Original Soundtrack: Fense [Volume 1]

High Fidelity. One of the best movies ever. It's Sunday afternoon and I skipped lunch to spend the noon hour at Cafe Verite where I ate a cupcake and drank a grande Americano. I wrote a few reviews which you'll soon read. There is my long overdue review of the classic Take A Picture by Margo Guryan. I wrote a glowing review of the upcoming debut album by Terrene. And, finally, I reviewed #2 by Suburban Kids With Biblical Names. Then I hopped over to Bop Street Records where I had a great time pouring over albums.

I came home with a few gems including a number of jazz records. I finally found Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis, an album I've been looking for on vinyl for at least a year. It's got a lot of wear, but that gives it character. I picked up a free jazz collaboration between Pat Metheney and Ornette Coleman. There is one of a French pop artist covering English hits by The Beatles (Eleanor Rigby) and James Taylor (Fire & Rain) and a ton more. I picked up an album by The Animals and a Japanese issue of a Mamas and Papas album that was tossed in as a freebie. Great stuff. But the cake goes to the second freebie, an album I picked up solely from its title: Gale Garnett Sings About Flying & Rainbows & Love & Other Groovy Things. How great is that!?

So, I'm about to embark on my second album cover. It will be another "Original Soundtrack" this time titled Fense's Stash, after the Mustachio de Mayo mustache I've been growing courtesy of Justin Ray Ross. In light of the upcoming album cover, the previous one, a purely High Fidelity-based cover, will now be "released."

The concept is simple. I'll take a ton of legal mp3s from around the net of bands that have been reviewed on FensePost and form them into a compilation for you to download and enjoy. Get your copy here:

01. Palomar: Old Haunt (Read a review of Palomar III: Revenge Of Palomar)
02. The M's: Plan Of The Man (Read The M's & Dr. Dog Split 7")
03. A Weather: One More One Night Stand (Read a review of The Feather Test)
04. Bunkbed: The Blunders (Read a review of Xiu Xiu Vs. Bunkbed)
05. [ingenting]: Har Kommer Solen (Read a review of Labrador 100)
06. Baby Calendar: Within Cell Walls (Read a review of Fifteen Year Old Sneakers)
07. Math & Physics Club: Darling Please Come Home (Read a review of Math & Physics Club)
08. Young & Sexy: Conventional Lullabies (Read a review of Panic When You Find It)
09. Elk City: Los Cruzados (Read a review of New Believers)
10. Eux Autres (Read a review of Hell Is Eux Autres)
11. Kevin Hume: Towns Where We Live (Read a review of The Truth About Ants & Aphids)
12. Racetrack: The War At Home (Read a review of Go Ahead & Say It)

Acid House Kings: This Heart Is A Stone

I recently wrote a review of Labrador 100, A Complete History of Popular Music. The four-disc box set is a tribute to the first 100 albums released on Labrador Records; a feat that spans one decade. In it, I mentioned a commercial for Baskin Robbins, featuring music by Acid House Kings and an appearance by Drew Barrymore. Thanks to a little discovery on Swedesplease, I can now share with you that video.

But first, a few more treats. Read the FensePost Reviews of:

Acid House Kings: Do What You Wanna Do

Acid House Kings: Sing Along With

Various Artists: Siete

The video features "This Heart Is A Stone," off Sing Along With.... Here's the mp3:

Acid House Kings: This Heart Is A Stone (mp3)

Now, the video:

Patience Please: Antidiluvian

Live Photo Journal
Atlas Clothing: 2007.04.13

Patience Please (MySpace)has been a favorite of mine since I discovered them last year. At that time they had yet to release their debut EP on Jigsaw Records, the label Chris (percussion) runs in addition to IndiePages.

I have seen this group countless times. In fact, I doubt there is another band I have seen more than Patience Please. And each time I see them, I enjoy their music more. They even dedicate songs to me when I attend their shows.

