Shedding is Connor Bell, who in Tear in the Sun molds together the elongated drone with sparse vocals. Drone is often associated with minimalism, and that label works here as well, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t also substantial – it is! These songs are filled with sound; headphones on and volume at a modest three, they become all-encompassing.

From the light harmonium opening of “Perspective”, elements are added but never too many at any single point of time. This song is precisely what you can expect from Tear in the Sun. The minimal drone is enhanced by Bell’s vocals, accompanied by dominant harmonium and organ, and drawn together with various electronic sounds. It’s all quite cohesive, and it’s always very mesmerizing.

Tear in the Sun is out now on Hometapes.

Download: “Perspective” by Shedding

A while back we got a taste of something a bit different, in terms of your standard indie group. All Tiny Creatures‘ EP Segni blended shoegaze-style loops with traits of indie rock and, yes, jazz. The band is back with an LP called Harbors. On it, the band expands their sound by adding vocals while maintaining the unique elements of their EP. And an early favorite is “An Iris”, a song that capitalizes on vocals, courtesy one of Harbors‘ many guest vocalists. Here we find accompaniment from Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon.

What makes the song (and these songs) so special, is that All Tiny Creatures gives their looped instrumentation just as much emphasis as vocals; not a typical feature in music these days, and one that makes both “An Iris” and Harbors total standouts.

Download: “An Iris” by All Tiny Creatures

Breathe Owl Breathe is Micah Middaugh, Trevor Hobbs, and Andréa Moreno-Beals. Together they live in a cabin in rural Michigan, which means it must be getting pretty cold there this time of year; poised to just get colder. Their new album is called Magic Central and it’s a righteous title as the album is quite magical. But perhaps a better descriptor is unexpected.

That’s what you get with their folk-inspired tunes — something a little different, but refreshingly good. It’s a trait that follows the band on their video for Magic Central opening track “Own Stunts”. There are the standard items: Micah and Andréa playing a little intro in the snow, the icicle structure Micah stands in. And then they throw in a brief bout of Micah boxing and cross-country skiing. Not to mention the strange dog-stick creature.

Middaugh’s voice is filled with the eerie complacency like that of Ryland Bouchard (The Robot Ate Me). In “Own Stunts” you can almost hear the emotion as he sings Mustache covers my lower lip / No one can tell that I’m trembling. But in the video, you see it in his eyes and you can feel it’s raw power. This all makes for one of the best (and most bizarre) videos of the year.

Download: “Own Stunts” by Breathe Owl Breathe

Breathe Owl Breathe – Own Stunts from Magic Central on Vimeo.

Megafaun has returned after last year’s Gather, Form, and Fly to give us their mini-album Heretofore, out now on Hometapes. On the new one, the band continues with their off-beat folk style, comparable to those they’ve toured with of late, from Bowerbirds to Akron Family to former band-mates Bon Iver. They’ve got a bit more energy though, and they’re a bit further out into the foothills and backwoods of rural America.

You can hear traces of this on the song “Volunteers” thanks to the band’s unique vocal styling, but that song is borderline mainstream compared to the twelve-and-a-half minute free-improvisation meets folk song “Comprovisation for Connor Pass”. It’s no surprise that some (myself included) label Megafaun one of the most innovative folk bands around; they prove it once again on Heretofore. Simply brilliant.

Download: “Volunteers” by Megafaun

For those of you fortunate enough to catch Andrew Thiboldeaux and Chris Ward, the Philadelphia based duo better known as Pattern Is Movement, on their recent tour and appearance at SXSW, you may recognize this track. As well as being the title track for their upcoming album, out later this year, it was offered up on their tour E.P. “Light Of The World” is another wonderful example of this band’s eccentric hip hop style that is fused with a healthy dose of indie rock and folk, especially on the aforementioned track.

Try to imagine a collaboration of The Roots, of which PIM has been known to share the stage, mixing it up with the likes of The Postal Service. The same sort of energy and instrumental fundamentalism these legends have and use are of the same make up — always cool as ice and genre-bending are these manic musicians.

