“The Secret Plume” is the latest video from Seattle artist Virgin Of The Birds and it features early video of some very unique dancers. In fact, we saw a similar dancer in The Robot Ate Me’s video for “On Vacation”, which was eerie and surreal. Here, however, it complements Jon Rooney’s melodies, which are often timeless.

“The Secret Plume” is off Virgin Of The Birds’ EP Dear Furies, one of a few free EPs from the band available on Abandoned Love Records. Check out the video below and grab “The Queen Of Sweden” off the band’s Fugitive Works EP.

Download: “The Queen Of Sweden” by Virgin Of The Birds

Virgin of the Birds – “The Serpent Plume” from Abandoned Love Records on Vimeo.

There’s something about the music Virgin Of The Birds creates that is seemingly timeless. It’s absolute, in the present, yet it hints of a time long past. Perhaps it’s the simplicity of the songs, with poppy guitar melodies and an ever consistent percussion. The songwriting is where complexity dominates; a lyrical prowess filled with story-like mystery. This mystery has dominated the library Virgin Of The Birds has built. And you can hear it thoughout “They Wake”.

So, too, can you see the timeless moments in the video for “They Wake”. Very present (shot in 2004), but hinting of a time even further back in our history. The music, too, possesses an underlying affinity toward ancient cult films of Christopher Lee vampire flicks and the black-and-white Dark Shaddows Gothic soap opera and classic obscure literature. It may or may not be what Virgin Of The Birds artist Jon Rooney is going for, but it works wondrously in his favor.

“They Wake” can be found on Virgin Of The Birds’ new digital EP, Fugitive Works, available for download from Abandoned Love Records under Fugitive Works.

Download: “They Wake” by Virgin Of The Birds

Download: “The Queen Of Sweden” by Virgin Of The Birds

Virgin of the Birds – “They Wake” from Abandoned Love Records on Vimeo.

To begin with a broad shot of dubious hyperbole, I declare that things have never been better than they were 1973. By things I mean popular art: art that was neither conventionally entertaining by modern tastes nor particularly coherent yet existed in some sort of hazy, avocado mainstream rather than the academy or the crevices of marginelia (sorry, Jazz). The early 1970′s, thanks to the persistent adolescent myopia of Baby Boomers and their now five decades of self-lionization, are often derided as being a hazy bummer – a depressing, cruel comedown from the halcyon days of Wavy Gravy and the war against the squares. In idealized retrospect, it doesn’t seem like there were any squares left by 1973. 1972 saw both Deep Throat and “Walk on the Wildside” become huge hits, signaling either a total collapse of traditional mores in the popular conscience or just a fashionable interest in lasciviousness. Either year, all bets were off by the following year.

1973 is the year that gave us John Cale’s baroque pop masterpiece Paris 1919 and Pink Floyd’s ubiquitous Dark Side of the Moon. After the breakout success of the previous year’s Transformer, Lou Reed decided to bum out the whole world with Berlin, an exceedingly depressing album about depravity and loss that featured not only producer Bob Ezrin’s crying children on the track “The Kids” but also the keyboard styling of Rick Wakemen. David Bowie closed out his Spiders from Mars period with Alladin Sane and the odd, oft-forgotten Pin-Ups cover record then, after one last glam rock spurt with Diamond Dogs, proceeded to invent the 1980′s from broadcloth starting with Young Americans through the Eno records. 1973 also saw the release of Tanx, the last essential T. Rex album before Marc Bolan fell prey to bloat and ill-conceived R&B affectations. Painfully British glam act Slade released their first compilation of proto-bubblegum metal (Sladest) in 1973, providing not only a repertoire for Quiet Riot (“Mama Weer All Crazee Now” and “Cum on Feel The Noize”) but also establishing a fun, goofy counterpoint to America’s sleazy New York Dolls. Slade were lads and they wore rhinestones and make-up. The New York Dolls were decidedly not lads and they wore rhinestones and make-up. This, apparently, was 1973.

