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Duchess Leo: Golden Gray [Album Review]

  • Cyndi 

duchess-leo

It’s not too often an album hooks me in the first 15 seconds of the opening track. New York duo Duchess Leo (Daniel Ryan and Todd Buchler) has managed to do so however. Heavy and loose, stable and whimsical, clean and a little bit hazy their debut album Golden Gray is tightly woven music with just the right amount of contrasts. The opening song “Your Sweet Love” sets us up for a mix of sounds including ambient washes, lo-fi vocals and reverb, even a taste of early 90’s grunge. Read More »Duchess Leo: Golden Gray [Album Review]

Karl Blau: Golden Chariot [Single Review]

karl-blau

Karl Blau is a bit of a mad genius, like many of the folks creating music in Anacortes and it’s bigger brother Olympia. The music is grounded in genre influences like pop and folk, but it’s also a bit out there. It always has been. And you know, with artists as unique as Blau, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Golden Chariot is Blau’s latest offering and it comes in the form of a Dub Narcotic Disco Plate courtesy K Records, who will also release it as a 12″ EP. Read More »Karl Blau: Golden Chariot [Single Review]

Yarn Owl [Interview]

yarn-owl

I’ve known Yarn Owl‘s Ted Powers (drums) and Timothy Meinig (bass) since, well, probably 2005. Javier Suarez (vocals and guitar) I met in the years after my 2006 departure. In fact, the only band member I have yet to met is Tyler Armour. So yes, I’ve been following Yarn Owl, virtually, since the beginning. With their first full-length now available, and a planned west-coast visit this coming weekend (see them at Columbia City Theater in Seattle on March 26 and again at Sunset Tavern on the 31st), I sat down with long-time favorite Yarn Owl. The man: Javier. The setting: Facebook messages. Here we go… Read More »Yarn Owl [Interview]

Sub Pop Signs Three New Artists

still-corners

I’m not much one for putting together a news item. I prefer writing features and reviews than pushing out the latest bit of news, but with a few new signings from Sub Pop, I figured I’d do a one-part introductory list, one-part news bit. Yes, in the last week or so, Sub Pop has signed a few new bands. They are as follows: Niki And The Dove, Still Corners, and Memoryhouse. All three write hauntingly beautiful songs, some of which you can hear/see below. Read More »Sub Pop Signs Three New Artists

Snow Caps: Moonbreak [Cover Art]

FensePost Cover Art: Snow Caps' Moonbreak

Edible Onion always provides the most unique cover art, be it on CD or vinyl. One of their latest is from a band called Snow Caps, the release: Moonbreak. Snow Caps creates light, playful bedroom folk-pop. The band is Andrew Keller of Hermit Thrushes, and Moonbreak is the result of more than two years of recording by Keller, spanning several rooms in a Philadelphia home. The album flickers between full folk-pop songs and instrumental ones. It is intricate, beautiful, a little odd at times, but always unique — just what you’d expect from album art like this. Read More »Snow Caps: Moonbreak [Cover Art]

All Tiny Creatures: An Iris [mp3]

all-tiny-creatures

A while back we got a taste of something a bit different, in terms of your standard indie group. All Tiny Creatures‘ EP Segni blended shoegaze-style loops with traits of indie rock and, yes, jazz. The band is back with an LP called Harbors. On it, the band expands their sound by adding vocals while maintaining the unique elements of their EP. And an early favorite is “An Iris”, a song that capitalizes on vocals, courtesy one of Harbors‘ many guest vocalists. Here we find accompaniment from Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. Read More »All Tiny Creatures: An Iris [mp3]

The Electric Anthology Project

The Electronic Anthology Project [Feature]

I like weird. When it comes to music, I can think of a few oddities in my collection. Most, however center around cover art. There’s the John Travolta LP Can’t Let You Go, which came in at #15 on Cracked’s list of The 19 Most Hilariously Failed Attempts at Sexy Album Covers. I also dig the conceptual, which Fishboy has come to do quite well. The Electronic Anthology Project fits both molds — the band’s self-titled debut EP is conceptually weird.

Read More »The Electronic Anthology Project [Feature]

Weekend: Coma Summer [mp3]

weekend

San Francisco’s Weekend takes your favorite post punk fuzz pop sound and infuses it with a deep, dreamy shoegaze on their track “Coma Summer”. Now, I’m not sure if all of Weekend is like this, as I have yet to hear anything else from their LP Sports, but the epic distortion that fills this song is more than enough to spark immense curiosity. It’s based around experimentation and packed with dark, heavy vocals. This is precisely the type of track and style of band you’d expect to get turned onto by a label like Slumberland Records. Read More »Weekend: Coma Summer [mp3]

Lohio: Family Tree [Album Review]

lohio

Lohio is an indie-folk-pop band out of Pittsburgh, and they are often likened to Yo La Tengo and Sufjan Stevens. This should be no surprise ones you hear their playful orchestrated pop. The band has a new EP called Family Tree; five wonderfully catchy songs that you simply do not want to miss. The EP opens with “Leave The City, Leave Your Room”, a song with spirited piano dominance and beautiful harmony vocals from Greg Dutton and Liz Adams. It quickly becomes apparent that these traits are not only common on Family Tree, they are inherent in the music Lohio creates. Read More »Lohio: Family Tree [Album Review]

All Smiles: Staylow And Mighty [Album Review]

all-smiles

If you’ve been hanging around a bit, you may recall All Smiles‘ Ten Readings Of A Warning from way back in 2007 (or their second LP that slipped by me in 2009). You may also recall that the project was fronted by the renowned Jim Fairchild of Modest Mouse and Grandaddy fame. Fairchild is back and this time he’s brought along a few friends – Joe Plumber (also of Modest Mouse), Gary Jarman (The Cribs) and Danny Seim (Menomena). That alone is worthy of a double-take. All Smiles’ third LP is called Staylow And Mighty, and it is available now for download and via the cherished vinyl format. Read More »All Smiles: Staylow And Mighty [Album Review]

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