Download: “Light Of The World” by Pattern Is Movement

Rare is it that you see formats outside the standard compact disc or even cherished wax vinyl. But cassettes seem to be popping up more and more as a cool retro item. With vinyl’s popularity, it seems this is the only place to go – reel to reel is out for obvious reasons, as is the 8-track. So that leaves cassette, a vestige in the vintage, a gleam of retro hope. Which brings us to today and Hometapes.

Here it is, a cassette from Hometapes, a little label whose name screams the outdated format. It’s a neat little holiday sampler from the folks that scattered their artists throughout my Best of 2009 list, including Bear In Heaven, Slaraffenland, and Megafaun.

Regarding this outdated format, could this really be the new vinyl? Sure, the experience isn’t quite as warm and welcoming as that of vinyl, but a return of the cassette would sure give the whole mix-tape thing a revitalization. And it would be that much better if it came with a digital copy (like this one), as now nearly standard with vinyl releases.

This little Hometapes sampler features non-exclusive tracks from select bands that released albums on the label in 2009 including the aforementioned, as well as All Tiny Creatures and CYNE. Here are a couple tracks from the sampler:

Megafaun: The Fade [mp3]

CYNE: Pretty Apollo [mp3]

In 2009, Hometapes aptly demonstrated that they are a force to be reckoned with and a label to keep an eye on. They packed the year with great releases, some of which are likely to appear on my best of 2009 list, slated to go live late next week. To celebrate the holidays, they’ve done two things worth noting. First is Eight Days Of Christmas, which features Christmas tunes from eight Hometapes bands. Second is a Holiday sampler, which arrived in the form of a cassette via mail on Friday.

The latter first: it’s the first cassette I’ve received since starting FensePost, and because of it’s (now) nontraditional format, there’s cause for celebration. Check out my feature of this release over at Cover Art next week.

Now for the good stuff: Eight Days of Hometapes in its entirety. Click the song headlines to visit Hometapes and read more about the bands that participated, including photos, lists and other joyful items…

* * * * *

Day 1. “Little Drummer Boy” by Slaraffenland

Slaraffenland is one of the better groups to fit the highly niche experimental orchestral-pop genre. With what seems like endless instruments, a collection of vocal harmonies, and a knack for creating entirely original pieces of work, this is a one-of-a-kind band. Not surprising, their version of “Little Drummer Boy” is a one-of-a-kind Christmas song. Absolutely wonderful.

Slaraffenland: Little Drummer Boy [mp3]

* * * * *

Day 2. “I’ll Be Home For Christmas (If Only In My Dreams)” by Shannon Fields of Stars Like Fleas

Somewhat minimal, packed with unique orchestration, and including oft erratic vocals, “I’ll Be Home For Christmas (If Only In My Dreams)” by Stars Like Fleas’ Shannon Fields is very easily one of the odder Christmas songs you’ll hear this year (and any year at that). Still, as the vocals drop out and what sounds like a theremin takes over the melody, cohesiveness is achieved.

Shannon Fields: I’ll Be Home For Christmas [mp3]

* * * * *

Day 3. “O Holy Night” by Pattern Is Movement

Minimal instrumentation and harmony male vocals filled with verbose vibrato is a Pattern Is Movement trait and they adjust the sounds of “O Holy Night” appropriately to give it their signature ring. Unique, yes. Beautiful, quite.

Pattern Is Movement: O Holy Night [mp3]

* * * * *

Day 4. “It’s Christmas (But I Don’t Care)” by Brad Laner

Brad Laner is a new face for me, and a new sound. It’s electro-pop, but it’s not your typical version of the subgenre. It blends in an almost 90s R&B-ish sound. Bizarre, but not half bad… definitely worth checking out. Keep an eye out for his new record, Natural Selections, out on Hometapes in 2010.