1973 brought plenty of heady, yet amazingly popular, weirdness to the cinema as well. While it’s easy to dismiss the obscure, quasi-religious freakout The Holy Mountain as an artifact of the times, one can’t ignore the massive success of both The Exorcist and Last Tango in Paris. Demonic possession and anonymous sex were big that year apparently. Films like Mean Streets, The Wicker Man, Don’t Look Now and The Last Detail are, by today’s standards, slow, unwieldy and often conceptually vague. Yet, in 1973, they were par for the course for the type of auteur-driven films that made their way to the theaters.

Havelock Ellis, in his 1903 introduction to J.K. Huysmans’ degenerate classic a Rebours (Against the Grain), describes decadence in literature as “simply a further development of a classic style, a further specialization …the first is beautiful because the parts are subordinated to the whole; the second is beautiful because the whole is subordinated to the parts” (p. xiv). Ellis claims decadent art “depreciates the importance of the whole for the benefit of its parts, and strives after the virtues of individualism” (ibid). From this point we can begin to survey 1973. These albums, songs, and films perhaps had more depth than breadth, hinging more on obsession than comprehensiveness. The work of these auteurs can be accused of being indulgent, overripe and self-involved, but they certainly can’t be scorned as pandering or formulaic. It’s both convenient and plausible to argue that, in 1973, popular art was briefly clear of the demands for broad identification or even appeal through familiar constructs of narrative or format. Somehow things not overtly entertaining (certainly by today’s standards) yet decidedly ambitious were popular for a crazy window of however many months and years before Big came back.

The closing of that window ushered in an age of cultural unity which has led to a sort of popular art of submission and awe that, in many ways, still reigns to this day. The later 70′s, perhaps in an attempt to shake off the fog of 1973′s weirdness, introduced Jaws and Star Wars, Rumours and disco. Popular art returned to some pretext of populism and went all in on a brand of overwhelming escapism that has yet to ever really recede. Which isn’t to say that tons of great stuff hasn’t come out in the almost 40 years since an aging Marlon Brando sex film raked in the cash at the box office, it just hasn’t seemed like there was ever a time when that was not only the norm, but the celebrated norm. The early 90′s sort of felt that way a little (Sonic Youth on MTV! Tarantino!) but alterna-culture was far too easily co-opted by the merchants of desire and wholly crippled by the dual plagues of irony and self-consciousness to make a legitimate claim. Screw the Boomers, long live 1973.

Here’s an exclusive track recorded by Virgin Of The Birds. “Stroke It, Noel” is a Big Star original that can be found from their 3rd/Sister Lovers LP. It has been reworked by Rooney in his signature classic folk-inspired genius.

Download: “Stroke It, Noel (Big Star Cover)” by Virgin Of The Birds

Banquet Years is the third EP in a digital-only series of releases by Seattle-by-way-of-Austin’s Jon Rooney, the Virgin Of The Birds mastermind and proprietor of Abandoned Love Records. The album, containing five songs, finds Rooney further expanding his capabilities and musicianship. Opening track “Let Me Be Your Bride” demonstrates his folk-versatility, from the 60s-era bass guitar bop to the borderline experimental tinkering on the keys. Not to mention, the wicked guitar-work radiating in emotive psychedelic hypnosis.

From Virgin Of The Birds’ early days, the band had a very Dan Bejar-esque sound. While the reverberating echo in experimental-ish guitar still hints at that influence, and Rooney’s vocal styling has a similar flare, Banquet Years is heading in a new direction. It was hinted in last year’s Dear Furies and Every Rival, but it’s now ever more apparent. “There Is A Wide Road” finds Rooney harmonizing with himself, while virtually all songs feature consistent shakers, which give them a laid-back shuffle.

