To me, it wouldn’t make sense for someone completely obsessed with modern indie pop to not enjoy a good Morressey song. And to dislike The Smiths would appear downright fallacious. Now I missed last year’s LP, but I did catch Ringleader Of The Tormentors, and while I didn’t think it held the sway of Moz’s early stuff, it was a more than viable collection of songs. “Gangland” wasn’t on the album, but it did get cast as the b-side to “The Youngest Was The Most Loved” — one of the many standout tracks on Tormentors.

The black-and-white video finds The Moz strolling down dark streets and waltzing through a cemetery. He coos: Ganglord, the clock on the wall makes a joke of us all, emphasizing the inevitable short lifespan of the modern gang member. The video is simple but effective, emotive and depressingly upbeat in the standard Morrissey way. “Gangland” is definitely worth a viewing or two, and if you can find a copy of The Youngest Was The Most Loved single, that would be worth it too.

What in the hell has happened to alternative pop music? There was a time when sweet guitar riffs and soft-spoken lyrics reigned supreme. Even misery was an exciting topic when a cat like Dave Pirner would spill his guts on a record about runaway trains and frustration as a business plot. The anger of today may have substantially seeped into pop music, but not in every case. Definitely not in the UK’s rising pop stars Noise Annoys Simon. These guys bring back the glory days in a wonderful fashion with their debut album You Say It, I’ll Know It.

This is an album that brings back so many of the fundamentals that used to be necessities in alternative pop. An acoustic guitar that leads into a rip-roaring jam session would be one of them. “Speed Up Let’s Go” could almost be missed between the highlight singles “Pear Drop Sweetness” and “Hay Bales and Vapor Trails”, but it really shouldn’t be. When it comes to the catchy hook, spontaneous innuendos, and 3-minutes of frenzied storytelling, it is the track to know. “All Her Beauty” is another fast tempo highlight of You Say It, I’ll Know It that you’d better not sleep on.

Noise Annoys Simon might very well be a group of elitists when it comes to power pop. They hold all the essentials to create beautiful and contemplative tracks that are free from unnecessary obscurity. On You Say It, I’ll Know It, they sticks to the basic sentiments and rid themselves of hysteria. This is the type of music that makes 11-year-old tikes find their uncle’s old guitar in the basement and take the Greyhound bus to Pop Town. This album is truly influential on so many levels without really trying too hard.

Download: “Speed Up Let’s Go” by Noise Annoys Simon

Download: “All Her Beauty” by Noise Annoys Simon

Pop Noise Records [CD, 2010]

1. Peardrop Sweetness
2. Speed Up Let’s Go
3. Posta Mistress Fantasies
4. Haybales and Vapor Trails
5. Only Being Real
6. All Her Beauty
7. Heart Shape Sky
8. Hanging Rock Climber
9. Just Let Me In
10. Worse Things Happen
11. Trendy Shoe Girl
12. Let Me Escape

Tonight I hit the kitchen to compile the second FensePost podcast, or FenseCast, while cooking up one of my signature dishes: spicy steak enchiladas with homemade sauce. For desert, a delicious slice of gluten free cake courtesy Andi (the girlfriend), whose cake photo you can see in this post. Unlike the first podcast, this one had a range of bands that stemmed into several genres rather than focusing on garage rock and pop. Within I reminisce on one of my favorite bands of all time, occasionally hover around bedroom pop, and pass along one imperative ingredient in my homemade enchilada sauce.

