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Nameless Numbers: Feature Band

Andy Fenstermaker
June 21, 2009June 21, 2009

It’s instrumental. It’s experimental. And, unfortunately, it is no more.

I am, of course, talking about Nameless Numbers. I caught their first show at the Retro Fit Gallery (another has been) in Moscow, ID a mere three months after formation. The hypnotic keyboardist, the Garfunkel-haired guitar improvisation artist, the wacky but talented drummer, and the bass/banjo multi-instrumentalist have sadly parted ways. But with death comes birth. Grant (drums) has joined The Last Melting Man while the remaining trio are banding together for a new, currently unnamed project. Read More »Nameless Numbers: Feature Band

Bear In Heaven: Red Bloom Of The Boom [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
June 20, 2009February 11, 2022

You rarely hear the words avant-garde associated with pop music. Yet the eclectic and sometimes ear-wrenching sub-genre can be found in all corners of music, but perhaps most notably in jazz through classic artists like Ornette Coleman. In some ways avant-garde is simply a pretentious way of saying experimental. But the definition of the term is merely a push of the boundaries away from the norm. That, then, brings up the question what is the norm?

Acid House Kings: Do What You Wanna Do [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
June 20, 2009May 13, 2023

As I’ve noted countless times in my reviews, I am a firm believer that the sweetest and best of indie-pop from around the world comes from Sweden. While The Legends kicked off this phase, my attention was not focused on that country until I discovered label mates Acid House Kings. With the success of their cherished Sing Along With The Acid House Kings (2005, Labrador) comes the smash hit single “Do What You Wanna Do” in a Single/EP of the same name, this time on the Florida label TwentySeven Records with four exclusive tracks–one of which is exclusive to the US release of the single.

Andy Fenstermaker
June 19, 2009June 18, 2009

In retrospect, Fishboy‘s Albatross should have garnered my #1 album slot for 2007. Seriously: the album remains one of the most-listened-to albums even today. The oft dubbed Twee Rock Opera was a truly brilliant concoction. And, as front-man Eric Michener quietly hints at a follow-up, he releases Nom, a nine-song EP consisting of rejects from the original concept album. Read More »Fishboy: Nom [Album Review]

The Lonely H: Concrete Class [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
June 19, 2009June 18, 2009

There are times where you just need some good ol’ fashioned classic rock. But the classics can sometimes get a bit stale — after all, they’ve been sitting gathering dust or wear for decades. I guess that’s the attraction of a band like The Lonely H; their music has the gritty rock sound of the 70s south, but it’s fresh in that it’s new. Read More »The Lonely H: Concrete Class [Album Review]

Megafaun: Gather, Form & Fly [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
June 18, 2009June 17, 2009

Megafaun (MySpace) was originally birthed from the remnants of DeYarmond Edison and released Bury The Square in 2007. Gather, Form & Fly is the follow-up to that widely-hailed album, and it warrants all the hype one can give. The band consists of Joe Westerlund and brothers Phil and Brad Cook. The main Edison absentee is Justin Vernon, who now goes by Bon Iver. Despite Iver’s greatness, there’s a lot to be said about these three — the music they create, in my opinion, is just as great as For Emma and Blood Bank. Read More »Megafaun: Gather, Form & Fly [Album Review]

Bumtech: Beware of D-G [Album Review]

Ron Trembath
June 18, 2009June 17, 2009

There is no describing the spectacular essence of the duo that is Bumtech. Band mates Sharon Schloss and John Walterscheid have a keen ear for art through obscurity. Combining a mixture of new wave pop and indie, with a hint of 90’s style garage rock, Beware of D-G is a must hear for fans of estranged and engrossing “get down” rock and/or roll. Read More »Bumtech: Beware of D-G [Album Review]

Royal City [Feature Band]

Andy Fenstermaker
June 17, 2009June 15, 2009

I must say, I’m quite obsessed with a few select songs off Royal City‘s latest release, 1999-2004. Those tracks are 1) “Here Comes Success”, thanks to its eclectic guitar breakdown toward the end of the tune, and 2) “Bad Luck” due to a clever lead guitar riff. 1999-2004 is an album of rarities and b-sides collected over the tenure of this short-lived band. Read More »Royal City [Feature Band]

Blue Rabbit [Feature Band]

Andy Fenstermaker
June 17, 2009June 14, 2009

OK, this may be an odd question: How would a mash-up between Rasputina and Tilly And The Wall sound? It’s hard to think about as one would believe the result would be a bit awkward. But it’s not; just listen to “Sleep” by Blue Rabbit. There’s the dark cello, a Rasputina signature. And pop-riddled vocals are sung by multiple individuals in a manner quite like Tilly And The Wall. And here’s the kicker: it works, and it works well. Read More »Blue Rabbit [Feature Band]

Throw Me The Statue: Ancestors [Album Preview]

Andy Fenstermaker
June 16, 2009June 15, 2009

Songs like “Young Sensualists” and “Yucatan Gold” off Throw Me The Statue‘s debut LP Moonbeams were, in my opinion, far greater in depth and personality than the song that initially garnered them fame: “Lolita”. Thus is often the curse of the first single; luckily their sophomore follow-up to Moonbeams debuts with “Ancestors”, a song that has just as much character as the aforementioned greats off Moonbeams. The new release is dubbed Creaturesque and will find a comfortable home yet again on Secretly Canadian. Read More »Throw Me The Statue: Ancestors [Album Preview]

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