Buzzine Sits Down For A Speed Date With Rickolus

"The best thing you can share with someone is a laugh, the most valuable thing you can share with someone is truth, and the best reason to do anything is love." Read the full interview with Rickolus over at Buzzine.

The Owl Mag Can't Stop Listening To Solander's "Passing Mt. Satu"

"The sweet sound of Swedish pop/indie folk trio Solander was a calming soundtrack to daily life. Their new album Passing Mt. Satu is a mixture of the upbeat quality of indie rock, the ethereal vocals of dream pop, and the earthy undertones reminiscent of folk." Read on for all of Solander's review.

Tom Tom Magazine Talks Drums With Poni of The Ettes

"The Ettes firecracker on the skins “Poni” Silver will not only shake up your soul with some mean rock and roll but she’ll look hot doing it. She is a storm behind the kit – a perfect combination of power, grace and fierce determination and she took a couple of moments to talk with us." Read on at Tom Tom Magazine for the full interview.

Sea of Bees Blows Away The East Bay Express With Her San Francisco Performance

"Backed by a bassist, guitarist and drummer (a friend who was winging it), Bee strummed an electric acoustic guitar and sang in her impassioned, emotion-filled voice, which seems to avoid hard consonants and thus almost sounds like she has an accent. Bee, who’s from Sacramento, started her career playing solo, so maybe that’s why the final song she played, alone, was the most powerful moment of the night — truly captivating." Read the whole show review and see the photo set of the show on East Bay Express here.

Brass Bed's Cover Of "He's Large" Premiered on Vice

"Check out Brass Bed's collaboration with Allison Bohl on this cover of "He's Large." If you know anything about life, and good things, you'll remember that this song was featured in the movie Popeye. Not gonna lie, I had that soundtrack on vinyl and would sing this song at the top of my lungs until I exhausted myself and/or became distracted by other things." Listen to the track over on Vice here.

The Ettes' New Video "Teeth" Featured On Baeble Music

"Goulish, Nashville punkabilly outfit The Ettes cast Turbo Fruits' Jonus Stein as Coco Hames in the band's new video for 'Teeth'." Head on over to Baebel Music now to watch the video.

Premiere of Sourpatch's "Things You Say" video up on Terroreyes TV!

Am I going to get in trouble if I say this track sounds like Sonic Youth and the Aislers Set had a love child? I mean that in the best way possible. Sourpatch is a San Jose, CA based pop outfit that makes some dreamy tunes. We are loving what we are hearing so far and cannot wait for their sophomore LP "Stagger and Fade" dropping later this year via HHBTM.

Watch the video for"Things You Say" HERE.

MTV Hive Premieres Solander, “Generations Lost”

"Swedish orchestral-folk trio Solander excel at making simple, pretty songs that sound redemptive, yet potentially depressing at the same time. Their latest effort Passing Mt. Satu is chock full of this approach, with “Generations Lost” as one of the standout tunes. But they swear this song, which has is hooked around the phrase “it is pretty clear we’re going to drown,” is a jumping-off point to a more hopeful exploration of human relationships." Listen to their track and read the complete article over at MTV Hive.

Willamette Week Show Preview: The James Low Western Front Saturday, Feb. 25

"James Low has his proverbial shit together. After years without inspiration—his 2009 The Blackguard’s Waltz EP was the first release since what Low calls an “awful” 2004 live album—the longtime Portland singer-songwriter has a new band, a fiancée, plans to quit his day job and tour Europe, and a new album out with another on the horizon. The future looks so bright, in fact, that Low can hardly focus on his excellent new disc, Whiskey Farmer, which he refers to as “the country record.” “The pop record” is on his mind." Read the rest here at Willamette Week.

THE JAMES LOW WESTERN FRONT'S 'WHISKEY FARMER' OUT TODAY--OREGON MUSIC NEWS CALLS IT A 'MUST-HAVE

"This album is a must-have for anyone who says they “don’t listen to country” yet has a stash of good ol’ Western in their collection. It’s also recommended for fans of soulful singer/songwriters like Amos Lee, or High Desert/Mesa rock similar to The Refreshments or Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers. It may be best played through the dash of an old pickup truck or through a dusty jukebox, if you’ve got one handy. Mixed with a healthy dose of sunshine for the former or an adult beverage for the latter." Read the full review on Oregon Music News here.

