Pitstop: Tuskha

While North Carolina trio, the Bowerbirds were on their last tour supporting their third full length record The Clearing, they unveiled a new set of songs that were more exploratory and synth based in nature and largely helmed by Phil Moore.That was back in June of 2012 and the band and the project has certainly had a lot of marinate since then. After holding one of the most interactive Kickstarter campaigns I have seen, the duo set towards building an at home studio to record their new records as well as set to work on delivering many of their promised rewards. Phil Moore and Beth Tacular also welcomed a brand new baby into the world. But all that while, the twosome have been hard at work on new music, fitting it in between child rearing and life itself and while Moore has promised new Bowerbirds material is on the horizon, the first new music to make it out of their cabin is that of Moore's solo project Tuskha.

Originally called Island Dweller, Tuskha has been on a creative journey all its own. Outside of the shows of their summer tour in 2012 where the first previewed the project, Moore has also used a year-long project Small Songs From Small Tiny House to further explore where the project could go. But last year's single "The Program" was really the first official taste of Moore's more electronic slant. The most surprising thing about Tuskha is how much of Moore's core songwriting beliefs make their way into it. Moore has always imbued the Bowerbirds' tunes with a reverence of the great outdoors and the majesty of Mother Nature and that's not missing in Tuskha. The result is an enticing blend of the mechanical and inorganic, pastoral imagery, and thoughtful lyricism. It's an oddly fitting next step from The Clearing which turned what many thought they knew of the Bowerbirds on its head.



The Clearing was exploratory and substantive but also definitive of what the Bowerbirds have essentially been trying to do all along: they weren't your garden variety folk band and with The Clearing they asserted that they weren't ever really folk to begin with. That exploration and experimentation with textures and sounds is alive in Tuskha who trades the various timbres of the Bowerbirds' accordion, strings, marimba, et al. into samples and effects. And for the dip into the electronic, Moore never loses sight of the human element. A Debussy sample ("The Shine"), the emotive power of  his own voice, programmed drums that occassionally draw from Bowerbirds' Yan Westerlund, it's a mixture of worlds that as inventive as it is human; a testament to modern life - filled with technology but vested in the unrelenting pulse of nature.



Tuskha's self-titled album is out and available for stream/download with physical release details coming soon. Tuskha will also be on tour with Wye Oak this summer, check tour dates here.

Listen: Bowerbirds - "November"

As this year rapidly barrels towards its end, there's sort of a gradual tapering off of musical releases. Blogs/Publications are throwing up their Best Of lists, musicians retreating to their homes to refresh and/or record while others have made their plans to for the new year well known: tour tour tour. And yet, among the hustle and bustle of the year end festivities, Bowerbirds' year-long song-a-month short-form experiment continues onward. "November", the 10th addition to the ongoing (and soon ending?) series, certainly takes it's time. Phil Moore enters warbling and cooing for about a minute a capella as everything slowly comes together - piano, harmonies, the gentle swish of drum brushes before the track springs into a gallop. Even then there's a considerable amount of freedom in where everything goes - with the inclusion of the rest of the band Moore sets himself further apart with vocal riffs and echos while the piano holds down the fort melodically. It's a short, quick-moving burst of pop that's very much in line with the project's original ethos.

Listen to "November" here:

Listen: Bowerbirds - "Seven Wonders"

With a new Bowerbirds track popping up more or less every 30 days, now might be the most wonderful time to be a fan of theirs. True, those songs aren't the Bowerbirds fans have come to adore but it's interesting and enjoyable to see them experiment with their song in pretty much real time. Instead of the two year gestation period, the periods are shorter and the permutations happen on a much grander scale - when else besides their song-a-month series have you heard the Bowerbirds take on R&B? No where.

Well, fans of the Bowerbirds have an extra reason to be thankful this November. In addition to the forthcoming Small Song from a  Small Tiny House, Bowerbirds are participating in a benefit album for 826 Valencia, a non-profit program dedicated to developing children's writing skills. The album, entitled You Be My Heart, is a veritable smorgasbord of talent and features original songs from songwriter Devon Reed performed by Fruit Bats, Maps & Atlases, Mark Kozelek, Marissa Nadler, and so many more. There's seventeen tracks in all and if the Bowerbirds' single is anything to go off of, it's going to be incredible.

"Seven Wonders" sees the Bowerbirds still more or less entrenched in the spirit of experimentalism. Known more for tender, genteel pastoral sketches, "Seven Wonders" has the Bowerbirds continuing to challenge themselves with new ideas - the result is a rugged rock jam which still highlights Reed's ample songwriting talents resulting in some rather brilliant and unexpected phrases rather at odds with the tracks's rough and tumble delivery.



You Be My Heart is out December 9th. Mark your calendars.

Listen: Bowerbirds - "October"

October has come and gone despite the persistence of Halloween for about a three week stretch. As sad as some might be to see it go, the end of October heralds the release of another Bowerbirds track as a part of their ongoing song-a-month series Small Songs From a Tiny Small House.

