The Deli Reviews Alameda's "Procession!"

"If Alameda hasn’t already won you over with their soft-spoken singing and moving crescendos, then now could not be a better time to check them out. Their second album, Procession, is set to be released on September 15th and with it the band is revealing the next step in their musical progression. The album overflows with emotion, which is expressed as much by the moments of minimal guitar melodies, as it by the cascades of strings and brass that add the power of an orchestra to Alameda’s folk ballads. The delicate balance between these two sides of Alameda is what makes the album so effective in its presentation and so moving." Keep on reading over on The Deli.

SYFFAL Gets Real With Hungry Ghost's New Album!

"Today, out of nowhere I became a fan of Hungry Ghosts! They reached out of some cafeteria on the other side and fed me jello… there's always room for jello bro! Their spell causing a demented calm to come over me as the buildings sped by. And sometimes that's all you can expect from new music." Read on over at SYFFAL.

The Portland Mercury Calls Ozarks' New Video "Magical."

"Here is the marvelous new Ozarks video, for the oddly affecting "As I Lay Sleeping," a gauzy, honey-dipped ballad that's pure AM sunshine (the radio broadcast, not the time of day, although I guess that works too). There's something sinister in this gothic video, though—black gloves, extinguished candles, late night drives." See the video now over on End Hits.

Stereo Subversion Reviews Hot Panda's "Go Outside!"

"Go Outside, the group’s third full-length album, finds Hot Panda cleaning up its technical ability while refusing to lose any of that punk, I-don’t-give-a-shit attitude. Except they actually do give a shit: Got Outside has a distinctly political overtone. Opener “One in the Head, One in The Chest,” with its incessant, rhythmic, distorted electric guitar features frontman Chris Connelly’s vocals screaming “out of violence came lawlessness/ preserving the self-interest of the asshole with the biggest gun.”" Read the full review over on Stereo Subversion.

Lightning Love Gets Some High Praise Over On Blurt!

"Lightning Love has hit on a potentially winning mash of elements. The cracks in singer/songwriter/keyboardist Leah Diehl's little-girl voice, and her self-described "neurotic" approach are enough, in themselves, to compel one towards the 10 short tracks of Blonde Album. Also arresting is the tense, almost counterpoint-ish polka between Leah's keyboards and her brother Aaron's percussion. It's such a tightly appointed room, you nearly want to shout encouragement when Ben Collins incorporates some tasty George Harrison guitar tones near the end of Blonde Album's opener, "Together."" Keep on reading over on Blurt!

‎Paste Magazine Just Premiered Agent Ribbons Beautiful New Video For "Family Haircut"

"The clip showcases Natalie and Lauren Ribbons’ distinct sound that’s driven by only a guitar and drum set. Through this setup, the girls are able to create eerie stories that draw in listeners—all in the nice package of a pop song." Watch the video now over on Paste.

Alameda's Forthcoming Full-Length "Procession" Now Streaming On OPB!

"Portland (by way of Denver) band Alameda releases their second album September 15th in Procession, a lush but also spacious collection of songs from the quintet that manages to up the ante over what was a solid debut in Seasons/Specters. That it also comes in the still early stages of frontman Stirling Myles' development as a singer and songwriter (he played bass along with cellist and fellow Alamedan Jessie Dettwiler in the now defunct Strangers Die Every Day) perhaps makes it all the more impressive. Stream Procession in its entirety below." Read the complete interview and listen to "Procession" on OPB.

Listen To Ethan Daniel Davidson's Latest Single "Abraham" On Magnet Now.

"Ethan Daniel Davidson is that kind of legendary folk singer who supposedly died off a generation or two ago. He’s been all over the country, he knows the words to any song you could request, and most importantly, he’s a master storyteller. Silvertooth, Davidson’s first album in seven years, will be formally released September 11 (Seedsman Company)." Listen now on Magnet.

The Fader Is Now Streaming Raymond Byron and the White Freighter's "Little Death Shaker" For Your Listening Pleasure.