Brad Laner: It’s Christmas (But I Don’t Care) [mp3]

* * * * *

Day 5. “Christmastime Is Here” by The Caribbean

The Caribbean has always created music on the dire edge of sanity. It’s pop, but it’s out-there pop. “Christmastime Is Here” is no exception. Still, they manage to produce a version of the song that is beautiful and pleasant. You can almost feel the warmth from the fireplace at your parent’s house.

The Caribbean: Christmastime Is Here [mp3]

* * * * *

Day 6. “Kites” by All Tiny Creatures (feat. Truman Capote’s story A Christmas Memory)

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more mesmerizing Christmas story than that called A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote. Place behind it the hypnotic tune “Kites” by All Tiny Creatures, and dub in vocals sung selectively behind certain passages, and the result is, quite literally, breathtaking.

All Tiny Creatures: Kites (feat. Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory) [mp3]

* * * * *

Day 7. “I Saw Three Ships” by Megafaun

“I Saw Three Ships” begins in a classic Megafaun way – a cappella. With a light banjo, harmonica, and hints of an acoustic guitar, Megafaun does what they do best, which is to say they create an outstanding folk tune. This one just happens to be Christmas related. I doubt you’ll hear a better version of “I Saw Three Ships” anywhere, from any land, or on any body of water.

Megafaun: I Saw Three Ships [mp3]

* * * * *

Day 8. “Wonderful Christmastime” by Adam And Sara

For Day 8, Adam And Sara created an instrumental version of that song that drives you nuts by the end of the holiday season. “Wonderful Christmastime” is capable of burning itself into your mind and staying there for the duration of the holidays. At first you love it, then it gets old, then it gets really old. But with this somewhat minimal key-heavy instrumental, the song finally reaches a point where it works. FensePost approves.

Adam And Sara: Wonderful Christmastime [mp3]

Photographer Tim Lytvinenko joined and documented Megafaun as they toured across the states in support of their latest release, Gather, Form & Fly, out now on Hometapes. The result is a collection of experiences from the road in what they dub “part-documentary, part-sense memory.” No surprise, Lytvinenko puts this collection of shots to the music of Megafaun’s epic almost instrumental track “Impressions Of The Past”. It’s the best of the road, the fun and the fans, the antics and the hilarity of it all.

Megafaun: The Fade [mp3]

Megafaun: Kaufman’s Ballad [mp3]

Megafaun – Impressions of the Past from Hometapes on Vimeo.

The transformation undergone by Bear In Heaven between their outstanding Home-Tapes debut, Red Bloom Of The Boom, and their sophomore release Beast Rest Forth Mouth, is, quite literally, breathtaking. Red Bloom debuted Bear In Heaven’s experimental rock with a sound that was, for the most part, entirely their own. Sure, there were traces of influence that in my opinion sided pretty heavily toward artists like Animal Collective, but it was also fairly unparalleled in its style of experimentation.

What sets Beast Rest Forth Mouth apart from its predecessor is, well, pretty much everything. Initially, it sounds like your typical progression; the instrumentation and production have moved forward in an expected manner. But there’s something else: the vocals are higher in pitch and where Red Bloom featured some fairly significant moments of minimalism, Beast Rest opener “Beast In Peace” features omnipresent instrumentation, full and at times even massive.

While these sounds continue throughout the album, their minimalistic nature remains but is most prevalent toward the end in tracks like “Drug A Wheel” and “Fake Out”.

Beast Rest Forth Mouth is filled with high points: “You Do You”, “Wholehearted Mess” and “Ultimate Satisfaction”, to name a few. All have excellent backing instrumentation; the presence of synths and keys and various looped sounds is oft immense, keeping things moving forward and interesting. No longer is Bear In Heaven focused on dissonant sounds — they’re now harmonic. Harmony doesn’t necessarily lead to a label like avant-garde, but that title is one item that remains between Bear In Heaven’s two albums. But, perhaps the most important element that remains consistent is Bear In Heaven’s genius song-craft.