Don't miss the Consequence of Sound review of Dana Falconberry's "Though I Didn’t Call It Came"

"The piano and guitar of “Muskegon” roll along together, giving a brief yet weighty interlude between the first pair of songs and “Maple Leaf Red (acoustic)”, where a toy piano and whistle melodies dance around Falconberry’s swirl of delightful color comparisons. While her airy voice and words are constants, both recognizable and joys to hear, her and Cox’s instrumentation is what really makes the songs pop, hand claps and cello stomps included." Read on at Consequence of Sound.

Watch Wooden Wand's New Video For "Winter in Kentucky"

Wooden Wand - Winter In Kentucky from fire records on Vimeo.

James Low Chats With Listen, Dammit.

"If your heart needs breaking — and if you’re a certain kind of music fan, you know it does — then James Low Western Front is the band to do it. The group’s new album, “Whiskey Farmer,” is a beautifully downbeat collection of songs about a character who’s always done the right things and is disillusioned by how little he has to show for it. They’re rootsy, country-inflected songs, some of which had been knocking around for a while when Low realized that there was a narrative arc to songs he never quite knew what to do with." Read on for the full article here.

402 Reviews Solander's "Passing Mt. Satu"

"Lovers of quiet music will love this. It’s calm from start to finish. The complexities lay within the instrumentation arrangements. The vocals fit nicely, but can be turned up a notch (hopefully next album?). And, yeah… you can listen to this over and over again real easy. Might be more apt to call the album Circling Mt. Satu for the amount of times you’ll be listening to this one." Check out the full write up at 402 Productions.

Denison Witmer On "5 Beautiful Songs For Your Wednesday"

"Valentine’s Day is over, so those of us without official Valentine’s dates can quit our moping and continue falling in love with some beautiful new (some of them are new, anyway) songs. Male or female, there’s no denying the beauty in some of these songs. It’s also the middle of the work week. Maybe some of us are in need of a boost to push us through." Listen to Witmer's “Brooklyn With Your Highest Wall” on Sunset In The Rearview here.

Gabriel and The Hounds Gabe Levine Chats With The Huffington Post

"Levine has branched out with a new project under the name Gabriel and the Hounds. At the outset, Kiss Full of Teeth (out today on Ernest Jennings Records) was intended to sound like a Roy Orbison album crafted by a Philip Glass enthusiast. But after Levine decided to track a fair share of its content on a field recorder, and introduce a network of Julliard-trained string arrangers and players alongside his Brooklyn music-scene constituency (musicians who've played with the National, Beirut, Björk, Jonsi, and more), something unexpected -- something baroque, symphonic, sultry, and very good--has come about." Read the complete interview at The Huffington Post.

Impose TV Premieres Rickolus' "Coyote and Mule" Video

"We hope this doesn't put pressure on anyone's Valentine's Day, but we want you to know the title track, "Coyote and Mule", from Rickolus' new album, Coyote And Mule, is a reference to the relationship between him and his wife. The bar has been set at "release an album with you and your beau's pet names as the title on Valentine's Day" as the gift to beat for the holiday. " Read the full story about the creation of the video on Impose.

Watch Sea of Bees Take Away Show Up Now On La Blogothèque!

"There is no one who embodies the season of youthful energy and reborn curiosity for the world than Jules. A hawk visits the scene, a dog sniffs at the breeze. Her songs lead us down the pathways of the park, through the bustling neighborhoods with the population sitting in the streets, porches and cafes overflowing, all reawakening their senses and unsurprised by the music that parades down their streets." See the two part video performance on La Blogothèque here.

Bust picks "Cynthia Ann" by Sourpatch as their song of the day!