"Ray Raposa’s new bluesy outfit, Raymond Byron & the White Freighter, offers the sort of pensive Americana that conveys that universal rural calm. On “You’re Not Standing Like You Used To,” the band sings, You got to find what you really care about/ Live a life that shows it. It’s easy to idealize the idea of “getting out to the country,” and to some extent that is what Little Death Shaker does, but by escaping the familiar, the album offers a humble, refreshing perspective." Read on at The Fader.

Lusjoints' Anker Staem Gives Impose Six Skate Video Songs That Inspired Him To Play Music!

"The best memories stay fresh. Rewind, 1993: Just 16, we’d throw our skateboards into the Tercel hatchback and head down the Sierra to San Francisco, cueing up the Beastie Boys’ “Biz vs The Nuge” as we hit the YBI tunnel. When timed perfectly, “Time For Livin’” would kick in as the San Francisco skyline appeared out of the mid-span darkness." Watch and read on over on Impose!

Willamette Week Highlights Alameda's New Album For Their Portland Album Release Show!

"Procession (unsurprisingly, produced by Point Juncture, WA's, Skyler Norwood at his Miracle Lake studio) is immaculately orchestrated in a way that not only grabs attention but underscores the finer points of Myles' punchy poetry. That helps put the band on at least one of those aforementioned "exceptions" lists: mine." Read the full review over on WWeek.

Helvetia Talk About The Inspiration For Their Track "Pumpkin Rose" On Diffuser.FM

"Helvetia (pronounced hel-vee-shuh) have been cranking out dreamy, psychedelic pop from the Pacific Northwest since 2006. Led by Jason Albertini, the band has seen a rotating cast of players that at times included members of Built to Spill and Dinosaur Jr. Now on their seventh album, ‘Nothing in Rambling,’ they offer up a gorgeous dreamscape of a single in ‘Pumpkin Rose.’" Listen now over on Diffuser. fm.

Raymond Byron & The White Freighter Visit OPB Music For An In Studio Session.

"Ray Raposa (aka Byron) replaces the haunted noir of Castanets with a sound that is almost rollicking, nearly roadhouse on songs like "Allegiance 1" and "Some of My Friends," while "Meridian, MS" and "Some Kind of Fool" are ballads that sound like they could have been lifted from Willie Nelson's early songwriter demos. It's lazy to simply call it more mature, though Raposa himself calls this new direction "a band for his 30's," with a sound that is the result of the contributions of a group of musicians playing songs that are more suited to a live setting. Ultimately, he describes it as a more honest approach." Listen now on OPB.

Nylon Premiered The Great New Track, "Terracur," From Social Studies!

"You'll have to wait until November to get Social Studies' sophomore album,Developer. But we've got a sneak peek with lead-off single "Terracur." The track starts off like a Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac slow-burner (singer/keyboardist Natalia Rogovin and bassist Jesse Hudson deliver the searing opening lines, "Isn't that your way / To leave us all behind?/ Nothing much left to say / You didn't even seem to mind"), but delivers a kick to the gut about a minute in, as shimmering keyboard notes explode like fireworks over Rogovin's soulful intonations." Listen now at Nylon!

Ethan Daniel Davidson's Track "Ain't The Man I Used To Be" Available For Download On Diffuser!

"Troubadour Ethan Daniel Davidson is releasing his first album in seven years, ‘Silvertooth.’ Today we get a sneak peek with the whimsical, folky single ‘Ain’t The Man I Used to Be.’" Read on and listen on Diffuser.

Sex, Drugs, And Lightning Love, Over On Vice!

"What I'm trying to say is that everyone needs some pop in their life from time to time. It keeps you from becoming a condescending fucktard. And Lightning Love is perfect for those wary of eating too much sugar. The Michigan trio's dainty melodies are paired with some pretty dark bitchy lyrics. The music is so pretty you might not even notice the depth of the lyrical content on a first listen." Keep on reading over on Vice!

Watch Lusjoints New Video "Static Blues Dub" Over On Impose!

