The Paiges are another new Pacific Northwest group. Blending a lo-fi pop sound with folk-rock in the vein of Woodsist artists or a much softer side of Slumberland Records, The Paiges’ track “You’ll Never Know” sparks the sort of curiosity I found so intriguing with that Salmon Thrasher demo, “In A Balloon”. (more…)

Sleepwalks are a three-piece garage band influenced heavily by 90s gritty, in-your-face rock backed with loud guitars, heavy drums, and greasy-haired vocals. You know, they’re the style of vocals you’d expect at far-too-hot basement shows where the volume is cranked a bit too high and by band members who are a bit too high, fielding hair that hasn’t been washed in the greater part of a week and where sweat floats as freely as raindrops in the Pacific Northwest.

I think one of the big surprises, however, is that Sleepwalks hail from Australia. They say their three primary influences are 70s punk, 80s rock and the 1990s. Whether they’re talking about the band or the decade, I am not sure, but I will say that it all fits pretty well with the sound they’ve created. It’s loud and fun and if you go to a show you’ll probably want to take some cheap earplugs (and maybe an extra set, just in case).

“Pith”, the middle track on Sleepwalks’ self-released 3-song EP Clicks, is the standout. It has a catchy vocal part and a pointed guitar riff, both of which set the song above the others. “Negatives” and “Clicks”, however, are right behind.

Download: “Pith” by Sleepwalks

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Not all too long ago, I featured an exclusive track by a brand new Seattle band called Salmon Thrasher. Member Justin Ripley recently sent me a homemade album he recorded for close friends and various music types. He dubbed it Just Just, as, well, it was just Justin performing. He wrote the songs, played the instruments, mixed the album… you get the picture. Because it’s not a full-on release release, I’m dubbing it worthy of a Demo Reel. (more…)

Listening to “Rip It Up” by Allston, MA band Young Adults, one is hit with a wall of intense guitar noise, erratic percussion, and emotionless, monotonous post-punk vocals. It quite literally gives me the exact same feeling I had upon first hearing No Age. The pauses, the emphases; they’re all there in the proper places. “Annulation” follows suit with a bit more depth in the guitar. “Let Us Out” returns to Young Adults’ wild side. There’s a hint of Ian Curtis in the vocals, but the guitars are much too noise-driven for a Joy Division reference. The demo concludes with “Bummer Summer”, a very youthful anthem that has the numbing effect of all the noisy hype bands you care to name off — No Age, Japandroids, Wavves. Given some light refinement, a hint of production, and perhaps a year of growing up, and Young Adults could easily play with these big boys.

Download: “Bummer Summer” by Young Adults

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Download: “Rip It Up” by Young Adults

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Download: “Annulation” by Young Adults

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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 other bands first found on the site, including McFarlane’s very own Patience Please (a long-time favorite). The latest band to snag my attention is Boshus. (more…)

I’m provided enough music to warrant several new areas to highlight – it’s something I hope to expand upon this year. One item I receive on occasion is the demo track. I’ve posted a few over the years, and it’s high time I made the demo its own feature. The first art to receive Demo Reel treatment is Köln, Germany’s Blips. (more…)