I’ve been trying to listen to more "multitasking music" lately: that's my term for those artists and bands that provide interesting background music that isn’t abrasive or distracting while I’m writing or reading, but are also just as satisfying to listen to closely. This is the kind of music Sourpatch makes. A four-piece from San Jose, California, comprised of two ladies on guitars and vocals and two dudes on bass and drums, Sourpatch is of the self-proclaimed “90s pop-worship” genre, although I don’t think that does their unique sound adequate justice.

Most of the songs on their second full-length album, Stagger and Fade, are either about being in giddy “like” (they just don’t feel like love songs), or having one of those painful, amounting-to-nothing-except-taking-up-all-of-the-space-in-your-brain kinds of crushes. But sometimes “like” can feel heavier and more urgent than “love”, and that’s what Sourpatch does best: they convey strong feelings through understated, low-fi songs, with the self-awareness that “like” maybe isn’t as serious as “love”, but it sometimes it can rule (or suck) just as hard.

Read the rest HERE.

SYFFAL Reviews Conduits Self-Titled Release

"Immediately upon singer Jenna Morrison’s first notes I knew that this record was on another level. Sure they have the shoegaze thing going on, but it was this soaring moment where Morrison makes fucking sure that we aren’t all just staring at our dirty shoelaces. She grabbed me with her voice and threw me off a fucking cliff. Channeling Beth Gibbons, she took my hand and we flew, gravity be damned." Read their full review here.

Pitchfork Premieres Electronic Anthology Project's Cover Of Dinosaur Jr.'s"Tarpit"

"Mascis has teamed up with Built to Spill bassist Brett Nelson's Electronic Anthology Projectto remake nine Dinosaur Jr. songs as full-blown synth-pop. "Tarpit" from 1987's You're Living All Over Me is the first taste. The album will be released in a limited-edition run of 500 purple vinyl records, out April 21 for Record Store Day. A digital, CD, and standard vinyl release will follow." Listen to "Tarpit" now on Pitchfork.

The Pharmacy's "Dig Your Grave" Gets A Great Review On The Owl Mag

"The beauty of the EP is that you gain insight into a band’s mission and response to what their fans want. With Dig Your Grave, The Pharmacy‘s newest EP, they’re giving their fans more of the cool psychedelic garage rock that they know and love, and as a new listener, I’m curious to hear more." Read on at The Owl Mag.

Innocent Words looks forward to Sourpatch's Stagger and Fade album!

Everything in the story of Sourpatch has been leading to their second album,Stagger and Fade, which leaves their peers in the dust.

Formed in San Jose, CA. in late 2007, Nicole Munoz, Christine Tupou, Mander Farrell, and Rich Gutierrez's music is bruised fruit; it's rancid candy. It's a cute joke turned around and shoved back down the listener's throat. They are in love with being alive, knowing it can be taken away at any time, and goddamn it feels so good.

Sourpatch endorses a gender freeing, queer positive, all-ages, feminist hinking, crush worthy lifestyle. They embody what it feels like to come to a vista point of influences, to embrace matriarchal ideals imparted years before their time and take on a radical critique of the world around them.

Building on a breakout with their first full-length, Crushin' in 2011 the band and their label (HHBTM Records) received national attention from publications like The Village Voice, NPR, and Bust magazine. 2012 finds them poised to take an even bigger leap forward.

Read the rest HERE.

This Is Book's Music is excited about Eliza Rickman's upcoming album, O, You Sinners!

Eliza Rickman may not be a household/apartment/bungalow name yet, but she may be.

She is not new to recording, as her Gild the Lily EP is what lead many to become hooked to her voice and songs. What also leads people to her? Being engaging, in terms of being affected by the lyrics, the occasional simplicity of the music and arrangements which will hopefully make people hear her for more than what’s on the surface (musically or visually).

