folk | Heartbreaking Bravery

March 29, 2014

Watch This: Vol. 19

No, this isn’t some sort of high-level deception designed to trick someone into thinking today is Sunday. It’s not. So why’s this the first Watch This to get a Saturday feature? The answer’s pretty simple, actually. It’s hard to write an article on a drive from central WI to Minneapolis. It’s probably even harder to get one in when a Perfect Pussy show is going on, especially when The Miami Dolphins and Condominium are the supporting acts. Coverage of that will be arriving shortly after the fact but it will take up most of Sunday- hence the early Watch This post. Now, since the consistency of just about everything has been thrown into total disarray by something as harmless as logic, this Watch This will be making a fleet little sidestep as well; the emphasis will be placed largely on acoustic (or practically acoustic) performances from singer-songwriters worth knowing- though there is one notable exception. With all that in mind, kick back, relax, plug in, turn up, do whatever needs doing, and start Saturday off on the right foot. Seriously, Watch This.

1. Mean Creek – My Madeline (Wondering Sound)

Mean Creek have been making a dent in all of the right places recently and if the subsequent attention they’re receiving because of it is phasing them, it’s really not showing. Here, they take to Wondering Sound (a relatively new site that’s finding themselves in a similar position by virtue of an enviable cast of writers and a fair amount of eclecticism) to perform a stripped-down version of “My Madeline”. It’s easy to see what an increasing number of people are getting worked up over; this is great music evoking decades of American classics at just the right time.

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2. Kevin Devine – Bubblegum (BalconyTV)

2013 was a busy year for Kevin Devine- the man released two full-lengths and was touring incessantly. Recently, Devine took to a wintry balcony to perform a ballad version of the title track from Bubblegum, one of that pair of releases (and one of the year’s best). While it doesn’t quite reach the heights of his performance of “Brother’s Blood” at Banquet Records, not much does. It’s still miles above what most others toiling around in that genre are doing and well worth a few watches. Get on it.

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3. Small Houses – Revel, Revel (GemsOnVHS)

There are few performers anyone can hope to come across that are as arresting as Jeremy Quentin, who performs under the moniker Small Houses- sometimes with a band, sometimes on his lonesome. Having seen him perform both solo and with a band to very different crowds (once was a very intimate living room show, the other as the first act on a bill that included Tenement and Used Kids), it’s easy to testify to his raw natural talent and innate ability to draw in just about anyone. “Revel, Revel”, lensed lovingly by GemsOnVHS, is even more proof of this and confirms Quentin as one of the best folk artists this generation has to offer.

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4. Mutual Benefit – C.L. Rosarian (Bruxelles Ma Belle)

Love’s Crushing Diamond was one of last year’s small delights, a sprawling record full of intricately woven tapestries that comforted as much as they provided pause. It was an extended moment of stunning clarity and found people rallying around it with dedication so fierce it became inspirational. In this video, Jordan Lee and his touring companions present a downright gorgeous version of “C.L. Rosarian”, hitting one grace note after another. By the video’s end it’s transformed from a performance to something more transcendent and inexplicably moving; something to get completely lost in after being enveloped by its embrace.

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5. Cheatahs (KEXP)

The KEXP performances that have really jumped out and held the viewer/listener in a stranglehold since Cloud Nothings perfected what could be done with the format have been few and far between. For their part, Cheatahs make one of the more valiant efforts that small studio room has seen since that nearly two-years old session and nearly pull it off. While the final stretch does lose some of the session’s early momentum, the entire thing’s still incredibly impressive and more than enough to crash its way into this volume of Watch This. Keep an eye out for this band, they may have just enough elements working in their favor to do some serious damage.

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March 12, 2014

Molybden – Woman Who Left Behind (7″ Review)

Molybden - "Woman Who Left Behind" 7"
There are very few new releases that have existed decidedly outside of the punk spectrum to catch this site’s attention. Molybden’s Woman Who Left Behind found itself squarely in that category when it first came in as a submission. Molybden is the solo project of Tess Seip, an artist who was raised in Marfa, TX. Normally geographic identifiers that small don’t warrant a mention and should be held to the barest of minimums in reviews. So why mention it now? Marfa, TX was the small town where both No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood were filmed. Anyone familiar with those two films will likely attest to both having stunning visuals and desolate landscapes. That desolation both informs and permeates though all four songs on Woman Who Left Behind.

Rarely more than an instrument and Seipp’s voice, Woman Who Left Behind is a release full of sparing and haunting folk songs. Seipp’s natural ability to command with a minimal palette is evidenced immediately with the title track that leads off the collection. Her voice is masterfully controlled, arresting and enticing all at once. There are shades of Cat Power, Feist, and Joanna Newsom inflected throughout Woman Who Left Behind. Using multi-track vocals and just a touch of reverb, Seipp’s slightly left-of-center lyrics gain an emphasized introspective context. When everything finally trails off in “Bloodshed”, the most haunting track of the four, and the acoustic is swapped out for a piano, the four songs feel like a surprisingly complete collection. All told, Woman Who Left Behind is one of the more singular collections to be released so far this year and should help Seipp continue her steady ascension. Hear it below and order the physical copy from Berniece Rode Records via Molybden’s bandcamp.

