I am becoming more and more confident in talking on the radio. I am slowly developing my voice — my on-air personality. There is still room for improvement; namely in the transition from Stuarto’s show to mine, but I’ll get there eventually. Last Friday’s show was centered around indie-folk again, with plenty of psychedelic folk, orchestral folk, and folk-pop as well.

As started last week, two songs will be featured at bottom.

“Notorious Lightning” by Destroyer off Your Blues

“Shanty for the Arethusa” by The Decemberists off Her Majesty
“Share” by Meg Baird off Seasons on Earth
“Miriam’s Cake” by Robin Grey off The Nearest Door

“Flaming Telepaths” by Espers off The Weed Tree
“Red Light Bulb” by Madeline off Black Velvet

“Run From The Gun” by Dead Confederate off Sugar
“Swim Club” by The Cave Singers off No Witch
“Weight Of The World (Under Construction Mix) by The Explorers Club off The Californian Suite

“Leather Belt” by Bombadil off All That The Rain Promises
“Golden” by The Devil Whale off Teeth

“God Bless Our Dead Marines” by The Silver Mt. Zion & Tra La La Band off Horses In The Sky

“Own Stunts” by Breathe Owl Breathe off Magic Central
“Hungry Like A Tiger” by Jared Mees & The Grown Children off Only Good Thoughts Can Stay
“The End” by The Lower 48 off Where All Maps End

“Big Men In The Sky” by Mandolin Orange off Hard Hearted Stranger [Disc 2]
“The Silver Lining” by Gold Leaves off The Ornament
“Silver Hands” by Alameda off Seasons/Spectres

The first feature song is by Chapel Hill, NC band Mandolin Orange. Duo Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz create folk-country songs featuring acoustic guitar, electric guitar, fiddle, and (no surprise here) mandolin. Their new album, Haste Make/Hard Hearted Stranger, came out last week and is a double-LP filled with 18 songs. Check out “Big Men in the Sky” below.

Listen: “Big Men In The Sky” by Mandolin Orange

The second song is one I simply cannot get enough of these days. It’s the opening track off the new album by Minneapolis band The Lower 48, and it’s called “The End”. What does it for me is the vocal harmonies. They are intricate and interesting; the clash of male and female dual leads create unique patters, pleasant and endearing. “The End” is off the band’s new LP, Where All Maps End.

Download: “The End” by The Lower 48

Yesterday we covered a new track from Portland folk outfit Death Songs called “Wounds” off the new PDX Pop Now! compilation. We talked a little bit about the band and the song, and had a few words to say about the organization as well. That wasn’t enough; it’s high time I let slip a little something — we here at FensePost have been quiet supporters of the Portland festival.

Visit the music room in my house and you’ll see several from the compilation series, dating all the way back to 2005.

The annual festival and double-disc compilation are back in 2011 and Death Songs in only one of many, many local Portland artists to participate. This year boasts great underground artists and bands like Alan Singley; The Ascetic Junkies (a favorite of our very own Ron Trembath); Blue Skies For Black Hearts; Drew Grow; Jared Mees; Langhorne Slim; Point Juncture, WA; Viva Voce; and The Woodlands.

The compilation, available here, totals 41 artists.

Then there’s the festival itself, which runs July 22 to 24 at Refuge PDX, located at 116 SE Yamhill St. The festival includes performances from many of the artists in this year’s comp and more, including Loch Lomond and Weinland. Were I to go, the act I’d be most excited about, however, is Port St. Willow, who’s album Even//Wasteland we covered earlier this year.

Grab “Wounds” by Death Songs below, which we debuted yesterday, and grab a few other tracks from the comp, and don’t forget to pick up the album and check out the festival this weekend in PDX.

Download: “Wounds” by Death Songs

Download: “Cold Feet” by Lost Lander

Download: “Needle Doll” by The Minders

Download: “Majoring In The Arts” by Blue Skies For Black Hearts

Download: “The Trend” by The Angry Orts

The merry men (and woman) are back! Jared Mees & The Grown Children somehow found time between touring the nation at an astonishing pace to record their fantastic new album, Only Good Thoughts Can Stay. It’s been almost three years since Jared and the gang shook the world with their acclaimed release Caffeine, Alcohol, Sunshine, Money and they seem to have calmed a bit since. Their personalized brand of frenzied folk music has been shifted down a few RPM’s to create a less hectic sound. But, somehow, nothing is lost; a feat that should come as no surprise to the loyal fans who would follow Jared to Jonestown should he ask!

While Jared Mees has seemed to slow his music a bit, his tracks still dissipate a tremendous amount of haste toward perfect chord progressions and well-conceived lyrics littered with dark subject matter. Only Good Thoughts Can Stay features an even more superior collection of new age folk storytelling than previous efforts. Though the first person manifestation is utterly important, fans of The Grown Children should be more than excited to know that Jared goes as far as to embody others in his already mastered brand of storytelling. This wonderful demonstration of raw talent is best heard on the thumping track “WWJBD”, which employs the tales and spirit of his wife, and co-founder of his label and record store Tender Loving Empire based in Portland, OR. “All Together Now” brings back a bit of nostalgic presence, but is still entirely fresh and riveting.

Anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing The Grown Children perform, whether to a crowd of 30 burrito restaurant attendees or thousands of adoring fans, should already know the strange and funk-driven dynamic that makes Jared Mees & The Grown Children one of the finest touring acts consistently crossing the earth today. But, hearing them on wax can be especially pleasing as well. The tales that Jared and crew have to tell, especially on Only Good Thoughts Can Stay, are comfortably heartbreaking and painfully exciting. And they have definitely produced one of the finest records of the year with this release.

