After a week away, it was nice to be back in the studio. This week I played several folk-related tunes, a few garage-based ones, and a small handful of indie pop tracks. With the amount of indie-folk I’ve played of late, I’m thinking we’re in store for another dreamy mix and maybe even a garage rock mix in the near future.

Andi and I have been on a DIY kick of late and a recent project has been homemade laundry detergent. With the three ingredients displayed in the photo above, along with water, we won’t have to purchase detergent for a few years. How’s that for cost cutting, hipsters?

I’ve highlighted a few tracks below (i.e. the bold ones) for sampling purposes. Download and enjoy!

Here’s the playlist:

“No Retro” by Basemint off No Retro b/w Basemint Theme 7″
“The City Still” by Bears off Greater Lakes

“Late Night Bikes” by Capybara off Dave Drusky
“So Long” by Fruit Bats off Tripper
“Song of the City” by Isidore off Life Somewhere Else

“Serpents” by Sharon Van Etten off Tramp
“Shallow” by Beach Fossils off Shallow b/w Lessons 7″

“In The Yard” by Bowerbirds off The Clearing
“Squawk” by Y La Bamba off Court The Storm
“Chasing Crows” by The Horde And The Harem off A Long Midwinter

“Bigfoot Camero” by Bel Air off Fall
“Switch” by Guy Capecelatro III off North For The Winter
“Lungs, Dirt & Dreams” by Damon Moon & The Whispering Drifters off Lungs, Dirt & Dreams

“Bet You Never Thought It Would Be Like This” by The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir off I Bet You Say That To All The Boys

“Weekend” by Smith Westers off Daytrotter’s Big Orange Studios Session
“I Am The Assassin” by Dag för Dag off Boo

“Doing As I Do” by The Beets off Let The Poison Out
“Girl” by Milk Maid off Yucca
“Vizcaya” by Jacuzzi Boys off Glazin’

“When I See You Again” by Shimmering Stars off Ghosts Past EP
“Come Monday Night” by God Help The Girl off God Help The Girl

“Forgiveness” by Girls off Father, Son, Holy Ghost
“Mona Lisa” by Atlas Sound off Bedroom Databank Vol. 3
“Unfaithful” by Charles Leo Gebhardt IV off Unfaithful

I wasn’t originally planning on doing a show this evening, but decided to take my normal spot behind the microphone anyway. So the playlist didn’t begin coming together until the evening of. There was no theme, it was all variety; folk to electronic to noise rock.

If you missed it, here’s the list:

“The Crystal Cat” by Dan Deacon by Spiderman Of The Rings
“A Dark God Heart” by Sleep Party People off We Were Drifting On A Sad Song

“The Harvest” by Teen Daze off A Silent Planet
“Lately” by Memoryhouse off The Years EP

“The Organ Grinder” by The Migrant off Travels In Lowland
“Ten Sleep, WY” by Damon Moon and The Whispering Drifters off Lungs, Dirt & Dreams
“Martha Ann” by David Karsten Daniels off Fear Of Flying

“Lowtide” by O’Death off Broken Hymns, Limbs And Skin
“Blood Of Angels” by Brown Bird off Salt For Salt
“Lonely Mountain” by Paladino off Paladino

“Gold Rush” by The Horde and the Harem off Harvest EP
“Marathon Runner” by Yellow Ostrich off Strange Land
“Neighbor Crimes” by Capybara off Dave Drusky

“Promise I Won’t Laugh” by Barna Howard off Barna Howard

“Summertime Cowboy” by Husky Rescue off Country Falls
“Pariah” by Mike Wexler off Dispossession
“The Sun Is Going Down II” by Sóley off We Sink

“Enchanted Humanoid” by Steve Moore off Brainstorm

“Broken Record” by Eux Autres off Sun Is Sunk
“Hitman” by Wax Idols off No Future

“Arab Spring” by Literature off Arab Sprint
“Junebouvier” by Whirl off June

“Wait For Us” by Mind Spiders off Meltdown
“Busted Lip” by Odonis Odonis off Hollandaze
“Coma Summer” by Weekend off Sports

It finally happened. Winter arrived. Snow fell and we woke up this past Sunday with about three inches of the stuff. I’m glad it didn’t arrive earlier, as Friday saw me at KSVR for a four hour stint of music.

