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.
The first noticeable item about Steve Von Till is his voice. Coming in as a younger version Tom Waits, Von Till’s vocals are low and grate-y; the voice is perfect for the electric, minimalistic folk he creates—though his image is one of a hefty metal band. Read More »Steve Von Till: A Grave Is A Grim Horse [Album Review]
I love the spacey guitars and mellow, harmony vocals on The Instruments’ “Sounds Electricâ€. But, even moreso, I love the consistent, repetitive percussion; it is the percussion that, in my opinion, makes this a great song. Read More »The Instruments [Feature Band]
Band In Box (MySpace) was featured on the first Series II Compilation installment. The comp championed five artists, each of whom contributed four songs. True to Series II Records, Band In Box has a minimal, twee-like nature. There are some similarities to female-fronted pop groups like Au Revoir Simone and fellow Series II act Back In Judy’s Shack. Read More »Band In Box [Feature Band]
Listening to the melodic first track, “Her Tears Are The Footsteps Of Angels,” one distinctly gets the impression that Angels And Demons, Space And Time may be a bedroom pop album. After all, Hypatia Lake did release through Sad Robot Records, brief home to Carissa’s Wierd (sic). But “A Plea To Remiel” distills that thought outright; guitars grow with a hefty post-rock, noisy intensity.
Read More »Hypatia Lake: Angels And Demons, Space And Time [Album Review] 
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Boy does Thunderheist (MySpace) remind me of last year’s hyped up Simian Mobile Disco. But hype’s like that; it creates similar bands doing similar things and “Jerk It†may fit that mold… slightly. But boy is it a catchy song! Read More »Thunderheist: Jerk It [Video]
Each Ball Of Wax compilation has a theme behind it and this one is the thirteenth quarterly comp that Seattle artist Levi Fuller has done. What Fuller does is concoct a theme (at least on some… several have no theme other than being “music to enjoy”) then gather a mass of (usually) local Pacific Northwest artists, who all write and record an exclusive song for the release. This was my first time seeing several of the performers on the list, from St Rainbow (the folks behind Hollow Earth Radio) and their eerie sampled goodness to Olie Eshleman’s instrumental loops. Virgin Of The Birds (MySpace), however, was a familiar name. Read More »Virgin Of The Birds: Sunset Tavern, Seattle [Live, 08.21.2008]
August 21, the night of the fourteenth Ball Of Wax CD release party. I dropped by Sunset Tavern here in Ballard at about 8:30, just in time to see Levi Fuller, the mastermind behind this quarterly compilation series, play his song from the album. But a highlight of the evening would come when I discovered that Smile Brigade (MySpace) would be laying down a set toward the end of the evening. Read More »Smile Brigade: Sunset Tavern, Seattle [Live, 08.21.2008]
Written by Fense
In 2007, Ben Curtis left Secret Machines, but he had a plan. His plan was to focus on his new project with former On!Air!Library! twins Alejandra and Claudia Deheza. That project is titled School Of Seven Bells (MySpace). While the band has toured with groups like Blond Redhead (you can hear the similarities, though they’re a bit of a stretch at times as School of Seven Bells is a bit more electronic), their sound is notably closer to M83.
Read More »School Of Seven Bells [Feature Band]
Written by Fense Yarn Owl is another group from Pullman (the town, not the band) musical mastermind Ted Powers, who… Read More »Yarn Owl [Feature Band]
My recent introduction to Black Daisy Productions found me checking out music videos for Feral Children and Head Like A Kite (Website). Upon viewing both, Black Daisy can be noted for piecing together excellent stories with the music videos the create and produce.
Read More »Head Like A Kite: No Ordinary Caveman [Video]
