Listen: The Cave Singers - "Have to Pretend"

Ever since seeing them open up for Fleet Foxes, I've been eagerly awaiting news of a new tour from Seattle folk rock trio The Cave Singers which pretty much waiting until they finished up a new album. And considering they had just released No Witch that year, that could've meant years of waiting. Thankfully, that's not the case. Cave Singers retreated back to their native land to work on some new tunes, occasionally venturing out into the Northwest and Midwest for the occasional show/mini-tour while working on that new album.

But with the release of their fourth full length imminent and just from the first single off of it, all those months of East coast neglect seem entirely worth it. "Have to Pretend" is like a more laid-back "Black Leaf", inspiring dance but less frantically so. Instead it rolls on with a rather simple, charismatic beat, some harmony play, and Peter Quirk's trademark rasp. And despite it's rather simple structure, Cave Singers prove they're no amateurs occasionally deviating from the track's casual plod.

Welcome back Cave Singers, I expect a tour immediately. Listen to the new track "Have to Pretend":



The Cave Singers' fourth studio album Naomi is out March 5th on Jagjaguwar.

Pitstop: J Fernandez

Yesterday I featured Chicago experimental pop quintet Thin Hymns and apparently they're a band that just keeps on giving. After following the tip from Caleb from Lands & Peoples that led to my newfound love of Thin Hymns, he followed up with something equally as good. Turns out Justin Fernandez, Thin Hymns' guitarist/keyboardist has a solo project appropriately named J Fernandez.

Have you ever heard old school Fleet Foxes EP era Fleet Foxes? Songs like "Textbook Love" and "In the Hot, Hot Rays" with their sunkissed psychedelic rock slant are precisely what you can look forward to in J Fernandez's music (most notably "Wasting the New Year"). But instead of jangly guitars, Fernandez's music doesn't prominently feature them. Relying more on a whatever's clever form of musical composition. 

"No Luck" is a harmony-laden sprawl that which gradually gains complexity as it saunters forth, adding brass along its plodding drums and Fernandez' croon while "Jewelry Watches Gold" and "Fading Out" are Real Estate-esque soft rock jams. 

For a bedroom project, J Fernandez's music has a surprisingly wide scope. From the sparse "Olympic Village People" to the the 70's reminiscent rock of "Wasting The Year" on the same release, to the simplicity of "No Luck" to the complex, layered beast that is "Real Flowers", J Fernandez's music output is dynamic and unpredictable while nevertheless remaining unequivocably good. Here's hoping there's scores and scores of new music to come from Fernandez.     

J Fernandez currently has two cassettes (No Luck and Olympic Village)  out and his music is enough to make me change my whole anti-cassette stance. Luckily if cassettes aren't your thing, J Fernandez is releasing them as a double EP via Morning Ritual. Fans of good music rejoice as J Fernandez's No Luck/Olympic Village double EP will be out October 29th 

The Walkmen to release new album

Before seeing them open up for Fleet Foxes last autumn at the Williamsburg Waterfront (which really was more like co-headlining, let's be serious) I had almost forgotten completely about The Walkmen. Thankfully I was reminded of them and have essentially been waiting for an album announcement ever since. Well that day's arrived. The Walkmen are releasing their seventh studio album in June. Their new album titled Heaven will be released June 5th and if the two minute teaser and news that Fleet Foxes frontman Robin Pecknold is featured on one of the songs it might be a bit of a departure from the buzzy rock sound the NY quintet is known for. I have no problem with this and am now entering anticipation mode til the first single.

Watch The Walkmen's teaser for Heaven:


(via Under the Radar)

Robin Pecknold - "Olivia, In A Separate Bed"

There are some definitely pros and cons to Twitter: namely when Fleet Foxes frontman Robin Pecknold makes music, he likes to share it. The con is less directed at Twitter and more at any time of non-personal relationship. "Olivia, In A Separate Bed" is a break up song, plain and simple and details a great deal of Pecknold's shortcomings - namely a need for validation from fans/musicians/whoever. Not Olivia, apparently. Confession: There are two songs that have cause me to have a true outwardly emotional reaction (i.e. like crying...) and this is one of them. "Olivia, In A Separate Bed" with it's rawness will shake you to your very core. If it doesn't, you're not human and/or don't have a functioning heart. Simple as that.