It was Friday the 13th and the lineup included Friskey and Eux Autres. The former opened with an outstanding set. Hailing from Tacoma, this young group of gents create songs full of tambourine heavy dream pop. Eux Autres is no mystery to me either, as I saw this French pop band from Portland, OR open for Math & Physics Club at the Vera Project last year (and proceeded to review their 7" and LP). Both bands were phenomenal.

The last time I saw Patience Please was also at the Vera Project, though that was last month. Keenan (keys, vocals) gave me a CD-R of demos titled "Fake Record," which has been in heavy rotation of late. Many of the songs will be on their new album, set to hit late summer or early fall on Happy Happy Birthday To Me.

There are plenty of great songs on this demo album and Patience Please played many of them over the course of their set. Unlike their previous show, they also included many off their debut EP, Parallel Plots.

Read the FensePost review and feature of Patience Please:

Patience Please: Parallel Plots

Patience Please: Feature Band

The past few times I've seen Patience Please, they've dedicated songs to me; typically "Antidiluvian," the song that will be on the HHBTM 4 compilation (out later this year). It's a slower ballad-like song that has a killer static-filled bass solo by Jordan.

However, as "Exclusively Windermere" off their new album has become an instant favorite of mine, they dedicated it to me postmortem (i.e. after the song concluded and I died out of pure joy). It was the first time they played the song live. Another topper was "Coal Enough For Steam," the last song on the Fake Record demo.

Get ready for these guys to take over in the world of indiepop. They're one group you're surely not want to miss.

Patience Please: Antidiluvian (mp3)

The Lovekevins: Tamagotchi Freestyle

By now it's blatantly clear that I have a schoolgirl crush and get super giddy over pretty much anything from Scandinavia. I live in the Scandinavian neighborhood of Ballard in Seattle. I drive a Volvo (though that may soon change to a small sub-compact, though the style will be distinctly European). I'm flat out obsessed with pretty much every Swedish record I can get my hands on.

When Swedesplease dropped the news that The Lovekevins' debut album was set to be released, I nearly had a "Depends Moment."

Before we get into the group's new single, check out the FensePost reviews of the Lovekevins' early work:

The Lovekevins: Blame The English (FensePost Review)

The Lovekevins: Max Léon (FensePost Review)

The new single is "Tamagotchi Freestyle" and it differs greatly from the previous work of The Lovekevins in that it fits more of the electronic pop category rather than the indiepop one. Still, it's super catchy and definitely hints of a progression from their work.

The Lovekevins: Tamagotchi Freestyle (mp3)

The Robot Ate Me: Djien

Live Photo Blog
Atlas Clothing: April 4, 2007

I need to get my act together. My SXSW Photo Blog is going up in slow increments. Painfully slow. So slow, in fact, that I'm now posting other Live Photo Blogs in the process...

Which brings us to The Robot Ate Me (MySpace).

I first saw Ryland Bouchard perform in a little art gallery in Moscow, ID. His performance was emotional and riveting. And that's what I was looking forward to as I arrived at Atlas Clothing last night.

However, the performance we would get covered a much different territory.

Bouchard kicked off with a three-song acoustic set before resorting to his drum machines, loop pedals, and random instruments (including his signature clarinet). What followed was a blend of conceptual noise, on par with a less upbeat Animal Collective, and an eerie waking nightmare.

The audience, to say the least, was stunned. Atlas is an all ages venue and, while the previous show I attended at this location consisted of many "of agers," this show skewed vastly younger.

While the Abercrombie mix expecting the poppier side of The Robot Ate Me covered their ears, a select few smiled in adoration. Those hiding their ears were stunned and bemused and we found it humorous.

The conceptual piece was lengthy, opening with screeches and a looped and fluttering and squeaking clarinet.

In the middle of this lengthy work, Bouchard slowly transitioned into "They Ate Themselves" (a personal favorite).

Little was heard off On Vacation, one of the most haunting albums ever recorded as the thematic element is an eerie recount of genocide put to music reminiscent of the 1920s and 1930s. Adamantly anti-war, the album is a compliment to the anti-war movement in sheer shock value.