The first two hours flirted with folk music and the latter half was full-on garage rock, garage pop and psychedelic pop. Much of the 10 to midnight show came courtesy Finest Kiss, who posted some great 2011 lists.

Taking a week off from radio this Friday, as in appreciated for covering Stuarto’s show on the 13th he’ll be covering mine on the 20th. Here’s the list. Get ready, it’s a long one!

“Sunset Tulips” by Night Genes off Like The Blood
“What Never Comes” by Crooked Fingers off Forfeit/Fortune
“Cavern In A Square” by Ham 1 off Let’s Go On And On And On With Ham 1

“Valhalla” by Jack Wilson off S/T
“End of Days” by Brown Bird off Salt For Salt
“Can’t You Tell” by Vetiver off The Errant Charm

“My Pillow Is The Threshold” by Silver Jews off Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
“The Stations” by The Gutter Twins off Saturnalia
“Be Invited” by The Twilight Singers off Dynamite Steps

“Sixteen, Maybe Less” by Iron & Wine with Calexico off In The Reins
“Changing” by The Moondoggies off Don’t Be A Stranger

“The Wrong Light” by Kasey Anderson and The Honkeys off Heart of a Dog

“Close My Eyes” by Ólöf Arnalds off Ólöf Sings
“Smoke Will Rise” by The Lower 48 off Where All Maps End

“Wings Won’t Behave” by Whistle Peak off Half Asleep Upon Echo Falls

“Alphabet” by The Twilight Sad off No One Can Ever Know
“The Jessica Numbers” by The New Pornographers off Twin Cinema
“Yoshi Battles The Pink Robots Pt. 1″ by The Flaming Lips off Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

“Here Comes Success” by Royal City off 1999-2004
“No Reply” by Giant Sand off Chore of Enchantment
“October Boy” by Mick Harvey off Sketches from the Book of the Dead

“Dance” by Astrid Williamson off Pulse

“Moon See, Day See” by The Heligoats off Live Free & Let Loose
“Golden Friends” by Leopold And His Fiction

“Don’t Wait” by Bears off Greater Lakes
“Summer Gang” by Afternoon Naps off Summer Gang 7″

“If You Choose To Stay” by The Webelos off Shadow Seasons
“(I’ve Got) Trouble In Mind” by The Limiñanas off (I’ve Got) Trouble In Mind 7″
“Israeli Blues” by Index off Black Album + Red Album + Yesterday & Today [Disc-1]

“As Times Change” by Sea Lions off Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sea Lions But Were Afraid To Ask
“Can You Feel The Backwash” by A Classic Education off Call It Blazing
“Pretty When You Smile” by Sweater Girls off Pretty When You Smile 7″

“Pretty Ballerina” by Left Banke off There’s Gonna Be A Storm – The Complete Recordings 1966-1969
“Like Dylan in the Movies” by Belle & Sebastian off If You’re Feeling Sinister
“Conventional Lullabies” by Young And Sexy off Panic When You Find It

“Roosevelt Island” by Eleanor Friedberger off Last Summer
“Dour Percentage” by Of Montreal off Paralytics Stalks
“The Golden Age” by The Resonars off Bright And Dark

“Catamaran” by Allah-Las off Catamaran b/w Long Journey
“Malkaus” by The Panthers off Pakistan: Folk and Pop Instrumentals 1966-1976
“Where You Gonna Go” by People’s Temple off Sons Of Stone

“Invitations” by Puberty off Invitations 7″
“Shari Vari” by The Dirtbombs” off Party Store

“Tuscaloosa Bar” by Indian Wars off Walk Around The Park

“Sycamore Tree” by Crystal Stilts off In Love With Oblivion
“Raspberry Thighs” by The Mantles off Raspberry Thighs 7″
“Bad Feeling” by Veronica Falls off Veronica Falls

“Give Me Back My Man” by Boyracer off Little Darla Has A Treat For You [Vol. 24 Disc 1]
“Blowing Kisses” by Exlovers off Blowing Kisses 7″
“So High” by Ringo DeathStarr off Colour Trip

“Plastic Disaster” by Little Cuts off Plastic Disaster 7″
“I Wanna Join The Army” by Dan Sartain off Too Tough To Live

“The Start of Something” by Voxtrot off The Start Of Something

It’s hard to imagine that just a few short months ago we were enjoying sunny summer days. 2011 was my best year yet, having achieved a few milestones: four and a half years running FensePost, riding my bike from Seattle to Portland and logging over 1,000 total on those two wheels between January and December, enjoying life with the love of my life (Andi), and a few defining mindset changes that put the two of us on a path to minimalism and frugality.