I've mentioned Bowerbirds songs being sparse before but never have I meant it more than in "October". The new track toes the line of Phil Moore's synthy explorations and the folk-leaning art-rock of Bowerbirds' latest endeavors without committing to one or the other. It isn't until the song is about 2/3rd complete until we get an actual beat cushioning the track from it's lyrically focused freefall. For the majority of "October" it's just Moore and a fleeting organ while a soulful guitar riff happens in the periphery. It's trademark Bowerbirds beauty achieved in an arresting new way of stripping absolutely everything away until there's nothing to focus but Moore's vocal prowess. Moore's vocals have always shone through and made themselves known in every Bowerbirds song but here, with little else to grasp on to beside them, it's a rare chance to appreciate solely them. 

Listen to the 9th track in Bowerbirds year-long composition project: 

Listen: Bowerbirds - "September"

If the last two offerings from Bowerbirds' ongoing song-a-month series Small Songs from a Small Tiny House were a bit jarring for you, the latest addition "September" should certain set things right. Done (for now) with their R&B leanings, "September" sees the Bowerbirds returning to a basic folk aesthetic - guitar in hand like a campfire songs. Containing their trademark nature imagery, "September" is far more straightfowardly folky than anything the Bowerbirds have offered up in their three song career. Functioning more as a tribute to their influences than anything else, it's not until Phil Moore's vocals cut out and an instrumental section begins filled with hand claps and the high notes of a piano played percussively occur when you get a feeling of it truly being a Bowerbirds song.

And it makes sense, these short song experimentations are stretching the trio's creative boundaries in a way that challenges their cultivated sound. The little hints and nudges we get that seem to say "This is a Bowerbirds song" occur more as unconscious notifiers as things the band truly enjoy to put into their songs than anything more methodical. That's what's so enjoyable about watching the evolution of ideas in these 2-3 minute songs, we see the Bowerbirds step more and more out of their comfort zone and both try new thing and find inspiration in new things. It'll be a treat not only to hear the rest of the year's compositions but also to see the takeaway/effects of Small Songs from a  Small Tiny House.

Listen to the eighth track from Bowerbirds' Small Songs from a Small Tiny House "September":

Listen: Bowerbirds - "August"

As the year sneaks ever closer to its end, one thing can be certain: North Carolina's Bowerbirds are still holed up in their cabin building their in-home recording studio, crafting trickets and art work, and creating more songs for their ongoing Small Songs From A Small Tiny House song-a-month short-form song experiment.

August's offering follows very much in the footsteps of July's, another smattering of R&B infused beauty. Despite the pulsing beats, there's a very organic quality to the track's production. Not quite the synth pop of Island Dweller and far from the art-pop/folk of Bowerbirds past, "August" sees the Bowerbirds setting their pastoral lyricism to a far more driving accompaniment. Gently unfurling as much as these shorter songs allow, the track succeeds due to Bowerbirds' indomitable sincerity.  

Listen: Bowerbirds - "July"

Another month draws to a close which of course means another song in Bowerbirds' ongoing shortform song experimentation series Small Songs from a Small Tiny House. If you thought that some of the songs before were a bit unlike what you've come to expect from Bowerbirds than you're in for possibly one of those most jarring experiences. "July" is as un-Bowerbirds like as possible, really. If you caught Bowerbirds' last tour as a three-piece where they unveiled their side project Island Dweller, then you'll have some idea what's going on.

Featuring beats and some high-pitched synth noddling, "July" falls into a sort of R&B-esque realm. There's still Bowerbirds trademark nature imagery but other than that, it's a pretty stark contrast from the Bowerbirds you'd be familiar with. "July" has a bit of an anthemic call to arms with a noticeable Bob Marley inspiration. It's actually pretty good and  highly enjoyable once you get over the initial shock of Bowerbirds leaping so far away from their art-pop/folky sound. 

Listen: Bowerbirds - "June"

Another month draws to a close which signals another offering from the Bowerbirds' ongoing Small Songs from a Tiny House series - their short form songwriting experiment.

Until now, it wasn't exactly clear who was involved in the project. Some sounded like just Phil Moore and his guitar, some slightly expanded but still lacking that Bowerbirds full band flavor. Any involvement from anyone besides Moore has more or less just been hinted at (female harmonies that dart in and out with rabbit quickness on "April"). "June" is our first real evidence of the contrary. Recalling "Northern Lights" somewhat melodically, "June" jumps right into the action - drums, vocal harmonies, it's Bowerbirds as we've come to know them. Just in a shorter, more succinctly way. Despite the fact that the track is all of 2 minutes long, there's still that characteristic development that leads to memorable enjoyable musical moments; tough considering the small window they have to work with but definitely well executed.

I can't wait until the end of the next month to see whether they stay this route or go somewhere different entirely.

Listen: Phil Cook - "The Jensens"

It seems like the spindly instrumental guitar folk of Megafaun's Phil Cook's first solo endeavor Phil Cook & His Feat might be a thing of the past. Teaming up with bassist Nick Sanborn and the Bowerbirds' Yan Westerlund on drums, the creaky porch floorboards that severed as Cook's sole accompaniment on Hungry Mother Blues are old news as the previously compact little album-ending ditty "The Jensens" expands almost twice its size. The soothing ending track instead becomes a pulsing rouser, filled with purring guitar solos and high flying counter melodies. Luckily it's spirit stays more or less the same; there's no words and all of the ax-action isn't too flashy. It remains an utterly transportive piece of guitar rock excellence that makes you silently applaud Cook's instrumental prowess.