Bouchard concluded with "Bad Feelings" off Carousel Waltz (2005), his most pop-ridden album

The Robot Ate Me: Djien (mp3)

The Robot Ate Me: They Ate Themselves (mp3)

BOAT: Sore Toes & Elbows

SXSW Photo Blog Journal
BOAT: March 15 at Lovejoys for the IndiePop Hootenanny

Everyone has a favorite band to see live. Well, OK, maybe three to five groups. One of my favorites is BOAT. Read the FensePost review of this show.

But first, check out the lovely picture of Curt from Magic Marker Records posing with his girlfriend and some of BOAT's homemade shakers.

I've seen BOAT a number of times, all in Seattle. They played between The Seaworthies and Math & Physics Club for the latter's CD release party last year. (Read the review.) Then I saw them play a show at the Vera Project, opening for my friends in Patience Please.

By the time BOAT went on, I was toasty with a few good laggers in my belly. On the way to the IndiePop Hootenanny, which was where The Zebras and BOAT played, I ate the main course of the week: Pizza. Austin's Sixth Street is filled with venues perfect for performances. It is also filled with little pizza stands for a quick hunger fix.

BOAT on MySpace

While others were taking the time to sit down in restaurants to eat tasty southwestern and Texan foods, I feigned such time consuming habits for much quicker ones.

Every time I see David Crane, the frontman of BOAT, I get a huge smile on my face. The man is consistently energetic and always has a friendly demeanor. His smile has a hint of mischief and it's a trait that flows effortlessly into the music of BOAT.

Before reading on, I present you with the first of three mp3s.

"Last Cans Of Paint" was one of the first songs I heard by BOAT, many months ago. Immediately upon hearing the song, I pre-ordered Songs That You Might Not Like, BOAT's debut album on Magic Marker Records. I've been an enormous fan ever since.

BOAT: Last Cans Of Paint (mp3)

Joining BOAT on stage was Zack Duffy, an ex-BOAT member who now resides in Chicago and Jeff Fell, the drummer of Tullycraft.

I don't know if it was the beer, the music, or the sheer energy filling the room, but I had the time of my life. Not that this show was any different from any other BOAT show.

The group played a mix of songs, from classics of their debut album to ones never before performed during a show. And the crowd shook their shakers through it all.

Among my favorites were "Elephant Ears," "Return Of The Rainbow Shoelace" and "The Bar Is Too Low To Fail."

Each BOAT song consists of Crane's throaty, sarcastic vocals. Listening to "The Bar Is Too Low To Fail," a gentle swagger can be heard in the instrumentation while Crane's vocals follow suit lazily with brief moments of a humorous falsetto. This laid back aspect is common on many of the softer, slower songs. You can hear it for yourself here:

BOAT: The Bar Is Too Low To Fail (mp3)

It was good to hear a number of new songs as well. I eagerly await their sophomore release knowing that if the new songs they performed at SXSW are to find themselves on the new album, it will be just as powerful to me as their debut.

Here's the final mp3, titled "Sore Toes & Elbows." It cannot be found on their debut. No word yet on if it'll be on number 2:

BOAT: Sore Toes & Elbows (mp3)

All photos copyright Andrew Fenstermaker and FensePost Reviews. None of these photos were altered in any way (except size).

Kevin Hume: Towns Where We Live

I've spent the past few hours watching Arrested Development. This show never gets old. You always seem to catch new things with each viewing. Even upon the dozenth viewing. Okay... Kevin Hume.

Hume's "Towns Where We Live" has come to dominate my playlist the past few days. The album from whence it came, The Truth About Ants & Aphids, showed up randomly in my mailbox recently. The song differs greatly from the rest of the album, which represents a pleasant and distinct mix of folk and classical tunes.

