Something Like Sound

Recidivism is a state of repetitive, habitual criminal behavior. While RECIDIVIST, the new record from The Raven & The Writing Desk, may not address civil crime, it instead focuses more on the relapse of emotion into former habits. “Space Grenade” cries out “Save me again!” as the protagonist pushes into issues of control and desire.Throughout the record a thread of nostalgia winds its way through songs such as “Walk in the Water.”

Musically speaking, RECIDIVIST doesn’t take any large strides outside of traditional piano-based pop music, however it does manage to artfully provide a folksy frame for female vocals and well-thought lyrics. Julia LiBassi’s voice initially reminded me of Dolores O’Riordan (The Cranberries), although upon further listening it is clear that LiBassi’s vocals have a unique soft charm. A prime example of the vocal talent represented by The Raven & The Writing Desk comes in the form of “Firefly,” a song with rather minimal instrumental backing and a generous amount of beautifully matched voices.

Stream “Space Grenade” below and catch The Raven & The Writing Desk live at the Walnut Room on January 13 and February 10. Click for more from The Raven & The Writing Desk.

Last night snow began gently falling. This morning the world outside was covered in a glorious white sheet of powder. With the holiday season in full swing, the last few weeks have been filled with the schlocky songs of Christmastime with many looking for better listening alternatives. Along with the snow this morning, another delightful winter tradition took place: Act So Big Forest’s annual Christmas Forest compilation (Volume 4: Red Basilisk). A basilisk, for those unfamiliar, is a variety of mythical serpent.

The compilation brings together the recently re-branded/expanded Act So Big Forest collective in a more wintery context than their previous compilation Triton. Recently Pitchfork-premiered Candy Claws track “Snow Bridge” sits nestled in among a handful of delightfully gazey non-traditional winter songs. Among the more-familiar tunes are Fellow Citizens’ take on “Christmas Time is Here,” Galaxies’ percussion-based version of “Blue Christmas,” a jazzy “Three Kings” from Hosannas, and Paean’s “O Holy Night.”

Download Red Basilisk here. Listen to Candy Claws – “Snow Bridge” below.

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BONUS:  The previous three ASBF Christmas compilations: Volume 1 | Volume 2 | Volume 3

Admittedly, the last few weeks have been a whirlwind of tiring excitement. Now, as the school-semester draws to a close, I have found myself holed up with nothing to do except study, write term-papers, and complain about the cold weather (and lack of actual snowfall). Needless to say, I’ve been a bit of a curmudgeon. However, a bit of brightness came across my ears in the form of The Oak Creek Band.

After listening to nothing but gaze-experimental tunes for several months, The Oak Creek Band brought me back to one of my musical joys: folk-inspired singer-songwriter pop. “1934,” the first track off the group’s eponymous EP features a pleasant rolling melody that showcases the talent of singer Jenna Cunningham. “We Were Alive” shifts into a slightly more proggy-90′s-sounding style (with a guitar riff that may or may not have been lifted from Weezer’s “El Scorcho”) while “Diving Bell” returns to simple folksy beauty.

Overall, this three track sampling from The Oak Creek Band is a rather strong showing for a group without a long history. In fact, Jenna Cunningham and Daniel Watters only moved to Denver from Arizona in 2009 and have already managed to make a few waves on the local scene. Take a listen to their EP below and be sure to check out their website for updates and show dates.

Local music-arts collective Hot Congress has continued to make its mark on the Denver music scene. Most recently, the group curated a weekly residency at the Meadowlark, showcasing H.C. bands (and others) every Thursday in November. November 18th (tomorrow) will mark the final week in the series (since not many people would be keen on going to a show during Thanksgiving). The final showcase will serve as a tour-kickoff for Fingers of the Sun and an EP release party for Amazing Twin (formerly Old Radio).

As someone quite familiar with Old Radio, hearing the new EP reminds me why I started listening to the group in the first place. After hearing demos for “A Void” (now called “Cambridge Mile”) and “Asleep At The Wheel,” I recall thinking “These are good, but still embryonic.” Upon listening to New Wives’ Tale, the songs took on a new life. A few old favorites (“Naked Girl, Part. 2″and the aforementioned songs) make appearances, along with several songs that had only been heard live. Overall, it’s clear that Amazing Twin took their time in getting the sound they were looking for- the EP is cohesive and well-mastered, but not over-produced.

I’ll update this post once the EP is available for download. In the meantime listen to EP-closer “Asleep At The Wheel” and enjoy a free download of the track.

Edit: You can now purchase an mp3 version of this record at CDBaby.

