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Son of Rams [Feature]

  • Cyndi 

son-of-rams

Joseph Pruitt of Family Trees has been busy creating a new one-man side project called Son of Rams; music so gritty and irresistible it’s perhaps the best cure for those winter time blues. Though we can hear the classic rock influences, from sixties pop melodies to seventies psychedelic rock riffs, there remains a refreshingly progressive building of sound in Pruitt’s work. His music explodes with triumphant, fuzzed-out glory reminding us of how dirty garage rock can be dangerous and comforting all at once. Jangly, charming, sultry and intoxicating, these sounds are just full of good times. You hear Son of Rams’ songs and it’s like you can hear the sunrise, exactly the kind of thing we should hope for in good rock music. Read More »Son of Rams [Feature]

Peggy Sue: Fossils and Other Phantoms [Album Review]

peggy-sue

There aren’t many things as enticing as dueling female folk vocals. It’s a form of expression that invokes a sort of spirit that lies in the lowest depths of the canals of history. Storytelling has always been an important aspect of our lives, whether we choose to define it as so simply or not. And a group like Peggy Sue seem to think that storytelling through folk music is the premiere opportunity to let the soul release, as well as dig deep into our own psyche to understand what it means to have lived. These dueling females and a drummer have stumbled upon something truly unique with their album Fossils and Other Phantoms. Read More »Peggy Sue: Fossils and Other Phantoms [Album Review]

An Interview with Y La Bamba’s Luz Mendoza

  • Cyndi 

y-la-bamba

The music of Portland based band Y La Bamba is that of beautiful, intoxicating contrasts. Both parts calming and alarming, meditative and flippant, their songs weave the delicate web of a line between the joy and sorrow of being alive. I was fortunate enough to see them play in Pullman (alongside Buffalo Death Beam and Horse Feathers) this past week and could not have asked for a cozier winter night. Though the entire evening was satiating, the familial nature of Y La Bamba’s performance is really what struck me; how through the tone and composition of their songs we as an audience were asked not only to receive but also to give. Read More »An Interview with Y La Bamba’s Luz Mendoza

Young Hunting [Feature]

young-hunting

Dream-pop is often best when it has a sleepy bedroom sound to it, casual and relaxed, and that’s precisely how Young Hunting like it. The A-side (“Into Your Mind”) off their new 7″ single, distributed by K Records, hints of The Beach Boys-like harmonies backed by soft, dreamy, borderline psychedelic pop. Their old-time pop sound has also been likened Harry Nilsson, which is more apparent in “Sonata”, the single’s b-side. A more modern reference could be the romantic silhouette vocals of Sweden’s Moto Boy. However you see it, Young Hunting crafts mysterious pop music fit for pleasant slumbers. Read More »Young Hunting [Feature]

Pandit: Artichoke [mp3]

pandit-eternal-spin

Contrary to the word’s Indian and Hindu heritage, the band Pandit is from an entirely different land. Pandit is Lance Smith from Texas and his latest work is a drum-heavy psychedelic dream pop album called Eternity Spin. This album, in my opinion, has one of the better album covers we’ve seen in a while. Eternity Spin follows a self-released EP from early this year, a release that generated a few waves for Pandit and ultimately landed Smith a spot on Waaga Records, on which you can find Eternity Spin. Read More »Pandit: Artichoke [mp3]

Jon Hardy & The Public: A Hard Year [mp3]

john-hardy-public

Jon Hardy‘s songs are always thought provoking. And they always seem to have some sort of generation-specific inspiration. Yet his sweet melodies and tantalizing lyrics don’t seem to remind you of any other specific artist. And as it is commonly known to some artists: The more you build on an influence, the more original you become. Hardy seemed to reach back to the 90’s pop rock scene to create “A Hard Year”, the title track from his forthcoming Jon Hardy & The Public EP. Read More »Jon Hardy & The Public: A Hard Year [mp3]

High Highs: Open Season [Video]

high-highs

High Highs is Jack Milas and Oli Chang of Australia and they produce light pop melodies that, as heard in “Open Season”, are entirely infectious. Soft and pleasant, “Open Season” has the perfect balance of emotive vocals, bouncy piano, and laid-back guitar to be one of the year’s better finds. They’ve been spinning this band for quite a while now over at my old station, KZUU. Read More »High Highs: Open Season [Video]

Reading Rainbow [Feature]

reading-rainbow

Fuzzy, dreamy guitars and harmonic female vocals may lead you to think of some pretty notable bands of late, specifically Best Coast, Vivian Girls, and Dum Dum Girls. Others too. Add another one to the list, with Reading Rainbow‘s chill, fuzzed-out pop song “Wasting Time”. Take a gander at “Always On My Mind” and you still get the chill and dreamy nature of the previous song, but things are a bit slower and feature a monotonous, surreal drone that flirts with both instrumentation and vocals. Read More »Reading Rainbow [Feature]

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