Comparing the two different versions becomes like comparing apples and bananas. One thing is for sure, Phil Cook is endless talented and it'll be great to see what else he's whipped up on his upcoming EP This Side Up. Fortunately we don't have to have too long for that. This Side Up is out August 13th on Trekky Records.

Listen: Bowerbirds - "May"

Memorial Day has come and gone, signalling not only the official end of the month of May but the unofficial start of Summer which is really just my roundabout way of saying there's a brand new track from Bowerbirds out now.

The 4th installment of their song-a-month short-form composition experiment "May" shakes off the last vestiges of spring, bright, breezy, and hopeful; not quite giving in to sun-soaked reveries just yet. Instead offering up a sparse piano-centric piece that pumps the breaks a little on the rather poppy direction Phil Moore's been going with these compositions.

Listen: Bowerbirds - "April"

Another month has come and gone meaning many things - the most important of which is another track in Bowerbirds short-form song experiment Small Songs from a Small Tiny House.

The third contribution, appropriately titled "April" introduces a far more pop savvy Bowerbirds than we've ever been privy to. They never go full on pop but there's undeniably catchy hooks and a simple but perfectly utilized recurring "oo" alongside some downright twangy, jangly guitar bits. The melodies still unfold like sprawling nature paths and the those trademark harmonies all present and accounted for but it's just the kind of brilliant pairing of old and new that has my hopes and anticipation rising exponentially for full length number four.

These songs might just be little experiments in somewhat more accessible songcraft but I have no doubt they're easing the way for more art-pop gems from the Bowerbirds.

Listen: Bowerbirds - "February"/"March"

If there's one thing I love more than my favorite bands/artists putting out more music per year it's them challenging themselves. Like other artists before them, Bowerbirds have decided for a song a month type challenge with their focus being on writing shorter songs. While one of my favorite things about Bowerbirds is their penchant for crafting absolutely gorgeous musical moments that don't really adhere to time lengths, it'll be a nice change to get some shorter tracks from the North Carolina duo. It's nice to know that they're still writing music while a tinkering away at their cabin-studio supported by their Kickstarter campaign and maybe all these flowing creative juices with give birth to the new Bowerbirds album they promised.




"February" begins with their trademark pastoral imagery and soft, plaintive guitar before breaking out into a feathery synth instrumental that's no doubt been inspired by Phil Moore's more electronic-leading side project Island Dweller and the Bowerbirds continuing evolution away from your standard folk band. It somehow manages to straddle the line between beguiling simplicity and ethereal lushness - a trait Bowerbirds seems to be masters of which they tone down a bit for these newer tracks.



While a clear line of outside inspiration can be gleamed in "February", in "March", the inspiration appears to be much more internal. Peppered with the sort of complex, tribal pulse that underscored The Clearing, it's not as much of a clean obvious break between ideas as "February". That's by no means a bad thing. "March" could fit right along with The Clearing's tracks and its brevity comes as much more of a shock. It rolls on with purpose and could easily be expanded with lovely instrumentals and harmonies. Where "February" feels truly and completely done, "March" makes you want to hear more. I know the objective of the exercise is to write shorter songs but here's hoping Bowerbirds revisit this track as it's simply too excellent to be a throwaway.

I'm thoroughly excited to see what the rest of the year brings from the Bowerbirds and their short-form experiments.

All Around Sound is Turning Three! - Day 5 Bonus Mix: Bowerbirds

photo by Cara Robbins

Sometimes all you have to do is ask. That's what they say anyway. My relationship with the North Carolina folk turned art rock twosome turned moresome Bowerbirds began as a rather one-sided affair.

Jumping from Myspace band page to Myspace band page as a way to discover music, I came across the Bowerbirds. Charmed by their wholesome homespun eco-friendly folk, I gobbled up every bit of music I could from them. Gathering up albums, watching Youtube videos (both live and not) on almost endless loop, I was utterly enchanted. I also happened to get into the band right when they finished a Fall/Winter tour and retreated to their NC haunt to build their cabin, rest for the winter, and work on new material. Newly initiated into the world of concert-going it pained me that I wouldn't be able to experience the absolute musical splendor in a live setting but I settled for listening to almost nothing but Bowerbirds for the whole summer. How I managed to make it to the end of the summer without losing each and every one of my friends to my non-stop fits of Bowerbirds obsession will remain an unsolved mystery, I'm sure.

As I grew older, my love stabilized, I was able to listen to other things and return to the Bowerbirds without feeling like I was cheating on them by not devoting my every free moment to putting as much of them in my ears as humanly possible. I got the opportunity to see them live for the first time in 2010. It was everything I had imagined and then some. I also got to meet Phil ( a charming little story involving an unexpected run in outside the venue, a proclivity for awkward conversations, and an attempt at a  pretty bad joke that came out to sounding like a rather serious statement). The experience while fleeting put my band love into a odd sort of perspective that made their extended hibernation to create/record new music not feel like some sort of punishment enacted upon their fans but a necessary step toward many more shows.