Listen: “W.W.J.D.B.” by Jared Mees & The Grown Children

Listen: “Billy Bird” by Jared Mees & The Grown Children

Tender Loving Empire Records [CD, 2011]

1. Hungry Like A Tiger
2. Limber Hearts
3. WWJBD
4. Billy Bird
5. Inaudible Song II
6. Tiny Toy Piano
7. Inaudible Song I
8. Even Little Mountains
9. Juicy Fruit Prelude
10. Juicy Fruit
11. Graverobbers
12. Shake

Located in the heart of downtown Spokane sits what might possibly be the most ill coordinated bars on earth. Yes, for an act to play “Baby Bar” (the actual bar area only being a 12 ft by 12 ft room), actually means you will be squeezing you and your gear into a devastatingly small spot next to a couple of pinball machines in the burrito restaurant that makes up the majority of the building (Neato Burrito, without a doubt the best burrito in Spokane.) But, for the likes of Jared Mees & The Grown Children, it’s just another setting for these folk-oriented indie rockers to showcase their irrefutable talent as not only brilliant musicians, but as a live act that is not to be missed when they pass through your city.

The versatility of Jared Mees and friends is definitely what makes them such a unique band to watch strut their stuff. Only a week prior to their coming to Spokane, the Grown Children performed in San Diego to a crowd of 700. On this chilly Wednesday night, the crowd might have been somewhere around 30. But, all stipulations aside, this is a packed house! And the odds that there are many Jared Mees virgins in the crowd are very high. What would be the end result? An entire house screaming, clapping, and overtly jumping for joy to their happy go lucky sing along tracks that simply scream good times, even if the songs are more oriented towards despair.

Jared Mees somehow, probably inadvertently, knew exactly how to be a Portland band passing through Spokane. Their set list was specifically designed to catch the attention of Lilac City natives. They kicked off their set with a few of their more uplifting tracks to include their stellar cut “Tallest Building in Hell”. And just over half way through the show the pulled out a secret weapon that will gain the love of any Spokanite. A cover. And not just any cover. A fucking Weezer cover! Yes, it was the well known “Sweater Song”, but it was the Grown Children’s version of the hipster’s “Hotel California” that was compelling to say the least and really drew the attention of everyone within a half mile radius. Or so it seemed as the breathing room at Neato Burrito/Baby Bar became more and more dense. This is how you get into the hearts of a city full of people who are geographically void of a yearning for too much change. Whether they knew it or not, they played a perfect show for the highlighted location in the somewhat desolate Inland Northwest. But, what would be the highlight of the evening? The highlight was easily when the boys (and Meg!) decided to pull out one of their older and possibly their best track to date, “Strong Black Coffee”.

Yes, a Wednesday night has never been so sweet here in the Lilac City. The Tender Loving Empire’s emperor was in full effect, and his latest round of Grown Children proved just as relentlessly entertaining as well. Although the stage might not have been as large and emasculating as the more hipster friendly spots in his hometown, Jared Mees proved that all audiences were created equal, and all deserve to see a performance they are sure to never forget.

All photos by Ron Trembath.

Download: “Cockleburrs And Hay” by Jared Mees & The Grown Children

It’s almost been two years since Jared Mees & The Grown Children released their brilliant album Caffeine, Alcohol, Sunshine, Money. But with every live show they play in their hometown of Portland, or throughout the Northwest and California for that matter, their singularly identifiable brand of messy folk continues to seem fresh and frenzied in nature.

A new album is underway, and “Cockleburrs and Hay” is a track that exemplifies the new spirit and vision that Mr. Mees and company have acquired, and are using to roll right on through the indie rock storm. This is a track that shows the group moving forward using more instruments, an even broader sense of structure in their lyrical content, and the advancement of their signature “sing along people now” attitude that has made this a must-see in their own right.

And although 2010 is wrapping up faster than we think, until we hear from Jared and his multitude of friends, the best is definitely yet to come. Watch for Jared Mees & The Grown Children, on their upcoming west coast tour which kicks off at Doug Fir in Portland on September 23rd.

Download: “Cockleburrs And Hay” by Jared Mees & The Grown Children

Written by Ron Trembath

Despite using the “main star & his band” moniker, Jared Mees & The Grown Children is an obviously collaborative group in their execution. Although Jared hits hard with his wonderfully trebled vocals, his counterpart Meg adds to the mix one of the best voices in indie rock west of the Cascades. Try to imagine the best Antsy Pants song you know, and The Grown Children provide 13 of those on Caffeine Alcohol Sunshine Money.

The aftermath is only half as bad as it is true seems an almost misplaced gem of a metaphor in the over go lucky ditty “Oh No, Oh My God”. The unity of these distinguished Portlanders is most most respectable on the MySpace friendly sing along “Tallest Building In Hell” (which contains what may be a bit of angst for the grunge capital north of their homeland). And a hint of bluegrass influence is hidden in the twangy “Wettin’ Down The Dirt”, which is followed beautifully by the punky effervescent ode to the downtown life, “Slabtown (Friday Night)”.

At times this album is as crisp as a freshly lit organic cigarette. At others, said cigarette is being flicked into your earlobe through a musical composition of anger. In the end, Jared Mees & The Grown Children has mastered the use of real words, general truths, and surreal tranquility to create a fun-loving record that avoids pretentious guardrails, and prefers free minded interstates ready to be traveled.

Jared Mees & The Grown Children: The Tallest Building In Hell [mp3]

Tender Loving Empire [CD, 2008]

1. Bees
2. In The Fall
3. The Tallest Building In Hell
4. Oh No Oh My God
5. Excellent Time
6. Trampling Daises
7. Strong Black Coffee
8. Wettin’ Down The Dirt
9. Slabtown (Friday Night)
10. Sunday Lord
11. 10:26
12. Surprise
13. A Note