Hear the devastatingly beautiful track here:

Watch: Father John Misty - "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings"

Following his recent announcement of his departure from folk rock troubadours Fleet Foxes, Josh Tillman has already readied a worthwhile solo effort. Going under the moniker Father John Misty, his new album Fear Fun (out May 1st) seems to go in a largely different direction that Tillman's previous solo material or so we can glean from the amped up first single "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings".

And his first single has already received a video, starring Aubrey Plaza. Her role as a depressed mourner going absolutely crazy shows a side of her that you don't see in Parks & Rec - engulfing flowers, stripping, smashing things and throwing crazy fits all over the place. The video's certainly a trip but also has that right amount of pathos that keeps you from dismissing Plaza as some crazy party guest in need of a stronger drink or a straight jacket. And Josh Tillman shows up to more or less save the day. The exact plot of the video is a bit disjointed and obscured but could very well be the stuff of your intense indie film fodder. Watch the video:



And you can download "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings" via email at Sub Pop.



Father John Misty's Fear Fun is out May 1st on Sub Pop Records.

(via Under the Radar)

All Around Sound's Favorite Albums of 2011

This year I got more in sync with music than I think I ever did, with follow ups from established acts like Blind Pilot, Bon Iver, and Feist, the majority of my favorite came from bands and artists I had little to no knowledge to in years prior (with some noteable exceptions). Below are some of my favorite releases of this year that I feel really took the concept of an album to heart.


9) BELL – DIAMONITE
Despite my fastidious allegiance to the format of an album as a means to tell a story, there comes a time when an album can just be a collection of songs and still be okay in my book. This works in the case of BELL’s debut album DIAMONITE based on the cohesive nature of the tracks. Each of Olga Bell’s tracks contain a similar quality that makes them fit together like perfect puzzle pieces and even when she goes off in zany unexpected directions, like the folksy interlude in “Charlie”, they manage to remain a part of the sound and feel of her other songs. Those random moments where she zigs instead of zags breathe life into the album and keep things from getting too stale (not that they were all that much of danger of that to begin with).

8) The Head and the Heart – The Head and the Heart
The Seattle sextet’s debut album has all the making of a great album, that I was kind of surprised not to find it on more best of lists. From the slowly unfurling intro of “Cats and Dogs” that incorporates each member of the ensemble before a heartwarmingly grand unified tutti moment, to how that track leads directly into “Coeur D’alene” there’s no shortage of great musical moments. There’s a wealth of talent contained within the band’s ranks and on the debut each member gets their moment- violinist Charity Rose Thielen often sneaking up on you with brazenly soulful solos that manages to surprise you no matter how much you listen, guitarists/vocalists Jonathan Russell and Josiah Johnson trading off seamlessly, and Kenny Hensley mind-bending piano chops. It all comes together into The Head and the Heart’s folk pop gumbo alongside a smorgasbord of resonating lyricism that doesn’t try too hard.
 The Head and the Heart - Lost In My Mind by subpop

7) North Highlands – Wild One
There’s a major different between a lot of the albums on my list and North Highlands’. The wide majority of them made an impact due to stellar lyricism, North Highlands didn’t do and that’s fine. Wild One is an example of a more “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it” approach that doesn’t get nearly enough love. Brenda Malvini’s delivery is part of what makes Wild One such a treat. Repeated lyrics empowered like a command or chant and no matter how many times she repeats a phrase or word – it doesn’t get old. But Malvini’s isn’t the band and it’s due to the effort of the whole that Wild One is the success it is. The group’s playing is tight and diverse, swaggering and bustling to create an enjoyable romp that lasts the whole album – even in downbeat numbers like “Fre$ca” and “Best Part”. North Highlands might keep you emotionally at arm’s length but in doing so they make sure you have plenty of space to listen and more importantly to dance.

6) Marissa Nadler – Marissa Nadler
Considering how recently I got into Marissa Nadler’s latest album, her self-titled sixth, it’s kind of surprising that the album can be one of my favorites of the year and yet it is. Marissa Nadler has managed to positively consume my life from the first listen, no doubt due to Nadler’s crystalline vocals, delicate intricate arrangements resulting from Nadler’s arresting attention to detail, and poetic storytelling.

5) Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know
While a bit of a far-cry from her sophomore I Speak Because I Can in terms of emotional intensity and rich moving narrative, Laura Marling continued with her more mature, less conventional songwriting style that revolved around a single driving theme. While I Speak focused on responsibility and womanly duty, A Creature I Don’t Know explored the intense dark emotions that her previous album mostly hinted at. And while album centerpiece “The Beast” falls a bit flat (or needs more time to properly digest), Marling still manages to put together a stunning batch of songs that work exceptionally well together. Marling’s most remarkable tracks are in fact the ones with seemingly the least amount to say “Don’t Ask Me Why”, “Salinas”, and “Sophia”. Rather than trying to drive home her themes like “The Beast” or “All My Rage”, the other songs are small peeks into the mind and psyche of Marling’s characters. While it’s never quite explained why they do what they do, that’s somehow okay. With the exception of “My Friends”, Marling doesn’t ever try to make them accountable for their actions merely to present them in a rich and engaging manner in which she earnestly succeeds.
 Laura Marling - Sophia by ListenBeforeYouBuy


4) Sondre Lerche – Sondre Lerche
Every time Sondre Lerche reemerges from a recording-related hibernation I know the result is going to be something special and dear to my heart. Sondre Lerche’s eponymous sixth album was no different. While not quite as near or dear as Heartbeat Radio (most likely due to the time I’ve spent with the latter), Lerche certainly brings his a-game and manages to both Lerche’s jazzy-pop rock stylings and also tread new ground. It’s an album brimming with brilliant songcraft and arrangements but also Lerche’s exceptional lyricism. On his self-titled, Lerche combines elements from his previous albums like Phantom Punch’s hard rock fizz but takes things to riskier level when Lerche steps out of his comfort zone of singing pseudo-confessional type songs and embraces a broader songwriting style that still manages to sound personal and engaging.
 Go Right Ahead by sondrelerche

3) Anna Calvi – Anna Calvi
Anna Calvi’s self-titled debut beginning strains transports you to a smoky, dark cabaret club and there you remain until “Love Won’t Be Leaving” fades out gingerly. Anna Calvi lays all the cards out on the table: ninety percent of the album’s songs are about sex or of a sexual nature (“No More Words”, “Desire”, “First We Kiss”) and yet Anna Calvi presents it in such a classy refined manner that you can both relate and appreciate and enthusiastically share with others. Her passion is felt more than stated, her vocals practically exploding from her at precise the perfect time to make its effects most immediate. While Calvi’s exploration of the primal is nothing new, both Wild Beasts and Laura Marling releasing albums doing that same thing this same year, what catches is Calvi’s total allegiance to the world she creates in her exploration of sounds and textures.
 Anna Calvi 'Anna Calvi' by Anna Calvi


2) Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
I could go on and on about how Fleet Foxes almost didn’t release this album and how we’re all lucky to be able to it and that’d be true. But Robin Pecknold’s neurotic perfectionism has resulted in one of the single most beautiful albums of the year. If an album has a weak track or two, that’s expected and not really cause for alarm but what do you do when an each and every track on an album is utter perfection? It’s something to be celebrated. That’s no easy feat and Fleet Foxes have managed to do this on their sophomore record and with an effortlessness that belies the frustration its member most likely felt making it.
 Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues by subpop

1) ARMS – Summer Skills
In a year where I found several eagerly anticipated follow up albums to be flops, ARMS is one of the few bands that not only delivered but exceeded all my wildest expectations. Summer Skills, with its supernatural break up album concept, delivered not only a boldly innovative idea but presented it in a way that was exceptionally mindful of itself and charmingly catchy. Todd Goldstein achieves an elegant balance between grizzly detail and imagination-fuelling vagueness in his songwriting that only helps to enrich the album’s miscellaneous stories. Each song pits the two main characters in a new predicament which Todd Goldstein’s deft songwriting and the band’s startlingly precision underscore and navigate you through. Summer Skills is labyrinthine and yet wholly accessible, an album with nearly as many instantaneous rewards as its hidden treasures.

Honorable Mentions:

The Antlers - Burst Apart 

Caveman - CoCo Beware 

The Deloreans - "American Craze"
Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers - On Being

The Dodos - No Color 

Left With Pictures - In Time 

tUnE-yArDs - W H O K I L L

All Around Sound's Favorite Tracks of 2011

Strangely enough, I remember when a year ago when I swore I would never do a Best Of list. At least not in the way that some blogs do there. Rehashing old reviews and offering nothing new - that might work for some but it's not my style. And yet, Best Of lists are a great way to discover some great music you might've missed throughout the year or might've forgotten about. So my hope is that by throwing my own hat into the Best Of ring I can help do one of those things for you. Enjoy my first Best Of list or more aptly put, my favorite 15 tracks of 2011.

