Peter Wolf Crier - Inter-Be (2010)

My introduction to Minneapolis duo Peter Wolf Crier happened in my pursuit of all things ARMS a couple months ago. While listening to the ARMS EP on infinite repeat, LastFM recommended I listen to Peter Wolf Crier cause they were similar. Intrigued, I decided to give them a listen. They weren't that similar (aside from some reverb) but they were good in their own unique way.

Inter-Be is an album filled with a sea of sounds always threatening to burst free of their track-by-track containment and yet restrained enough that when the track is over, there's no lingering residue; no loose ends. And yet somewhere among the clustered waves of cymbal crashes, drum beats, guitar riffs, and the multitude of keyboard accents, Peter Pisano's voice bubbles to the surface- aiming directly to the heart with its doleful tenor.

Inter-Be is an album of balance: never empty sounding yet never too busy that you can't make out each individual part, Pisano's light voice never obscured by the rather energetic parts surrounding it. Though classified as folk rock, Peter Wolf Crier move farther away from anything generically folky the deeper you go into Inter-Be. The result is a richly worthwhile listening experience from a band you'd be crazy not to add to your music library.

Listen to Inter-Be on Peter Wolf Crier's Bandcamp and look out for their sophomore album Garden of Arms out September 6th.

Isaac Graham - Empty Vessels

After what seems like months of my friend Joe (of Music Industry Earthquake) mentioning Australian musician Isaac Graham, I just got around to checking him out. After hours or listening to music that seemed a bit insincere, too generic, and occasionally forced; Isaac Graham and his simplistic, laid-back style of punk-inspired folk was a welcome change.

Armed with just a Tascam 8-track recorder and microphone, Isaac Graham's Empty Vessels has a smooth recording sheen that belies the album's lo-fi nature allowing it to shimmer with an honest truth and pervasive intensity that's a definite rarity. Whether in the folky "When I Found Gold" synth-poppy "Heat Exhaustion" or country-ish "Hurricane", Graham wears his genre influences on his sleeves but rather than coming off contrived, they inform his songwriting past the point of mere mimicry and make Empty Vessels into a feat of modern storytelling. Here's hoping there's more to come from Graham.

You can listen to Isaac Graham's album on his Bandcamp and if you like it, download it for free.

The Dø - Both Ways Open Jaws (2011)

My introduction to Finnish/French duo The Dø came from social networking radio MuMu Player when Frank from Listen Before You Buy uploaded "Dust It Off". I was immediately struck by Olivia Merilahti's airy vocals billowing sweetly over a minimalistic piano line. It's the sort of beautiful simplicity I wish more artists embraced.

That simplicity is the common strand between many of Both Ways Open Jaws' rather diverse set of tracks. Even when songs take on a more involved quality like poppy beat-heavy "Slippery Slope" or vaguely rockish "Gonna Be Sick!". Considering that the duo both come from film-scoring backgrounds, it's not surprising how effectively they use their sparse instrumentation (sweeping string arrangements on "Too Insistent" for example) but they blend their classical sensibilities with understated, though always engaging pop to create this unique listening experience. The barely there pop elements are just enough to give the album an ever forward momentum while the minimalistic elements make sure you don't breeze right through.

Their sophomore album, released earlier this month, is only available in Europe right now but you can listen to the whole thing on Soundcloud.
Both Ways Open Jaws by The Dø

Cymbals Eat Guitars tour to support new album

Hot on the heels of their album release news, Staten Island rockers Cymbals Eat Guitars have announced a US Fall tour with Hooray for Earth and/or Beiges as support.

