It’s long been my opinion that anything Johan Angergård touches magically turns to gold. This belief has stood strong with all his projects, from The Legends to Acid House Kings. Club 8 has consistently come third on that list, but with “Western Hospitality” from the forthcoming The People’s Record, everything is about to change.
Read More »Club 8: Western Hospitality [mp3] 
The 2010 Sasquatch Festival line-up was announced last week and after perusing the list a few times, I started to hone in on who the hot bands will (or, better yet, should) be. Now, festivals for me are all about camping out at a stage for several bands before moving on to another, but I figured I’d throw that trend to the wind for this post. My second disclaimer; before you point out that I’m recommending the small folk, understand that I also tend to shun the big guns — those artists it seems like EVERYONE will be seeing. Read More »13 Bands You Should See At Sasquatch 2010
LA’s Pepper Rabbit has two EPs under their belt, both released in 2009. The more recent of the two, Shakes, is more a single with three songs, and it includes the mysterious “Red Wine”. With an emphasis on piano and a snare drum, Pepper Rabbit mixes in sleepy, ethereal vocals. Add an atmospheric, spacey warble behind the vocals and minimal instrumentation and the effect is something of which you’d be familiar, had you imbibed two or three glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s a pleasant drowsy feeling, not quite to the point of slurring but definitely a little fuzzy in the head. Read More »Pepper Rabbit [Feature]
Brenda Malvini has this classic, smokey side that make her vocals mystic and mysterious; not entirely unlike those of Jeremy Faulkner, whose similarly unique styling made Ah Holly Fam’ly one of last year’s best releases. North Highlands hail from Brooklyn, rather than a progressive rural Idaho town bordering Washington. Yet listening to songs off their debut EP, Sugar Lips, one gets the impression that their sound wouldn’t be out of place amidst wheat fields and century-old farmhouses. Read More »North Highlands [Feature]
My first impression of the first track off Sambassadeur‘s new LP, European, is that the song is easily their finest yet. With an emotive piano intro and outro, orchestral pop sensibilities, and schizophrenic percussion, “Stranded” seems to be a turning point for the band. Sambassadeur has always been a group to flaunt instrumentation, but here it’s never been as clear and forward, from the strings that enter as the introductory piano fades, to the deep clarinet solo just past the midpoint. Read More »Sambassadeur: Stranded [mp3]
I’ve long thought that Joshua Britton of the band Psalmships and the band Sweetheart Parade sounded on par with an artist like Jason Molina (Songs:Ohia, The Magnolia Electric Co.). Hearing that Britton occasionally covers Molina live, then, was no surprise. In his latest release, now seemingly consistent under the moniker Psalmships, Britton completes one of his most masterful accomplishments yet — a nod to his earlier moniker and a song full and plush with a chorus of vocals in the bridge and a barrage of heavily strummed guitars. Read More »Psalmships: Sweetheart Parade [mp3]
Sometimes a song exudes sunshine. “Cranberry†by The Ruby Suns is one such a song. A frivolously feathered song of big band regality, singing sirens and all-together chaos, this new tune captures the noises our parents asked us to keep quiet when we were young. The antithetical mixing of simple synthesized backbeats and dripping vocals make for a somehow breezy explosion of rhythms. One could not help but feel better while and after listening to this song. Read More »The Ruby Suns: Cranberry [mp3]
Song, By Toad Records is a little label introduced to me by friend and FensePost favorite Jon Rooney (Virgin of the Birds, Abandoned Love Records). It all began as a blog based in Edinburgh which, like this blog, posts album reviews, various features and podcasts (coming soon to this blog). With each release containing between 300 and 500 handmade copies, the label, like the blog, is devoted to supporting their local scene but isn’t above giving a hefty nod to those across the globe. Read More »Song, By Toad [Label Spotlight]
Beginning with a sample (bonus points if you can pinpoint that voice) and leading into The Radio Dept.‘s now signature eletro-pop meets fuzzed out, jangle-worthy synth lines, “Heaven’s On Fire” promises great things for the band’s forthcoming record Clinging To A Scheme. It carries on precisely where the band headed post the release of their second LP, Pet Grief; songs like singles “Freddie And The Trojan Horse” and “David”. Read More »The Radio Dept: Heaven’s On Fire [mp3]
After the stunning success of Fleet Foxes’ debut self-titled LP in 2008, it became apparent that there would inevitably be artists that steal away portions of their so very classic sound. To be honest, I haven’t really seen them. That is, until Yukon Blonde. Now, don’t immediately label these folks as mere spinoffs. “Wind Blows” does have those echoing harmony vocals with that drawl-ish tone, but there’s more of a singular vocal presence around the front-man; you can hear it in the verse. Read More »Yukon Blonde: Wind Blows [mp3]