"Lusjoints, the band formerly known as El Capitan, present this brief "Static Blues Dub" short filmed by Justin Carlson and Dan Zaslavsky. It's in fantastic Super 8. Catch the likes of Enjoi, Foundation, and Think riders like Cairo Foster, Corey Duffel, Dave Bachinsky, and Cody Mac as they coast on half pipes, playground bench grindage, stairs and rail edges all accompanied by a drum and bass riff." Watch it now over at Impose.

Ray Raposa Of Raymond Byron & The White Freighter Interviewed On Willamette Week!

"You can hear the ease of creation on Little Death Shaker, the first release under the name Raymond Byron & the White Freighter (Byron is one of Raposa’s two middle names). The songs are warm and relaxed, unfurling slowly with ropes of fuzzed-out guitar and slinky rhythms. Sometimes they take on the guise of a shit-kicking country shuffle (“Some of My Friends”) or a lost-in-space ballad (“Stateline”), but the songs never lose that unhurried approach." Keep reading over on Willamette Week.

O Music Awards Blog Highlights The Spinto Band Video Game!

From The O Music Awards Blog:

“Maybe there’s a common character trait between the kind of people who hide in their basement and record songs instead of going to hang out at the bowling alley and the kind of people who hide in their house and play video games instead of going to house parties in high school,” says Nick Krill ofThe Spinto Band, referring to the preponderance of musicians who put out video games nowadays. Krill and his bandmates recently joined their ranks with the recent release of iOS game Show Pursuit.

Brooklyn Vegan posts rad photos of Origami Ghosts in NYC!

See the full photo set by photographer Tim Griffin over on Brooklyn Vegan!

EMUSIC LOVES HOUNDSTOOTH!

"Sometimes it’s so hard to really hard to hear the influences a band imagines themselves as having, but in the case of the Portland band who have a couple of killer singles floating around out there, it’s totally evident that they wear their influences on their sleeves." Read on and listen to Houndstooth on eMusic!

In Your Speakers Gives Ugly Winner's "Inside Your Wave" A Stellar Review!

"Ugly Winner's second record utilizes unusual structure and subtle surreality to create a disconnected but powerful emotive atmosphere. The rough rock of Inside Your Wave manages to be loud and subtle at once—and amidst their homage to '80s indie stylings, the band has forged an original recording." Read the complete review over on In Your Speakers!

The Portland Mercury Talks With Helvetia About The Progression Of Their Sound.

"Where do you go after you've been as loud as you possibly can and as fast as you possibly can? Where do you go from that? You go to super quiet, super drone-y, slow. And even though Helvetia's not really been about that, always, it's always had that mindset. Trying to be cutting edge in our minds." Read the full interview over on The Portland Mercury.

Real Detroit Weekly Reviews Lightning Love's Latest!

"Much has changed in the four years since Lightning Love's debut, November Birthday. Singer/keyboardist Leah Diehl, her brother Aaron on drums and Ben Collins on guitar are still fresh-faced, but they're seasoned vets now. They've toured extensively, played for thousands and even reached the final round of a Billboard Magazine battle of the bands." Read on at Real Detroit Weekly.

Watch Dana Falconberry's New Video On Spin!

"Fittingly, the video for the album's lush, wistful advance track, "Lake Charlevoix," mixes performance footage with stunning natural imagery. In keeping with the song's spirit of childhood reminiscence, balloons feature prominently. "I keep my curtains mostly closed," Falconberry sighs, but you'll want your eyes — and ears — to stay open all the way to the playful ending." Watch the video now on Spin.

Rubedo Is MySpoonful's New Featured Artist!

"The dizzying effects of Denver experimental trio Rubedo is not to blame on the mile-high city's thin air, but rather the kaleidoscopic and maniacally crafted indie rock emanating from the colorful subconscious of one of the most ethereal and envelope-pushing acts of the year." Read on over at MySpoonful!

Alameda's "Oaxaca" Premiered On MOKB!

"The beautifully ominous track maneuvers it way through a lush woods of guitars, strings, and urgent drum beats. It fulfills the band’s goal of creating an album full of more “distorted tones” this time around. Stream the cut below." Listen now over on MOKB.

Hypebot Talks About The Spinto Band's Retro Game App!

