Tag Archives: Indie

Shake Your Bones

7 Apr

Trails and Ways (David Wallace)California is in the middle of a historic drought, with new water restrictions making national headlines. I bring this up because I live in California currently, and I am very nervous about how little water we really do have left. Water and energy conservation has never become quite so dire, and beautiful people like Trails and Ways want to help save our planet. They are proud supporters of Our Power Campaign, a noble organization that aims to fight the climate crisis while providing good jobs in vulnerable communities; learn more here.

Feeling like a sonic lollipop, “Skeletons” will instantly brighten your day. The song reminds me immensely of Cub Sport, particularly “Pool!” with those unmistakable falsetto hooks. Bourne of a dream, “Skeletons” describes the experience of dancing in a club only to have time fast forward to hundreds of years from now, showing a glimpse of the ruinous state the planet will be in due to the crises we currently face. Trails and Ways make impending doom fun, but ‘fun’ in the sense that feeling proud of yourself for helping to save the planet that we are still hoping to use for the next eternity is fun. Donate today.

“Skeletons” will appear on Trails and Ways’ upcoming album, Pathologies, due out 6/2 via Barsuk Records. You can pre-order it here. For more information on Trails and Ways, visit their website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

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These Elms, Those Willows

2 Apr

Those Willows

I’m sure we all can relate to saying farewell to many bands that were unable to “make it.” Working at my college radio station, I got to know countless groups that met their demise in some form or another, whether they disbanded completely or simply scrapped their original projects that I had grown to love. It warms my heart (nay, lights my heart on fire!) to see artists I discovered years ago still going strong, and I’m happy to present Those Willows. I played them on the radio, and now they are back with their newest EP, Three Books.

Those Willows are a folk duo based in Portland by way of Detroit. They provide generous piano and acoustic guitar melodies, though that may not be your first thought when you hit play on the opening track, “Winter Skin.” The familiar closeness is gone, replaced by eerie and lonesome distance. “We could fall in love…” Mel Tarter murmurs before the guitar and strings chime in. This is where Those Willows shines; the chord progressions and melodies are always remarkably unique, and they deliver on the other three tracks of the EP as well. Give a listen to my favorite, “The Noise,” below.

Three Books EP is out now. I also highly recommend checking out their full-length, Rivertown; the title track is delightful to say the least. For more information on Those Willows, visit their website or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Belongs in a Museum: Monuments and Statues reveal debut album Fractals

9 Mar

Monuments and statues Photo

There is a very important reason why Freelance Whales is my favorite band: prolific banjo-manship. I do not know why, but I just love banjos in all their plucky glory. My earliest banjo memory is when I was a kid watching Steve Martin on SNL perform a silly tune called “Late For School” where he played that glorious instrument. I was hooked. Monuments and Statues’ debut album, Fractals, features prominently a banjo, so, needless to say, I’ve been listening to it on repeat.

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Do you feel set free?

4 Mar

GRRL PAL 2

GRRL PAL are back with another new single for February, “Set Free.” This is a slower track than I’m used to with these Aussies, but it is mesmerizing. Be set free below.

There are a lot of good elements here that come together seamlessly. Cooing in the background provides a backdrop for the real question- do you feel set free? Throughout, there is a spatial drone, mixed with sparing synth. This song could be on loop for hours, and I think I’d be okay with that. At some point it simply becomes part of the background, not demanding your attention, but unable to be ignored.

“Set Free” will be the closing track on GRRL PAL’s next EP due out in April. Find out more on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Soundcloud.

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Out of sight, out of music: Filardo, Winter, and Sales

2 Mar
sales

I really wish there were more lights to illuminate Sales a little better.

If I were ever to become famous, I think I’d be like Sales. They played to a riled crowd at the Echo in LA last Tuesday, and couldn’t disguise how grateful they were for all the support.

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