All of this has led to happiness. That the year saw the release of hundreds of great songs, singles, EPs and LPs was just an added bonus.

Over the holiday, I sat down and compiled a list of my top EPs of the year. It was in advance of my Friday radio show, for that show, so the list is a bit longer than would be otherwise. I present my top 24 EPs of the 2011, two dozen extended plays of pure bliss… with a few added 7″ singles to flesh out the list.

* * * * *

24. Goethe Head Soup by Crystal Swells

Crystal Swells is a raucous post rock meets slightly sloppy garage-y punk band out of BC. Loud and fun, this band has plenty of hooks to maintain high interest. Get ready to have your face melted off; these guys are intense.

Download: “Mellow Californian

* * * * *

23. Spirit Home by Ryan Trott

Ryan Trott creates some very interesting lo-fi beach pop. As one third of the band Family Trees (and the vocal counterpart at that), it should not be surprising that his solo stuff lines up pretty well with that band. Here he produces yet another solid release.

Download: “Gentle Eyes (For Daisy)” by Ryan Trott

* * * * *

22. New Brighton by Said The Whale

The first time I heard “Sandy Bay Fishing Song”, I had to do a quick search on this band to see if the head vocalist was also a member of They Might Be Giants. This band has that vocal sound without being weird, childish, and bat-shit crazy. In fact, take TMBG vocals and put behind them clever lyrics, excellent pop-rock hooks, and you’ll have Said The Whale.

Download: “Lines” by Said The Whale

* * * * *

21. Paint The Town by David Newton & Thee Mighty Angels

With a modern twist to an 80s synth pop vibe, David Newton & Thee Mighty Angels was a bit of a surprise. Yet the songs this band creates stick with you and are thoroughly enjoyable.

Download: “Paint The Town” by David Newton & Thee Mighty Angels

* * * * *

20. Parlours EP by Parlours

Parlours is a lovely little band from Des Moines and their self-titled EP blends an earnest style of indie pop with the intimate nature of indie folk. “I Dream of Chicago” is an easy favorite, with harmony male/female vocals and a backing chorus of strings.

Listen: “I Dream Of Chicago” by Parlours

* * * * *

19. Among Friends by Suturee

Honestly, it took me quite a while to get into this five-song EP. I really enjoyed the first album the band sent me, and Among Friends should have been an instant favorite, but it wasn’t. After several listens, it finally clicked and the powerful tracks like closer “Name Remains” became eventual favorites.

Download: “Name Remains” by Suturee

* * * * *

18. Summer Demos by The Novel Ideas

For some reason, The Novel Ideas remind me of bands like The Lucksmiths and Math & Physics Club. I think it’s because they sound like they could be a US-based or southern-hemisphere based band on Matinee Records. I really enjoyed this all-too brief four-song demo EP, enough for it to come in at number 18.

Download: “On Fire” by The Novel Ideas

* * * * *

17. Take My Hand by Orca Team

From Seattle comes Orca Team, a band that creates super infectious lo-fi dance-worthy beach pop. This band has the sound of 1960s pop written all over it, and this single is a perfect example of how that sound continues to thrive. Take My Hand is the second single I’ve grabbed by these guys and gals and it’s my favorite one yet.

Listen: “Take My Hand” by Orca Team

* * * * *

16. From Silence by Exitmusic

Dreamy and mystical, Exitmusic creates songs perfect for those moments in the early morning when the light is dim and the fog is heavy. Blast any of these songs at that time of day, when the coffee is just hitting your veins, and I’d bet money that you’ll shiver in delight.

