FensePost is excited to premiere a few new tracks from the latest compilation by Portland, OR and Olympia, WA lo-fi label Antiquated Future. The release, Well, I Don’t See Why Not: Volume 4 (Preorder here) is out tomorrow and will feature tracks from mostly unknown, under-appreciated artists.
Label head Joshua James Amberson (of Olympia/Portland band Letters) reaches out to some of his favorite artists to gather unreleased songs every few years and the result is a new volume for Well, I Don’t See Why Not. About the release, from the compilation’s liner notes:
The varied and unanticipated range of sounds that makes up each volume of Well, I Don’t See Why Not assures me why these artists are some of my favorites – they aren’t bound by convention or genre, but create music that is ever-growing and expansive.
Compilations have become somewhat of a rarity. They still get released, but to a somewhat lesser extent then they once did, and we hear about those that do get released less. There is good reason for this: as a medium, they’re just not as popular given the mass acceptance of services like Pandora and Spotify.
But for Well, I Don’t See Why Not, Amberson specifically seeks out artists that don’t receive much — if any — love via those more mainstream (even in the indie world) platforms. States Amberson:
I keep doing this because I love the idea of someone putting together a selection of what they like, what they believe in, and saying, “Here is a mixtape of songs that have never been heard anywhere else.†It sounds a lot more appealing to me than being handed an algorithm based on what I’ve listened to in the past.
I can relate. This is the same reason that week in and week out I spend hours putting together playlists for my weekly show on KSVR (Friday nights from 8 to 10pm PST). It’s why I work to keep this blog updated on at least a semi-frequent basis. It’s the basis behind my passion for appreciating music — introducing it to someone who may come to enjoy it as well.
Joshua passed along two tracks for me to listen to after I agreed to write a premiere on the compilation. Read about the artists and her their contribution to the compilation below, but first, here’s the full track list. In it, you’ll see artists like FensePost favorites Stephen Steinbrink, Letters, Corespondents, and Eli Moore (of Olympia band LAKE).
Well, I Don’t See Why Not: Volume 4 (Track List)
1. You Are Plural: “Cut Along the Line†(Olympia, Wa)
2. Upside Drown: “Dead Phones†(Oakland, Ca)
3. Fear Kittens: “Will Always†(Seattle, Wa)
4. Let’s Wait: “Synchronicity Statement #1†(Olympia, Wa)
5. Little Angry & The Sweets: “Your Movie†(Oakland, Ca)
6. Corespondents: “Carradine†(Seattle, Wa)
7. Blindfolder: “Braffin’†(Seattle, Wa)
8. If It Ain’t Breakfast Don’t Fix It “Bender†(Olympia, Wa)
9. Letters: “Ordinary Coversation†(Portland, Or/London, England/Olympia, Wa)
10. L’ile Pica: “Unheld†(Olympia, Wa)
11. David Thomas Broughton: “Struggle†(Seoul, Korea)
12. Eli Moore: “Robinson Crusoe†(Olympia, Wa)
B1. Ariel Birks: “Pleasant Valleys (No Hands)†(Olympia, Wa)
B2. Christina Antipa: “I Wanted to See You†(Tucson, Az)
B3. Stephen Steinbrink: “Tangerine†(Olympia, Wa)
B4. Ladeeda: “Paper Birds†(Oakland, Ca)
B5. Barren Nieces: “Is Not†(Tempe, Az)
B6. Will Sprott: “Small Hours†(Oakland, Ca)
B7. Gossimer: “Cold, Follow†(Oakland, Ca)
B8. Tucker Theodore: “Silver Scythe†(Hiding near the Equator)
B9. Brumes: “IV†(Portland, Or)
B10. Eleanor Murray: “Lion†(Olympia, Wa)
Upside Drown: Dead Phones
The first, Upside Drown, is an artist of which I am familiar. After receiving a cassette of the band’s Mood Music release (also on Antiquated Future), they received radio play a few times up here in Skagit. “Dead Phones” is their contribution to Well, I Don’t See Why Not and it expands upon the band’s super lo-fi twee folk and garage rock by flirting heavily with both ends of the spectrum.
Christina Antipa: I Wanted to See You
This is my introduction to Christina Antipa, and I must say that I’m pleasantly surprised. A softly finger-plucked guitar is the quiet centerpiece of this bedroom-folk track, fronted by Antipa’s heartfelt vocals. In a way, the song can be likened to Angel Olsen’s 2012 release Half Way Home; it’s not quite as minimal, though, featuring a subtle organ, a hint of piano and brief, harmony vocals.