Download “Asleep At The Wheel” (right-click “save as”)

After hinting at its release earlier this summer, M. Pyres has finally released Mountain Pacific, an EP awash in hazy vocals and even hazier guitars. With this newest release, Matt Sage (accompanied by summer-time band The Season Creeps) take one step closer to finding a cohesive sound while still remaining fairly loose and garage-rock-inspired. Madison-based multi-instrumentalist Julian Lynch makes an appearance on “Japanese Milk Truck” with his signature horn-styling while an earthy, almost-tribal backing track supports.

My personal favorite track from this release is “Concord,” a tune we posted up here back in June right before M. Pyres went on tour with Woodsman. Mountain Pacific comes out on the heels of the announcement that the M. Pyres Apart The Echo cassette has officially sold out. Both releases are now available as free downloads via Patient Sounds. Listen to “Concord” below.

Download Mountain Pacific | Download Apart The Echo

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Read this article in-print in this week’s Oredigger!

There are a lot of music-collective groups bouncing around Colorado these days (so many, in fact, it’s hard to keep track of them all). In my opinion, creating a culture that fosters cooperation and collaboration truly speaks volumes about the local music community. Case-in-point: Act So Big Forest Compilation Vol. 1: TRITON. A broad range of acts from all-over the Front Range constitute the 20 bands featured on the compilation curated by Jonathan Alonzo (who is a member of at least 5 groups on the ASBF label).

Since talking about every track on this hour-and-a-half long release might get a little long winded, I’m only going to talk about my personal favorites. However, this is by no means a way of saying these are the only good tracks, it’s all quite good (don’t take my word for it, just listen for yourself).

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There are two ways to review Contradictions, Generalities, and Future Criminals. The first involves talking about Adam Halferty and his involvement across every level of the Denver music scene. The second is to look at American Tomahawk in its own regard: the method of choice for this writer.

Contradictions might be what I consider an “escapist-rock” album. Halferty, while poetic, doesn’t mince words about how strange life can become and the means by which people create their own realities. In fact, several songs play through with imagery and words that could be taken as dying last words. “Sunshine People” proposes “Tell my friends and lovers anything but the truth [...] forgive me for the shit that I’ve been through.”

Disillusionment with ideas about truth provides for a thoroughly thought-provoking listening experience in addition to the sheer production quality at play. For a debut release, American Tomahawk got it right the first time. A certain cohesive tone brings everything together as one song transitions to the next (case-in-point: the transition between “Please” and “Las Vegas” plays through with a fluidity that feels like nothing more than a brief rest in a longer song).

Given the strength of their debut mid-length (at 7 tracks it’s more than an EP, but still shy of being an LP), it will be interesting to see where American Tomahawk ends up. If you have the chance, try to see them live (which may be difficult since their shows have been few and far between).

Contradictions, Generalities and Future Criminals is available via the American Tomahawk BandCamp page, and is streaming below.

Read this story in-print in this week’s Oredigger!

Sufjan Stevens is a musician on the move. For the last ten years he’s been in a constant state of re-invention and experimentation. While most people are familiar with a handful of his songs and, perhaps, his 2005 full-length Come On Feel The Illinoise!- a musical journey through the Land of Lincoln- Stevens’ newest work, The Age of Adz, is difficult to simply lump in to his previous catalog.

To begin on Adz, it is important to note the thematic elements at play. While previous works focused on states (Illinoise and Michigan), religious experience (Seven Swans), Zodiac signs (Enjoy Your Rabbit), or roadways (The BQE), The Age of Adz is about the coming apocalypse. Each song is a unique foray into self-reflection driven by the power of love and the brokenness of an unforgiving world. A certain strain of melancholy threads its way through songs as Stevens attempts to harmonize harsh-realization with the desire to find peace, rest, and wellness.

Musically, The Age of Adz stands as a culmination of sorts. For the first time Stevens has combined orchestral elements with electronic features, two often-opposed styles that have been previously explored in their own regards by Stevens. Fans of his folk records may be disappointed in the marked lack of banjo and traditional folk styling, however, the quality of the songs is certainly not diminished by the new musical techniques. Perhaps the most notable musical feature of The Age of Adz is its use of dynamics. On several songs (including my personal favorite “I Want To Be Well”) nearly everything except for hushed vocals are stripped away and built up to moving crescendos.

If the listener can get past the initial shock of the new sounds, a collection of amazing songs awaits. Highlights include “I Walked,” “Too Much,” “Vesuvius” and “I Want To Be Well.” Album closer “Impossible Soul” is a song of epic proportions; clocking in at over 25 minutes, it could very well stand on its own (listening through the entire thing, while a marathon, is well worth the experience).

