I recall the first time I heard Stephen Steinbrink. I caught the final few songs of his set at one of What The Heck Fest’s final years. The song was “Breath of Fire” off his 2009 LP Ugly Unknowns. Such a pleasant, poppy sound: I thought this a little strange coming from someone who so…
Tag: olympia
FensePost Premiere: Antiquated Future Releases “Well, I Don’t See Why Not: Volume 4” Tomorrow
FensePost is excited to premiere a few new tracks from the latest compilation by Portland, OR and Olympia, WA lo-fi label Antiquated Future. The release, Well, I Don’t See Why Not: Volume 4 (Preorder here) is out tomorrow and will feature tracks from mostly unknown, under-appreciated artists.
Coming Soon: The Anacortes Unknown Music Series #2
I must admit, I was quite sad to hear that What The Heck Fest, an über indie music festival in Anacortes, WA, was coming to an end after ten years. While I had only attended a few, I caught a many great acts at the event, including The Hive Dwellers and Stephen Steinbrink. Good news:…
Foxygen: Make It Known
Deep synth lines open “Make It Known”, contradicting lightly with a 70s rock percussion, guitar and bass. Then the vocals hit with a hint of soul. This is not your standard indie rock group; their influences span wide and far, making Foxygen one of the more unique and interesting new artists to surface of late.
Letters / Poppet Split Cassette Tape
Olympia bands Letters (who we’ve covered several times before) and Poppet have released a new split cassette tape, and they sent me a copy to enjoy. Being that I don’t get too many cassettes, I figured it was time again for a Cover Art piece.
Letters: All The Adventures To See Them I Will (Album Review)
Letters return to that sound I loved so much from their earliest release on their latest album, All The Adventures To See Them I Will. “Hideaway” and “Thrive” set the pace early-on, with lo-fi folk pop. The latter drops in a great beat, a most welcome addition to Letters’ already great sound. It is this…
Lake: Within/Without [Video]
Olympia band Lake returns this year with a new album called Giving And Receiving. If you like what you heard from their past few releases, including the phenomenal Let’s Build A Roof from 2009, you’ll dig this one. It has a pleasant mix of upbeat pop songs and chill mellow ones. “Within/Without” finds somewhat of…
Lake: You Are Alone b/w Higher Than Merry [Single Review]
I instantly fell in love with Lake upon first hearing them open for Microphones and Karl Blau at the final show of Anacortes’s cherished Department Of Safety. That I hadn’t heard them before was the shocking item, being they share a hometown with K Records and also release their albums on the label. Lake’s dreamy…
The Hive Dwellers: Get In [mp3]
Throw Calvin Johnson into the mix, and, no matter what situation presents itself, it’ll always be a little awkward. That might come out wrong, but it shouldn’t. He is, in all aspects of the word, cool. When I saw him front The Hive Dwellers at the Anacortes What The Heck? Fest (the above photo was…
Letters [Feature]
A full two years ago, I raved about a little band from Olympia called Letters. Their music featured simple melodies played by complex and unique instruments. Vocals, too, focused on patters that caught the ear and pulled a listener in. It was this combination of elements that made them so intriguing. And intriguing they were,…