Rickman will be going on tour in support of the album, to tap into your consciousness in order for you to keep listening. This is where she’ll do a tap or two:
03.01.12 – San Francisco, CA @ Viracocha w/ Zoe Boekbinder
03.02.12 – San Diego, CA @ Six Palms House Concert w/ Zoe Boekbinder
03.03.12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hotel Cafe w/ Zoe Boekbinder
03.04.12 – Santa Cruz, CA @ TBD w/ Zoe Boekbinder
03.07.12 – Eugene, OR @ Sam Bond’s Garage
03.08.12 – Portland, OR @ The Old Church
03.09.12 – Spokane, WA @ The Museum of Arts & Culture
03.10.12 – Port Townsend, WA @ The Upstage
03.11.12 – Seattle, WA @ Columbia City Theater
03.12.12 – Pendleton, OR @ Great Pacific
03.13.12 – Missoula, MT @ The Badlander
03.15.12 – Nampa, ID @ Flying M Coffeegarage
03.16.12 – Logan, UT @ Why Sound
03.17.12 – Provo, UT @ Muse Music Cafe
03.18.12 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Dig Collective House Concert
03.20.12 – Denver, CO @ Unit E
03.22.12 – Lincoln, NE @ Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso
03.23.12 – Warrensburg, MO @ Cafe Blackadder
03.24.12 – Omaha, NE @ Side Door
03.25.12 – Lincoln, NE @ Duffy’s Tavern
03.27.12 – Ames, IA @ The Space for Ames
03.28.12 – Fairfield, IA @ The Beauty Shop
03.29.12 – Columbia, MO @ Blue Fugue
03.30.12 – Madison, WI @ The Project Lodge
03.31.12 – Chicago, IL @ High Concept Labs
04.02.12 – Bloomington, IN @ Rachael’s Cafe

Read the rest HERE.

The Guardian Features Gabriel and the Hounds As Their Band Of The Day

"Kiss Full of Teeth, the album in question, is actually worth repeated, rapt attention. It's one of those records whose qualities reveal themselves over time. Recorded in assorted living rooms and studios around Brooklyn, but mainly at local favourite the Seaside Lounge and the National's garage set-up, it is a triumph of slow-burning melody and intelligent management, Gabriel Levine – taking a break from his day job as vocalist with Takka Takka – co-ordinating the dozen or so instrumentalists with aplomb." Read the complete review on The Guardian.

Stream The Pharmacy's EP "Dig Your Grave" On Sound On The Sound

"In four short songs The Pharmacy cover a lot of ground in the garage. “Dig Your Grave” will have you simultaneously wanting to thrash and twist. "Pines" is a light cotton-candy confection until a slicing guitar solo really satisfies the sweet tooth. Instrumental "Lazy Bones" is a doped up slow dance, making out in the corner as you sway a step behind the rhythm. And EP-ender "Burn All Yr Bridges," a demo from the band’s time in New Orleans, sleepily seethes about Seattle from afar with equal parts beauty and bitterness." Listen to "Dig Your Grave" now here.

Paste Premieres Denison Witmer's "Brooklyn With Your Highest Wall"

"The album originated as a collaborative EP between Witmer and producer/engineer Devin Greenwood (Norah Jones, Amos Lee). But as the music proliferated and the project grew, Witmer enlisted the help of a wide range of musicians including CJ Camerieri (Bon Iver, Rufus Wainwright), James McAlister (Sufjan Stevens), Charles Staub (Melody Gardot), Don Peris (The Innocence Mission) and Rosie Thomas to expand the sound of his raw, acoustic songs." Listen to the track now on Paste.

Download And Listen To The Free live EP From Sea Of Bees "Live at The Hangar - 5.3.11"

APPLEONIA: "PRECIOUS VIDEO"

First in line is their award-winning video for the song "Precious," a one-take masterpiece that finds Jessica physically embraced and affected by the natural world in a ritual full of theatre and gentle drama. It is the idea of transformation and the symbolic nature of things that has inspired her video art and makes them something of an experience. They lie somewhere between science fiction, a Greek/Hindu myth and Xanadu.

So, this is the birth of Appleonia. More music and more videos are on the way; many more ways to give yourself over to the siren song of Jessica's mysterious voice, where the brightest colors walk hand in hand with the dark. Watch the video below and check out some out takes here.