It’s been a whirlwind few weeks, finishing the kitchen project, rearranging the living room (the above photo is from that project) and now beginning to terrace the back yard. It’s hard to imagine I found time to check out new music. This week’s favorite discoveries include the new LP by The Maldives, the latest by Dana Falconberry and Art Circus, a phenomenal new LP by Woods, more great stuff from White Blood Cells out of Vancouver, and Upside Drown off a new little Olympia-based label called Antiquated Future Records. (more…)

Visiting the parents is often a stressful time. Despite their incessantly busy schedules, they have actually learned to relax in retirement despite their hectic lifestyle. I visited them two weekends ago now. Hence the absence of an August 17 radio show recap; there was none. Instead, I participated in my brother’s wedding. (more…)

Last weekend Andi and I visited Anacortes and walked around the dock, discussing our future as polo-shirt-wearing yacht owners and shopping for the ideal water home. Sure, this fantasy may never come to pass, and while I may find myself in a polo shirt now and again, that doesn’t mean the boat life is for me. Still, seeing middle-aged to retirees playing cards on the stern and barbecuing sure made the life seem relaxing. (more…)

“RyBro” finds Helvetia continuing their nod to gritty 90s psychedelic experimentation. Weighty guitars are backed by a hefty organ and laid-back, lazy summer guitar riffs, all of it fronted by hazy, dreamy garage-style vocals. (more…)

Another variety show, no particular theme. It was set to be a sunny weekend, and that meant hitting the road. After a late Friday night at the station, I woke up early, grabbed my bike and went on a solid 10 mile ride. It was the first of the sort for 2012; the first of many. I need to get in shape for the 200 mile Seattle to Portland ride in July. (more…)

Give any proper Helvetia release a listen, then throw on The Camp Century Sessions, and you’ll hear quite a difference. On The Lam, for example, is constructed and cohesive with songs fixated on at least some sort of structure. Here you get something else; there’s more volume, more experimentation, and perhaps even a hint more playfulness. (more…)

Brutal honesty: I’m stuck on Helvetia’s 2011 album The Lam right now. In particular the first track (“Saucer of Dread”) and track 3 (“On the Lam”). Helvetia has returned with a new track called “A Mirror” and it embodies precisely why I dig this band: epic soundscapes, driving shoegaze riffs, hazy melodies, downtrodden vocals. (more…)

Helvetia return with On The Lam, pumping out several new psychedelic tracks blending pop and rock very much in the style of the Pacific Northwest. The title track is among the more notable tunes on the album, beginning with a simple pop guitar melody, handclaps, and a consistent beat. Like the melody, the vocals are soft and borderline playful, albeit with a hint of emotion. By the end, the song tailspins into a hazy psychedelic swirl, launching straight into the similarly vibrant “Arise Pt. 1″. The latter, however, is dreamier and more experimental. (more…)