Download: “The Sea” by Exitmusic

* * * * *

15. Pink Information by The Mantles

I struggled at first with Pink Information. The Mantles’ self-titled LP was among my favorites the year it was released, and remains a mainstay in my playlist to this day; the EP just doesn’t have that same sound I fell in love with on that album. It has grown on me, though, and comes in at #16. Many will dub “Lily Never Married” as the highlight, but closing track “Waiting Out The Storm” is what does it for me.

Download: “Situations” by The Mantles

* * * * *

14. Whatever I Want by Jeff The Brotherhood

Granted, Whatever I Want is not an EP, but I decided to slip in a few singles. Employing some of the techniques from the days of 90s grunge, and taking it to a new level of epic-ness, Jeff The Brotherhood has dominated in creating excellent rock anthems over the past few years. The A-Side on this 7-inch was not on the band’s 2011 LP, which makes its appearance on this list notable.

Watch: “Whatever I Want” by Jeff the Brotherhood

* * * * *

13. An Argument With Myself by Jens Lekman

Oh, the always quirky Jens Lekman. Always a favorite, and his 2011 EP, An Argument With Myself is no exception. Not quite as poppy as the last LP, this is still more than worthy of your time and money.

Download: “An Argument With Myself” by Jens Lekman

* * * * *

12. (I’ll Beat My Chest Like) King Kong by BOAT

It’s hard not to like BOAT. The band is so fun, off-the-wall interesting and unique. Even though I’m now in my thirties and weird songs rarely find their way into my playlist, BOAT has never had a problem getting on there. I guess we all need to feel like a kid sometime, and they make it so easy and fun.

Watch: “(I’ll Beat My Chest Like) King Kong” by BOAT

* * * * *

11. Earth Division by Mogwai

Earth Division is one of two releases Mogwai gave us in 2011. I love its simplicity, it’s classical leanings, and, of course, post rock sensibilities. It begins soft with “Get To France” and continues that trend in “Hound Of Winter”, where the band adds vocals. Then “Drunk And Crazy” explodes with loud guitars. And it concludes with a song just as soft and melodic as the opening track. This is one cohesive piece of music with four movements. Brilliant!

* * * * *

10. Alabama Shakes by Alabama Shakes

Alabama Shakes have and old soul sound, one that hints of Daptone and the 60s. Of late we’re getting a lot of reissues of these records, which is great, but Alabama Shakes show that this style lives strong today.

Download: “I Found You” by Alabama Shakes

* * * * *

09. Via Flamina by Futurebirds

I’m new to Futurebirds. This is their most recent release, and one of two EPs they put out in 2011. In 2010, they gave us an LP, of which I too have not heard. But boy do I love Via Flamina! Futurebirds have easily cracked the top 10 with this one!

Download: “Wild Heart” by Futurebirds

* * * * *

08. The Years by Memoryhouse

I love the mystical dreamy nature of Memoryhouse. And that they sampled a main theme from one of my favorite films, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, for “Lately”. The Years is the band’s solid debut on Sub Pop, and I cannot wait to hear what this band has in store for us in 2012!

Download: “Quiet America” by Memoryhouse

* * * * *

07. What A Pleasure by Beach Fossils

Beach Fossils stunned with their 2010 self-titled release. What A Pleasure is their stellar follow-up and has been a mainstay in my playlist all year. The beachy, lo-fi pop music trend may have slowed this year, but I still dig it!

Download: “Calyer” by Beach Fossils

* * * * *

06. Begin Again by Charles Leo Gebhardt IV

Some music just makes you happy. To me, that’s Charles Leo Gebhardt IV. Everything about this artist makes me smile. The curled orange mustache he sported during this last EP, saying his name out loud (especially that one), but most importantly the music he creates. Begin Again is the perfect follow up to Unfaithful.

Download: “Chapel Of Roses” by Charles Leo Gebhardt IV

* * * * *

05. Warma by Darlings

Darlings have the 90s written all over them. Those heavy rock guitar riffs, hints of garage, plentiful vocal hooks, and hefty drums. I loved their debut LP, but I think Warma is even better.

