious reasons, as is the 8-track. So that leaves cassette, a vestige in the vintage, a gleam of retro hope. Which brings us to today and Hometapes.

Here it is, a cassette from Hometapes, a little label whose name screams the outdated format. It’s a neat little holiday sampler from the folks that scattered their artists throughout my Best of 2009 list, including Bear In Heaven, Slaraffenland, and Megafaun.

Regarding this outdated format, could this really be the new vinyl? Sure, the experience isn’t quite as warm and welcoming as that of vinyl, but a return of the cassette would sure give the whole mix-tape thing a revitalization. And it would be that much better if it came with a digital copy (like this one), as now nearly standard with vinyl releases.

This little Hometapes sampler features non-exclusive tracks from select bands that released albums on the label in 2009 including the aforementioned, as well as All Tiny Creatures and CYNE. Here are a couple tracks from the sampler:

Megafaun: The Fade [mp3]

CYNE: Pretty Apollo [mp3]

I’ve been contemplating this for some time, and I think it has finally come down to a simple fact: doing a Cover Art post each week has proven quite difficult. So, to lighten the load, I’m going to re-post each item here and thus form a new column here for all future Cover Art posts. The original page will remain, but all Cover Art posts will also find a home here. We will begin with my favorite compilation from 2009: The Hydeaway CD Newsletter Issue #1.

It seems fitting to begin Cover Art (again) with The Hydeaway CD Newsletter: Issue No. 1 Winter 2009. The compilation is dedicated to promoting awareness of an all-ages art space in Edmonton called The Hydeaway. That the album highlights some of the most promising budding artists out of Edmonton is almost secondary to the artistic and unique packaging in which the album resides (this issue featuring budding Edmonton artist Andrew Benson). And like the photographs and drawings within, the music is diverse, ranging from indie-pop to wild experimental noise.

The music is available for free from The Hydeaway website, but it’s just not the same without the physical release — it can also be purchased in physical form by visiting the site.

Blind Tiger, Tiger: 1950 AD [mp3]

Cecil Frena: O Sacred Dandruff [mp3]

Geoff Hawryluk: Come Autumn [mp3]