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.
Yesno is an aptly titled concept album centered around the joining of opposing forces to create a powerful third entity. Filled with fitting portions of eclectic yet mellow instrumentation and filtered experimentation, Juna’s music dawns somewhere between the subtle bedroom evening and the ether of morning dew. It is the joining of folk and shoegaze.
Read More »Juna: Yesno [Album Review]
The first time I heard Pigeon Lane, I thought it was a new project by Pelle Carlberg. But it quickly dawned on me that it indeed was not — Pigeon Lane’s sound is filled with similar amounts of pop, but the vocals (the trait most like Carlberg) are less humorous, less professional. Compared to Carlberg, Pigeon Lane fits a lower-fi profile. This suits them well; in a way, this style is comparable to early Starlet or early Acid House Kings.
Read More »Pigeon Lane: How Sweet, How Kind… [Album Review] 
Empire Of The Sun (MySpace) is not your typical duo. They add theatrics to their songs. They blend earth-based life with ancient spiritual aesthetic. They bring the golden age of early civilization into the modern technological world. They also take their name from a 1987 Speilberg flick. One listen to either of Empire Of The Sun’s first two “hits” and you’ll hear why everyone is talking about these guys — they’re easily this year’s MGMT. Read More »Empire Of The Sun: We Are The People [Music Video]
“The original idea with Cloud Cult,” states front-man Craig Minowa twenty six minutes into No One Said It Would Be Easy, “was to try and create something that would make people feel alive for a moment.” While that mantra has changed slightly since the group’s inception, I’d bet it’s pretty safe to say they know they’ve succeeded at achieving their original intent. Read More »Cloud Cult: No One Said It Would Be Easy [Movie Review]
On Ain’t Nobody Cares, Portland’s Paper Brain draws musical influence from the 60s and 70s and lyrical influence from literature. Most notably, “Robin Hood” (easily one of the best songs on the album) is a homage to Edgar Allan Poe’s Eulalie – A Song. It’s a unique take on literature, the putting story to song; one that others have likely emulated. Read More »Paper Brain: Ain’t Nobody Cares [Album Review]
It’s hard to believe that my first live show of 2009 didn’t happen until mid-April. Then again, with the extent of travel over the past six or so months, maybe it isn’t. Add to that the fact that I’m getting older, and that it’s getting harder and harder for me to stay up late. Still, it was fitting that the first show took place at The Crocodile, recently remodeled and reopened with new decor and fancy marble-sinked bathrooms. Read More »Richard Swift: Live At The Crocodile [2009.04.18]
The infamous blend of pop and rock can often be a burden. Packed with generic artists, the mash-up of genres can be more a hindrance than anything else. Especially in the world of the independent. However, Golden Bear transcends the curse of the mundane and they do it in style. Read More »Golden Bear [Feature Band]
A synthesis of bedroom pop, shoegaze, and folk-tronica, Anois finds a near perfect balance of melody and dissonance. From the pleasant instrumental loops to the off-norm harmonic male/female vocals, Tree House Whispers is an instant classic filled with the dawning of love and passion that mature and bloom into meaning and life. Read More »Anois: Tree House Whispers [Album Review]
The moniker Manchester Orchestra (MySpace) uses is a bit deceiving. It hints at something one part British and one part orchestrated. Yet Manchester Orchestra is neither. Instead, the group features one of the catchier, however, more mainstream-ish sounds in independent full-fledged rock. Read More »Manchester Orchestra: Mean Everything To Nothing [Album Review]
There are moments on Tentacles where Crystal Anters lose their chaotic experimental flare so rampant on their debut, self-titled EP from last year. It was a trait that earned them much awareness in tunes like “A Thousand Eyes” and, my personal favorite, “Parting Song For The Torn Sky”. The good news is that Tentacles succeeds in achieving a similarly high status. Songs like “Andrew” are instantly recognizable as cutting edge and, as opposed to the EP, even dabble in psychedelia. Read More »Crystal Antlers: Tentacles [Album Review]
