On the self-titled David Loris & Co., Rome's David Loris shares simple yet evocative songs that recall the rhythmic foundation of traditional folk, the lush, acoustic orchestration of The Beatles, and the gentle touch of Elliott Smith. Between acoustic guitars and distinctive mandolin, Loris (and co.) produce light, rhythmic, and sugar sweet songs that fall somewhere between indie pop and folk. The sprightly, accentuated instrumentation makes the music all the more appealing and effective. It's soothing, energetic, playful, and charming acoustic folk-based pop that makes even the darkest of days open for a bit of sunshine.
Hear David Loris & Co. and download it for free below.
Words like genuine, honest, raw, heartfelt, intense, visceral, beautiful...all of these and more get thrown around a lot, especially when one tries to aptly describe a singer/songwriter armed with an acoustic guitar. All would be appropriate adjectives in characterizing the essence of New York City's Christopher Paul Stelling and his music, but they would also all fall shy of truly capturing what it is that he does. When people talk about the power of one voice and a guitar, they're talking about Christopher Paul Stelling. If you don't believe me, check out the three songs he performed live for the "Sleepover Shows" series below.
There's something to be said for hushed folk music that's capable of stealing your attention even with its mellow demeanor. When that folk meets the encompassing aural beauty of dream pop and the vastness of post-rock, the music is all the more wondrous and interesting. It's a sound that fills you with the same sort of awe you feel gazing up high into the night sky, eyes caught by the flickering glow of distant stars. The music is intimate and inviting, but, more than that, it's comforting with its spaciousness and gentle delivery. There's something distinctly honest and charming about this sound, in part for how it can make things seem palpable or just illusory.
This is the sound of And the Giraffe, a dream folk band from Gainesville, FL that enriches their sound with post-rock style guitar riffs and subtle natural and electronic percussion.
The most engaging and moving things in life are often those that begin as the smallest or most unassuming. These are the sorts of things that people will overlook. And so, when such things grow and boldly proclaim their presence, they are all the more impressive and affecting. "Bleeders" starts at the root and ends high in the air, spread out like the branches and foliage of an oak tree. It's the sound of the mind and soul overcoming pain, of growing past the weight of such emotion. Within the beautiful acoustic fingerpicking, there's the journey of a man who's learning to cope and heal. It all starts small, but, in the end, it's bigger than it ever was.
EDIT: Check out the brand new chilling music video for "Bleeders" here.
Shoegazers The Twilight Sad have released a free acoustic EP for download. Among the eight tracks are a number of songs from the band's most recent album, 2009's Forget the Night Ahead, as well as a cover of The Wedding Present's "Suck." They're known for their massive sound, with James Graham's lyrics taking on added weight and sincerity against the wall of sound constructed by guitarist Andy MacFarlane. A band characterized by such an electric sound might lose some of that power when their music is translated acoustically, but that could not be farther from the truth on this EP. If anything, these acoustic renditions give the song's both new life and meaning -- and sound just as effective. With just a voice and an acoustic guitar, these eight songs come together to make this sound less like a collection -- less like a mix -- and more like a focused, well-rounded mini LP.
As we get tons of mail about new music, it's really refreshing to dig out a record that has some serious promise. Singer-songwriter Field Days (neé Patrick Damphier) is channeling many of his multi-talented peers on this record (Iron & Wine and Ben Folds come to mind immediately), and the result is a collection of dynamic acoustic tunes.
The album opener "Half Past Tennessee" is a wonderful one, as it sets the tone for a warm and clean production value that holds consistent throughout the record. Damphier reportedly used a 4-track reel-to-reel in his parents' basement, and the devotion to the old-school technology pays off. Rhythmically, the track moves well, hooks the ear early, and redeems the listener with beautiful vocal harmonies. The voices return on the subdued and painful ballad "Polar Opposites", alongside a quieter fingerpicking track and well-placed kick drum.
Most tunes on Projector have an advanced sense of composition, perhaps one that comes from working with a more limited recording setup. Whether the slower-pace affords Damphier time to consider the construction of each song with a more critical eye, or even if he's had the structure in mind the whole time, we are treated to a well-crafted album.
Continued after the hop, with tour dates and a sweet video.