* * * * *

04. Tall Cedars of Lebanon by The Lovely Sparrows

There will always be a special place in my heart for The Lovely Sparrows. Not only are they among the most friendly, humble musicians I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting, Shawn Jones and company are immensely skilled musicians and songwriters. This was proven on their earliest of EPs, followed through on their LP from a few years back, and continued in full force here.

Download: “National Monuments” by The Lovely Sparrows

* * * * *

03. Paper Crush by Letting Up Despite Great Faults

The debut LP from Letting Up Despite Great Faults should really have been much higher on my end of year list from a few years back, but it wasn’t. So I made sure to give their new EP a good listen well in advance of this year’s list. From “Sophia In Gold” to “Teenage Tide”, this EP easily deserves a top 3 spot.

Download: “Teenage Tide” by Letting Up Despite Great Faults

* * * * *

02. A Good Woman Is Hard To Find by PAPA

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the year, A Good Woman Is Hard To Find by PAPA is a collection of 5 powerfully strong tracks by a band that consists of Darren Weiss and Daniel Presant, two supporting members of the hyped up band Girls. It should be no surprise, then that the two front a project just as hype-worthy as the band they support.

Download: “Ain’t It So” by PAPA

* * * * *

01. A New Kind Of House by Typhoon

Opening track “The Honest Truth” by Typhoon comes in as #1 in my most-listened-to songs of 2011, logging nearly 200 digital plays in iTunes, at least a dozen on vinyl, and I’m sure plenty more on my iPods that were never recorded. As a whole, A New Kind Of House is a powerful folk-pop EP packed with great songwriting, supported by expert orchestration, and filled with full vocal harmony. This EP easily deserves its pedestal position.

Download: “Summer Home” by Typhoon

Stuarto Glasser, host of the All Around the World Music Show, called me up a little after 5pm Friday and asked if I could fill in for him. Thinking it would be a great way to attract a few more listeners I agreed. I headed home and put together a playlist of some of my favorite indie artists from around the world.

The first half of the list below aired as the split show: The Indie Music Show from All Around the World. I began with some lovable indie pop and transitioned into something a bit more energetic and beat-heavy. This was good, as 4 hours by myself in the booth is a bit exhausting, especially for someone with a fairly early bedtime (around 10:30pm).

“Orienteering” by Little Name off How to Swim & Live
“The Ground Falls Away” by The Zebras off New Ways of Risking Our Lives
“Smokers In Love” by The Lucksmiths off Staring At The Sky

“When Sun Falls On My Feet” by Starlet off When Sun Falls On My Feet
“Mad World” by The Snowdrops off Mad World
“A Lighthearted Lovesong” by The Pets off Love & War

“Boat Behind” by Kings of Convenience off Declaration of Dependence “Piazza New York Catcher” by Belle & Sebastian off Dear Catastrophe Waitress
“My Maudlin Career” by Camera Obscura off My Maudlin Career

“Where Have We Been?” by Acid House Kings off Music Sounds Better With You
“Slapp Inb Solen” by [ingenting] off Labrador 100 “Soviet.se” by The Lovekevins off Max Leon

“Velveteen” by Still Corners off Creatures of an Hour
“Waving Surface” by Anois off Foreign Tragedies

“Shed Like An Hour” by Snails off Shed Like An Hour b/w Daylight Ends
“Drover” by Bill Callahan off Apocalypse

“Western Hospitality” by Club 8 off The People’s Record
“Your Cover’s Blown” by Belle & Sebastian off Books
“1517″ by The Whitest Boy Alive off Rules

“Only Love Can Break Your Heart” by Saint Etienne off Foxbase Alpha
“Verdens største land” by Casiokids off Topp stemning på lokal bar
“Unessa” by Regina off Soita Mulle

“Bad Street” by Twin Sister off In Heaven
“What Became of You and I?” by Treefight for Sunlight off A Collection of Vibrations for your Skull
“Olio” by The Rapture off Echoes

“Another Heaven” by Pallers off The Sea of Memories
“Raise Me Up” by Hercules And Love Affair off Hercules And Love Affair
“Eyes Be Closed” by Washed Out off Within And Without

“Our Own Dream” by Keep Shelly In Athens
“Honey Mine (feat. Victoria Bergsman)” by Korallreven off Honey Mine 7″ Single
“Good Evening” by The Concretes off WYWH
“Who Do You Love” by Museum of Bellas Artes off Force Majeure

