craft spells

Craft Spells | Gallery | Album Review

Andy Fenstermaker
April 25, 2023April 25, 2023

Craft Spells is an indie pop band hailing from Stockton, CA and founded by singer-songwriter Justin Vallesteros in 2009. The band’s EP Gallery was released in 2012 on Captured Tracks, and features their unique blend of dream pop and indie rock, as well as Justin’s songwriting prowess. Released in 2012, Gallery features six tracks that transport listeners to a nostalgic world with lyrics that delve into familiar themes of heartbreak and self-reflection.

5 Bands to Listen to if You Like The Pain of Being Pure at Heart

Andy Fenstermaker
April 19, 2023April 19, 2023

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart gave us their debut, self-titled LP in 2009. The band created this interesting blend of indie pop with hints of shoegaze and even emo. The songs featured on the Pains of Being Pure at Heart were romance and relationship based with a youthful edge. Their music was packed with catchy vocal hooks, fuzzed-out melodic guitar riffs, and an overall dreaminess to it.

Fense is Getting Married! Love Song Night on KSVR

Andy Fenstermaker
June 26, 2013May 20, 2023

Yep, I’m getting married in a few days, so I figured it was time to put together a love-themed radio show. I tried to keep it centered around positive love songs, but with indie music, but a few oddities slipped in. In true form, I also made it my latest vinyl-only night.

Andy Fenstermaker
December 17, 2012February 12, 2013

While everyone else goes ape sh*t over EPs by Lana Del Rey and Ke$ha, well, we took a different approach and didn’t listen to those artists this year. Instead, last night, I ran through my entire library on iTunes and settled on my top 15 EPs of 2012.

Yeah, as these lists go, I’m sure I’m missing some pretty great ones in here that will leave me slapping my forehead later, but whatevz. It’s all subjective anyway, right? Read More »A FensePost Top 15 List: The Best EPs of 2012

Fense’s Radio Show: December 7, 2012

Andy Fenstermaker
December 10, 2012May 19, 2023

A long night, but no matter. I learned long ago that spending a bit extra time doing something you love… well, it’s a good thing! Stuarto sent along a text asking if I could pick up his 8pm show and I obliged. Being a mere few hours from show time, I just threw together an array of vinyl to mix in and ended up timing it almost perfectly.

Andy Fenstermaker
October 18, 2012October 17, 2012

It’s fund drive time at KSVR and KSVU, and that means spending a little extra time in the studio. I arrived early and accompanied Stuarto during his show then he accompanied me during mine. I snapped the above shot of Stuarto before I took over the mic. He had an oldies theme going, playing tunes by the Rolling Stones, The Supremes, Willie Nelson and many, many more. My show, par the usual, was filled with the new. Read More »Fense’s Radio Show: October 12, 2012

Mount Vernon Revetment Project: Building Teardown

Fense’s Radio Show: October 5, 2012

Andy Fenstermaker
October 9, 2012May 5, 2023

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.

Fense’s Radio Show: September 14, 2012

Andy Fenstermaker
September 17, 2012May 12, 2023

The week leading up to this week’s radio show was spent taking it easy. It’s almost the end of summer, and after several consecutive weekends of house projects that overlapped into weekday evenings, it was a needed break. The resulting playlist was a mix of randomly-pieced together new releases paired with some classic favorites such as Belle and Sebastian (circa 1996), The High Dials (2006) and old The Fresh and Onlys (2009).

Andy Fenstermaker
April 12, 2012

Javier Suarez (Craft Spells, Yarn Owl) is back with a new video from his solo project Gathered Ghosts. “Two Apples In A Cherry Tree” finds Suarez taking on some light Craft Spells influence (as opposed to the soft and slow favorite “Went To You” we wrote about a while back) with some solid dreamy jangle pop. Read More »Gathered Ghosts: Two Apples In A Cherry Tree

Fense’s Radio Show: March 2, 2012

Andy Fenstermaker
March 7, 2012June 24, 2012

We’ve been doing up the floors in our house, stripping out the carpet, repainting the walls, painting the trim and doors, and laying down a rich brown woven bamboo (hence the lateness of this post and the general lack of posts this week). It’s a project that should add equity to our house and, one day, our pockets. I threw this playlist together Friday morning and set to work stripping carpet from the hallway while it played in the background. Read More »Fense’s Radio Show: March 2, 2012