“She’s In The Moon Again” is Rooney’s ode to the curse word, of which he uses many. And “Every Revelry” is a heavier, harder tune with a full drum beat and a heightened pace. The guitar and keys dominate in excellence while Rooney’s vocals are front and center.

I feel quite surprised to say this, as the first two installments of VotB’s series of digital EPs were quite solid. Virgin Of The Birds have really outdone themselves with Banquet Years. It’s quite easily their most accomplished work yet. I love the intense indie folk sound Rooney has begun associating with Virgin Of The Birds. It’s not quite lo-fi but has some of those qualities. Let’s hope Virgin Of The Birds keeps this up — I can’t wait to hear more!

Download: “Let Me Be Your Bride” by Virgin Of The Birds

Download: “Every Revelry” by Virgin Of The Birds

Abandoned Love Records [Digital EP, 2010]

1. Let Me Be Your Bride
2. Every Revelry
3. She’s In The Moon Again
4. There Is A Wild Road
5. A Chimera You Can Trust

Not surprisingly, this list is filled with EPs by quite a few bands you know and quite a few you probably don’t. Of the ones you don’t know, many are likely from Washington; a quick count leaves me with five bands, or 1/4 of this list. Many of these bands I consider among the most promising artists to surface in 2009. All are worth checking out, and you’ll want to keep an eye on them as we head into 2010.

I titled the above image of my cousin Danny “Over It: 2009″, which is a pretty good summation of the year. It’s been a rough one all around thanks to a shoddy economy, a poor real estate market, and rampant unemployment. But looking back, 2009 was jam-packed with great tunes. And I bought a house, which has been pretty sweet. So, when it comes down to it, 2009 wasn’t half bad.

Here it is, my top 20 EPs of 2009.

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20. The Age Of Anxiety by Virgin Islands

The newest of the EPs on this list is The Age Of Anxiety by Virgin Islands. Following the path of Mike Jaworski’s prior group The Cops, this Seattle band is one to keep an eye on in 2010. They are sure to quickly become a local favorite. Also, this release is a limited print one on 12-inches of vinyl, so snatch it up before it’s too late!

Virgin Islands: The Age Of Anxiety [mp3]

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19. Eering, Creaky EP by The Smile Brigade

With Eering, Creaky EP, Seattle’s The Smile Brigade began to redefine their folk-y sound with pop sensibilities and clever lyrical twists. As they have yet to give us a full LP, The Smile Brigade remains a powerful underground force waiting to be heard beyond the borders of the Pacific Northwest.

The Smile Brigade: Smile And Smile [mp3]

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18. Cathedral With No Eyes EP by Railcars

In the vein of Jamie Stewart’s Xiu Xiu, San Francisco’s Railcars is experimental noise pop at its most eccentric and ferocious. Cathedral With No Eyes is the band’s second EP and it finds them solidifying their now signature freak-out noise-pop sound.

Railcars: Castles [mp3]

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17. Blood Bank EP by Bon Iver

Bon Iver continues Justin Vernon’s pleasantly falsetto folk-pop. A brief four songs, Blood Bank (in my opinion) surpasses For Emma, Forever Ago as the group’s strongest work yet. This EP is a must-have for any collection.

Bon Iver: Blood Bank [mp3]

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16. Early Morning Risers EP by Dinosaur Feathers

Unique harmonies often in falsetto with a front-man that sounds like an early Rivers Cuomo and backed by an electro-freak-folk sound not entirely unlike a mellow Animal Collective, Dinosaur Feathers are easily one of today’s most promising new acts.

Dinosaur Feathers: Cold Arabella [mp3]

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15. Tiny Dots by Yarn Owl

Yarn Owl continues to impress with Tiny Dots, featuring an early favorite “Yarn Blues” and introducing some new ones like “This Old Yarn” and “Without You”. 2010 promises more great things from this Pullman-based band; an EP dubbed Stay Warm. If you missed it, we featured an exclusive track from that forthcoming EP and it’s pretty damn good. To demonstrate this band’s greatness, this cassette release of (I believe) 300 recently sold out.

