Of all Fleet Foxes‘ collective works to date, none have impressed me as much and as thoroughly as “The Shrine / An Argument”. Off their latest LP, Helplessness Blues, the song is a medley of sorts, an elongated story with various movements. It’s downright exciting to see the song played out in an eight-minute video, created by front-man Robin Pecknold’s brother Sean. The song is epic in the truest of senses.

First hearing “Endless Summer” a few months back, it may have been slightly difficult to understand what Sub Pop saw in their new signee, Still Corners. Granted, the song is very good, but it alone fails to demonstrate the sheer power this band holds. That power is conveyed throughout Still Corners’ debut Sub Pop LP, Creatures of an Hour.

There are very few certainties in life. With the economy in a downfall, natural disasters coming from all angles, and the earth slowly warming, it is very easy to become weary about any sort of regularity in this world. But, there is are two certainties you can always count on: 1) you are going to get older and 2) Blitzen Trapper is going to release an album that just gets better and better. Both of these have inevitably happened this year. And however you feel about …

Blitzen Trapper are arguably one of the hardest working (and most estranged in character) bands out today. With a relentless tour schedule that makes you wonder if Eric Earley and crew actually have homes to go back to, and what seems to be an “album a year” strategy going for them, they have definitely earned this title. But, the best is yet to come. Everyone’s favorite indie-folk group is due to release their fourth album, third from Sub Pop Records, very soon! And if “Love The …

An airy whisper cuts the chilly late summer night. A synth plays an eerie but soothing organ-like melody. A set of beats backs it all, borderline drum box. “Cuckoo” by Still Corners, one of Sub Pop’s latest artists, is a song that screams the uncanny. Rightfully so, the video follows suit, layering colors atop the band for a ghastly, oddly hologram-like appeal.

Clarity is an odd thing. Subjective and open to interpretation. There is clarity behind the vocals of Denise Nouvion, contrasting the dream-like nature of Evan Abeele’s compositions. Together they make up Memoryhouse, and next month they will release The Years EP courtesy Sub Pop Records.
The Years EP is a collection of five beautifully produced song, lucid yet evasive of reality. From opening track “Sleep Patterns”, the listener is treated to a hypnotic set of songs that filter life through a translucent haze.
The EP builds …

Look back over the past few Fruit Bats releases and you’ll find a solid handful of greats. “Born In The 70s” and “Earthquake of ’73″ off Spelled In Bones. “Seaweed” off Mouthfuls. These were truly great tracks. “Tangie And Ray” off Fruit Bats’ latest LP, Tripper, fits right in. It’s catchy, filled with a folk-pop bounce, and wonderfully crafted. Yet there’s something else…

Avi Buffalo‘s self-titled debut earned the title of being my favorite album of 2010. So it’s with great delight that I announce to you the release of new material from the band, that being a single called “How Come”, due out on Sub Pop on June 28.

Woah. Did Male Bonding tame a bit since Nothing Hurts? That was only a year ago, yet this sound doesn’t seem nearly as ferocious and feral as the noise-based rock from their 2010 Sub Pop debut. Listen to “Bones”, off the band’s new LP Endless Now out this coming August, next to last year’s Year’s Not Long and you’d think five years of maturity separated the two.

Diaper Island, Chad VanGaalen‘s awesomely titled new LP, dropped yesterday, and to celebrate the milestone he created a video. Mind you, videos from Chad are typically far from the norm, featuring original cartoonish art that’s a bit demented in a way. This is, like the oddities in his music, a very, very good thing.