9/20 Brighton Music Hall (with Hooray for Earth and Beiges) - Boston, Massachusetts
9/21 Music Hall of Williamsburg (with Beiges) - Brooklyn, New York
9/22 The Space (with Hooray for Earth and Beiges) - Hamden, Connecticut
9/24 Black Cat (with Hooray for Earth and Beiges) - Washington, D.C.
9/26 Local 506 (with Beiges) - Chapel Hill, North Carolina
9/27 The Earl (with Beiges) - Atlanta, Georgia
9/29 One Eyed Jacks (with Beiges) - New Orleans, Louisiana
9/30 Fitzgerald's (with Beiges) - Houston, Texas
10/1 Emos (with Beiges) - Austin, Texas
10/2 Dan's Silverleaf (with Beiges) - Denton, Texas
10/4 Hotel Congress (with Beiges) - Tuscon, Arizona
10/5 Casbah (with Beiges) - San Diego, California
10/6 Alex's Bar (with Beiges) - Long Beach, California
10/7 The Echo (with Beiges) - Los Angeles, California
10/8 Bottom of the Hill (with Beiges) - San Francisco, California
10/10 Mississippi Studios (with Beiges) - Portland, Oregon
10/11 Crocodile (with Beiges) - Seattle, Washington
10/13 Neurolux (with Beiges) - Boise, Idaho
10/14 Kilby (with Beiges) - Salt Lake City, Utah
10/15 Hi-Dive (with Beiges) - Denver, Colorado
10/17 Slowdown Jr. (with Beiges) - Omaha, Nebraska
10/19 7th Street (with Beiges) - Minneapolis, Minnesota
10/20 High Noon (with Beiges) - Madison, Wisconsin
10/21 Lincoln Hall (with Beiges) - Chicago, Illinois
10/23 Beachland Tavern (with Beiges) - Cleveland, Ohio
10/27 Bowery Ballroom (with Hooray for Earth and Beiges) - New York, New York

Cymbals Eat Guitars' sophomore album Lenses Alien is out on September 13th on Barsuk Records.

Laura Marling reveals new album details

When British folk songtress Laura Marling played a one-off show in New York City last week at Housing Works, one of the crowd's collective unspoken inquiries was the news of a new album. A question she answered very early in her set. Yes, there would be a new album and we would hear some of the new songs that night ("Night After Night", "The Muse", and "Sophia"). Now, today she has officially announced the release of said new album. The album titled A Creature I Don't Know is getting some royal treatment. A short teaser video for it is featured on Marling's website (soundtracked by new track "Night After Night") and is now available for pre-order in both standard and deluxe editions.

You can view the video below and pre-order the album here.



A Creature I Don't Know is due out September 12 in the UK, and September 13th in the US. From the three songs we were treated to at Housing Works, I can tell you it's gonna be a good one.

Noah and the Whale release video for upcoming third single

Continuing with their richly cinematic style, British folk pop troubadours Noah and the Whale released the video for "Life is Life", the third single off their brightly optimistic third album The Last Night on Earth released earlier this year. Beginning with a ear-splitting scream, the video tells the story of a young girl fed up with her life and decides to run away while also featuring the band performing themselves. I've never seen Noah and the Whale perform live before but if they perform like they do in this video, with life-affirming charisma and adorably choreographed dance moves. It's a rather simple video with a rather simple plot and yet, still great. It's always nice when a music video has a story that also links up with the track it's featuring and this one is no exception. Enjoy the video for "Life is Life":

1, 2, 3 - New Heaven (2011)

My introduction to Pittsburgh duo 1, 2, 3 was due in equal parts to Listen Before You Buy and Sam at MiddleClassWhiteNoise. You see, Listen Before You Buy has weekly mixtape battles and two weeks ago Sam competed and both he and his competitor put 1, 2, 3's "Work" on their mixtapes. Color me intrigued. And then came a delightful tweet advertising that I could stream all of 1, 2, 3's debut album New Heaven.

1, 2, 3 is kind of hard to characterize in terms of genre. They have hard-hitting beats juxtaposed with dreamy melodies and lilting though slightly raspy vocals. Their songs are as varying as their songwriting style. Some songs beachy reveries like "Lonesome Boring Summer" or "Wave Pool" and there's even some old school rock n' roll and soul influence in "Just Like Heaven(Is Gone)" and "Sorry, Soldier" (which is also vaguely country-esque). And yet 1, 2, 3 is able to cluster together all these influences without seeming like they're trying too hard. Instead it's just sounds good; smartly well-crafted.

1, 2, 3 releases their debut full length this Tuesday on Frenchkiss Records. So if you like what you hear on their stream here, make sure it buy it.

If for some reason you're still not convinced, take a gander at 1, 2, 3's video for "Work":