15) The Deloreans - "Buffalo", "American Craze"
Before Sam at MiddleClassWhiteNoise introduced me to The Deloreans, I wasn't aware there was anything of note in Kentucky. Let alone the three stellar bands I was later introduced to from Louisville. An ode to old-fashioned American decadence and a hodge-podge of different styles, practically any song on the album is worthy of a slot and definitely necessary listening but what set "Buffalo" apart is its multi-faceted nature. Fun and frenetic for the choruses but subtle and restrained for the verses, the track utilizes the intense energy of "American Craze" without sacrificing any of the thematic content.



14) North Highlands - "Roundhouse", Wild One
For an album named Wild One, there's actually a shortage of songs that are actually all that unchained and yet that works for North Highlands. Brenda Malvini's soft, delicate vocals are inviting and the band, broad and sweeping around her, pull you in like ocean waves. Malvini quiet coo in "Roundhouse" "If I was wild, if I was brave..." explains a bit, and ends up far more effective than a roar. The track pulses with an infectious energy while maintaining an almost stoic control before there's an unexpected rush, the opening of the floodgates and you're smacked with feeling. The track tells a story but is also intensely danceable. The best of both worlds.



13) The Dodos - "Good", No Color
When I first read that Neko Case would be contributing vocals to the new Dodos album I regarded it with a great deal of surprise and confusion. Meric Long's voice somehow fits the percussion-heavy folk realm the two inhabit but how would Neko Case's translate? Incredibly well. And yet, the tracks where she was barely there- a mostly quiet spectre in the background were the tracks I enjoyed most. When she shouts and harmonizes on "Good" it's almost too much good to bear. "Good" is great because it's driving, hard-hitting, with an astonishing amount of simplicity but effortless precise and no doubt memorable. It's 6 minutes long but far from monotonous - something always catching your ear to keep you from just drifting off.
Good by The Dodos by Mute-Song

12) Hello MTN - "Suitcase Song", Tour EP
Portland folk duo Hello MTN have been working on an album for better part of the year, taking breaks pretty much solely to tour. Luckily, the duo decided to make a four song EP so concertgoers would have something tangible to hold onto and things just kind of spiraled from there. "Suitcase Song" might seem like a bit of a novelty (being that the song features an actual suitcase as the percussion) but the song is positively awash with emotion. The song makes use of the duo's seemingly endless array of talents and features remarkable musical interludes between verses.



11) Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers - "We Are Everything", On Being
It's hard to fathom the possibility of not seeing Joe Hertler and his band in that small mostly empty bar at the start of my CMJ but I did and for that I'm exceedingly glad. On Being shows off Joe Hertler's deft songwriting chops and a wisdom far beyond his years with "We Are Everything" functioning as a delightfully enjoyable cog in Joe Hertler's conceptualized vision. While songs on On Being wrestles with bigger picture ideas and pseudo-religious themes, "We Are Everything" notes how tiny humans are in the grand scheme of things when compared to the limitless wonders of the universe and yet, does so with nary a heavy-hand. Instead with his rich imagery and patience, Joe Hertler creates something truly soul-stirring.




10) Left With Pictures, "June", In Time
Last year, British chamber pop quintet Left With Pictures challenged themselves to the great songwriting feat of writing a song a month as part of their In Time project. Not only did they have to have a fully developed song that would be premiered by Gideon Coe on BBC 6Music on the last Monday of each month but they also had to have a finished video which they would post the next day. For 2010, I had no greater joy than when a brand new Left With Pictures track was revealed as each month their songwriting seemed to get better and better especially when they reached months without an obvious inspiration. One of my favorite tracks from this was "June", inspired in part by the advent of summer but with no obvious references to it. Instead "June", the month it was composed for, is personified as a beautiful girl whom has utterly enchanted the narrator. The song is as big as it's claims that a thousand battle ships would launch for her - the band pulling out all their songwriting chops to brilliant effect to create an upbeat romp full of positively delightful musical moments.