Kevin Hume: Towns Where We Live (mp3)

Lymbyc Systym: Birds (Live)

Sunday night, 7PM. It's been a fairly relaxing day of writing reviews and reading cheesy novels. I wrapped up a review of Kevin Hume and another of the Lymbyc Systym. Been watching disc two of Arrested Development: Season 1. Brilliant.

And, of course, I've been drinking. I had an Irish Cream on the rocks, then another... and another. Just now finished my second glass of wine.

Music is often a stress reliever. I've probably mentioned before how after a stressful or long day, I enjoy coming home to an old jazz album and a glass of red wine. Sometimes it comes in a more modern format like that of Lymbyc System, whose drone and post-rock concepts are par to none.

Check it out for yourself:

Lymbyc Systym: Birds (Live - Feb. 16, 2006) mp3

In the coming days I'll be posting my review of Love Your Abuser, the latest album by Lymbyc Systym, as well as a FensePost Live Review of the duo at SXSW. And, as my recap of SXSW continues here in the FishBowl, there will eventually be a post full of pictures from the show.

I took the above photo at SXSW.

Thanks to this site for the mp3.

The Legends: He Knows The Sun

Why is it that whenever I post anew, it's likely from Verite Cafe? Well, I'm back again, leeching off their internet. I finished my Grande Americano and my fruity coffee cake muffin more than an hour ago.

When I arrived, it was overcast and there were hints of a looming rain storm. But things change. It's a now a bright sunny day, allowing for the perfect intermission to the SXSW Photo Blog Journal. The song can be found on a past FensePost review (click the album image to read said review) as well as an upcoming one.

The song is "He Knows the Sun" by The Legends. Originally off the single of the same name, the song was released shortly thereafter on the Public Radio LP. Now it finds a home on the fourth disc of Labrador 100, A Complete History of Popular Music.

Upbeat and filled with a lightly distorted reverb, the song is an anthem for a sunny day.

It's past time for me to head home, throw back the curtains, open up the windows, turn up the Swedish pop on Labrador 100, grab a beer from the fridge, sit on the patio with a good book (currently reading Vinyl Junkies), and toss some BBQ on the grill!

The Legends: He Knows The Sun (mp3)

The Zebras: Science Competition

SXSW Photo Blog Journal
The Zebras: March 15 at Lovejoys for the IndiePop Hootenanny

Attending the Indiepop Hootenanny was a dream come true. There, in a small side-street bar with the plural name of an underground British pop band (Lovejoys) were some tremendous bands off the lovable Portland indiepop label Magic Marker Records. That day BOAT would play (always a FensePost favorite), as well as The Manhattan Love Suicides and Sweden’s very own The Faintest Ideas. Kicking off the day, however, would be The Zebras, hailing from Australia.

The hootenanny was hosted by Magic Marker Records and 3 Imaginary Girls, two legends in the world of Northwest indiepop. They opened the bar and I indulged a bit. OK, maybe more than a bit.

I'd heard rumors of the horrid beer east of the Rocky Mountains, but while that may hold true in mid-country USA, it certainly didn't for Austin. Throughout SXSW, I became a bit of a Shiner Bock fan.

When The Zebras took stage, I wasn't quite sure what to think. But by the end of the first few songs, I was a fan. Their sound blended all those feelings I hold dear when listening to pop off Magic Marker.

There are similarities to New Zealands' darlings, The Bats. You can hear super strong hints of the C86 and Sarah Records era. It was readily apparent they had a sound to be reckoned with.

Most songs the group played hailed from their 2006 sophomore release, Worry A Lot. Each song was a mirage of catchy phrases and driving percussion. Case in point: listen to "Science Competition" and you'll be astounded by the powerful chorus and of the tune in general.

The title track follows suit with chorus lyrics like You can stay at home here on your own / I won't stop you... Just give me back those records that I loaned / I won't stop you...

The Zebras: Science Competition (mp3)

The Zebras: You Look Ready (mp3)

Download and hear more by The Zebras on MySpace.

Read the FensePost review of The Zebras: Worry A Lot