It’s difficult to describe the encapsulating power behind Ham1. The Athens-based band’s latest album, Let’s Go On And On And On With Ham 1, is perhaps most engrossing release in their half-decade career. “It’s Only A Dream Unto Itself” is one of the album’s top tracks, molding together a unique array of rock, folk, country and psychedelic for a sound that hints of wide influences from local friends Dark Meat, to the grunge master J. Mascis himself, to the epic genius John Cale.

Elf Power is one of the great leftovers from the epic Elephant 6 collective — you know, bands like Of Montreal, Neutral Milk Hotel, Essex Green, Beulah, and Apples In Stereo to drop a few names. On their tenth — yes, tenth! — studio album, they go the self-titled route. But don’t think that safe move has lessened any of their creativity as it absolutely has not. Elf Power begins strong with “The Taking Under” and it refuses to quit impressing through the last song.

Madeline Adams from Orange Twin Records stopped by Department Of Safety in Anacortes during the summer of 2008. With some local artists and a few well-known names, she recorded with them what would become Tour EP, a collection of six songs previously available only via a CD-R sold while on the road. It now gets proper release via Orange Twin on vinyl 7″. The songs feature Clyde Peterson from Your Heart Breaks and Karl Blau. Other staples dropped by to lend expertise, including Mount Eerie/Microphones master …

My God… just how long have I had The Captain’s Table by Ham1 (MySpace) in my promo pile!? (That question warrants the exclamation point due to the excessive time it has spent there.) Let’s see, the album hit in November of 2007. You’ll likely need to subtract a few months due to the standard promo time. And yeah, that means I’ve had it for damn close to a year. And there’s simply no excuse—the album is quite decent.

I love the spacey guitars and mellow, harmony vocals on The Instruments’ “Sounds Electric”. But, even moreso, I love the consistent, repetitive percussion; it is the percussion that, in my opinion, makes this a great song.