9) tUnE-yArDs - "Bizness", W H O K I L L
My introduction to "Bizness" happened live at tUnE-yArDs' concert in Central Park about a year and a half ago. There she performed almost all the sounds that weren't created by bassist Nate Brenner or with her own drums sticks with her own mouth (besides the brass band she had join her for a couple songs). It was exceptionally impressive. So when I heard the new version where those vocal effects were replaced with studio-processed machine sounds I was a little disappointed. And yet, even with that little let down, the infectiously catch nature of "Bizness" won out. It takes some of the best moments of her 2009 debut and amplifies them about tenfold. Garbus' decision to studio record affords the track with increased accessibility but also allowed her to throw some great things onto it (like the aforementioned brass band).
tUnE-yArDs - Bizness (4AD) by Ragged Words

8) The Head and the Heart - "Rivers and Roads", The Head and the Heart
During an intimately live show at Pianos in September, I had an epiphany: Spunky Seattle folk sextet The Head and the Heart write some pretty sad songs. This might seem like a no-brainer or even downright wrong to you but underneath their fun, poppy arrangements are lyrics about feeling out of place and alone whether you're far from from or stuck in your hometown. And yet there's a shortage songs on the album where this emotion is just left to its own devices - not played with by the groups various band members and their skilled arrangements. "Rivers and Road" is one of those rare songs that's not upbeat and makes no attempts to be. You don't get rapped up in the feel of the song and think it's about something else entirely - no, instead you get this wonderful moment of heart-on-your-sleeve confession carried from a purely vocal standpoint. Guitarist/vocalist Josiah Johnson gets his moment to shine while the rest of the band helpfully keep tempo and Jonathan Russell and Charity Rose Thielen add backup harmonies. And it's all quite lovely and good and makes for a nice song and then in an utterly unexpected moment Charity takes the helm with powerhouse vocals radiating with soul and you're a puddle on the floor. It elevates the already good song to an absolutely other plane of greatness and tugs at each and every one of your heartstrings.
Rivers and Roads by ImpressYourPeers

7) Carter Tanton - "Murderous Joy", Freeclouds
It strangely alright that, like a lot of my musical discoveries, Carter Tanton was a case of being at the right place at the right time. Because Tanton's "Murderous Joy" might just be one of the best songs I've heard in awhile and especially was about a month ago when I was introduced to it. It's catchy in an excitedly nonchalant way - a brilliant masterpiece of a song that single-handedly proved Carter Tanton and an able songwriter to me. There's an ineffable greatness about it - it ebbs and flows at precisely the right moments; its simple with unassumingly intelligent turns of phrase and a pervading sense of calm nostalgia.
01 MURDEROUS JOY by NYLONmag

6) Tallest Man on Earth - "Weather of A Killing Kind", Adult Swim Singles Program 2011
After the release of The Tallest Man on Earth's sophomore album The Wild Hunt and subsequent Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird EP just a couple months after last year I figured we'd be done with any new Tallest Man for awhile. So when Adult Swim released a brand new Tallest Man track as part of its Single Program this summer I was incredibly surprised and equally as appreciative. It's quintessential Tallest Man with his trademark rasp and complex fingerpicking but also with beautiful melodies.
The Tallest Man on Earth - Weather of a Killing Kind by All Around Sound Blog

5) St. Vincent - "Cruel", Strange Mercy
When I first heard St. Vincent's music, I remember being strangely neutral about it. Albeit my first foray was at a live show that Annie Clark herself was disappointed in. But earlier this year when Annie Clark teased Strange Mercy via Twitter-fueled Youtube videos, color me intrigued. I revisted her older stuff and found myself actually really liking it. When "Surgeon" dropped, I ate it up and asked immediately for more. Then "Cruel" came out. This track took the big rock licks that were my favorite part of "Surgeon" and made a whole song of it. It's big, bold, and strangely enough not in your face. Annie Clark knows subtlety. She's made a career of wink-wink nudge-nudge moments and yet, "Cruel" is subtle in a brand new way. It's vunerable and open with a shouted from the mountaintops vibe that she tones down into something far more marvelous. It's catchy without trading in any of the necessary emotion and virtuosic without being overly showy.
St. Vincent - Cruel by Posh Magazine