Download: FenseCast Volume #1 Issue #2: Cooking With Fense

Here’s the track list:

1. “All For Me” by Furcast from Together EP
2. “Western Hospitality” by Club 8 from The People’s Record
3. “Elinor With The Golden Hair” by Grand Hallway from Promenade
4. “All Apologies And Smiles, Yours Truly, Ugly Valentine” by Carissa’s Wierd from You Should Be At Home Here
5. “Falls City” by Venice Is Sinking from Sand & Lines
6. “Modern Drift” by Efterklang from Magic Chairs
7. “Vendela Vida” by Dinosaur Feathers from Fantasy Memorial
8. “Disappear” by Crayon Fields from All The Pleasures Of The World
9. “Night Train” by Brown Recluse from The Soft Skin
10. “The Winter Stories” by World Atlas from Bonaventure EP
11. “Paper Crane” by Fireflies from Autumn Almanac
12. “That’s A… Jellyfish!” by Fishboy from Little D
13. “Giver’s Reply” by Ramona Córdova from The Boy Who Floated Freely
14. “23 Oktober” by Musette from Datum
15. “Afraid Of Hands” by Suturee from Suturee
16. “Third Of Life” by A Weather from Everyday Balloons
17. “One Hundred” by Cock And Swan from Unrecognize

Björn Kleinhenz creates pleasant folk-pop with a romantic edge. Like a Swedish version of something by Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam, “The Mountain Pt. 2″ features a soft acoustic guitar, finger-plucked to a calming bliss and accompanied by beautiful vocals. Kleinhenz coos: I am a mountain now, I am the sea and sky, I am a puff of smoke coming through your window in the chorus. Musical and vocal, “The Mountain Pt. 2″ hits all the right notes.

I like this: “The Mountain Pt. 2″ is off an EP titled after a short-lived separatist political party in Sweden that, in 1982, received 2 votes — one by the founding member and the other by his wife. The EP is called Dackes Drabanter and it’s available now from Gold Robot Records.

Download: “The Mountain Pt. 2″ by Björn Kleinhenz

In the modern world, to truly be a “timeless” artist you have to dig deep and have recognizable influences dating back to the elusive doo-wop era. Often, artists like these are said to “stand the test of time.” For some folks, that test might be a 5th grade level true or false, because they’re just not going to make it. It’s the cold heard reality. But, it’s a reality that Jon Hardy will not have to worry about. This St. Louis singer/songwriter and his band, The Public, make beautiful songs that obviously gather wide influence from The Four Tops to Randy Newman to The Boss himself. Their sound is beyond the regular or measurable comparisons you may hear on a daily basis. And their latest EP, Sugar, is unlike anything you have heard, or were probably even looking for, in the last few years.

“Worst I’ve Ever Had” is the base of this album. It is the track that can please the ears of the youth, as well as old timers on their la-z-boys of pity. But, it’s “Take That Sugar” and “Hold Your Tongue” that a real fan of classic soul and old school rock n roll will find both captivating and utterly refreshing. “Where Did Our Love Go” is great as well. It takes you right back to the 1950’s prom scene, but doesn’t really bring you back to the now. But, in this day and age, that is perfectly acceptable.

Jon Hardy is so original in his recollections of times past that you may begin to lose track of all influences you hear at first. The balance of the new and old on Sugar is only skewed a fraction of a kilogram — just enough to appeal to whatever audience they would like. The Public have developed a very impressive grassroots following in Midwest. And with their recent addition to the NPR Song Of The Day alum (for “Worst I’ve Ever Had”), it’s safe to say that their day jobs could soon become a thing of the past. These guys are quickly becoming one of the finest collection of talents, either side of the Mississippi.

Download: “Worst I Ever Had” by Jon Hardy & The Public

[Digital EP, 2010]

1. Take That Sugar
2. Worst I Ever Had
3. Where Did Our Love Go
4. Hold Your Tongue

“Modern Drift” is a lot moodier than a lot of what you’ll hear on earlier Efterklang, but the orchestral and pop sensibilities found on those earlier releases, Parades and Tripper, remain steadfast. Efterklang is still very much in the business of creating some of the best experimental pop around. A consistent piano backing sets the stage, accompanied by monumental percussion and deep horns. Perhaps most surprising is the lack of multiple vocalists, which was instrumental in the greatness of songs like “Caravan” and “Cutting Ice To Snow”. Still, “Modern Drift” is a very worthy and viable first single off Efterklang’s new LP, Magic Chairs.

