FensePost Music & Vinyl Blog

Jonathan Clay: The Acoustic Sessions [Album Review]

Ron Trembath
December 8, 2008April 11, 2009

It would be great if life were as smooth and simple as a Jonathan Clay (or Jason Mraz, Howie Day, etc.) song. In a genre like this, what I like to call bubbly acoustic, even the saddest of moments could seem minuscule and easily bearable. Call it a guilty pleasure, but these indie, John Mayer influenced strummers and singers are a much brighter light in the world of pop music than we have seen in, oh, the last ten years at least! (See: boy bands, rap metal, and Fall Out Boy). Read More »Jonathan Clay: The Acoustic Sessions [Album Review]

The Smallgoods [Feature Band]

Andy Fenstermaker
December 5, 2008April 11, 2009

Written by Fense

Now here’s a label I haven’t checked out in a while — Lost And Lonesome Recordings, Australia’s premiere source for great indie pop from down under. This group, The Smallgoods, makes folk music with a light inclusion of simple pop traits. For one, there’s the compounded, harmony vocals, often featuring more than three members. Read More »The Smallgoods [Feature Band]

Fugu: As Found [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
December 5, 2008April 13, 2009

Written by Fense

I didn’t check out Fugu 1, the debut LP by Fugu, until well after its release. Featuring an impressive lineup of French and European pop artists, Fugu’s music is a blend of pop styles, from the upbeat to the softly melancholy. And, to continue the trend, I’m just now checking out Fugu’s latest. Read More »Fugu: As Found [Album Review]

Lukestar: White Shade [Music Video]

Andy Fenstermaker
December 4, 2008April 11, 2009

Written by Fense

I was hooked in the opening moments of this video just like I was hooked the moment I heard Lukestar’s high-pitched, Mew-like vocals. Even the backing music has the punchy, almost orchestrated sound of Mew’s And The Glass Handed Kites. Lukestar (MySpace) hails from Oslo and their recent release, Lake Toba, which hit late September, doesn’t appear to have hit in the states. Read More »Lukestar: White Shade [Music Video]

Peace In Our Time [Feature Band]

Andy Fenstermaker
December 4, 2008May 4, 2023

Written by Fense

I’m currently in bed. My eyes are half shut and half a bottle of Syrah is settling in my stomach. And in my ears are the pleasant pop melodies of Peace In Our Time. Despite my current demeanor, I would not call Peace In Our Time bedroom pop. There’s too much going on — the songs too full of live for the genre of slumber. Even the slower side of Peace In Our Time features percussion too loud and guitars too sunny for bedroom pop.

Andy Fenstermaker
December 3, 2008March 28, 2009

I’ve been in-tune with, and a fan of, Aerotone Records for some time now. Each release they give the world is truly given to the world — they are all free with the option to pay, a strategy that has been in place (to my knowledge) since the beginning. They are what one would call a netlabel. One of their latest releases is Hydrophobia by Entertainment For The Braindead (MySpace). Read More »Entertainment For The Braindead: Hydrophobia [Album Review]

Vancougar [Feature Band]

Andy Fenstermaker
December 3, 2008April 11, 2009

Written by Fense

Vancougar is the Washington State University (my alma mater) newspaper. While I went to the Pullman campus (whose daily paper is The Daily Evergreen), the Vancougar is the Vancouver, WA campus’ bi-weekly periodical. We are the Cougars, and this year we fuckin’ ROCKED the apple cup. Of course, the two teams playing, WSU and UW, are pretty much the worst in the nation, so there’s not much to boast about winning in double overtime. Read More »Vancougar [Feature Band]

The Rollo Treadway: The Rollo Treadway [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
December 2, 2008April 11, 2009

Written by Fense

With an emphasis on late 60s, early 70s pop influence, The Rollo Treadway‘s self-titled debut follows a conceptual storyline — the kidnapping of two children. Rather than taking the dark route, it quickly becomes apparent that The Rollo Treadway is packed with upbeat pop gems like opener “Kidnapped” and its follower “Rua Gararu 188”. Read More »The Rollo Treadway: The Rollo Treadway [Album Review]

Nick Butcher [Feature Band]

Andy Fenstermaker
December 2, 2008

Written by Fense

Nick Butcher is youthful but balding; he’s thin with a very natural, normal look. One would hardly expect him to be the mastermind of a minimalist-experimental-electronic outfit. But he is. That his appearance is more fitting for a talegate party than this just goes to show that looks can be deceiving. Read More »Nick Butcher [Feature Band]

The Beach Boys And The Satan [Film Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
December 2, 2008May 8, 2023

In the song they slapped onto the Garden State soundtrack, Coldplay sung We live in a beautiful world repeatedly. But really, do we? Everything around us is subjective — science tells us that, when even the most noteworthy, respected theories, like the theory of gravity, remain just that… theories. Ethics are subjective — I was recently reading about the killing of a homosexual as not being a hate crime; something I find absolutely ridiculous. When some sound-minded person responded Why can’t we just accept people for who they are, another with contradictory views responded Sure, why don’t we just accept murderers because that’s what they do, and they went on to list a few other undesirables.

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