“New Violence” by White Williams off Smoke
“Courtship Dating” by Crystal Castles off Crystal Castles
“In Heat (Javelin Remix)” by Health off Disco2

“Guys Eyes” by Animal Collective off Merriweather Post Pavillion
“Photojournalist” by Small Black off New Chain
“Walkabout (with Noah Lennox)” by Atlas Sound off Logos

“17″ by Youth Lagoon off The Year Of Hibernation
“Natural” by Okay off Huggable Dust
“While We’re Young” by Inspired And The Sleep off Teenager

“Run Through My Hair” by Oneida off The Wedding
“The Wayward Granddaughter” by The Fiery Furnaces off Rehearsing My Choir
“I Was Never Young” by Of Montreal off The Sunlandic Twins

“The Messiah Is Falling” by Ulrich Schnauss & Mark Peters off Underrated Silence

As the days and nights get colder, and we enter full-fledged winter, it becomes more and more difficult to justify taking the BMW out. In the cold, it’s almost better to just walk. But I braved the chill and barely-working defrost on December 2, taking the car out for one last night show before the new year. It would be a good one, filled with dreamy music pretty much throughout.

Here’s the playlist. No follow-up coverage today, as I’m saving them for later this week; it’ll probably be another slow one here at FensePost as life seems to be taking over these days.

“Jungle” by Ganglians off Still Living
“Sugar” by Young Prisms off Young At Heart
“Posters” by Youth Lagoon off The Year of Hibernation

“Get To France” by Mogwai off Earth Division
“I Gaer” by Sigur Rós off Hvarf-Heim (Hvarf) [Disc 1]
“Always Awake” by Siskiyou

“Little Sister” by Grand Hallway off Winter Creatures

“Flight” by Solander off Passing Mt. Satu
“September” by Tvärvägen off Sånger från Tvärvägen

“Change of Heart” by El Perro Del Mar off Love Is Not Pop
“Love” by Daughter off The Wild Youth EP

“Beware” by Brontosaurus off Cold Comes to Claim
“Blank Page” by The Black Heart Procession off Blood Bunny / Black Rabbit

“Casual” by Here We Go Magic off Pigeons
“Plans” by Grizzly Bear off Yellow House

“No Voice Was Raised” by Castanets off First Light’s Freeze
“Here Comes The Summer” by The Fiery Furnaces off EP
“23″ by Blonde Redhead off 23

“I’ll Drown” by Sóley off We Sink
“Fall Down Slow by Sin Fang off Summer Echoes

“Sea Gull” by DOOMSTAR! off New Years Single 2011

Being sick is terrible. I’ve been fighting something nasty since Tuesday. Luckily the worst was out of the way fast — after recording a 101 degree temperature Tuesday night, the fever subsided and I’ve slowly returned to a state that’s manageable. I was still a bit stuffed up on the 25th, but by 10pm all that was left was sniffling and the occasional cough — my regular voice was back.

On November 25, I decided to do something a little different. Not only would I tell a few stories about bands I’ve seen, I’d also take advantage of the vast writings I have here on FensePost and do a few brief readings from related articles. This evening I read snippets from posts about The Dø, Paladino, Letting Up Despite Great Faults, Stars and Ah Holly Fam’ly.

Don’t forget to check out the added words about select songs at bottom.

“Desert Song” by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros off Up From Below
“Don’t Make Me A Target” by Spoon off Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
“Gotta Cheer Up” by Cotton Jones off Paranoid Cocoon

“Slippery Slope (Studio Pigalle Session)” by The Dø

“The Pan” by The Goodnight Loving off The Goodnight Loving Supper Club
“Mexicali Rainsong” by Paladino off Paladino
“Absurd Heroes Manifestos” by Arthur & Yu off In Camera

“Little Notes” by Tiny Ruins & A Singer of Songs off Little Notes
“Two Seasons” by Big Tree off This New Year
“Jephthah’s Daughter” by Ember Schrag off Jephthah’s Daughter