Magic Chairs is out now on 4AD.

Download: “Modern Drift” by Efterklang

Giveaway Details
We’ve teamed up with 4AD and Efterklang to offer you a sweet giveaway package. The loot: a test pressing and CD version of Efterklang’s new album Magic Chairs. The details? Follow @fensepost on Twitter and tweet this post with an RT @fensepost. We’ll mention it once or twice this week, so RT any or all of those tweets. We’ll make a selection over the weekend (20th or 21st).

SXSW Details
Yes, the band is out at SXSW. And while I sit comfortably in my living room wishing I had sore feet from hours of standing and a belly full of Shiner Bock, I’m only a slight bit jealous of all y’all who are in Austin this week. Make sure to catch Efterklang as they hit the town:

03/18: Buffalo Billiards (201 E. 6th St.) 11PM
03/19: Danish Day Party/The Music Gym (815 E. 6th St.) 2PM
03/19: End of an Ear in-store (2209 S. 1st St.) 5PM
03/20: SUP Party/Doc’s Motorworks (1123 S. Congress Ave.) 6PM

Daddy Lion creates memorable pop-rock tunes, from the offbeat time signatures highlighted in the bouncy opener “Divine” to the downtrodden, laid-back sadness that streams through “Falling To Pieces”. The band, whose main man dubbed himself Daddy Lion to escape the lingering presence of an unwanted ex, takes a 90s-era fuzzy indie rock sound and splits it between insatiable pop hooks and bizarre time keys.

There are moments where Daddy Lion masters this sound, like in “Divine” and “Tomorrow”, while other songs remain steadfast in that dingy 90s garage.

A graduate student at George Washington University, Daddy Lion’s frontman is currently working on two masters degrees, one in social policy and another in philosophy. These themes come across in his music, as he moans I can live in a shell / and I can never know no hell / but I can never live in a world like that in “Morning”, and aside from the slightly cheesy rhyme, the song has a powerful sociological and psychological meaning.

Daddy Lion is packed with great emotions, and with them is a band that shows great promise. Outside the common garage throwback sound has emerged something a bit unique.

Download: “Divine” by Daddy Lion

[Digital EP, 2010]

1. Divine
2. Falling To Pieces
3. Just Die Young
4. Appearance
5. Morning
6. Tomorrow

Portland’s favorite and most outlandish band of gypsies has teamed up with the amazingly gifted animation artist Temris Ridge to bring you their terrific new track “Two Miles From Home”. The worldly boys of The Fenbi International Superstars have strayed from their classic mild mannered Irish stamina to bring their every growing fan base a tale of the demons that you will never be able to avoid. They have chosen a nice catchy indie pop sound to bring out the message rather than their signature ‘happier than Gogol-Bordello’ sound, proving once again that they have neither the fear, nor the lack of ability to touch any ground in the world of music they please.

Temris Ridge brings her “A” game in this stellar artistic display of a lifestyle filled with mental fortitude. The imagery is as captivating as Fenbi’s tantalizing track itself. The Northwest’s premiere world music group definitely enlisted only the finest of artists to make their own brand of happy misery as visually enthralling as it is on record (that is coming soon, we can only hope)…

Banquet Years is the third EP in a digital-only series of releases by Seattle-by-way-of-Austin’s Jon Rooney, the Virgin Of The Birds mastermind and proprietor of Abandoned Love Records. The album, containing five songs, finds Rooney further expanding his capabilities and musicianship. Opening track “Let Me Be Your Bride” demonstrates his folk-versatility, from the 60s-era bass guitar bop to the borderline experimental tinkering on the keys. Not to mention, the wicked guitar-work radiating in emotive psychedelic hypnosis.

