Andy Fenstermaker is a music lover, writer, marketing professional, and entrepreneur who has dedicated his life to sharing his passion for music with others. He is the founder of FensePost, a renowned music blog that has been sharing the latest and greatest in indie music since 2006. Andy has always been fascinated by the power of music to connect people, and he started FensePost with the aim of sharing his love of music with others. Andy developed a passion for music at a young age. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Andy grew up surrounded by a vibrant music scene that left an indelible mark on him. He attended Washington State University, where he studied Communication and Business. He holds a BA in Communication and a Masters in Business Administration. After graduating, Andy started writing about music and created FensePost as the outlet. The blog has a strong focus on indie music, but also covers a range of other genres including folk, indie pop, psychedelic, garage rock, and experimental. Andy and the blog relocated to the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in 2020.
As Thao Nguyen (MySpace) took the Rockstar Stage at Bumbershoot, I had déjà vu. You see, one year ago, I attended Bumbershoot and witnessed St. Vincent play solo in this very spot. As I lined her up in my camera sights, I flashed back to the present. Thao’s music is quite different from that of St. Vincent, yet both dabble lightly in folk-pop. Read More »Thao Nguyen: Bumbershoot [Live, 08.30.2008]
My God… just how long have I had The Captain’s Table by Ham1 (MySpace) in my promo pile!? (That question warrants the exclamation point due to the excessive time it has spent there.) Let’s see, the album hit in November of 2007. You’ll likely need to subtract a few months due to the standard promo time. And yeah, that means I’ve had it for damn close to a year. And there’s simply no excuse—the album is quite decent. Read More »Ham1 [Feature Band]
Folk-pop is the name of the game on the self titled debut of Bakers At Dawn. For the most part, the thirteen tracks contained within meet their mark; they’re melodic and pleasant—everything we know Swedish pop to encompass. Swedish pop is, at least in terms of its homogenous nature, kinda like 90s US alternative—it is easily recognizable as Swedish pop and the same is true for Swedish folk-pop. Read More »Bakers At Dawn: Bakers At Dawn [Album Review]
Written by Fense
Cracking the Digipak CD case on TK Webb’s (MySpace) Ancestor, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The cover portrays giant wooden gates opening in the middle of either a desert dusk or dawn, and the sparse clouds are starkly white against the deep blue sky. The back shows a similar landscape—but without the doors—at night. In other words, the art is anthemic… Ancestor is anthemic! Read More »TK Webb & The Visions: Ancestor [Album Review]
Lead singer Jeffrey Keenan has the voice of a younger Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse), if not the wild-eyed nature. His nature is his own and you can see it when he grabs the drum-sticks—that intensely focused look in his eyes. Feral Children have come to be a dominant name in Seattle thanks to these performances and their debut LP, Second To The Last Frontier, is finally ready for public consumption. Read More »Feral Children: Second To The Last Frontier [Album Review]
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My exposure to true World Music is quite limited and can easily be traced back a single year. Sure, I’ve taken intimate looks at music from around the world, but it tends to fit an alternate category, like pop or rock. True World Music, then, is music that comes from that culture with little outside influence. Read More »Umalali: Nibari [Video]
As a Seattle venue, I respect Chop Suey. Their shows begin at decent hours—something aging individuals like myself appreciate. The bill for this rainy August evening included three artists, opening with Stencil, a band I was unfamiliar with. (The other two artists included my good Austin friends The Lovely Sparrows—stay tuned for an interview next week and a review of their debut album the week following—and local trio Toy Gun.) Read More »Stencil: Chop Suey, Seattle [Live, 08.26.2008]
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I gotta say, CD-R labels sure pull out some great moves. I’ve long been a fan of new up-and-comer Series II Records, a name you’ve likely seen several times over the past few months here on FensePost. But this one comes from the newly (and sadly) defunct Asaurus Records. Take a look at their artists and you may recognize a few names. I sure do! Let’s see: The Capstan Shafts, The Faintest Ideas, The Mathletes, Pants Yell!, Red Pony Clock, and, a recent name in my playlist, Patrick Porter. Read More »Patrick Porter [Feature Band]
Electric President has given us a video for their song “Monsters” off their second LP, Sleep Well. This band could… Read More »“Monsters” Means More of the Same from Electric President
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The opening to “Persist†reminds me a bit of early Portishead. It’s got the hefty bass and pleasantly depressing strings. But All India Radio (MySpace) is nowhere near the Trip Hop that Portishead’s music fit into. Instead, the band fits a dark and dreamy pop mold that dabbles lightly in folk. Read More »All India Radio: Persist [Video]
