Andy Fenstermaker is a music lover, writer, marketing professional, and entrepreneur who has dedicated his life to sharing his passion for music with others. He is the founder of FensePost, a renowned music blog that has been sharing the latest and greatest in indie music since 2006. Andy has always been fascinated by the power of music to connect people, and he started FensePost with the aim of sharing his love of music with others. Andy developed a passion for music at a young age. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Andy grew up surrounded by a vibrant music scene that left an indelible mark on him. He attended Washington State University, where he studied Communication and Business. He holds a BA in Communication and a Masters in Business Administration. After graduating, Andy started writing about music and created FensePost as the outlet. The blog has a strong focus on indie music, but also covers a range of other genres including folk, indie pop, psychedelic, garage rock, and experimental. Andy and the blog relocated to the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in 2020.
A favorite from last year was Sindri Már Sigfússon’s solo project Sin Fan Bous; an album titled Clangour. Prior to striking out on his own under this moniker, Sigfússon had a different solo project, one called Seabear. It evolved into something else, something larger and more complex – a seven-piece group of fellow Icelanders. Read More »Seabear: Lion Face Boy [mp3]
James Apollo‘s “No East, No West” is starts with an airy whisper. The video is a play on lighting; a swinging light bulb makes a cool effect atop Apollo and the band as they play and perform. From these minimal beginnings may not hold much weight when it comes to the vast body of folk music out there, but they sure do once the band kicks in. Without that humble introduction, the full sound wouldn’t carry the impact it does. This is pure bluesy, roots-influence folk rock. And where Apollo stands out most are when the band kicks in after the quiet, open spaces. Read More »James Apollo: No East, No West [Video]
Mixing the psychedelic pop of the 60s with a more orchestrated baroque sound, The Soft Skin is four sunny tracks by Philadelphia’s most promising pop band in quite a while. Brown Recluse began as duo Timothy Meskers and Mark Saddlemire, and ultimately grew to six individuals. Within The Soft Skin, you’ll hear the plush instrumentation, from a focus on keys and jangle guitars in opener “Rotten Tangerines” to the trumpet feature in closer “Contour And Context”. Read More »Brown Recluse: The Soft Skin [Album Review]
One never gets the impression that Erlend Oye will ever top the releases from his past, namely that from the duo Kings Of Convenience. But with each subsequent release, first under his own name and now under the moniker The Whitest Boy Alive, he always seems to deliver. And while Rules took a few listens to catch on, it is no exception. Read More »The Whitest Boy Alive: Rules [Cover Art]
Francis has been hard at work on a new album and, given a first listen to their new single, it’s easy to hear this band has made some tremendous strides forward. But first, take a step back. Their self-titled EP from 2009 was pretty solid. It allowed them to shine in a very unique manner – being a band that took Sweden into a tavern and got it so hopped up on booze that a drunken punk side began to show. It had sloppy moments, but it merely enhanced the music. “I Was Never Bored At All”, the band’s new song, is not what you’d expect from the previous description. Not at all. Read More »Francis: I Was Never Bored At All [mp3]
When I say that some of my favorite bands start with the letter V, I am not kidding. On FensePost, there are many reviews of Voxtrot—a near comprehensive collection of their recorded works. One band, however, that I list among my favorites (pre-Voxtrot) and that you have likely not seen or heard until now is Seattle’s very own Vells. Read More »Vells: In The Hours [7-Inch Single Review]
Rough 70s-era garage rock instrumentation paired with a joint custody of glamorous pop meets fuzzy rock vocals, Happy Birthday comes across as a modern sleeper band. Like a favorite from last year (Jeff The Brotherhood), Happy Birthday could very well launch forward into history with one of the better albums of the year. “Girls FM”, the opening track off the band’s self-titled Sub Pop debut, certainly shows the promise of good things to come. If anything Happy Birthday will be among the early highly anticipated albums from what may ultimately be one of Sub Pops best years yet. Get excited; “Girls FM” hits via Happy Birthday on March 16. Read More »Happy Birthday: Girls FM [mp3]
Seattle’s TacocaT brings back the riot grrrl sound full force while channeling a substantial Bratmobile sound, as correctly noted to me by Finest Kiss. In my opinion, there’s even a little punked-up B-52s sound in there. Their debut LP, Shame Spiral is out now on Don’t Stop Believin’ Records, the label responsible for giving us releases by See Me River, The Pharmacy and Your Heart Breaks. Read More »TacocaT: Shame Spiral [Cover Art]
There is documentation of creative longevity and then there’s Bunnygrunt, whose sixteen plus years as a band (give or take a few) has gained them notoriety in the areas of lo-fi rock, indie pop and 90s pop-punk. This band’s latest effort is Matt Harnish & Other Delights, a record that takes its name from so-called main Grunter man Matt Harnish, the other half being that of Karen Ried (possibly the ‘other delights?). Read More »Bunnygrunt: Matt Harnish & Other Delights [Album Review]
I first saw The Long Winters live at the Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle at the end of July, 2004. Along with IQU, they stood out as the event’s best performers. The second time was in Pullman this past spring [2006] for the university’s annual Spring Fest. And again, they left the other performers behind to become the main attraction of the day. Standing at what appears to be well over six feet tall, front-man John Roderick has a stage presence that is outstanding. I recall hearing “Pushover†and the quick, punchy chords of “Fire Island, AKâ€. I remember “Sky Is Open†being a favorite, and possibly even “Rich Wife†and “Ultimatumâ€. Read More »The Long Winters: Putting The Days To Bed [Album Review]
