[MP3] Cold Bear: “Peloponnese”

Callahan

When the deep chill of winter settles in completely, I find myself drawn to spare, beautiful music that requires dedicated time for listening. Callahan’s delicate acoustic songs are perfect for time spent in your own version of frozen tundra. Callahan is the alter ego of Michigan native Malcolm Cumming, who manages to bring the quiet [...] [...]

Jesse

Andrew McHenry

When I listen to Andrew McHenry’s latest — and, to my knowledge, first — EP, I can’t help but notice the similarities to Elliott Smith. It’s not just a hint of Smith I hear in these songs, it’s a very strong resemblance. McHenry plays delicately layered guitar melodies and adds crisp, sing-a-long vocals on top, [...] [...]

Jesse

Prissy Clerks

It’s time for music fans to sit up and take notice: there’s something special going on in Minneapolis. A solid stream of excellent music is coming out of the twin cities these days, and the latest to add to the list is Prissy Clerks. The band’s debut album, Bruise or Be Bruised, is out on [...] [...]

Jesse

Old Earth

I don’t know if you noticed but it’s getting cold out there. As autumn starts to sink its teeth into the world for another year, Old Earth is here to complete the picture for you. “Less Words,” a fantastic song from Old Earth’s latest release, a low place at The Old Place, sounds like a walk [...] [...]

Jesse

Passenger Peru demonstrates their adventurous side on self-titled debut album

Largely the vision of former Antlers bassist Justin Stivers, Passenger Peru rides Stivers bass into more experimental areas than Antlers usual fare. Stivers teamed up with Justin Gonzalez to bring Passenger Peru’s self-titled album into existence. From the start of the album, you get the impression that Stivers attempted to bring the experimental side of [...] [...]

Jesse

[The Past Presents] Slint – “Spiderland”

The Past Presents revisits revered albums from the past 20-25 years to ask the question, “Is this album still a classic, or has it lost its edge over the years?”. Was it a great record for that particular time and place, or is it something we’ll be passing on to our kids? It also looks at [...] [...]

Jesse

The genre of Plankton Wat’s Spirits? Who cares.

When not sharing the stage with Nick Bindeman in Eternal Tapestry, Dewey Mahood creates his own sonic adventures as Plankton Wat. The arrival of fresh sounds from Plankton Wat is always cause for anticipation. Typically a Plankton Wat album is delivered on cassette, or sometimes CD-R, so having an LP release is even more special. Plankton Wat rides a thin [...] [...]

Jesse

Jon Porras’ Black Mesa oozes warmth and intimacy

Taking a step back from his duties in Barn Owl seems like a golden opportunity for Jon Porras to break out and make a record that sounds nothing like Barn Owl. I’m envisioning a quiet folk record or a more rock-inspired, Sonic Youth-esque instrumental album. Instead Porras returns a solo effort that draws directly from [...] [...]

Jesse

[MP3] The Sinclair Sinclair: “Feel”

The Sinclair Sinclair have reclaimed a small piece of the early ’90s 4AD sound for themselves. While not as sugary sweet as Cocteau Twins, they’re mining the same ethereal landscape much of the 4AD roster owned at that time. “Feel” is a nice sample of what The Sinclair Sinclair do. This Estonian duo only formed about a year [...] [...]

Jesse