Yarn Owl: Yarn Blues [mp3]

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14. Higher Than The Stars EP by The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart released one of my favorite albums of the year, so it only makes sense that their follow-up EP also be worthy of high praise. “Higher Than The Stars” lacked some of the fuzzy greatness of their self-titled LP, but that title track is just as sweet and sensual as “Young Adult Friction” or “Come Saturday”.

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart: Higher Than The Stars [mp3]

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13. Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP by Deerhunter

As usual, Deerhunter delivers. Five songs of immense impacting delight. This album picks up where Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. left off, or joins in just before it starts (I cannot decide which is more appropriate). Noise is the new pop and noise pop, for Deerhunter, reigns supreme.

Deerhunter: Rainwater Cassette Exchange [mp3]

* * * * *

12. Exquisite Corpse EP by Warpaint

These three ladies know how to create a good tune. “Stars” is my favorite shoegaze-y track from 2009, and “Billie Holiday” is close behind. The video for “Stars” is one of my favorites of the year and, with sole exception to “Beetles”, this EP is flawless. Anticipate great things in 2010 from Warpaint.

Warpaint: Elephants [mp3]

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11. Phantogram EP by Phantogram

Phantogram’s debut EP hits all the right notes. After being discovered this year, the group was signed to Barsuk. Keep an eye out for Phantogram’s debut EP, Eyelid Movies early next year. Think Ratatat (they hail from the same small New York town) with lyrics.

Phantogram: When I’m Small [mp3]

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10. OKAY by Venice Is Sinking

This extended single includes the two of the most appreciated tracks off Venice Is Sinking’s AZAR. “OKAY” is one of my favorite tracks of 2009, and they revisit it and “Ryan’s Song” in the Henslee Sessions. Along with the album version of the title track, the band rounds out the EP with “Compass” and “Give Up”, both covers of the band OKAY.

Venice Is Sinking: Okay [mp3]

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9. Dear Furies by Virgin Of The Birds

It had been a few years since Virgin Of The Birds gave us Mixed Choir, but 2009 saw them putting out two EPs. Both are outstanding, but Dear Furies took the cake for me. Jon Rooney’s tracks “Spanish Accusations”, “Baby Let Me Trace You” and “Magic & Sincere” were what did it, though Every Rival has some great tunes as well (“I Loved John” and “Ilona, You Should Still Be My Vampire Attendant”).

Virgin Of The Birds: Spanish Accusations [mp3]

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8. Fall Be Kind EP by Animal Collective

Fall Be Kind finds Animal Collective again becoming more accessible to a wider audience. Without the dissonance and grating shrieks of their early work, Animal Collective has tamed and matured, but still carries a ferocious bite.

Animal Collective: What Would I Want? Sky [Stream]

* * * * *

7. Life Of Leisure EP by Washed Out

A single session of songs as a band, and that may just be all we get from Washed Out due to settling down. The primary man behind this quite mesmerizing group set out to make music a bit different from what he had before, and the result was one of the year’s best EPs.

Washed Out: Feel It All Around [mp3]

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6. Survival Strategies In A Modern World EP by Liechtenstein

There was a void in music after the demise of the short-lived Vancouver, BC group The Organ; that being a Smiths/Morrissey influenced indie pop girl group. Liechtenstein fills that gap (kinda) and includes lead vocals as deep as those of Katie Sketch. Liechtenstein’s music isn’t nearly as pointed as that by The Organ, but it’s just as good (if not better).

Liechtenstein: Roses In The Park [mp3]

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5. EP by Air Waves

They may be from New York, but Air Waves has that sunny California sound. Their acoustic pop made waves (heh) this year and it’s easy to hear why – these songs are pure and fun and easy to love. “Keys” is a quick favorite, but given time you’ll find a special place in your heart for every song on this EP.