When the Bowerbirds returned last year with The Clearing, their follow up to 2009's Upper Air, it was an exciting moment. I got to see them twice in one year in remarkably different configurations - mini-orchestra versus electronic-leaning threesome and something else happened: I got to properly meet the band. Our interactions started on Twitter as I expressed my obvious pleasure in their new record and they tended to my excitement with a stabilizing hand much like you'd use to settle an over-excited puppy. There was an urge for genuine friendship that the Bowerbirds not only seemed to allow but also return. With my blog birthday looming over the horizon and the Bowerbirds nesting for the forseeable future I had the idea to simply ask the Bowerbirds for a mix. To my delight and bewilderment, they said yes. To further my confusion they seemed honored that I'd even considered asking them in the first place.

It's MY great honor to present to you Bowerbirds contribution to my blog birthday celebration:

We compiled our Tape-Hiss Mix-Tape.  All songs recorded before we were born on sweet analog tape.  Mostly good chill stuff.

All Around Sound's Favorite Albums of 2012

As mentioned in my favorite tracks year-end round up, 2012 function more so as the year of the single than anything else and more so this year than any other in recent memory. While one or two tracks were pretty spectacular on their own, throw together with a group of like-minded (or not in some cases) tracks saw them floundering for life, attempting to plug up the holes of sinking ships of hastily recorded follow ups or unmethodical debuts.That said, the year was not without it's fair share of brilliant music moments - albums that not only delivered on the potential of their singles but exceeded them by leaps and bounds. Here are, in no particular order, some of the exemplary records that really took the idea of an full length record to heart. Enjoy!

SoftSpot - Enzo
A relatively recent addition to my list of almost obsessively listened to albums, SoftSpot's premiere full length Enzo gets it's name from the Japanese word for "circle" and delivers as much; the album flowing from track to track with unceasing undulating energy. A listen to Enzo, it's not hard to see why it belongs on here: Sarah Kinlaw's vocals are hypnotic, the band not relegated to merely background players. SoftSpot reach an exceptional balance between balls to the wall frenetic jams and organic unfurling introspectives. There's no clear divide between them either as a track metamorphoses into the other almost without warning but not jarringly so. Everything on Enzo seems natural, seems right with no undue kinetic energy explled as SoftSpot demonstrate their prowess as band of patience willing to ride out the mounting waves of their own composition and benefiting greatly from it.

Bro. Stephen - Baptist Girls
If there's anything I've learned from Mad Men (besides how to drink copious amounts of booze, chainsmoke, and commit adultery like an Olympic champion) it's this: Nostalgia is America's chief good. Case it point: Bro. Stephen's nostalgic reveries are simply too good not to enjoy. It's intimate, heart-felt, and more so about beautifully crafted moments that make your heart bang or flutter than anything else. Scott Kirkpatrick is certainly gifted as a singer and a songwriter, of that there's is no question, but what really makes Baptist Girls is how each individual part of it's construction: from the precious melodies, the subtle creak of wood, to Kirkpatrick's beguiling sincerity, it's how they all congeal together to create these moments similar to yours, similar to anyone's that you can relate to. That are so beautifully simple, they make you nod while maybe you tear up a little. Baptist Girls is more than just a collection of songs, its a series of moments lovingly arranged like a family photo album.

Cold Specks - I Predict A Graceful Expulsion 

While it never really pays to cut down another artist in other to praise another artist, damn if only some of that residual buzz from the Alabama Shakes had fallen on Canada's Cold Specks. Her voice crowning the stormy, weathered soul of her own make. Dark atmospheric pieces with brilliant, triumphant moments I Predict A Graceful Expulsion is a quiet, delicate beauty of an album and entirely deserving of as many eager ears as possible. The fact that it hasn't might be the greatest slight of the year. She doesn't have a big band behind her gospel-inspired take on the singer/songwriter idiom but Al Spx's voice is as sagely, pained, and most important of all sincere as a modern soul singers could be. That's not a dig at anybody, Spx just provides a clean, non-showy alternative to what can sometimes become a flashy, spectacle.  

Jessie Baylin - Little Spark 

Layered with sweet Bacharachian sweeps and Dusty Springfield's classy sensuality, Jessie Baylin's sophomore record is one steeped in past influences but instead of playing like a jukebox album, Baylin utilizes her adoration of  60s/70s pop to convey her own troubles which are not all that different from theirs. At times fun and infectious, others serious and heartfelt, Jessie Baylin's Little Spark is a pop album that thoroughly benefits from knowing its history. The Brill Building lushness and orchestral flourishes provide an insatiable base for Baylin's flavorful additions. It's guilt-free pop you'd wish could set some sort of standard. Not only wearing your influences on your sleeve but using them merely to enhance instead of dominate what you're already skilled in. 

Laura Gibson - La Grande 

With more than a handful of releases underneath her belt, La Grande is Laura Gibson's most accomplished. Seeking solace in a rather old-timey sound, La Grande manages to avoid hokey-ness aided completely by her minimalistic approach to songwriting where she says just enough to have every word resonate with purpose while never quite being contrived about it. Each song belongs, each verse and phrase important. Gibson always been a gifted, poetic lyricist but when aided with the rather creative western-y lo-fi leaning sound on La Grande, the whole takes on a very classic feel. 

