The other day I covered one of my all time, desert island, top five records. Of course, I’m talking about Blonde Redhead’s 2007 LP 23. Today, I’m talking about another one. Like 23 was to Blonde Redhead, Bend Beyond is the 7th studio LP by psychedelic folk band Woods, and it was the last to feature another favorite artist of mine, Kevin Morby, on bass.
Read More »Woods | Bend Beyond | Vinyl Unboxing & Album Review
First off, I have to say I love Woods. Their last three albums–City Sun Eater in the River of Light,… Read More »Woods Prepare 10th Studio Album “Love is Love” and I Love it!
Having heard most of Woods‘ previous material, and firmly believing Bend Beyond is their pinnacle to date, I was somewhat concerned what new material might bring. Would it live up to my worship of their 2012 LP? Would I be epically disappointed, requiring an injection-dose of Bend Beyond coupled with a slew of 70s psych-folk classics? In With Light And With Love I would find my answer.
Read More »“With Light And With Love” May Just Be WOODS’ Best Song Ever.
I failed at a few things during my compilation of last year’s Best of 2012 list. Two items stand out: first is the absence of Wymond Miles’ Under the Pale Moon, which I didn’t check out in full until early this year. The second was placing Bend Beyond by Woods someplace other than my number 1 record of the year.
Read More »Woods: It Ain’t Easy (Video)
During a recent brief hiatus, Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado took some time to write and record his debut solo LP. Law & Order is refreshingly diverse; each song stands very much on its own, yet they are all distinctly Rado. Each has his style in instrumentation, his signature 70s-throwback vocals, and the sly smile you get with a Foxygen song.
Read More »Jonathan Rado: Law & Order
Alex Bleeker and the Freaks is set to release his sophomore album, How Far Away. Most out there will focus on the fact that the Freaks is a side band for Real Estate bassist Jackson Pollis, or that it features Woods’ Jarvis Tanviere, but the focal point should be on the band’s name: Alex Bleeker. It his with Bleeker that the direction is set and the project comes together.
Read More »Alex Bleeker and the Freaks: Don’t Look Down
If you aren’t familiar with The Babies, let me give you a far-too-brief backstory. The Babies began as Cassie Ramone (Vivian Girls), Kevin Morby (Woods) and Justin Sullivan (Bossy). They’ve since added a fourth and will be releasing their sophomore LP, Our House On The Hill, November 13 on Woodsist Records.
Read More »The Babies: Feature Woods have always had a penchant for the psychedelic, but they take it to a whole new level on Bend Beyond, their new album on Woodsist Records. Within you’ll find louder, more intricate guitars that develop fuller songs, more emotive songs. This is, without a doubt, Woods’ most accomplished work to date.
Read More »WOODS: Bend Beyond (Album Review) 
White Fence is the project of Tim Presley (Darker My Love), and it rocks. Presley joins fuzzy psychedelic sounds with hazy garage pop on “Swagger Vets and Double Moon”. It’s similar in its pop sensibilities to the track “Lillian (Won’t You Play Drums)” off Is Growing Faith, but it’s even catchier thanks to the psychedelic aspects Presley employs.
Read More »White Fence: Swagger Vets and Double Moon 
I recently posted a list of ten bands that I should have checked out last year and there was an overall theme to the ten: several were from the Woodsist label. Beach Fossils has the sound of that label, and it’s no surprise; the band released a 7″ via Woodsist late last year. Their sound is packed with the fuzzy folk-pop jangle of bands like Woods and Real Estate and Fresh & Onlys. “Youth” is the band’s next single and it’s off their forthcoming self-titled release on Captured Tracks, out any day now. It’s a laid-back summer indie-pop jam, filled with jangly guitars and chilled-out percussion. Read More »Beach Fossils [Feature]