Air Waves: Keys [mp3]

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4. Hollow Home EP by Bagheera

Listening to Hollow Home, I’m reminded of Grizzly Bear. But where it took Grizzly Bear three albums to really make an impact on me (outside a track here and there), Bagheera does it with a single four-song EP. This is an absolute must-hear.

Bagheera: Skeleton Leaf [mp3]

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3. Unfaithful by Charles Leo Gebhardt IV

Like me, this dude sports a big red mustache. Charles Leo Gebhardt IV is, along with The Banyans, Seattle’s best underground artist. Unfaithful proves it with powerful tracks like “Look Out, Look In”, the title track, and “Lake Serene”. Hopefully 2010 will see Gebhardt giving us his debut LP, because I for one cannot wait to hear more.

Charles Leo Gebhardt IV: Unfaithful [mp3]

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2. Heatwave EP by Total Babe

What a great new band! Total Babe gets my vote as one of the most promising bands of the year. These kids are young and filled with promise. For their seemingly super young age, their musical abilities and lyrical crafts are par none. Every song on this EP gets an A+++.

Total Babe: Bearbones [mp3]

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1. We Swim You Jump EP by We Swim You Jump

This is an easy pick for EP of the year – We Swim You Jump has dominated my playlist since I discovered the band many months ago. There’s not much more to say about this band that I haven’t already. I’ll reiterate: perfect pitches, passionate harmonies, and some of the most mellow yet moving pop you’ll hear from 2009.

We Swim You Jump: Sharks [mp3]

The Seattle DIY king (Levi Fuller) returns with his next Ball Of Wax comp. This time, it’s themed. Each song is between one and two minutes in length, hence the album’s name, Ball Of Wax 18: One Minute Singles. You’ll see some FensePost local favorites in there, including Levi Fuller (Mr. Seattle DIY himself), Virgin Of The Birds (pictured), Dandelion Gold, Webelos, Open Fire Choir, and Poland. To celebrate its launch, there’s gonna be a SHOW!

More on that soon, but first…

Here’s a sneak peek at what’s hiding within this comp:

The Pika Beats: Nettles [mp3]

Virgin Of The Birds: In Praise Of Marrying Widows [mp3]

Launch Party Show Specifics:

Wednesday, December 16th, 8:00 pm
The Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave NW
21+ / $7 (includes a copy of the Ball of Wax 18 One Minute Singles CD)

For a full list of artists performing at the event or to pick up your very own copy of Ball Of Wax 18: One Minute Singles, head over to the Ball Of Wax website.

We’re excited to exclusively premiere the sixth track of Virgin Of The Birds’ latest EP, Dear Furies, available only here on FensePost. The song features Jon Rooney’s growing focus of meshing his love for folk-pop with the obsession with classic underground films, like the classic works of Christopher Lee circa the 60s and 70s.

The progression Rooney has made since donning the moniker Virgin Of The Birds is quite astounding. Early on, VOTB possessed a Bejarian quality, but with his most recent EPs, Rooney is downplaying those sounds for one much more his own. And it shows throughout his latest EP, Dear Furies.

I know the guy; he’s the proprietor of Abandoned Love Records and he’s a mutual film buff — he’s opened my eyes to the extensive world of classic vampire movies (predating the modern craze). And these are traits you can hear in his songs. “Ilona, You Should Still Be My Vampire Attendant”, off Virgin of the Birds’ last EP, Every Rival, hit the mark in the literal sense. On Dear Furies, available for download today, the influence is subtle, quaint even, but entirely present.

“Spanish Accusations” has an old-time-y pop sound that would be the perfect accompaniment for an avant garde vampire flick from the 70s. Likewise could be said about “You Love It Loud” and “Here Comes The Summer”. The masterful sixth track on the EP, the one provided here exclusively, “Magic And Sincere” features plenty of acoustic and electric guitar, as well as an 80′s synth channeling a Hammond B3 and transistor organs. You can also hear clavinet and an analog synth.