Lord Huron - Lonesome Dreams 

A work of unmitigated patience, forethought, and effort, Lord Huron's debut full length Lonesome Dreams could be called a concept album of sorts. While western-tinged instead of the world-inspired sound of their previous EPs, the album fits rather excellently into the Lord Huron canon. Despite the fact that the PR campaign seemed filled with painstakingly thought of detail (a website for the fake author of the novels of which Lonesome Dreams is based on being one of them), Lonesome Dreams is an album that doesn't get bogged down with all that when put into actual practice. The details function more as behind the scenes notes dictating where the story will go without seeing exhaustingly recalled. Lord Huron have a talent for simple-seeming but complexly layered chamber pop and they don't disappoint here. Their sound as full and evenhanded on their sepia-colored opus as any of the more electronic leanings of Ben Schneider's creation, Lonesome Dreams is another stellar example of what a concept album can be: easily to listen to without foreknowledge, enjoyable all around, and tremendously rewarding if you do happen to get it. While I'm sure we've yet to get the full brunt of Lord Huron's innovation, Lonesome Dreams is a particularly wonderful start.  

Daughn Gibson - All Hell 

If you had explained Daughn Gibson to me before playing it for me, I probably would've avoided it like the plague. Electronic/Country hybrid? That sounds relevant to exactly none of my interests. Thankfully no one told me what to expect from Daughn Gibson and I got the pleasant surprise of a wonderful album of unexpected twists and turns and a surprising amount of emotional resonance for such a sample-laden release.    It's rather easy to be dissuaded from an album that feature stories about people appearing on Cops and yet Gibson with his commanding presence, deep booming baritone, and adventurous charm make the album a completely worthwhile endeavor. A rather impressive effort and much appreciate burst of new and interesting in two genres where sameness is commonplace.

Hospitality - Hospitality 

From the angular melodies to the band's tight knit padding for Amber Papini's smart lyrics about city life, post-college, and all sorts of old young people concerns, Hospitality is catchy jangle pop done right. Papini has a real knack for pop hooks that don't quite feel like pop hooks and the band perfectly balances hanging back to give Papini the room her feathery vocals need to alight while making their own presence known and heard. A far different version from the syrupy chamber pop of their EP days, Hospitality provides an excellent base for the band to build upon. An album that proves Hospitality are ones to watch and enjoyable ones at that.

Conveyor - Conveyor
If there was a more vibrant, colorful album released all year, no one certainly told me. Conveyor's self-titled debut is an auditory sunburst, channeling sunny days and unrepressed happiness while building on the group's  minimalistic experimental pop we saw at work on their Sun Ray EP. Quirky but not goofy, Conveyor create exuberant smile-inducing moments of sheer aural bliss while never casting any doubt on their talents as legitimate musicians. Conveyor is a slowly-evolving but always engaging pitch-perfect adventure where every route is the scenic one and every path worth taking. A charming whole filled with tasty, interesting parts.

You Won't - Skeptic Goodbye

Sometimes making truly special folk pop let alone music isn't to try and turn the whole world upside down. It's possible to be creative without necessarily redefining a whole genre of music. Sure, those are what everyone's usually looking for but every once in awhile you stumble upon a record like Skeptic Goodbye from the Massachusetts duo You Won't. It's charming beyond words, fully demonstrative of the twosomes talents, a brilliant collection of songs that works together, but any deviation from pre-established norms is subtle. No look at me attention-grabbing antic here. Josh Arnoudse is a gifted lyricist with the kind of voice that gently commands attention not pleading for it and Raky Sastri is a skilled instrumentalist and well as producer. Their songs are either catchy as all get out or just too good not to want to listen to again and really that's what any good musician to strive for. Skeptic Goodbye is a great smattering of folk pop some with rather anthemic leanings.  

Will Stratton - Post-Empire 

Singer/songwriter Will Stratton is an musician who really gets it. Having great lyrics (which he certainly has in spades) is not all it takes to write a good song. Stratton's approach to songwriting pairs all of his various talents to work to create incredible music moments and excellent mood-changes. In fact, Post-Empire starts with about 2.5 minute orchestral intro before the entrance of the more folk-friendly guitar, a full three before Stratton's first verse is even uttered. This reverence for the actual extra elements of a song is something you'd wish more people cherished, more people employed. Maybe not in such a grand fashion but when an album takes it's time beginning, you know it's going to be a worthwhile listen. In addition to lovely arrangements, Stratton's fingerstyle guitar paired with his rolling, ambling melodies makes for a pretty incredible all-around immersive experience. Post-Empire is the kind of album you can put on and just sit and marvel at the level of musicianship contained within. 

Daniel Rossen - Silent Hour/Golden Mile EP 

Most people refrain from putting EPs on an albums list. I'm not most people. Especially not when you have a record like Daniel Rossen's Silent Hour/Golden Mile EP. On his first true solo outing, Rossen expounds upon the epic arrangements of Department of Eagles and Grizzly Bear with his own solid voice resulting in five songs that are simply spectacular. Astonishingly poetic turns of phrase that stick with you are paired with larger than life instrumentals that seem to grow larger and more layered with each subsequent listen. Topped off with intensely emotive vocals, the EP is a testament to Rossen's own talents and why others are so lucky to have him a collaborating. A beautiful stirring collection of songs that almost weren't. Thank heavens they were.