4) Fleet Foxes - "Grown Ocean", Helplessness Blues
Fleet Foxes' Helplessness Blues is arguably one of the best things to come out of this year. Especially when you realize it almost didn't. But Robin Pecknold's musical perfectionism ended up creating one of the greatest albums of the year - one that tackles an important theme of growing up. One of the best songs on Helplessness Blues is no doubt "Grown Ocean", with it's driving drums and bass, not to mention it's place as the cathartic end to an album with heaps to say and even more questions to ask. Everything you love about Fleet Foxes spills out in this track - Robin Pecknold and the band's lovely songcraft, everpresent nature imagery, soul-gripping vocal harmonies. The whole thing is utterly magical, even the wonderfully little ellipses that ends the track (and album).
Fleet Foxes - Grown Ocean by subpop

3) Marissa Nadler - "In Your Lair, Bear", Marissa Nadler
If I had made this list about a week ago, this track wouldn't be here. But since sitting down with Marissa Nadler's self-titled I've found this song has completely taken over my life. Since I heard the opening strains of the album's opening track, I've hardly been able to listen to much else. It's slowly but surely consuming me. And yet, isn't that exactly what our favorite songs do? With her slow, lilting siren song Marissa Nadler has charmed her way not only onto the list but also pretty high on my favorites list. "In Your Lair, Bear", with it's supple melodic lines and yawny unraveling narrative is bewilderingly beautiful. Not a bad song to have utterly take over your life, actually.



2) Laura Marling - "Flicker and Fail", A Creature I Don't Know (Bonus Version)
I was first introduced to the live version of this song which Laura Marling debuted at the Radio 2 Folk Awards early this year and I was struck by how good it is. When describing Laura Marling's music calling it "good" seems kind of like kind of a moot point but considering that half the song is an old song her father wrote and the rest is just things she fixed around it, I was surprised by how well it all seemed to go together. Laura Marling has always been described as being a mature songwriter but this song left me completely floored. Still does. For all the conceptualizing on I Speak Because I Can and A Creature I Don't Know, this track hit me square in the heart. Not only did it sound amazing, like all of Marling songs, but it captured all the elements I loved about Marling and elevated them to the next level - her witty turns of phrase? Present. Her intricate guitar melodies? Present. It contains the emotional side-stepping Marling has started to make her songwriting staple and yet, does in a manner that doesn't make you question it. "Flicker and Fail" shows a decidedly better Laura Marling that was hinted at in some of the best tracks on A Creature I Don't Know and her decision to include it (albeit as a bonus track) shows that she knows this too.


1) ARMS - "Heat & Hot Water", Summer Skills
"Heat & Hot Water" might not have been the first song I heard from ARMS (that slot is reserved for "Emily Sue, Cont'd") but it was the song that launched my year-long obsession with all things ARMS related. So much storytelling is packed into 4 minutes of vibrant, visceral songwriting not to mention so many delicate musical ornaments and intricate textural strokes. While practically any song from Summer Skills could've made it on this list, "Heat & Hot Water" is my definitive ARMS song. The moment on their 2010 EP where I realized I needed to know more, and probably my most listened to track of the whole entire year of 2011. Not to mention a surefire contender for one of my favorite songs ever written ever.



Honorable Mentions:
Conveyor - Sun Ray, Sun Ray EP
The Middle East - "Hunger Song", I Want That You Are Always Happy
Laura Marling - "Don't Ask Me Why"/"Salinas" A Creature I Don't Know
Sondre Lerche - "When the River", Sondre Lerche
The Voluntary Butler Scheme - "Don't Rely On It, Don't Count on It", The Grandad Galaxy

Fleet Foxes - "The Shrine/An Argument" video

If you had asked me what tracks Fleet Foxes were going to make videos for off Helplessness Blues, I wouldn't have picked "The Shrine/An Argument". Clocking in a 8 minutes, it seemed a bit too long for the video treatment. And then the teaser for the video came out almost a month ago and I felt so many emotions in the short 26 second run time. It was clear the video was going to be something special.

The video for "The Shrine/An Argument" is by far one of the most epic things I think I've seen in my short life. It's less of a music video and more of a deeply engaging short film. There's more plot in it than most of your standard mainstream films. I won't bore you with a description of the plot, just know that you should definitely watch it.

The Shrine / An Argument from Sean Pecknold on Vimeo.

Fleet Foxes post teaser for upcoming new video

About a half hour ago, Seattle folk rockers Fleet Foxes posted this teaser trailer for their upcoming video for "The Shrine/An Argument". Directed by Robin Pecknold's older brother Sean, the video is bound to be epic. I mean, when you decide to make a video for an 8 minute track that's pretty much the only thing it can be. So until the official release of the video, enjoy the short teaser:

The Shrine / An Argument from Sean Pecknold on Vimeo.

