I was apprehensive the first time I hear “The Tower” by Wye Oak. The new track, off Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner’s forthcoming LP Shriek, is so vastly different from their previous material, I was almost initiated the metaphorical reject button. Gave it a few days, and tried it again with better results. Read More »Wye Oak’s New LP is Far From What You Might Expect. And That’s A Good Thing.
“That Mountain Is A Volcano” kicks off Eureka Birds‘ recent EP soft and psychedelic, but the song increases in volume… Read More »Eureka Birds: Eureka! EP [Album Review]
Where was a group like Lowell when you really needed them? Well, they were probably exactly where they needed to be – banging around the turn of the century when music was, for the lack of better words, shit. This group had it’s heyday as local favorites in their fare city of Baltimore from 1998 till 2001. They were around when rap metal was all the rage, and there were still towers in the sky. Their post grunge influenced rock n’ roll might not have been promoted by Carson Daily during those confusing times, but even Lowell (cleverly named after the hometown of Jack Kerouac) couldn’t have realized that they were making tunes that would be considered groundbreaking at the turn of the following decade (you know, the one that Y2K was going to prevent from happening anyway). Read More »Lowell: The Ten Houses and the Falling Leaves [Album Review]
A quick read-up on Ned Oldham will tell you he creates mystical Americana folk songs. A listen to his music will support those words. You could even consider questioning his namesake — could it be the less backwoods kin of Will Oldham? Indeed he is. Here he steps out from behind his more well known brother, and away from The Anomoanon of which he fronts, for a wondrous three-song single on Gold Robot Records. On a translucent blue vinyl disc housed within among the best album cover art of the year (courtesy Kevin Earl Taylor), his songs are pure folk heaven. Read More »Ned Oldham: Let’s Go Out Tonight 7″ [Review]
For those who do not know me personally, and I’m sure there are many of you out there, I [Ron Trembath] have been contributing to FensePost for over a year and a half now. What might be the real surprise is that I am also a member of the United States Air Force. I usually tend to leave the bill paying job apart from my contributions here, but I recently found the two worlds intertwined when I came upon the chance to have a sit down with singer/songwriter Jenny Boyle, in what I must refer to as an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, where I have called home since January of this year. Risking any plight by joining the two worlds for this interview was absolutely worth it considering all the wonderful things Boyle and her band have done to entertain me and my fellow comrades throughout the “undisclosed†world. Read More »An Overseas Conversation With Singer/Songwriter Jenny Boyle
True folk-pop minimalists are of a rare breed these days. Many folks have become perfectly fond of only accepting Nick Drake and a handful of other Drake ripoffs hanging around. My recommendation: let these conformists have a listen to Kadman’s sophomore release These Old Bones. Let thee be regretful and God forgive them for their ignorance when they hear the awesome sounds of this Baltimore-based threesome. Read More »Kadman: These Old Bones [Album Review]
Fact: I never really dug Beach House. I often found their blend of minimal drone meets spacey bedroom pop a bit drab. Melodies didn’t seem to be all there, and the vocal parts, too, were dull. My interest waned in the first few songs of both their self-titled debut and their follow-up Devotion, so I’d pull them from the record player. Thus they found an inevitable fixed spot on my dusty record shelf.
Read More »Beach House: Teen Dream [Album Review] 
The term “WTF” was thankfully not accessible when Elvis Costello emerged so many years ago. But, in his beginning stages, it probably would have applied. Thankfully, the artistic revolution happend, and he became a household name. And with this, some brilliant performers were surely to draw influence. One act would be Gary B & The Notions and their gem of an album The New Twist & Shout. Influence, yes. Copycat, definitely not. They simply stir up a 50’s pop style with a new age rock mentality to create barroom classics that will assist you in drowning yourself alongside your pitcher of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Read More »Gary B & The Notions: The New Twist & Shout [Album Review]
Upon first hearing “Beach Town”, the first officially available track off Le Loup‘s sophomore release Family, I noted how it was surprisingly reminiscent of recent Papercuts. I failed to mention that the two artists shared a stage at CMJ 2007, where I saw each lay down a phenomenal set. Well, listening to Family in its entirety, I’m struck by two thoughts. Read More »Le Loup: Family [Album Review]