Efterklang - Piramida
With three fantastic albums under their belt, there was no doubt in anyone's minds as to Danish trio Efterklang's awesomeness or artistic integrity. Then in a move that couldn't possibly be foreseen, the Danes had the wacky idea to go to an abandoned Russian coal-mining settlement in the far north of Norway where they recorded all sorts of sounds that formed the framework for their brilliant, brilliant fourth studio album Piramida. On it, they combine the accessibility of Magic Chairs with the dreamy, atmospheric air of their orchestral-leaning albums. Piramida is a work of incredible artistic ambition proving Efterklang as master craftsmen and truly creatively leaders. Employing women's choirs and orchestras, Efterklang reach a level of collaboration most can only dream of.

Kishi Bashi - 151a 

With a real sense of overarching themes and a cinematic scope, Kishi Bashi's debut is certainly an impressive one. Especially considering the pit of doubters waiting in the wings to compare him to other violin/loop pedal users Andrew Bird and Owen Pallett. While learning from his predecessors, K. manages to offer up a singular, unique voice. Japanese vocalizations are welcome treat from the "oh" and "ah"'s you find in standard pop music while K.'s psychedelic deviations add a distinctive coloring to what would already be an applause-worthy effort to create a debut so strong it has to be heard to be believed. 151a is an amazingly adventurous debut brimming with talent and life.

Lands & Peoples - Pop Guilt 

Though by no means a proper representation of the brilliant new direction the Baltimore lads have taken since losing some of their members, Pop Guilt is a snapshot of the band in their youth and in it you can trace elements for their rugged experimentalism. That said Pop Guilt is a great album in its own right featuring bustling pop choruses, dynamic textural play, and some rather incredible vocal chops in Caleb Moore and Beau Cole. And yet as pleasant and arresting as the vocals can (and are allowed) to be, Lands & Peoples music isn't nor has it ever been a platform for them. Lands & Peoples make great use of textures and layers, using vocals to add more dimension, more depth to their already seemingly fathomless experimental pop ditties.

Port St. Willow - Holiday 

After my discovery of The Antlers' Hospice, I really wasn't looking for a record like that again. A record that would utterly destroy all my emotional barriers and make me absolutely fatigued from just feeling so much but here we are. While not quite as devasting, Holiday certainly falls into the same category of mood music that is simply too beautiful for words. Each and every listen results is a cathartic release and never do you grow numb to Nick Principe's raw, emotion-shredding work. In musical landscape dominated by senseless, vapid music without real meaning, it's a treat to get something this precious, this heartfelt, this real. Principe places himself completely out in the open and the result is an album of absolute elegance and finely crafted pathos.

Levek - Look A Little Closer 

In addition to being a veritable grab-bag of 70s musical styles, Look A Little Closer builds upon the somewhat cartoon-y vibe of Levek's demos with some pretty solid jams. It also happens to function doubly as a sort of emotional catharsis for Levek mastermind David Levesque while avoiding relying too heavily on that to function. In fact, without that little tidbit of information, it's still entirely possible to enjoy Look A Little Closer without feeling like you're missing something; some crucial piece to the puzzle. Instead the album slopes gently into a multitude of jam-laden 70s psychedelic subgenres while not sounding like it's trying too hard to do so. Levek for all intents and purposes casually eludes any notion of genre seeking the far more rewarding option of simple good music.

Young Man - Vol. 1
As under-represented as female songwriters/arts/bands seem to be in the music industry sometimes it seems like they have the most interesting stories to tell. The most clever spins on their tragic love lives, the most affecting vocals. I wasn't actively looking for an exception to that, for someone to describe the trials and tribulations of manhood when I found Colin Caulfield aka Young Man. In a series detailing his rite of passage into manhood, Vol. 1 isn't even the full scope of the Caulfield's experiences. And yet, it does so so articulately, so universally, so accessibly while sounds so personal that Vol. 1 quickly became a favorite. It's a male songwriter singing about something actually important that isn't your standard heartbreak tale or love song. Wrapping up his sagely observations in smart-pop dressings, Vol. 1 isn't just an album that appeals to young men or even older men. It's got a broad appeal while tackling a subject few explore that actually matters.  It's a well-rounded effort equally displaying Colin Caulfield's intelligent songwriting chops while also showcasing the talents of his collaborators and dressing them up nicely in solely beneficial arrangements.

Bowerbirds - The Clearing 

There comes a time in every band's career when they seek to change some form of what they've been doing either for better or worse. For Bowerbirds, they expanded upon their pastoral reveries by reaching a higher level of universal resonance than ever before. Transforming from mild-mannered folk band to high-minded art rock band, The Clearing in a lot of ways shines a light on where Bowerbirds have been and where they are going. Their third album, the album gives little hints about their roots while detailing their lives together in their trademark nature-laden imagery and artful use of metaphor. And while employing far bigger experimentations to their sound, they also apply it at a smaller level giving resident power harmony gal Beth Tacular her lead debuts in "Hush" and "In the Yard", the result is simply amazing. Beth, Phil Moore, and the rest of the talented crew of musicians are in rare form on The Clearing and create an album that both appeals to the long-standing Bowerbirds fan while also shaking things up to keep things interesting and grab some new ears.  Bowerbirds have always been masters of subtle emotion-stirring moments and the certainly don't disappoint as each lyric, each phrase, each musical flourish pulls at the heart-strings, brings a smile to your lips, or just lets you bask in the glory of a truly good band that knows what it's doing.