Bear In Heaven: Lovesick Teenagers [mp3]

Bear In Heaven: Wholehearted Mess [mp3]

Home-Tapes [CD, 2009]

1. Beast In Peace
2. Wholehearted Mess
3. You Do You
4. Lovesick Teenagers
5. Ultimate Satisfaction
6. Dust Cloud
7. Drug A Wheel
8. Deafening Love
9. Fake Out
10. Casual Goodbye

Harmony and melody aren’t exactly two terms one would associate with Bear In Heaven, at least from the standpoint of their debut LP, Red Bloom Of The Boom. But they work quite well here, for the first single off their upcoming sophomore release Beast Rest Forth Mouth, “Wholehearted Mess”. This new sound represents virtually a complete change for Bear In Heaven.

And when it comes down to it, “Wholehearted Mess” is brilliant; percussion and keys drive the song forward, leaving behind much of the minimalism from their earlier work. The vocals, too, are unique is a similar respect, higher in pitch and more repetitive in nature. The summation of all these elements easily allows “Wholehearted Mess” to maintain Bear In Heaven’s avant-garde title.

Home-Tapes will release Beast Rest Forth Mouth this coming October.

Bear In Heaven: Wholehearted Mess [mp3]

Written by Ben Meyercord.

Pattern is Movement‘s new album, All Together is good. Definitely above average. Enough that I have songs stuck in my head. Enough that I looked up their tour schedule to see if they are playing anywhere near me (they aren’t). Enough that I looked up their back catalog and plan on acquiring some it.

It should be noted that All Together is the first album I have reviewed completely digitally. I was sent the files I put it on my iPod and listened. I had no artwork and I didn’t know what the band would sound like or how many members. I just had the music.

The first track, “Bird”, is almost impossibly upbeat, driven by a scarcely relenting pulsing drum beat. It seemed very sugary at first. So much in fact, that I was unsure if I would make it through the whole album. But I kept listening and I am glad I did.

It took me a couple of listens, but I realized that there aren’t really any guitars on the album. Instead the music is filled with amazing and tightly wound arrangements of keyboards, rhodes, vocals, strings, and brass. The very creative drumming and keyboard flourishes are what I feel move this album though, which is why I was not surprised to learn that the group is actually a duo consisting of Andrew Thiboldeaux (keys of all sorts) and Chris Ward (drums).

What I was surprised to learn is that this album is based a series of ten early 20th century photographs that Andrew’s brother found on the streets of Philadelphia. Ten photos. Ten Songs. The story seems to check out. However, this where I am at a disadvantage for not having the artwork. It would be cool to compare the photos to the songs they inspired, assuming they include pictures of the photos. I guess I will have to buy it when it comes out (their label, Hometapes Records, releases albums on vinyl too; yay!).

This review was originally published February 29, 2008 on the old version of FensePost.

Pattern Is Movement: Right Away [mp3]

Home Tapes [CD, 2008]

1. Bird
2. Peach Trees
3. Trolley Friend
4. Right Away
5. Sea Captain
6. Sound Of Your Voice
7. Jenny Ono
8. Sylvia
9. Brown And Hard Curtains
10. Elephant

Yesterday was the drop date for All Tiny Creatures‘ Segni, a 12″ EP featuring four tracks of immense instrumental awesomeness. The EP opens with an epic, the 17 minute title track “Segni”, and is followed by three songs that do not equate to that time allotment by more than a minute-thirty.

Segni comes to us via Hometapes, and it’s initially a bit of a surprise; I would consider All Tiny Creatures to fit somewhere in the realm of modern (yet hip) jazz. Somewhere along the lines of Bluebridge Quartet or Medeski Martin & Wood. Hell, you could even toss in some references to masters like Cluster.