Adding these instruments have birthed Virgin Of The Birds’ new sound, fleshed out the songs with unique depth and insight into Rooney’s world, one clever entirely its own. Download “Magic And Serene” exclusively below, and get the other five tracks from Dear Furies at Abandoned Love Records.

Virgin Of The Birds: Magic And Sincere [mp3]

Abandoned Love Records [Digital EP, 2009]

1. Spanish Accusations
2. You Love It Loud
3. Baby Let Me Trace You
4. Here Comes Summer Again
5. The Serpent Plume
6. Magic And Sincere

Virgin Of The Birds is the solo project of Jon Rooney, the primary individual behind Abandoned Love Records. His latest project is a slew of EPs available from the ALR website, the first of which is Every Rival.

On Every Rival Rooney continues the eclectic folk rock stylings apparent on the prior Virgin Of The Birds EP, Mixed Choir. The two years that have passed since the summer 2007 release of that EP can be heard in songs like “Ilona, You Should Still Be My Vampire Attendant”. In other words, Rooney’s ability to craft song and lyric alike have improved tremendously.

Every Rival takes Virgin Of The Birds in a new direction instrumentally. Rooney adds a plethora of instruments, from various vintage-sounding keys to simple pianos to tambourine in songs like title track “Every Rival”. But he’s not above maintaining stripped-down acoustic/vocal only moments throughout the album, but these moments are just that, and they’re quickly swallowed by supporing instrumentation that add great depth to the songs.

Every Rival is an exciting piece of work, one all fans of light folk will appreciate. Rooney’s grate-y Dan Bejar-esque vocals are its perfect accompaniment. As the closing moments of “Lessons Learned In Turkish Valleys” near, one cannot help but long for more. And once they arrive, one is simply drawn back to the beginning — the soft, lounge-folk of “I Loved John” — to take the trip one more time.

Download Every Rival from the Abandoned Love Records site.

Virgin Of The Birds: Ilona, You Should Still Be My Vampire Attendant [mp3]

Abandoned Love Records [Digital EP, 2009]

1. I Loved John
2. Ilona, You Should Still Be My Vampire Attendant
3. From Peking
4. Every Rival
5. Lesson Learned In Turkish Valleys

Each Ball Of Wax compilation has a theme behind it and this one is the thirteenth quarterly comp that Seattle artist Levi Fuller has done. What Fuller does is concoct a theme (at least on some… several have no theme other than being “music to enjoy”) then gather a mass of (usually) local Pacific Northwest artists, who all write and record an exclusive song for the release. This was my first time seeing several of the performers on the list, from St Rainbow (the folks behind Hollow Earth Radio) and their eerie sampled goodness to Olie Eshleman’s instrumental loops. Virgin Of The Birds (MySpace), however, was a familiar name.

This band is the project of Jon Rooney. Though I’ve known Rooney for close to a year and a half, I only recently saw him perform for the first time. Though taller and cleaner cut, Rooney has the voice of an early Dan Bejar (Destroyer, The New Pornographers). This signature vocal sound fits well with his music, a casual folk-pop that’s easy to get into yet packed with unique hooks rare in the genre.

At Sunset Tavern on the 21st, Rooney was joined onstage by Seattle trio Secret Highways. He played a few from last year’s Mixed Choir EP and also treated us to “She’s In The Moon Again”, the song Rooney donated to Ball Of Wax 13.

This compilation features fifteen tracks, all written as a homage to the late George Carlin and his Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television. So, comp in hand, you’ll likely hear a slew of curse words with fuck and shit being the most popular. You can also pick up Mixed Choir from Virgin Of The Birds on Abandoned Love Records, while Ball Of Wax 13 is available for purchase here.

Virgin Of The Birds: Sisters At The Sound Of Dawn [mp3]