Live!: The Cave Singers and Fleet Foxes at United Palace Theatre

As the Seattle folk rock trio Cave Singers took the stage and launched immediately into their first song, I only had one thought: “Why didn’t I listen to them before this!?”. I had heard a couple of their songs and that motivated me to buy their latest album No Witch but that had more or less been the end of it. And yet their highly energetic folk rock was everything you could want and more. Pete Quirk was friendly and personable and helped to really motivate the audience to get into their music. The only problem with their set was that it seemed far too short; a problem befitting of such a good opening band.

Whereas The Cave Singers were talkative and fun, Fleet Foxes was more or less their opposite. Instead they were grateful but reserved and channeled all their energies into performing their songs to the best of their ability. It wasn’t until at least about halfway through their set that Robin felt comfortable enough to try some onstage banter (assisted by the charmingly hilarious Joshua Tillman). Instead the band filled their nearly 2 hour long set with pretty much their whole catalog (minus the 2006 Fleet Foxes EP) and the concert hall was filled with the collective vocals of each audience member in addition to the band. While I’ve had the pleasure of listening to their albums to my heart’s content, that did not prepare me for the truly unmatched quality of seeing the band live. Each time the band hit its three or sometimes four part harmonies, I broke out in swarms of goosebumps; that and the occasional punch in the heart from Robin Pecknold’s emotional delivery. Each song was met with hearty applause (especially audience favorites “Mykonos” and “Blue Ridge Mountains”) eventually resulting in Pecknold's return to the stage, after nearly 5 minute standing ovation with undying applause, to play an encore consisting of a solo “Oliver James” before being joined by the rest of the band for “Helplessness Blues”.

I can honestly say that this show was by far the best show I’ve ever been to. Odd considering the caliber of shows I’ve been to and nothing against those shows but a live Fleet Foxes show is unlike any show I’ve ever experienced. Despite being in a seated theater as opposed to a standing room only venue, I felt the closest to the actual music making than I’ve ever felt. Each little thing the band did was felt and responded to in kind by the audience. The audience’s insistent need to let the band know they were enjoying themselves was not just for show; Fleet Foxes inspired these feelings of intense appreciate with their every action. For anyone who fancies themselves a Fleet Foxes fan, you absolutely must attend a concert: It’ll absolutely shatter your perceptions of them and rebuild them with a greater understanding, greater appreciation, and greater love. Fleet Foxes is definitely a band whose full effect is only transmitted live. It’s not often that I’m rendered absolutely speechless, inspired to sing out, and constantly tingling with goosebumps and yet the band did so effortless. So if you have the opportunity to see them like, do it. You won’t be disappointed.

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (2011)

I'm incredibly grateful I waited to listen to the new Fleet Foxes. After two years of waiting and teasers in the form of slow releases of tracks "Helplessness Blues", "Battery Kinzie", "Grown Ocean", and finally "Bedouin Dress", actually getting to listen to the album in full was like getting what you really wanted but never told anyone for Christmas.

Helplessness Blues' strength is its simplicity. Sure, there's six men eagerly at work but it never really seems that way. Rather, each member inputs only what is truly necessary in a way that's more ear-catching than if they were to cluster all their talents together. Fleet Foxes' trademark vocal harmonies are featured widely throughout but really, what's more noteworthy is the band's ability to craft absolutely breathtaking musical moments with ease; creating vibrant melodies that serve as the perfect vehicle for Robin Pecknold's poetic exploration of the mundane. It's high caliber songwriting that manages to avoid holier-than-thou pretension through purely earnest effort.

Helplessness Blues is a mixed labor of love and Pecknold's obsessive perfectionism. Labor that's well worth all the months and months of stress. Even when it's clattering around loudly, it's music that refuses to draw attention to itself. Rather, stand solely based on its own merits and the hard work of the musicians crafting it. If it takes another two years to get something even half as good as Helplessness Blues on their next venture, I'd gladly wait.