Hundred Waters - Hundred Waters 

In a musical climate where things sound more than a little similar and overdone, a band like Hundred Waters is a much needed breath of fresh air. One of my favorite things about the band is the utterly unclassifiable nature of their music. Owing equal parts of their composition to electronics and the ethereal sensuality of Nicole Miglis vocals, the band are rather unlike anything I'd heard before in the best way possible. Imaginative, creative, and expansive, Hundred Waters' debut album plays like an absolute dream - consuming you fully from start to finish with it's mesmerizing textural play. Hundred Waters are a band of artists in a completely nonpretentious sense creating enthralling, intriguing multi-layered masterpieces that don't beat you over the head with how art-y they are. Instead Hundred Waters offer up works of beguiling beauty that all fit together spectacularly in the grand scheme of their album. Their album is downright cosmic - raising perceptions about what art music can be while remaining accessibly so. Their palette of sounds are otherworldly and grand - the soundtrack to epic adventures or grandiose happenings while remaining subtle enough to operate on a smaller level. An absolute behemoth of talent and dazzling display of non-grandstanding musicianship.  

Honorable Mentions:
River Whyless - A Stone, A Leaf, An Unfound Door

Lucius - Lucius EP

Black Girls - Hell Dragon

Daniel Hart - The Orientalist (rerelease)

Midtown Dickens - Home (2012)

There's something to be said for catching one of your favorite bands as many times as you are physically able during a single tour cycle. When Bowerbirds awoke from their two year hibernation with The Clearing and a cornucopia of dates that included not one but two New York City dates, I knew exactly what I was doing. In fact, with memories of my first ever Bowerbirds show clearly in my head I was absolutely pumped for the experience to see them twice. Why? Well, sure Bowerbirds are absolutely amazing live but there's also the fact that they have absolutely stellar taste in tourmates. And that's how I found North Carolina foursome Midtown Dickens.

What drew me to Midtown Dickens wasn't just the impressive caliber of their performance but also the fact that they appeared to be having so much damn fun doing what they do. It was infectious as I was beaming ear-to-ear from set-start to set-end. With so many groups nowadays seeking to reinvigorate folk with all sorts of dramatic innovative procedures (slapping on some electronic embellishments or fusing in elements of other genres), Midtown Dickens was a breath of fresh air. Pure and simple old-timey folk whose new life comes from the passion and talent of the ones making it. Sign me up. In moments on their latest album Home, I was gently reminded of fellow folk-inspired North Carolina bands Megafaun albeit without their penchant for electro-acoustic pairings and Mandolin Orange with far less fiddle and far more shuffle.

While Midtown Dickens makes use of those utterly glorious harmonies that draw people to folk music, there's more to them to that. There's a rather prevalent upright bass which is surprisingly charming to hear. It's presence is steady and persistent and adds just the right dark coloring even to Midtown Dickens brightest tracks. At their most upbeat, Midtown Dickens recalls a legitimate hoe-down - one that you don't have to feel ashamed about attending but can just enjoy. It's not hokey, it's just toe-tapping music bustling with excited energy. That same infectious energy that exudes from the foursome on stage. And when Midtown Dickens turn contemplative, you listen. Amid the cluster of twangy guitars and banjos, rapturous harmonies, and harmonica flourishes, Midtown Dickens are telling stories deserving of eager ears. While some are just downright fun ("This Is My Home", "Crocodile Mile") and others not-so-much ("Apple Tree", "Cross My Heart"), all of them are certainly worthwhile. Home is a solid collection of songs that play smoothly from beginning to end, aided no doubt by the endearing handing off of lead vocals by Cat Edgerton and Kym Register.

You can listen to Midtown Dickens' Home in full via their Bandcamp here.

Watch: First Aid Kit - "Wolf"

Earlier this year, Swedish sister folk duo First Aid Kit released The Lion's Roar, the follow up to their 2010 debut The Big Black and the Blue and while the album name-checks and musically cites a number of the sisters' influences from 70s folk til now, the duo's best track to date is "Wolf" which didn't make the album. On their full length debut ,with tracks like "Hard Believer", the sisters proved themselves willing and able to tackle big picture topics and on "Wolf", the girls lament the destruction of the Earth in a manner not unlike Bowerbirds' "In Our Talons". It's subtle but that's what makes it most effective.

In the video for the track directed by Johan Söderberg (no relation to the sisters Söderberg surprisingly enough), the sisters take to the forests of their native Sweden for a bout of ritualistic dance to awaken their inner beasts and become a part of nature once more. There's beautiful pseudo-psychedelic light shows and  the whole thing culminates in a fearsome blaze consuming the sisters and their sacred monument. A stellar and equally incredible video.