Imagine the times you’ve stood in a crowd, surrounded by flashing lights, advertisements, chattering voices, and all other sorts of ambient noise from bustling city life. Despite the sea of distraction and noise, there are moments where you find yourself elsewhere. You’re still firmly set in the center of this commotion, but instead of drowning in it all, you drift off to someplace devoid of outside influence. It’s these transportive moments that offer up a meditative clarity, bringing forth a humbling awareness of what you may have previously overlooked or what particular things mean. Picture yourself seated in a small paddleboat on the sea, and you realize how miniscule you are against the infinity of the horizon.
Finglebone (aka Adam Varney) manages to capture this inward journey with 23. Through headphones, this nine-track album eliminates tangible surroundings and forces you to venture into a mentally constructed world. Through a mix of field recordings, loops, drones, and acoustic guitar passages, Finglebone constructs a tranquil yet intensely pensive sort of head trip. Whether it’s the sinister drones and unintelligible, field-recorded chatter on “The Picture Became Alive” or the birds chirping beneath the almost heavenly-sounding notes from the acoustic guitar on "Lucid," the emphasis is clearly on the negative space in the overall sound. Finglebone’s intent with 23 is helping us to discover that melody is not strictly something that must be manufactured; melody is something that exists all around us. It’s an album of ambient exploration that highlights the natural music of our world.
Two people come together, unified by a mutual love of, and for, one another. They work together to keep their relationship, to cultivate it into something they're proud of. But, one day, the one fractures back into two and the relationship returns to something about individuals rather than a unified whole. In his slow November, two guitars capture the essence of this frayed relationship, working together until the very end where they start to produce new rhythms unique unto themselves.
With a steady, progressively harder strum of his hand and lightly affected vocals, he fights off the pain as he reassures himself that he's not meant to be alone. There's something inherently optimistic about his chord progression that serves as foil to the melancholy he can't quite yet shake from his voice. This could have been drowned out by an overbearing amount of sorrow, but he's cognizant of the fact that pouring the detail of his emotions into his performance can say more than words ever could.
NOTE: If the player above is not appearing, head here to listen to/download the track.
He, being of course, Phil Pucci. Who may or may not write for the site from time to time. May. Does.
Shy, frail beauty that's filled with heartache, but also an understated confidence. It deals with pain, isolation, and the external v. internal battle of our collective emotions. In certain ways, Stevenson's determined fingerpicking on her acoustic guitar details much of what she feels, even as she softly and sweetly sings her intriguing words and metaphors. She weaves a web of notes and melancholic hooks, catching your attention and holding you tightly until she gently casts you off, back into the uncertainty of the world. Delicate, emotive, distinct, and quietly breathtaking -- "Nervous Rex" is quite a bedroom folk pop gem.
BUY: "Nervous Rex" is from a record Stevenson put out under her name, simply titled A Record. The album is out on Quote Unquote Records for a "pay what you want" price. You can download it right now here. The album was also re-released on Asia Man Records under Laura Stevenson & The Cans with three additional tracks. You can pick up a physical copy of the album here.
CMJ recently took place in New York, which means hundreds of bands descended on the city for a few days. CMJ is, more or less, the closest thing we East Coasters get to our own SXSW. Bands come from all over the country -- some come from other countries, too -- and perform all over the city. One of the imports that performed at this year's CMJ was Danish sextet Alcoholic Faith Mission. While the band was in town, they took some time to film a live performance inside a restaurant, which you can watch below.
It's very well framed and paced. I don't want to ruin the video for you, so I'll leave this introduction short. I will say that the circular motion of the video seems to hold a certain symbolism for how the band is set up around the restaurant. The band, despite being spread around the room, is connected by their music and a sort of collective mood. There's an unspoken bond between them, and the intimacy of the whole arrangement is rather engaging -- let alone beautiful.
In a kitchen, located somewhere off the road in Vermont, three women conjure up timeless harmonies as big as the mountains that surround the house in which they are set. One of the women takes a finger, presses firmly down on the record button and carefully makes her way back to the other two. They pause for a moment, breathe in, and then unite to make music that sounds almost holy in nature, with an understated majesty that's absolutely undeniable. Armed with shy-but-commanding voices and one small acoustic guitar, they transcend the small kitchen in which they currently record.
