Shortly after giving us Dare, a brief three-song single, The Mary Onettes continue their reign of dark, heavily 80s-influenced pop with a new LP dubbed Islands. “Puzzles” is the first single and it’s adorned with thick melancholy vocals and a sound that is instantly reminiscent of 80s greats like The Church and Echo And The Bunnymen. Read More »The Mary Onettes: Puzzles [Track Review]
If Children, Wye Oak‘s debut LP, found a balance between loud and soft, often one or the other and rarely hitting that middle ground. “Take It In”, off Andy and Jenn’s follow-up, The Knot, continues this trend but finds the band a bit more comfortable in their skin. The juxtaposition of the louds and the softs give “Take It In” an epic feel; you can just hear Andy’s vocal peeking from behind Jenn’s, and when Jenn’s guitar reaches those anthemic heights it becomes downright awe-inspiring. Read More »Wye Oak: Take It In [Track Review]
Today, a few blogs have joined together to exclusively premiere demos off Kasey Anderson’s upcoming LP, Nowhere Lights. The new album doesn’t hit until February of next year via Red River Records, but thanks to this post and the other participating blogs, you now have a chance to win it early. As a massive bonus, these early copies will not only be on vinyl, they’ll be hand numbered and signed by Anderson himself. Read More »Kasey Anderson [FensePost Exclusive]
There’s a growing number of country-based folk bands appearing throughout the Seattle area and the latest to warrant your attention is the male/female duo The Foghorns. This week they released their new record, A Diamond As Big As The Motel 6, on Beefy Beef Records. Their home may be Seattle, but they’re not strangers to the world, having resided everywhere from Ireland to Wisconsin to Brooklyn. Read More »The Foghorns [Feature Band]
Listening to “Philip Guston”, the latest from Vic Chesnutt off his forthcoming LP At The Cut, one is treated with an array of sounds that break free of the standard folk mold to include some fairly in-your-face rock. From the opening minimal two-chord distorted guitar riff, to the epic crescendo that builds throughout the track, it’s obvious that mastery extends beyond merely Chesnutt. Read More »Vic Chesnutt: Philip Guston [Track Review]
Mat Brooke has come a long way since his Carissa’s Wierd project; his confidence is significant in comparison to its presence on the first Band Of Horses LP. In fact, listening to the stripped down tracks on Grand Archives‘ latest, Keep In Mind Frankenstein, (songs like opener “Topsy’s Revenge” and the near a capella “Siren Echo Valley (Part 1)”) he has gone through a major confidence boost since the group’s self-titled debut. Read More »Grand Archives: Keep In Mind Frankenstein [Album Review]
History lesson: Scotland Yard Gospel Choir‘s “Tear Down The Opera House”, off their upcoming junior LP …And The Horse You Rode In On, is not a brand new tune. In fact, it was a prominent force on their debut release, I Bet You Say That To All The Boys. For their forthcoming album, SYGC reworks the track, negating much of the rough, lo-fi elements of the original and quickening the pace. Read More »Scotland Yard Gospel Choir: Tear Down The Opera House [Track Review]
Throughout the video for Nathaniel Sutton‘s “Serious Crime”, I anticipated a twist or a shock. It seemed inevitable, but it never really came. That’s OK, though, as Sutton’s music and the accompanying video go quite well together. Although it’s initially odd, as the characters consist of a panda hand puppet (who acts as Sutton himself, singing the song), and a stuffed bear. Read More »Nathaniel Sutton: Serious Crime [Video]
Looking at the cover art for Sound Farm by Happy Family, one is given the impression it was inspired, at least in part, by Panda Bear’s Person Pitch. Sure enough, opening track “Cups” has certain similarities to Noah Lennox’s solo project, from the experimental electro loops to an underlying Beach Boys style harmony. Read More »Happy Family: Sound Farm EP [Album Review]
Pooma, from Finland’s Helsinki, may have formed in 2000, but they are only now breaking beyond the Finnish borders to give the world a taste of their melancholy Scandinavian shoegaze. Persuader begins with “If May Starts Tomorrow”, introducing us to the atmospheric drones that give Pooma the shoegaze label. This is pretty much what one can expect from Persuader; loud, intense shoegaze drone. Read More »Pooma: Persuader [Album Review]