Watch First Aid Kit's video for non-album track "Wolf":

Pitstop: Basia Bulat

I'm a little ashamed that it took me about 2 years to even mention Canadian singer/songwriter Basia Bulat. I was reintroduced to her Saturday night as she was one of the two splendid openers at Bowerbirds Music Hall of Williamburg show. Before having watched her play a Tiny Desk concert on NPR and before that randomly stumbling upon her at Central Park Summerstage as she opened up for St. Vincent along with tUnE-yArDs. And while I more or less missed her whole set at Summerstage due to getting lost and being unable to find the stage for an embarrassingly length of time, the sounds of her autoharp are ultimately what led me and a friend safely to the show.

While Basia has two albums out at present, Oh, My Darling and Heart of My Own, Basia is probably best experienced live. There you'll witness her skill with a variety of folk instruments; the aforementioned autoharp, hammered dulcimer, guitar, and even a small lute/ukulele-like instrument called the charango. All of these Basia plays with nimble fingers you have to see to believe all the while belting out an utterly captivating array of tunes with an absolutely demolishing amount of vocal power. While Bulat normally plays with a band, this time she went solo and the result were far more impressive I'm sure. More than holding her own as she accompanied herself flawlessly. 

Basia Bulat's live set is transportive, magical, and awe-inspiring as she proves herself a more than competent storyteller, spinning tales which whether real or not carry a deeply emotional resonance. While this feat is also achieved quite masterfully on her albums, it's the unbridled energy unleashed at just the right moments that hit you sorely in the heart and make you weak in the knees.   

Basia Bulat is currently putting the finish touches on her latest full-length record and I for one couldn't be more excited. Whether or not it incorporates more of her live energy, throws in an even more eclectic mix of instruments, or is even just more of the same, it's bound to be a good. And will be more of a reason for her to bring her enchanting live show to a city near you so do yourself a favor an start acquainting yourself now so you don't regret missing out. 

Until then you can listen to her two previous albums Oh, My Darling and Heart of My Own on Spotify.

Watch: Bowerbirds - "Sweet Moment"

After something like two years holed up in their cabin in North Carolina, the Bowerbirds are certainly making  up for their lengthy absence. Straight months of touring behind an absolutely stellar album not to mention music video after music video. We've already gotten three so far pretty much one after each other and it's only been 3 months since their latest album The Clearing dropped. Not that I'm complaining.

The video for "Sweet Moment", directed by Jacob Feiring, is pretty much the perfect encapsulation of the feelings that no doubt inspired the lovely little love song. A couple about to be split up by a move essentially run away together and experience all sorts of feelings of bonding and bliss. That's pretty much the video in a nutshell. And yet the easily definable plot doesn't detract at all from the emotional weight of the video itself. It's all rather sweet. As is guaranteed to move even the most hardened of hearts. It's pretty adorable actually. There's a twist at the end that I won't ruin but suffice to say I almost lost it. Some pretty moving stuff completely expected from the Bowerbirds.

Watch the video for "Sweet Moment":

Pistop: Mandolin Orange

I may have only seen them live twice but one of the things I've come to except from a Bowerbirds concert is a talented opener. Enter  North Carolina duo Mandolin Orange the night's more unexpectedly pleasant surprise. I arrived at the Bowerbirds most recent New York stop expecting solely one opener in the form of Dry the River whose music I had already been exposed to and knew I liked so you can imagine my surprise when Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz took to the stage with guitar, fiddle, and friend Josh Oliver in tow.



What followed was a thoroughly enjoyable set of folksy, rootsy Americana - the band's self-described country pop. The kind that's welcome even to those like me who prefer to stay as far away from country music as feasibly possible. It's hard to say what exactly sets Mandolin Orange apart for the tons of other folk acts gunning for you attention, perhaps it's that they aren't. The duo have a rather laidback style of songwriting that still manages to highlight their remarkable talents, heart-stirring lyricism, and intoxicating harmonies. There's also the fact that the vast majority of instruments you'll hear from them on their records or see at their live set are played by the twosome themselves (there's guests enlisted to fill out the rest).



Mandolin Orange play a sort of updated Appalachian-infused folk that really doesn't get nearly enough play. Which is sort of a shame. The duo are as equally at home playing traditional folk tunes as they are playing their own traditional-leaning originals and the young band already have two albums under their belt 2010's Quiet Little Room and a double album Haste Make/Hard-Hearted Stranger released late last year. And Mandolin Orange show no signs of stopping any time soon; a fact I certainly couldn't be more pleased with that as the duo's darkly themed but never depressing brand of accessible country pop hits all the right spots.



You can listen to their most recent album over on Spotify as well as check out their upcoming tour dates on their Website here.

Watch: Bowerbirds - "Overcome with Light"

Considering their absolute admiration and appreciation of nature, I'm surprised it's taken this long for us to get a video like this from the Bowerbirds. The Lawrence Martinez directed video is the simplest video in all of their rather short output - a series of beautiful nature images accompanied by the Bowerbirds' pastoral hymn "Overcome with Light". Simple and yet no less poignant. There's more than meets the eye as some images aren't what they appear, at least not outright. There's little symbols and sigils and other signs hinting to the otherworldly but it all fits in a way that acknowledges the mysterious allure of nature without pushing it toward a strange, supernatural direction. A real work of beauty. Bowerbirds, don't ever leave us again.

Watch the video for "Overcome with Light":


(via Stereogum)