"Delaware indie pop veterans The Spinto Band have released several quirky videos for their new album "Shy Pursuit". On the heels of their most recent video, the band has also released an iPhone game which they developed independently with programmer Jordi Pamies. But it's more than a game - it's a unique, clever example of branding in action." Keep on reading over on Hypebot.

Watch The Vice Premiere Of Helvetia's Brand New Video For "Nettles!"

"We are pleased as piss to premiere this video for Helvetia's "Nettles" off of their album Nothing in Rambling,which is available for pre-order now on Joyful Noise. The first 200 people who pre-order the album will get a bonus "cassingle" of Helvetia & Doug Martsch (from Built To Spill) covering their collective favorite band Thinking Fellers Union Local 282." Watch the video now over on Vice!

Read Ramond Byron's Poem For Impose Magazine's "Friends With Benefits!"

"August At Sea Level - A poem by Raymond Byron of Castanets and Raymond Byron & The White Freighter." Up now over on Impose.

Catch Rubedo's Mini Documentary Over On "Local Shakedown"

"This time we took the trip to Radio 1190 with Denver's Rubedo. Starting at their D.I.Y. venue Unit E, get a glimpse of the personalities and philosophies that make up this band. Catch a behind the scenes look of what it's like to be on Radio 1190's Local Shakedown, and watch Rubedo's performance unfold. From our experience, we can say that Rubedo is an incredible band to catch live, and if you haven't done so or been wondering when you can see them again, they'll be performing at Colorado Music Buzz' Higher Ground Festival which takes place August 24-26." Watch it now here.

When You Motor Away Gives Ugly Winner's "Inside Your Wave" High Marks!

"A review of the song titles: "Thoughtful Spots", "Perfect Nothing", "Secret Song" - might lead you to guess that Makino's songwriting is all about taking you somewhere else. And you'd be right. The songs are long and dense, and really surround you with a heavy sound. There's feedback (check out the opening of "Fret One (Grow Old)" and no shortage of overlapping guitar work. And this being a California band, you'll find surf elements as well. Check out "TCBAHS" (lyrics contain the repeated phrase "This could be a heartbreak song") for some of that. But it's never completely straight ahead, and the influences aren't just recycled. This is thoughtful, very well-crafted rock music." Read on at WYMA here.

Brass Bed Release Two Olivia Tremor Control Covers on Daytrotter In Tribute To Bill Doss.

"The sudden death of The Olivia Tremor Control's Bill Doss last week was a huge blow to the music world. It reminded us of this two-song set of songs that the Hawkeye State's very own Poison Control Center and Louisiana's Brass Bed recorded with us a year ago. They've sat on the shelf since they were taped and as a tribute to the great songwriter, we're presenting them here for the first time as further proof of the fragility of bodies, but the longevity of the songs that are left behind. Following are two essays - one written by Poison Control Center lead singer Patrick Tape Fleming and the other by Brass Bed lead singer Christiaan Mader - about what Doss meant to them as artists." Listen over on Daytrotter here.

Listen to Hot Panda's "Language" On Impose Now!

"Fresh from the release of Hot Panda's third full-length Go Outside is our exclusive premiere of the album cut "Language". Framed by the tense rhythm guitar hop, buttressed by strings with a welcomed brass cameo, the music moves like pensive thoughts while the indie strum keeps the mood light." Listen now on Impose!

Mike Coykendall's "The Hippie Girl (feat. Ben Gibbard, Eric Earley, Zooey Deschanel) Willamette Week's Cut of The Day!

"As on previous efforts, there's no single genre or style at play on Dots. "The Hippie Girl," which features some ghosty slide guitar from Eric Earley and lite guest vocals from the New Girl and Ben Gibbard, is a breather at the start of the album's B-side, which is more psychedelic than its A-side. Coykendall's fuzzy guitar reminds me of Os Mutantes, but his voice is as sweet and Beatles-inspred as ever. And that hippie girl is, in case you were wondering, totally perfect for you." Read on and listen here. 

Listen To Lightning Love's "Together" On Diffuser.fm!