From Virgin Of The Birds’ early days, the band had a very Dan Bejar-esque sound. While the reverberating echo in experimental-ish guitar still hints at that influence, and Rooney’s vocal styling has a similar flare, Banquet Years is heading in a new direction. It was hinted in last year’s Dear Furies and Every Rival, but it’s now ever more apparent. “There Is A Wide Road” finds Rooney harmonizing with himself, while virtually all songs feature consistent shakers, which give them a laid-back shuffle.

“She’s In The Moon Again” is Rooney’s ode to the curse word, of which he uses many. And “Every Revelry” is a heavier, harder tune with a full drum beat and a heightened pace. The guitar and keys dominate in excellence while Rooney’s vocals are front and center.

I feel quite surprised to say this, as the first two installments of VotB’s series of digital EPs were quite solid. Virgin Of The Birds have really outdone themselves with Banquet Years. It’s quite easily their most accomplished work yet. I love the intense indie folk sound Rooney has begun associating with Virgin Of The Birds. It’s not quite lo-fi but has some of those qualities. Let’s hope Virgin Of The Birds keeps this up — I can’t wait to hear more!

Download: “Let Me Be Your Bride” by Virgin Of The Birds

Download: “Every Revelry” by Virgin Of The Birds

Abandoned Love Records [Digital EP, 2010]

1. Let Me Be Your Bride
2. Every Revelry
3. She’s In The Moon Again
4. There Is A Wild Road
5. A Chimera You Can Trust

The Rest had a wonderful 2009. They self released their sophomore album Everyone All At Once to much critical acclaim and thus ended up on numerous “Best Of” list for the year. They sold out shows in their hometown of Toronto, Canada. They dropped another E.P., WOW, to even greater critical ass kissing awesomeness. All the while, they built a massive fan base not only in the Ontario underworld, but across the globe. And with only three and half months into the current year, the gang is already showing promise for an even more eventful 2010.

As a token of their appreciation for their newly found following, The Rest have developed a wonderful treat for the loyal ones. They have created an extremely clever concept EP and Digital Book entitled Cried Wolf. Read on…

Have you ever wondered what happened to the little shit that learned his lesson in the classic fable The Boy Who Cried Wolf? Well, songwriter Adam Bentley and his crew have had a vision of this little mutant as an adult. The result is a dark and transfixing tale that explores the drastic range of the human heart and mind.

You can download the book and EP for free from the Auteur Records website.

But all these freebies and hand me downs have to be adding to something a bit more intense, right? Correct. The Rest are pretty ecstatic, announcing Everyone All At Once shall have an international release through Something In Construction Records on March 15th. Word has it that a beautiful 180 gram vinyl version will be available, as well as digital and regular CD formats. The band has also developed a wonderful animated video for their single “Apples & Allergies” in support of this release. Details on how to get your grubby little hands on these highly anticipated releases can be all be found at the band’s Website.

The recent attention The Rest has been receiving as of lately is, to say the very least, very well deserved. Their tantalizing and charismatic style of experimental indie rock is stellar not only by much comparison, but just plain brilliant tunes no matter what angle of the vodka bottle of music you choose to look through. The Rest is that band with the that certain brand of coolness and artistic creativity that can never let you down and leave you unfulfilled.

Download: “Blossom Babies Part Tow” by The Rest

Download: “Apples & Allergies” by The Rest

I’ve lived in the land of tulips for damn near two years now, tucked away comfortably in the Skagit Valley, hidden in the northern and western most part of the continental United States. Aside from the more known K Records artists that reside in the nearby Anacortes, I know very little truly local music, which is quite a shame. Enter Marc, a resident of this region and an old roommate from my Pullman grad school days. He recommended checking out Rooftops, a math-y rock band from the Bellingham. And that leads us to today.

“Raft Easily” is a powerful mostly instrumental tune that highlights the awkward angles familiar to math-rock. Employing the clever guitar finger-taps familiar to artists like Pele and Minus The Bear, Rooftops drop in obscure time signatures and highlight melodies that strike a harmonic calm — a rarity for math-rock. This is especially apparent in “Tear As I Fly”, a song that has the experimental instrumental nature of, oh, say Explosions In The Sky minus the plays on volume with epic fits of loud and soft.

