I remember listening to the first record by The Pharmacy. It’s raw and has the rough edges often familiar to a new band. But it was good. That was years ago, and the band has come a long way since; their new release is called Stoned & Alone and, when compared with that early LP… well, there’s just no comparing them. Read More »The Pharmacy: Feature
I’ve been listening to Dana Falconberry‘s recent LP, Leelanau, for a month or so, but I haven’t mustered up the courage to write about it. You see, her voice; it makes me a little sad. It is, on occasion, reminiscent of the late Jeff Hanson — a beautiful, somewhat high pitched (well, for Jeff, a male) and soft sound that warms the heart. Read More »Dana Falconberry: Feature
With a name like Fatal Jamz, you’re probably expecting some loud, rambunctious rock music. However, this is not entirely the case. Fatal Jamz is most certainly a loud, rambunctious rock band, but it’s also much more. On “Another Crystal Morning”, the band has pop sensibilities and they employ bold, glam-ridden synth lines. It all adds up to one catchy tune. Read More »Fatal Jamz: Another Crystal Morning
Sometimes it’s hard to look past a catchy riff, a unique vocal pattern or upbeat instrumentation. You get carried away in the music. Add all three, as found in “Condominium”, and it’s even harder to focus on the words. Fantasy Rainbow pairs fuzzy guitars with jangle ones, wildly catchy vocal/guitar patterns, and sloshy drums with highly introspective lyrics. Read More »Fantasy Rainbow: Condominium
Long Slow Dance is, for the most part, a departure from the rough and the grit of Play It Strange… Read More »Long Slow Dance is The Fresh & Onlys’ Best Album
If you light yourself on fire, you’re damn sure not going to sit around and relax. You’ll roll around on the ground instead, or maybe you’ll just round around in circles like a complete idiot. The need to get off your lazy ass will be unbearable. Listening to Magic Jake and the Power Crystals, in a manner of speaking, is very much like lighting yourself on fire. Read More »Magic Jake and the Power Crystals: Feature
With as much psychedelic pop and rock that I’ve been listening to lately, it only made sense to put together a full show featuring the sub-genres. Of course, I also threw in some beloved garage rock to keep things sane. For the first time in ages, I took the KSVR and KSVU airwaves and played several older tunes (older meaning 2011 and before), with bands like Wooden Shjips and The Mantles and Comets on Fire. New releases got their fair share of air play as well: recent songs from The Fresh & Onlys, Two Gallants, Sunglasses and METZ also made the cut. Check out the playlist below and sample the songs in blue.
Read More »Fense’s Radio Show: October 5, 2012
Growing up in semi-rural Washington, specifically in the early nineties, I was always surrounded by a dumbfoundingly random array of neighbors. There were always a collection of traditional red-state, tractor-towin’, shit-kickin’ Republican families; an abundance of well educated, upper-class elitist families (they may have referred to themselves as familial unit, or whatever happened to be politically correct at the time), and a host of hard-to-peg inbetweeners. However, regardless of whatever neighborhood I found myself in, there was always a Camaro or Trans-am sportin’ bad ass. Read More »Wooden Shjips: Wooden Shjips EP (Retrospective Album Review)
Colorful soundscapes adorn the hazy, upbeat and danceable “Cold Shoulder” by Savannah pop group Sunglasses. Including incessant, cool vocals, this track features handclaps, a hefty drum beat and hyper-dreamy guitars. Read More »Sunglasses: Cold Shoulder MP3
Upon first hearing “Buffalo” off Lowlakes debut, self-titled EP, I had to look up information about the band. I had to double check that the vocalist wasn’t Antony Hegarty. Of course it isn’t; but the vocals of Thomas Snowdon fronting this Melbourne-based band have a similar fragility and emotiveness to them. Read More »Lowlakes: Cold Company (Video)