The Age of Adz is currently streaming in its entirety on NPR’s website (until its release date, October 12). For more on Sufjan Stevens visit his BandCamp site (where you can listen to his entire catalog and download the tracks “I Walked” and “Too Much”).

Update: The Age of Adz comes out today! (10/12) and we now have a full album stream below!

Read this article in-print in this week’s Oredigger!

The Bird & The Bee are undeniably hip. Singer/bassist Inara George (the bird) has a smooth-yet-powerful delivery, the likes of which reminds me of Feist or Astrud Gilberto. Matching her vocals with the modern synth-pop styling of Greg Kurstin (the bee) has already resulted in a pair of excellent records on jazz-label Blue Note Records. At a first glance, their newest record Interpreting the Masters Vol. 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates sticks out from the crowd.

I was first exposed to this record listening to Radio 1190 while driving to dinner a few weeks ago. A bubbly, dance-beat-infused rendition of “Rich Girl” had me dancing along in the seat of my car. At that point I had to ask, “Did I really just get groovy to a Hall & Oates song?” which lead to the subsequent question, “What would my parents think?”

While I have always found the mustachioed album sleeves of the 1980′s pop-soul duo to be a delightful reminder of regrettable fashion trends gone by, it’s hard to dismiss the songwriting genius that was Hall & Oates in their prime. Reinvented for a new generation, The Bird & The Bee’s cover album updates several classic songs which might otherwise get overlooked by the modern listener.

The record starts out with an original Bird & Bee song: “Heard It On The Radio,” a tune that is incredibly reminiscent of good 1980′s pop music. “Kiss On My List,” “Private Eyes,” and “Rich Girl” take on more upbeat dance grooves while maintaining the soulful feel of the original versions. Slow jam “One On One” outdoes the original by smoothing out the overall feel of the song and getting rid of the odd-sounding drum machine heard on the Hall & Oates version.

Overall, I would not be surprised to hear any cuts from this record at a wedding or dance party. The songs could manage to draw young and old to the dance-floor; something that can’t be said for many new releases. Final verdict: The Bird & The Bee have managed to do Hall & Oates their proper justice while still maintaining a distinct and creative atmosphere.

Listen to Interpreting The Masters Vol. 1: A Tribute To Daryl Hall and John Oates below. Click for more The Bird & The Bee.

There’s something unique about how they do music distribution in Washington state. In the 90′s Seattle-based Sub Pop debuted their “Singles Club,” a mail-order subscription where members received a fresh 7″ every month. Olympia-based Wild Animal Kingdom Records has taken the idea of a monthly mail-order music subscription to new and interesting places with their “Monthly Mix-Tape Club.” As a subscriber to the first year’s tapes, I was greeted with an envelope containing a letter and a tape at the beginning of every month; it felt a little bit like Christmas every time the 1st rolled around.

The concept has been simple: get people from all-over to curate mixes and dub them on to cassettes. Each volume is unique, a reflection of the curator, or at least their perception of what a cassette mix-tape should be. A type-written/photocopied letter from the curator accompanies each tape as a means of beginning to explain the thought process (or nostalgia) that went into the mix’s creation. With year 1 of the club now over, I’d like to highlight just two of the tapes that really stand out (also, they happen to be in my car rather than in the kitchen with the rest of my tapes, so I’ve listened to them more than the others).

Issue II, Alex Davis (Leftist Nautical Antiques): Titled “Let Me Tell You ‘Bout My Ganja Problems,” this predominantly reggae mix has a few soul songs thrown in for good measure. Smokey Robinson’s “I Gotta’ Dance To Keep From Crying” kicks off the mix and segues nicely into a handful of delightfully fuzzy-sounding reggae tunes (only one of which comes from Bob Marley).

Issue XI, Martin Courtney IV (Real Estate): The letter that came with this tape ends by saying “I hope you enjoy my mix, but if you don’t, your mom probably will.” This issue, in particular, sounds like a mix-tape that could have been made when mix-tapes were actually popular. It’s not surprising to hear hazy tunes from the likes of Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Fleetwood Mac get just a little hazier due to the nature cassette tape.

There are a few other gems, such as Issue VI by Jheri Evans (Get Off The Coast) and Issue IX by Julian Lynch. The only tape I really didn’t like was December’s mix of Christmas music (it just doesn’t hold up as a good soundtrack for summertime road trips).

Subscriptions for year 2 of MMTC are available now via Wild Animal Kingdom Records for $24 (that’s $2/month). Back-issues from year 1 are also available in their webstore.