In three songs, the only that has a truly experiential play on volume is “Era Falsity”. And Rooftops goes all-out; multiple vocalists shout in harmony (this vocal styling is also featured momentarily on “Raft Easily”). As the vocals fade out, and as the volume increases in all its math-y glory, I realize that Rooftops have a brand new fan — me.

Tomorrow they’ll play their final show in Bellingham before heading across the country on a tour that will take them to New York City and back. All three songs are off Rooftops’ album A Forest Of Polarity, out now on clickpop records.

Rooftops: Raft Easily [mp3]

Rooftops: Era Falsity [mp3]

From the beach to the mountains, Seamonster’s Two Birds echoes utmost pleasantries through the audible channel of lo-fi psychedelic folk-pop. Its pop charm is masked by the static white noise of immense distortion, mixed down to a satisfactory non-overpowering level, and warped with the sounds of summertime. “Oh Appalachia” is a beachgoers ode to the mountains. “The Philosophy Of Andy Warhol” will paint a pop-culture picture on the back of your eyelids while you lay, back on grass, facing a clear blue sky.

A rudimentary psychedelic core, Seamonster blends in the perfect amount of experimentation, from noise in “Bearsuit” to the fuzz in the opening instrumental “New England”. There are undeniable pop sensibilities as well; “Annalee” has plenty of vocal pattern hooks that are damn near twee. The EP concludes with the lazy, folk-pop swagger of “These Bones” (a bonus digital-only track), emphasizing the consistent, heavy guitar strum with the fuzzed-out vocals. Backing the song is electronic noise, some of which carries melody, some of which remains chaotic.

There’s no question about it, Two Birds is by far the best single I’ve acquired in quite some time.

Download: “Oh Appalachia” by Seamonster

Gold Robot Records [7" EP, 2010]

1. New England
2. Oh Appalachia
3. Bearsuit
4. The Philosophy of Andy Warhol
5. Annalee
6. These Bones (Digital Bonus Track)

The Sweet Serenades are, well, just that; a sweet compilation of all things happy or sad, in mourning or bliss. This Swedish duo look as though they could be pounding lagers amongst muscly, flanneled woodsmen, but damned if they wouldn’t hesitate to break into a beautiful ballad at any moment. “Die Young”, from their amazing album Balcony Cigarettes, is a beautiful track serenading (pun, intended) one of the greatest yet most heartbreaking mistakes human beings can make: the one night stand. With guest vocals from Club 8’s Karolina Komstedt, this tremendous little ditty, recently featured on the for some reason still hit show Grey’s Anatomy, is sure to steal your heart. Or, as these guys portray it, wish it were worn as a giant suit for all to see.

A music video set to the tone of an independent film channel style cannot go wrong. Komstedt’s portrayal as the guilt free heart-breaker will probably steal the show for most. But, nothing can compare to a man dancing in a giant heart costume spewing out your every desire in the most comical of fashions. The Sweet Serenades have always been quite the quirky and eccentric duo, but this puts them way over the top!

Download: “Die Young” by The Sweet Serenades

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Jordan Michelman, who was a primary songwriter and the superb bassist in the now (and sadly) defunct Patience Please. A few years rest and he’s back with The Mill Kids. Michelman recently released the band’s debut album on Subtle Slope Records. The Mill Kids are uniquely original in that they possess the ingenuity of Elliott Smith, blend in the mopey vocal styling of artists like Conor Oberst and Owen, and top it off with the simple lo-fi genius of Daniel Johnston.