Mountain Man features no men -- which I hope you've figured out by now. It's a group of three wonderful women from Vermont: Molly Erin Sarle, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig, and Amelia Randall Meath. I can't confirm if they recorded in a kitchen.
BUY: Mountain Man's new album, Made the Harbor, is out now on Partisan Records (US) and Bella Union (UK). Pick it up here on CD, here digitally, or here on vinyl (probably the best way to listen to this kind of music).
It's supposed to be a scorcher here in Baltimore today. We spend so much of the winter pining for the heat of the summer, but when it arrives we're on the other side of the fence asking for some colder weather. In this heat, we can't relax unless we're hiding inside with air conditioning cooling our skin. In some other part of the world, the heat is still there, but it's not unbearable -- in fact, it's welcomed and enjoyable. Maybe there the difference is that the environment isn't populated by overdevelopment, skyscrapers, and stores on top of stores. "You Were Never There" captures the essence of this tropical paradise with its acoustic instrumentation, smooth bassline, and rich violin swelling in and out.
There's a raw honesty in Stuart Newman's melancholic acoustic music that most people tend to hide deep inside themselves. We're all vulnerable in some way or another, but we usually try to mask our fears and weaknesses. Newman sings with a wounded tone -- at times nearly in a whisper -- that assumes a certain strength, exposing that which lies deep in his heart and mind. It's a sound that expresses the most sincere human emotions. He is humble but brave to share such vulnerable and honest music.
"Oscar" is from Newman's Single But Defective, available here.
"Head Hurts" is from a collection of studio demos for Newman's second album. More available here.
They say the road is endless. You hit the road to escape; run away from everything. But eventually, you'll find yourself back where you were before. So here's a slice of pure Americana that's sure to meet you every step of the way. A group of confident voices singing together, joined by their collective emotional weight. Acoustic guitars, mandolin, violin/fiddle, and banjo are some of the only things you're bound to hear through miles and miles of countryside. It's the type of song you'd hear looking out the car window as the comfort of home slowly recedes into the horizon at your back.
The Wind Up Radio Sessions certainly know how to create fine arrangements. With immaculate sounding acoustic guitars, subtle electric guitar swells, and the addition of piano, xylophone and organ, the band provides a diverse palette of tones to pull from. The jazz/folk fusion of opener “Me and My Doe” creates one of the strongest tracks of the album – especially with the bright piano underscoring the melody of the chorus. “Nairobi” kicks off like a rough-hewn Neil Young rocker with a dance beat to boot.
The biggest strength of the band as exhibited here is their ability to take acoustic-heavy songs from subtle to captivatingly vast. Instead of these songs sounding like gentle tunes in a small room, they sound more as if they are as wide open as a field or the bright blue sky – but this never makes them any less personal. Marc and Dan Kiely and Matthew Lazenby understand the power of musical negative space, but also successfully fill in such space with fitting background vocals, organ flourishes, or droning electric guitar on songs like “Lazy Bee” and “Pigeons.”
However, there are a few particular moments of unevenness. The songs are consistent and beautiful, but sometimes a few lose steam or feel somewhat misplaced. On “In the Morning,” the engaging verses – anchored by a strong ascending bass riff – give way to a chorus that doesn’t fully live up to its potential, playing a bit too much into familiar territory. With its group harmonies and succinct guitar and percussion, “Let Me Go” is fine enough, but an odd centerpiece between “Nairobi” and the absolutely attractive melancholy of “My Only Friend.”
The songs here are well-arranged, but loose, as well. They feel natural and warm. While they don’t necessarily all break new musical ground or consistently escape a sense of familiarity, they are still successful in their own ways. The Wind Up Radio Sessions is a project that has been crafted over the years and, with Red Brick House, it’s clear that time is certainly a theme for the band as well as a positive influence on their sound.
BUY: Red Brick House is now available here and on iTunes.
Sometimes the simple things are actually lot more complex than we first presume. Some things are upfront and are subsequently appealing for that very reason. Yet, the underlying reason for what truly draws us in is the sum of all the parts – not just that simplistic version of what we first meet. Some things, in one way or another, have layers. This can be said about Chicago’s Derek Porter and his new record, Strangers, Vol. 1.