“Childish” by Meyercord off The Childish EP

“Sophia In Gold” by Letting Up Despite Great Faults off Paper Crush EP

“Peninsula” by Death Vessel off Nothing Is Precious Enough For Us
“November” by Y La Bamba off Lupon
“Under the Pines” by Bodies of Water off A Certain Feeling

“Warm Blood” by Seabear off We Built A Fire
“Your Ex-Lover Is Dead” by Stars off Set Yourself On Fire
“Car Wreck” by Foxwarren off Has Been Defeated

“Nails & Wood” by The Wailing Wall off Hospital Blossoms
“All Unfolding” by Ah Holly Fam’ly off Reservoir
“Lemon Tree” by Pree off Folly

Sitting comfortably in the midst of a female-fronted folk set, Big Tree’s “Two Seasons” fit right in. The song can be found on their new LP, This New Year, which came out back in October. Big Tree saturates its music with beautiful harmonies, and blends its folk sensibilities with hints of pleasant pop.

Listen: “Two Seasons” by Big Tree

The Kora Records gave us Pree’s EP, A Chopping Block, back in early 2009. They return now on Paper Garden Records with an LP called Folly. The album finds Pree continuing those unique vocal sounds and finding a comfortable style within the folk-pop genre. “Lemon Tree” was the song of the night, but it’s important to note that Folly is filled with songs just as powerful, if not more so.

Listen: “Lemon Tree” by Pree

This show began like any other, but without the transition difficulties. All was smooth. The music, on the other hand, was not. After a long, satisfying week, I was in need of some loud, abrasive rock music. But it wasn’t all like that. Due to the cold weather, I mixed in some beach pop, fuzzy dream pop and good old garage rock and pop.

Don’t forget to hit up the bottom of this post and listen to two tracks from the playlist!

“Torn Curtain” by Television off Marquee Moon
“Half Time At The Proper Name Spelling Bee” by Fishboy off Albatross

“Adversity” by Beach Fossils off What A Pleasure EP
“Out On The Highway” by Jeremy Jay off Dream Diary
“Pogo” by Eternal Summers off Pogo

“Let’s Fall Asleep Together” by Teen Daze off Beach Dreams
“Who Knows” by Bears off Who Knows (7-inch Single)
“We Can Do What We Want To” by The Blank Tapes off Home Away From Home

“Here Comes The Sunset” by Ryan Trott by Wild Wonder
“Death Rattles” by Woods off At Echo Lake
“In A While” by Beaches off Eternal Sphere

“Brat Mouth” by Hunters off Hands On Fire
“Sweet Sweet Mandi” by Bad Sports off Kings Of The Weekend
“Television Youth” by Sonic Avenues off Television Youth

“If This Is Love” by Darlings off Yeah I Know
“Prairie My Heart” by Harlem off Hippies
“Navajo” by The Black Lips off Good Bad Not Evil

“Beer League” by The Super Vacations off The Mystic Fortress Sessions Vol. 1
“Triple Eyed” by Son Of Rams off Frolics In The Pink EP
“Take My Hand” by Orca Team off Take My Hand EP

“Baby I’m Yours” by Math And Physics Club off Baby I’m Yours
“Rainy Saturday” by Brown Recluse off The Soft Skin
“No Retro” by Basemint off No Retro b/w Basemint Theme (7-inch Single)

“Within/Without” by LAKE off Giving & Receiving
“Take Me Somewhere” by Tennis off Tennis
“Strolling Past The Old Graveyard” by Gigi (feat. Karl Blau) off Maintenant

“The Velveteen Rabbit” by Patience Please off Parallel Plots
“No One Will Ever Know” by Family Trees off Dream Talkin’ (7-inch Single)

I love surprises, and The Super Vacations was just that. I returned home one day to find a lovely little 7-inch in my mailbox. The split single/EP featured two songs each by two bands. The first, I recognized: the amazing duo Eternal Summers. The second, a newbie, was The Super Vacations. “Beer League” is one of their two stellar tracks on this single.

Listen: “Beer League” by The Super Vacations

For some reason, “Brat Mouth” was the song that stuck out to me on Hunters’ new EP, Hands On Fire. This is a little strange, as listening to the entire 5-song EP, they’re all pretty damn solid. This EP is the latest offering from Aagoo Records.