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February 3, 2014

Saintseneca – Happy Alone (Music Video)

Between the streaming of Terrestrials the behemoth of a collaborative album between Sunn O))) and Ulver, the announcement of a Bad Banana reunion show, John Dwyer releasing his first material post-Oh Sees hiatus, Big Air publicly unveiling their excellent debut tape, Buds, Fear of Men releasing a very promising sneak peek of their upcoming debut full-length Loom, a surprisingly punchy new track entitled “Any Wonder” from Yellow Ostrich, Mary Timony’s newest project, Ex Hex, offering up a hard-charging sample of their upcoming Merge debut, the cleverly constructed first music video to come out of the pairing of Nada Surf’s Matthew Caws and Julianna Hatfield for their Minor Alps project, an NPR Tiny Desk Session from The Pixies, the energetic black-and-white music video premiere of The Orwells’ “The Righteous One“, a live performance video of an all-acoustic run through of upcoming Drive-By Truckers track “Made Up English Oceans“, and Angel Olsen‘s absolutely stunning smoky, seductively noir-ish music video for upcoming Burn Your Fire for No Witness track “Hi-Five“, it’s been one hell of a Monday. Then, to top it all off, there’s the video that managed to edge out all of this to become today’s focus piece; Saintseneca‘s extraordinary clip for upcoming Dark Arc track “Happy Alone”.

Dark Arc, at this point easily one of the year’s most anticipated albums, should officially herald the arrival of Saintseneca, a band that was previously best known for being a conglomeration of two excellent Ohio basement punk bands; All Dogs and The Sidekicks. They’ve been maintaining an entrancing (and incredibly effective) rollout campaign for Dark Arc, their Anti- records debut, and seem poised to continue rewarding the investment of anyone who’s paying attention. “Happy Alone” has officially elevated their art form even further. The Christopher Good clip is clearly indebted to a vast array of arthouse influences and features stunning handheld cinematography, a gorgeous (magic hour-infused) color palette, inspired editing, yet another great song from the band, and band member Zac Little’s head in a giant bubble as he makes his way through everyday tasks.

It’s borderline dadaism and dips in and out of some Warhol-level pop art as it goes along to the most weirdly entrancing effect. It works as a surface level piece and as a light commentary on the nature of loneliness. There’s really absolutely no reason for any of it to add up to the inexplicably powerful whole that it is but it manages to do that and a little more. On its own, “Happy Alone” is definitive enough to act as a perfect introductory piece to the uninitiated while being singular enough to plausibly rank as one of the bands most important moments in their continuing evolution during this much-deserved groundswell of success. Above all else, though, it’s just a beautiful piece of art. That’s something that will always be worth rewarding. Watch it below.

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December 7, 2013

Globelamp – Star Dust (EP Review)

As the end of the year approaches, it can be easy for late releases (especially smaller ones) to get lost in the shuffle of best-of coverage. Year after year, writers draw up articles including phrases like “which surely would have made best-of list last year, had i caught it in time”. It’s a misfortune that claims several victims, some of which are the most inexplicably fascinating releases of the year. Globelamp’s Star Dust will likely fall into this category. Recorded onto an 8 track cassette recorder, it’s woozy psychedelic-tinged folk that has improbable pull.

Star Dust comes courtesy of the recording and producing duo that makes up Globelamp; Sam France and Elizabeth le Fey. Together the two operate in the realms that fringe on, and occasionally intrude, freak-folk. There’s a mirage of genres and influences that permeate through Star Dust, lending it a sense of deep intrigue that welcomes repeat visits. “Breathing Ritual” gets the EP off to a start as strong as anyone could hope for, acting as a song that both accurately represents the band and sets the tone for what’s to come.

While the trio of tracks that follow “Breathing Ritual” don’t hit the same heights, that’s no fault of their own. All three are strong in their own right and have a few moments approaching twisted brilliance- Globelamp do wonders with their tangential elements. Each track on Star Dust comes loaded with atmosphere, ensuring that close attention is paid to it throughout. None of the songs go over five minutes and all three following EP standout “Breathing Ritual” are acoustic-driven.

“Time Warp”, the most plaintive track on Star Dust, slows the EP’s momentum but has enough surprises dialed into it to keep listeners rapt. It’s also one of the tracks that places a greater emphasis on the vocals, which plays into one of the band’s strengths; le Fey’s charismatic personality and entrancing voice. “Constant is the Calling” closes out Star Dust in quiet fashion, offering glimpses at what makes this release so curious- and so appealing. When all’s said and done, what’s left is one of the year’s most unexpected and strangely beautiful releases.

Star Dust is available as a name-your-price release at bandcamp and is available for streaming below.

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Tag: folk