One of the earliest music blogs I followed was IndiePages. Based in Seattle and with a hefty predilection toward twee and indie pop, my musical preferences meshed very well with that of Chris McFarlane. Following the site, I was introduced to many favorites from around the world. It was there I discovered Ivy League, which became the first ever FensePost feature (the band went on to change their name to This Is Ivy League prior to the release of their self-titled debut LP). I’ve covered several …

Bellingham by way of Chicago artist The Heligoats masters the power of pop songwriter sensibilities in their new album, Goodness Gracious (Greyday Records). The band is fronted by new Washington resident Chris Otepka, who wrote and recorded the band with Mike Mergenthaler, David James and Steven Mitchell. Collectively, they are The Heligoats, a band who blends folk and rock and pop for a sound that is familiar yet warm, somewhat contemporary but truly and honestly good.

It’s been a while since a real intelligent art punk band has emerged from the sewers of the dying underground. With the up-and-coming return of pop punk hitting the mainstream (knocking cry baby bullshit emo bands out of the tear-filled water), it’s almost hard to understand why any artist in their right mind would want to try and handle such a quickly burning torch. Enter Castevet and their debut album Summer Fences. Now we’re talking. Break out the acoustic guitars, PBR, and lack of self respect. …

Contemporary folk-pop is an arena that is swamped with imitators, yet a select few artists stand out above the rest. Andrew Belle is one such artist thanks to the inclusion of female backing vocals and boisterous orchestration. “Static Waves” hits all the right points – it’s catchy and plush and clean and colorful. There’s a lot going on here, a lot more than your typical artist fitting this genre descriptor. It’s easy to hear why Belle was selected to open for Ben Folds, although I’d also …

It’s safe to say that Fireflies is a bedroom pop band. Autumn Almanac, their new full-length, just solidifies the statement as it follows the path Fireflies journeyed down in Goodnight Stars, Goodnight Moon. It’s the sound Fireflies’ Lisle Mitnik favored on his EPs Strange and Butterscotch. With Autumn Almanac, however, change has occurred. The band has added a great deal more orchestration to the mix.

Boy do I love fun pop, and Calling You Out by Netherfriends fits the description perfectly. You can tell just by looking at the album art, among my favorites of the year. There’s a lot more going on here than just pop, though, as the eclectic percussion on tracks like “Nunya” and “Oh-Hi-Oh”, along with the supreme guitar accompaniment and tribal-esque vocals, are on par with groups like Panda Bear and, even more so, The Dodos. However, at times the similarities are almost too much.