While the immense “Segni” is a wonderful track, it’s not above giving credit to it’s companions. “To All Tiny Creatures” finds the band injecting just as many noted instruments, from distorted electric guitars to the erratic keys that literally lend “Segni” the genius crown. Each song is a psychedelic jazz jam, a portal into the unique. “Minor” finds the group delving into out-of-the-norm time signatures and playing around with production, throwing sound through swirling loops. That’s pretty much what you can expect from any of the four off Segni — a clash of psychedelic rock sounds with experimental jazz. There’s a word for it, for an artist like All Tiny Creatures, and that word is this: innovative.

All Tiny Creatures: To All Tiny Creatures [mp3]

Home Tapes [12" EP, 2009]

1. Segni
2. To All Tiny Creatures
3. Minor
4. Street Lights Ten Thousand Feet

“Meet And Greet”, off Slaraffenland‘s upcoming debut LP We’re On Your Side, follows precisely the direction in which they embarked on last year’s EP Sunshine with tracks like “I’m A Machine” and “The Trick”. Slaraffenland continues to shovel out intricately orchestrated experimental pop melodies. “Meet And Greet” proves this band’s signature is quickly becoming hand claps and stomps featured at unique intervals and horn heavy instrumentation, fronted by ornate multi-part vocals that converge and spread into complex harmonies instantaneously.

We’re On Your Side is poised to become one of this year’s must-have pop albums, and Slaraffenland is quickly becoming one of the most promising acts around, often touring with similar acts such as Efterklang (alongside whom they perform with as the epic master-group Slaraffenklang). They’ll hit the road later this fall with Akron/Family, after that band visits the west (a note on that tour is coming Monday).

We’re On Your Side comes out this September on Hometapes.

Slaraffenland: Meet And Greet [mp3]

You rarely hear the words avant-garde associated with pop music. Yet the eclectic and sometimes ear-wrenching sub-genre can be found in all corners of music, but perhaps most notably in jazz through classic artists like Ornette Coleman. In some ways avant-garde is simply a pretentious way of saying experimental. But the definition of the term is merely a push of the boundaries away from the norm. That, then, brings up the question what is the norm?

With the popularity of groups like Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear, what once was considered avant-garde and experimental is now becoming more and more commonplace for those more accepting than your typical Top 40 music appreciator. Following the lines of the two aforementioned groups is Bear In Heaven (See also the Bear In Heaven MySpace Page).

In Red Bloom Of The Boom, Bear In Heaven masters the evolution of sound. The early moments of “Werewolf” consists of pleasant, barely audible chords. When additional instrumentation enters 1/3 of the way through, it maintains the minimalistic nature found early on, with exception to select moments of tense crescendos which give the song an interesting and rewarding edge. The latter third of the song takes the tension at face value, adding to it the initial harmonies as well as vocals by Jon Philpot.

“Werewolf” is vastly different than the opening track, “Bag of Bags” which kicks off Red Bloom Of The Boom with double-timed percussion and unique whole note keys. Time is not of the essence here as all instruments bend it to their own needs, yet as a whole the song is cohesive. Reminiscent of Animal Collective, “Bag of Bags” introduces the album on a positively high note.

Bear In Heaven is not as frantic or eerie as Wolf Eyes’ Human Animal, nor is it as pop-centric as “Who Would Win A Rabbit” or “Turn Into Something”. There are relatively few elements of jazz as found throughout music by Grizzly Bear. But like its contemporaries, this beast is a welcome part of the pack, herd, or whatever the hell you call a group of uniquely individual but also somewhat like-minded avant-gardists.

This review was originally published October 3, 2007 on the old version of FensePost.

Bear In Heaven: Bag Of Bangs [mp3]

HomeTapes [CD, 2007]

1. Bag Of Bags
2. Slow Gold
3. Werewolf
4. Arm’s Length
5. Fraternal Noon
6. Shining And Free
7. For Beauty

Megafaun (MySpace) was originally birthed from the remnants of DeYarmond Edison and released Bury The Square in 2007. Gather, Form & Fly is the follow-up to that widely-hailed album, and it warrants all the hype one can give. The band consists of Joe Westerlund and brothers Phil and Brad Cook. The main Edison absentee is Justin Vernon, who now goes by Bon Iver. Despite Iver’s greatness, there’s a lot to be said about these three — the music they create, in my opinion, is just as great as For Emma and Blood Bank.

