Shortly after giving us Dare, a brief three-song single, The Mary Onettes continue their reign of dark, heavily 80s-influenced pop with a new LP dubbed Islands. “Puzzles” is the first single and it’s adorned with thick melancholy vocals and a sound that is instantly reminiscent of 80s greats like The Church and Echo And The Bunnymen. Read More »The Mary Onettes: Puzzles [Track Review]
If Children, Wye Oak‘s debut LP, found a balance between loud and soft, often one or the other and rarely hitting that middle ground. “Take It In”, off Andy and Jenn’s follow-up, The Knot, continues this trend but finds the band a bit more comfortable in their skin. The juxtaposition of the louds and the softs give “Take It In” an epic feel; you can just hear Andy’s vocal peeking from behind Jenn’s, and when Jenn’s guitar reaches those anthemic heights it becomes downright awe-inspiring. Read More »Wye Oak: Take It In [Track Review]
Today, a few blogs have joined together to exclusively premiere demos off Kasey Anderson’s upcoming LP, Nowhere Lights. The new album doesn’t hit until February of next year via Red River Records, but thanks to this post and the other participating blogs, you now have a chance to win it early. As a massive bonus, these early copies will not only be on vinyl, they’ll be hand numbered and signed by Anderson himself. Read More »Kasey Anderson [FensePost Exclusive]
There’s a growing number of country-based folk bands appearing throughout the Seattle area and the latest to warrant your attention is the male/female duo The Foghorns. This week they released their new record, A Diamond As Big As The Motel 6, on Beefy Beef Records. Their home may be Seattle, but they’re not strangers to the world, having resided everywhere from Ireland to Wisconsin to Brooklyn. Read More »The Foghorns [Feature Band]
Listening to “Philip Guston”, the latest from Vic Chesnutt off his forthcoming LP At The Cut, one is treated with an array of sounds that break free of the standard folk mold to include some fairly in-your-face rock. From the opening minimal two-chord distorted guitar riff, to the epic crescendo that builds throughout the track, it’s obvious that mastery extends beyond merely Chesnutt. Read More »Vic Chesnutt: Philip Guston [Track Review]
History lesson: Scotland Yard Gospel Choir‘s “Tear Down The Opera House”, off their upcoming junior LP …And The Horse You Rode In On, is not a brand new tune. In fact, it was a prominent force on their debut release, I Bet You Say That To All The Boys. For their forthcoming album, SYGC reworks the track, negating much of the rough, lo-fi elements of the original and quickening the pace. Read More »Scotland Yard Gospel Choir: Tear Down The Opera House [Track Review]
Alan Singley And The Pants Machine‘s “Le Rain” is a classic case of infectious indie pop. The song clashes to very unique sounds to create a third sound entirely its own. On one end, you have vocal hooks reminiscent of, say, Ben Kweller. Interesting, yes. But surround that sound with the folksy indie pop of artists like Ezra Furman. Marry those two signature sounds and the resulting lovechild could very easily be “Le Rain”. Read More »Alan Singley And The Pants Machine: Le Rain [Track Review]
It’s hard to imagine a band like HEALTH being able to progress in any shape or form. After all, their self-titled debut was without a doubt on the cutting edge of avant garde noise. But listening to “We Are Water”, one gets the distinct impression the band has evolved. Their noise is more refined, channeled more precisely. With it, HEALTH has become borderline accessible to a wider audience; and that’s a good thing. Read More »HEALTH: We Are Water [Track Review]
The folks in Kickball are masters at timing. Their songs include light elements of math rock, but it’s fairly subtle—not as prominent as, say, Battles, but still a viable part of the music found primarily in the slightly minimal but quite pointed guitar riffs and hefty, wild percussion. Even the vocals contain obscure timing on occasion. Just listen to “Fight†and you’ll get my drift. Read More »Kickball [Feature Band]
With “Keys”, Air Waves proves that you don’t need to be technical geniuses to write a great song. “Keys” is quite simplistic, natural pop reminiscent of California beaches and sunny summer afternoons. Oddly enough, this band hails from New York. Basic guitar melodies, unembellished vocals; it’s all pure and easy. But it’s also damn catchy. Tropical to a point, the song is adorned with traces of acoustic power pop. “Keys” is unabashed pop greatness. In a way, it reminds me a bit of early stuff by Somebody Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. Read More »Air Waves: Keys [Track Review]