The songs here are not necessarily direct; their power lies more in their ability to surround you. Porter is no doubt a singer/songwriter, but he has a vision that extends beyond the humble beginnings of an acoustic guitar. He blends his acoustic guitar with organ and layered vocals on songs like “I Remember” as well as with the pitter patter of delicate drums and active bass lines on songs such as “I Forgot” and “All I Know I Have Forgotten.” Through layering a diverse range of instruments, his gentle fingerpickings evolve into vignettes with more grandeur. Porter reveals himself undoubtedly through his lyrics, but where we truly get an inside view into his inner workings is with his carefully arranged layers of instrumentation.
Strangers also has a profound level of honesty. It is certainly not perfect all the way through, but the presence of slight imperfections makes it human. Because of this, Strangers possesses a familiarity that helps to construct a stronger connection with the listener. It features a simple-yet-vast soundscape that sees Porter dealing with the space between that which is remembered and that which is forgotten. Strangers may meander in spots, but it’s important to remember there are many layers to explore.
Strangers, Vol. I came out on Tuesday through Piercing Music.
BUY: Get Derek Porter's Strangers, Vol. I here(name your price)
Far off in the countryside, there is a cabin. Its wood is sturdy but quite aged. The cabin sits right along the bank of the sea, with high tide bringing the water just a few feet from the foundation. Despite the years it has lived through it is as strong as it's ever been, imbued with the memories it has provided its owner. Every winter, the owner escapes to the cabin with only a small suitcase and his acoustic guitar. The man creates such beautiful songs in the small space of the structure. And yet, these humble beginnings are only a footnote as the man leaves the cabin to share his thoughtful creations with the outside world. It's such a joy to hear such songs, ones that began as just a secret between a man and his cabin.
Okay, so Iceland native -- now Scottish resident -- Benedikt Hermannsson (aka Benni Hemm Hemm) might not have written this song in a cabin, near the sea, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was. Romantic visions aside, this is a well-layered song. It comes off of Benni Hemm Hemm's upcoming 5-song EP entitled Retaliate. It will be released on 10" vinyl and on CD April 24th via Kimi Records (FM Belfast, Reykjavik!). Benni Hemm Hemm will tour Europe this spring and summer, with plans to hit the US later this year. This is the first Benni Hemm Hemm release to be sung entirely in English.
Canada's The Wind Up Radio Sessions sound like transitional music -- from the cold winter months to the warmth of the first days of spring. Beautiful acoustic guitars steeped in a folk sound provide the backbone for their music. But really, the foundation for this band was constructed on the familial bond of Marc and Dan Kiely, two brothers from the outskirts of Hamilton, Ontario.
The seeds for the band were planted years ago when the brothers Kiely contributed songs to their lo-fi folk project, Ewok Folk Sessions. At the time, the brothers were following separate life paths but maintained a line of communication through their musical collaboration. While pursuing their respective educations, the brothers moved to Montreal where The Wind Up Radio Sessions was born in the fall of 2008. That same year, the trio was rounded out with the addition of Matt Lazenby, an English ex-pat musician living in Montreal.
The Wind Up Radio Sessions are set to release their debut album, Red Brick House, on March 23rd through No Map Records.
Check out the video for the beautiful "Me and My Doe" below.
It’s been miserable here the past few days. If it’s not raining the sky is still overcast, full of the same shades of gray, the same mess of clouds. I used to like the rain a lot, and I guess I still do. But when you have begun to grow tired of your daily routine and don’t see change on the horizon for a while, the weather can keep things exciting – it’s the one thing that does change from day to day. It’s been raining for a while. I never believed in that old adage “April showers bring May flowers” because it never really rained that much in April. That adage must be true now.
Last night it was raining and when I got in my car to drive home from school, it just so happened that I had Ryan Adams & The Cardinal’s Jacksonville City Nights playing. The record has a certain level of comfort that takes you in and lets your mind unwind. It’s got a loose and natural feeling that was highly fitting for the short trip home. It was past two in the morning, so the streets were empty aside from the washes of color laid down by the street lights and traffic lights on the rain water. Highly memorable.
Jacksonville City Nights + a drive in the rain…try it sometime.
on CD, 
digitally, or 
on vinyl (probably the best way to listen to this kind of music).
