FensePost Music & Vinyl Blog

Kevin Hume: Velociped [Digital Single Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
February 23, 2009May 7, 2023

One hidden treasure from 2007 was Kevin Hume‘s The Truth About Ants And Aphids. Hume’s debut album was packed with a variety of tunes that touched an array of worldly influences of primarily a folk nature. Well he is back with a new single called Velociped, and from the sound of it, his music continues to and always has pushed creative boundaries, this time breaking out of the worldly folk and into electronic folk.

Andy Fenstermaker
February 23, 2009February 23, 2009

We Swim You Jump (MySpace) produces intricate, intimate pop jems that mix in elements of folk and are populated with detailed orchestration. Despite the powerful music pouring forth from each song on their self-titled EP, We Swim You Jump is dominated by massively forthright, in-your-face vocals. It’s not that they’re hard-hitting or edgy, they’re just ever present when it comes to being the most noticeable element in the song. Read More »We Swim You Jump: We Swim You Jump [Album Review]

This Fair City: Broken Surfaces [Album Review]

Ron Trembath
February 23, 2009May 5, 2023

Loud, aggressive, and…….melodic? Describing This Fair City is almost impossible. But, their less than self-conscious vibe grabs a hold of you and demands your full attention. It is almost like a euphoric drug spills from the speakers when you pop in Broken Surfaces. Visions of pirate ships and wintry battlefields appear with drums crashing as soldiers of normalcy fall. Or anything similar.

Andy Fenstermaker
February 22, 2009

The Expolorers Club address and hint at their influences before you even crack the vinyl wrapping (or, if you prefer, CD wrapping); their album art screams The Beach Boys. Sure enough, opening track â€œForeverâ€ is suited for the relation. Describing the group to a friend shortly after picking up the album, I noted that Freedom Wind is the album The Beach Boys would have released after Smile had they not disbanded during that albumâ€™s recording. Read More »The Explorers Club: Freedom Wind [Album Review]

Back In Judy’s Shack: Back In Judy’s Shack [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
February 22, 2009April 11, 2009

Contrary to the majority of bands out there, indluding those fitting the indie-pop mold, keys are the primary instrument in Back In Judyâ€™s Shack. Thus, there should be no surprise that I immediately relate them to Au Revoir Simone. However, Back In Judyâ€™s Shack do stand on there own, well outside that early reference point. Read More »Back In Judy’s Shack: Back In Judy’s Shack [Album Review]

Math And Physics Club: Movie Ending Romance [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
February 21, 2009May 5, 2023

As a child I was fascinated with the Beach Boys. Songs about surfing and care-free relations with women on the beach made my feet tap, though many of the latter references were well above my head. All that mattered was that they had hot rods on their record covers and that they looked cool. I found Brian Wilson to be not only the best looking of the bunch, but also the one with the most charm and grace. He appeared natural on the back of the cover while the rest of the group seemed a bit out of place. It is nice to hear bands like Math And Physics Club pay homage to the pop groups like the Beach Boys so fully and truly. Wilson’s “You’re So Good To Me” is given a fresh indie-pop sound that brings forth the nostalgia of Summer Days (And Summer Nights) and Pet Sounds and adds to it a hint of twee and jangle.

Andy Fenstermaker
February 21, 2009April 11, 2009

Iâ€™ve been thinking a lot about KZUU lately. For those of you new to FensePost, I DJed there as a grad student at Washington State University, while studying business. In my DJ days prior to kicking off this site, I remember picking up Metal Hearts‘ (MySpace) debut, Socialize, and giving it a good listen. I was astonished at how great the album was for a then recently signed group. Read More »Metal Hearts: Foothills [Video]

Heernt: Locked In A Basement [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
February 21, 2009May 4, 2023

Album covers can give away an album, compliment the music contained within, and even determine whether or not someone like myself, a music critic, even cracks the case to listen to what’s inside. For the longest time KZUU had an album by a group called The Aesthetics, a name that inspires high degree of quality and beauty. This particular album sat on the “To Be Reviewed” shelf for ages.

Andy Fenstermaker
February 21, 2009October 18, 2009

After moving to Seattle in December 2003, I started frequenting Easy Street and Sonic Boom Records. Iâ€™d spend hours looking through old records, listening to bands Iâ€™d never heard of, and carrying around large stacks of soon-to-be-purchased (or put back) merchandise. On occasion I would pick up something cold, having never listened to the album, just because the cover looked intriguing or the price was pleasing. Chromatics‘ Plaster Hounds was one of these grabs and came on purple swirl vinyl for a mere $6.49. I immediately fell in love with â€œGarden.â€ Read More »Chromatics: Nite [12″ Single Review]

The Pristines [Feature Band]

Andy Fenstermaker
February 20, 2009April 11, 2009

I’ve had a copy of The Pristines‘ State Of Mine release on Series II for some time, but with the amount of promos I get, I just hadn’t had a chance to fully appreciate it’s indie pop awesomeness. That is, until I received a cute little 3″ CD-R from Peru’s lovable new pop label Susy Records. Read More »The Pristines [Feature Band]

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