With the lo-fi sound, one would think — and they’d be correct nine out of ten times — that The Mill Kids’ music would be simple and, perhaps, even a hint twee. But it is not; far from it. “Who Falls?” features an oddly complex vocal pattern while other songs dive into intricate, plush melodies. Yet another indication that Mill Kids aren’t your standard DIY band. Lo-fi, yes, The Mill Kids’ near whispered vocals and softly strummed acoustic guitars draw relation to bedroom pop, while the gritty homemade production are fit for the basement.

It all leads to a fitting conclusion: A Zoo Full Of Zebras is a worthy and valiant effort from a tinkering basement bedroom king.

Download: “Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Pressure” by The Mill Kids

Subtle Slope Records [CD, 2010]

1. $100 Words
2. I’m A Menagerie
3. Who Falls?
4. Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Pressure
5. Stinkin’ Thinkin’
6. Main St.
7. U Can Cry
8. Hypocrite Oath
9. Law Of Rule
10. S.I.N.N.S.

Gingerbread Dog is the debut release on HHBTM for this Florida trio. Baby Calendar has released before, but it was all DIY. And while I have yet to crack the past album, Fifteen Year Old Sneakers, I must say that what I’ve heard on Gingerbread Dog is on the verge of brilliance.

To quote their biography, Baby Calendar is “not completely pop or twee, not completely punk or rock.” Instead, they contain all four elements.

At the most elementary level, Baby Calendar is a cute trio that creates a classic male/female fronted indie-pop sound. There are blatant similarities to the married couple that makes up Mates of State, primarily found in the vocal and lyrical styling of Tom Gorrio and Jackie Biver. While it is less apparent in the instrumentation of Gingerbread Dog, the vocal similarities are sometimes overwhelming.

“Symbiosis” is an acoustic track that highlights the dual vocals as Gorrio and Biver switch back and forth on lead before joining in harmony. The cuteness factor is also found in track titles like “Lemon Drops”, “Skibbledeebee”, and “Lunchbox”, and many of Baby Calendar’s songs surround youthful topics as well, such as all those times we pretended to be ninjas as kids in “The Way of the Samurai”. (I know I sure did! Didn’t you?)

A further look will uncover a power pop and pop-punk sound that has infiltrated the rudimentary indie-pop Baby Calendar has created, a sound captured by groups like Racetrack, but broadened by the dual male/female vocals. Baby Calendar grasps the pop-punk influences in 90s groups like Braid and early Cursive. This sound is captured especially well in the guitar work on their hit “Traffic In The Tropics”.

Again, the primary difference between Baby Calender and the influences of Braid and Cursive is the cuteness factor—how the hand claps and YAY shouts match the clever guitar riffs and triplet vocals—when the duo sings in-ter-vals at the end of each chorus in “Traffic In The Tropics”. “Lemon Snaps” defies the cuteness factor, however, to become one of the hardest-hitting songs on Gingerbread Dog. Here the group enters sounding more like Racetrack than the other groups listed above, expertly combining indie-pop and power-pop.

One unique vocal aspect is not only how nasally Gorrio’s vocals come out, but how well he pulls them off. There’s a trace of early Acid House Kings here, meshing well with Biver’s edgy but romantic voice. This is apparent from the earliest moments—one listen to “Zipped Up” and you can hear how well Gorrio and Biver’s voices blend together, and also how there are hints of Mates of States in their vocal styling. The group even alters time to heighten this effect. A similar style is used in the intro of “Labratories”, though the chorus adds keyboards not heard in the song’s two predecessors, a sound that hints of an old favorite of mine: The Anniversary.

You know an album is good when it makes you want to write a novel—I could continue writing about this group and this album, but I have neither the time nor the… well, time. While I’m not sure this would be the album I’d choose for my addition to the classic 33 and 1/3 book series (one of these days I’d love to contribute), it’s definitely one to consider in greater depth. And that means go buy the album!

This review was originally published December 20, 2006 on the old version of FensePost.

Download: “Traffic In The Tropics” by Baby Calendar

Download: “Lemon Snaps” by Baby Calendar

Happy Happy Birthday To Me [CD, 2006]