The songs Megafaun creates are fit for country porches, from ancient farmhouse decks to the back-woods hideaways. You can visualize songs like “The Fade” and “The Process” jammed by men in their thirties with thick beards and plaid shirts; the violin and fun, tambourine-heavy percussion certainly helps. This is hefty folk, stuff that you’d imagine was commonplace more than a century ago in the taverns of rustic towns, and its presence today is a downright blessing.

Megafaun: The Fade [mp3]

Hometapes [CD, 2009]

1. Bella Marie
2. Kaufman’s Ballad
3. The Fade
4. Impressions Of The Past
5. Worried Mind
6. The Process
7. Solid Ground
8. Darkest Hour
9. Gather, Form & Fly
10. Columns
11. The Longest Day
12. Guns
13. Tides

Written by Fense

In the realm of indie-pop there are few that stray beyond the comfort of the sub-genre’s homogenous nature. Virtually every artist that expands on the traditional elements of indie-pop does so by pulling from other genres like folk and psychedelic rock and prog. Slaraffenland is no exception.

Mixing highly orchestrated sounds with emphasis on percussion, hand claps and clean keys and guitars, Slaraffenland’s music draws light reminiscence to artists like Anathallo and, perhaps to a lesser extent, Sufjan Stevens. Add compounded vocals and songs like “I’m A Machine” give the band an edge in comparison to the aforementioned contemporaries.

Last year Slaraffenland released their latest album, Sunshine, on Hometapes, the label that has given us an impressive number of new artists expanding on old and outdated genres. “I’m A Machine” continues the label’s trend in seeking out and releasing some of the most cutting edge music in existence today.

But I’m not done yet. Hometapes has gone and released a free combo EP between Slaraffenland and yesterday’s video artist, Efterklang. The mash-up has been dubbed Slaraffenklang, and can be downloaded for free. But before you jump away, check out “I’m A Machine” below.

Slaraffenland: I’m A Machine [mp3]

Written by Fense

It’s the end of the year and I’m rapidly trying to catch up on and wrap up all loose ends. My promo rack is still out of control, as is my inbox. And my 2009 resolution will be the same as 2008: keep up with the inbox and promo rack. Hopefully I’ll be able to stick with it this time around. As I hastily try to pare these two things down, I keep stumbling across new items that slipped by unnoticed, like Stars Like Fleas (MySpace). The album, of course, is The Ken Burns Effect.

At the base level, it’s folk. But there’s much more going on, like a multi-instrumental orgy of experimental folk noise. With clear and distinct vocals, Stars Like Fleas broadens horizons with accessible music that’s just a little outside the norm. I’m guessing The Ken Burns Effect is going to be one of those albums I’ll kick myself for not including in my end of year list because, as the year wraps up, all I’ve heard is the brilliant “I Was Only Dancing”.

The Ken Burns Effect, then, is the first album of many to go on my 2008 Christmas list. It can be found on Hometapes.

Stars Like Fleas: I Was Only Dancing [mp3]

Written by Fense

Nick Butcher is youthful but balding; he’s thin with a very natural, normal look. One would hardly expect him to be the mastermind of a minimalist-experimental-electronic outfit. But he is. That his appearance is more fitting for a talegate party than this just goes to show that looks can be deceiving.

While some of Butcher’s material is more discernible with beats and various noises and rhythm, “Shape Note Singing” is merely that, minus the singing. There’s a definite shape to what’s going on and the note is equally (or at least nearly) as singular.

This year Hometapes released Nick Butcher’s latest, Bee Removal, a seven-song twelve-inch on white vinyl that surely looks pristine.

Nick Butcher: Shape Note Singing [mp3]