"Hailing from the cultural hotbed of Ypsilanti, Mich., Lightning Love prove that in the digital age it’s not where you are but who you are that counts. Producing songs of instantly endearing charm, their full-length ‘Blonde Album,’ out later this August on Quite Scientific Records, is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Grab a free download of ‘Together’ here."

Rolling Stone Premieres 'Armz' by Mikael Jorgensen!

"'ARMZ' started out as a breezy, lilting acoustic guitar song that I felt invoked a bit of CSN-era Stephen Stills," Wilco's Mikael Jorgenson explains. "It became the fulcrum that the whole record pivoted around as it was the first song where we fully stripped away the basic recordings, and then re-recorded parts with analog synths, plug-ins, circuit bent gizmos, and NES technology." Listen now on Rolling Stone!

Spin Premieres Brass Bed's New Track "A Bullet for You!"

"A Bullet for You," the title track from Brass Bed's new three-song 7", is their best yet: a smoke-wreathed piece of pleading, romantic rock that explodes into a gnashing guitar solo redolent of post-Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Wilco. "I've been thinking I could quit this," Christiaan Mader begins, his voice pinched and expressive. Listen now over on Spin.

The Bay Bridged Premieres Lusjoints New Track “Indy.”

"Forming out of the ashes of their previous folk-rock project El Capitan, the six members of Lusjoints took a different and more eclectic, lighthearted approach to their current songwriting, throwing in the occasional synthesizer and referencing more genres in their sound." Listen now over at The Bay Bridged.

Listen To Raymond Byron & the White Freighter's “Never Surf Again” Now On The Fader!

"Castanets have been quiet for awhile now, but Raposa is back with a new project, Raymond Byron & the White Freighter. The idea is the same, but there’s a little less sadness and a little more wisdom to the new material. Raposa still sounds past the point of emotional defeat, but there’s an adult sense of control hidden behind his voice too."  Read more at The Fader. 

Ugly Winner's "Perfect Nothing" Premiered On Impose Magazine's "Week in Pop!"

"The 'Winners craft the sound of California garage pop dream echo trails with monstrous squalls of guitar that are sounds that make anyone want to take up the instruments, occupy the rec rooms of various tolerant neighbors scheduled at different times in order to keep the welcome polite. Catch guitarist and front vocalist Takashi Makino, bassist Todd Flanagan, drummer Nick Lopez and guitarist Maxwell Brokenhagen as they travel about the west coast on tour this week with dates posted here. " Check it out now over on Impose!

Agent Riboons' "Family Haircut" Song of the Day on Bust!

"The newest track off of the record, “Family Haircut,” is a promising preview of things to come, with its beautifully haunting sounds and harmonies. The single opens with some ethereal ‘oohs,’ accompanied by strong, punctuated drumming that then expands into a tune that is both dark and dreamy. Brimming with thoughtful lyrics sung by the duo’s lovely, raw vocals and infectious ‘la la las,’ this tune is just right for frolics through flower fields on hazy summer eves." Don't wait, listen to it now on Bust!

Check Out The Trailer For Dana Falconberry's New Album, "Leelanau," Available 10.9.12 on Antenna Farm Records!

Leelanau Trailer from dana falconberry on Vimeo.

The Spinto Band covers Chris Stamey For The A.V. Club's Undercover Summer Break!

"For Undercover Summer Break, they dipped into a deep well of summer songs and came up with Chris Stamey's "Summer Sun," a beautiful ditty that sounded even more beautiful performed in the hot sunshine on the historic Goodman Theatre's outdoor deck. The theatre was just finishing up an acclaimed run of The Iceman Cometh, starring Brian Dennehy, and a bunch of the staff--special thanks to Amanda--came out to watch The Spinto Band do their thing." Watch and listen over on The A.V. Club!

MOKB Premieres The Spinto Band's Latest Video "Muesli."

"With this release, the band recorded on their own terms and are pulling out all the stops promoting the album with everything from an iPhone game to a very uniquely crafted chalkboard-style video for album cut “Muesli” that MOKB has the pleasure of premiering. The video was directed by Nicholas Gurewitch and Albert Birney with additional animation by Joe Hobson." Watch the video over at MOKB!