Fleet Foxes release new video for "Grown Ocean"

It's been nearly 3 years since Fleet Foxes' self-titled debut album hit music store shelves and almost equally as long since the band's released any sort of music video. Now with the album release so close you can almost taste it (or hear it - since a new track seems to be springing up pretty much weekly), the band offer up a new video for previously unreleased song "Grown Ocean". The video was filmed and edited by bandleader Robin Pecknold's brother Sean and features a bunch of old style documentary clips of the band recording set to the music with various splashes home life, nature, and the occasional cartoon clip. It follows in the fast-paced energy of previously released track "Battery Kinzie" and just proves beyond reasonable doubt that Helplessness Blues is going to be an amazing album.

Speaking of which, you can now pre-order the album here.

Enjoy the video for "Grown Ocean" filmed by Sean Pecknold:

Fleet Foxes - Grown Ocean from Fleet Foxes on Vimeo.

Fleet Foxes release another new track, offer up vinyl for charity

Earlier this week, fans were graced with a another preview of Fleet Foxes sophomore album Helplessness Blues, a humdinger of a diddy by the name of "Battery Kinzie" and while the album was leaked earlier today (much to the dismay of the band), another track has resurfaced for all those that like Fleet Foxes subtle, slow seduction, a new track "Bedouin Dress" has surfaced. It's a mid-tempo jam which rocks for all the right reasons and has something not heard in many Fleet Foxes songs: fiddle. But just enough to pique your interest and catch your ear before it blends in among the more common guitar and drums. Listen to "Bedouin Dress":
Bedouin Dress by SloaneRanger

And in case you didn't know, Fleet Foxes is auctioning off their test pressing of Helpnessness Blues and donating the proceeds to Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund. The band has also announced that they intend to match the donations of the final bid. Which certain is a doozy as it's already reached $3,000. If you're at all interested you can bid on the vinyl test pressing here.

New Fleet Foxes track premiered in UK

Earlier today (tonight if you're from Europe), a new track "Battery Kinzie" was premiered off Fleet Foxes upcoming album Helplessness Blues on BBC's Zane Lowe and thanks to the magic of the internet (and the folks over at Listen Before You Buy) you can hear the new track too.

Here's hoping the new track will tide you over til the album's May 3rd release.
Fleet Foxes - Battery Kinzie by One Thirty BPM

Robin Pecknold release three songs

Robin Pecknold (of Fleet Foxes) recently released a free three song EP via Twitter. The EP features a duet with Grizzly Bear's Ed Droste, an original song, as well as a cover of New Zealand folk singer Chris Thompson's "Where Is My Wild Rose?"

You can download the free EP here.

Fleet Foxes reveal album details and new tour dates

After almost three years, folk rock quintet Fleet Foxes is finally releasing its sophomore album. The album titled Helplessness Blues is slated for a May 3rd release date, after which the band will depart on a North American tour.

Tour dates:
4/30 The Vogue Theatre - Vancouver British Columbia, Canada
5/1 Crystal Ballroom - Portland, Oregon
5/3 Moore Theatre - Seattle, Washington
5/5 Fox Theater - Oakland, California
5/6 Spreckles Theatre - San Diego, California
5/7 Hollywood Palladium - Hollywood, California
5/8 Rialto Theatre - Tucson, Arizona
5/10 Stubb's Waller Creek - Austin, Texas
5/11 Palladium Ballroom - Dallas, Texas
5/13 Ryman Auditorium - Nashville, Tennessee
5/14 The Tabernacle - Atlanta, Georgia
5/15 DAR Constitution Hall - Washington D.C.
5/17 Orpheum Theatre - Boston, Massachusetts
5/18 The United Palace Theatre - New York, New York
5/21 Tower Theatre - Upper Darby, Pennsylvania

Limited pre-sale tickets as well as album pre-orders will be available tomorrow. You can also download the title track from the album here.

Fleet Foxes' second album nearly complete

To anyone who follows Seattle folk troubadours Fleet Foxes on Facebook the news that they are working on their sophomore album won't come as much of a shock, but to everyone else: prepare to jump for joy. Earlier this week, this lovely announcement was posted:

Hey all, it's been a bit since a recording update. Well, recording is done! We are flying to New York tomorrow to mix and master the album and will have information about release date and when you'll get to hear a song or two SOON. Geologically soon but soon. -Robin

So I'm guessing we can expect the album sometime in 2011 which is exciting as the band's self-titled debut album was released about two years ago. The band has promised (via their facebook statuses) to share previews of the album when they're available so stay tuned for stuff of that nature.