The Fumes

photo by Glen Wilk

The Fumes have a sound that’s as fresh as the morning sun. And you can dance to it too.
PATRICK EMERY- Beat Magazine.

This is fine working class rock, blue collar guitar and drums that is as honest as a five year old child. – Peter Ryan Music Australia Guide

► releases and mp3s ||| here
► vid ||| here

She Keeps Bees

“She Keeps Bees are a rare entity, a minimalist setup with a rich, complex sound. Bluesy, overdriven guitar strums built around simple drum beats and an emotive, howling voice, the songs leave plenty of space for singer Jess Larrabee to fill with lovelorn stories and her breathtaking voice.” -229 UK

►purchase new full length Nests via Other Music ►►► here
►check out an interview ►►► here
►download mp3s ►►► here & here

Forest Magic

There is a feeling of ebb and flow when (Forest Magic) plays together that should extend to the audience. There is a call and response system that calls for ether. There is an aim to contribute to the collective pool of creative energy that is hovering above us like spirits so that at anytime, someone, somewhere can access it that much easier.”
by: Nicholas DuPey of Young Monster

► listen ||| here

Naked Hearts

“THEN THERE ARE THE ENTHUSIASTIC NEWBIES THE NAKED HEARTS, WHO EXPLORE THE VARIOUS WAYS IN WHICH A BOY/GIRL DUO CAN MAKE YOU DANCE, FALL IN LOVE, AND CRY ALL AT THE SAME TIME.” – INTERVIEW MAGAZINE AUGUST 2009

“LIVE AND IN PERSON, THE NAKED HEARTS ARE EXPLOSIVE, CHARMING, AND SOMETHING EXCITING. WITH AMY COOPER ON HOLLOW-BODY ELECTRIC GUITAR AND NOAH WHEELER ON DRUMS, THE IMPECCABLY TURNED-OUT PAIR OOZE A FUZZY ROCK SINCERITY; EVERY SONG IS A STRIPPED-DOWN CHALLENGE TO CUT LOOSE” – POPMATTERS

► watch + listen ||| here

ArpLine

“Brooklyn’s ArpLine certainly know their way around a synthesizer, blurting out rainbow squiggles that somehow temper their quirky pop with an easygoing, always fashionable New York cool. Equal parts geek and popular kid, it’s hard to tell which John Hughes archetype these guys really embody — a decision made all the more challenging by songs like “Parts Unknown” and “Weekend in the Colonies,” which sound like Breakfast Club B-sides if Simply Red had accidentally discovered Suicide.” Village Voice

► interview ||| here
► vid ||| here

Dinowalrus

“Brooklyn ecstasy-noize troupe Dinowalrus crawl out of the teeny-tiny opening Animal Collective and Black Dice have made for fluttery textures, ambient suckscapes, and incoherent blare-chants. But despite their adorable name, Dinowalrus are nothing at all like the recent spate of gear-and-go bands. They have the power, energy, thrust and machinations of a real, live rock band, landing somewhere between the gnash of classic punk and the boogie of ’80s no wave.” -Christopher Weingarten / Village Voice

►purchase LP via Kanine Records ►► here
►download mp3s ►►► here & here
►check out an interview ►►► here

Triangle Forest

Triangle Forest is an electronic music group which formed in Providence, Rhode Island, United States in 2005. The band consists of Brendan Britton (vocals, synth, MIDI guitar), Martin O’Connor (bass synth, keytar) and Ben Britton (drums). The band’s original keytarist Alexandra Kleeman left the band on good terms in 2007 to focus on her college studies. Her replacement Xiaojue Hu left in 2009 for similar reasons and was replaced by O’Connor.

► listen ||| here
► watch ||| here

Translations

Ampeatermusic.com: “‘The Wanderer’ is a masterpiece of vox reverb, distorted guitars, and drum machine clap tracks. It’s the group’s standout hit, and one listen will tell you why.”

The Culture of Me: “There’s a proto-New Wave bounce to the band’s songs, but the vibe is one hundred percent rock ‘n’ roll, no matter how you slice it, with bass scales that could’ve been ripped from the UK?s post-punk era and drums that snap necks and hearts.”

Village Voice: “The Wanderer”–not the Dion song, but certainly lyrically inspired by it–is a two-and-a-half-minute pop gem that matches a hard-pounded post-punk groove with a Nuggets-ready sunburst of warm echo and a harmony-laden chorus…”
► listen ||| here

Unnatural Helpers

The Unnatural Helpers have been banging around Seattle for a few years now as the perennial hobbyhorse of singer / drummer / songwriter / sole consistent member Dean Whitmore, who has also spent time with such Seattle outfits as the Intelligence, Welcome and Dipers. Despite the myriad lineup changes over the years, the band has managed to retain and expand on its original sound in a steady and cohesive way – anyone who has witnessed the live show over the years will be well familiar with the band’s taut, muscular guitar-rock, driven by Whitmore’s whip-tight drumming and usually caustic, often self-deprecating vocals. Oh, and the songs are always short. Very short.

► listen ||| here

► live on KEXP||| here

Mike Hunchback
and the weird fantasy band

photo by Kerry Lynn

Mike Hunchback was in Hunchback. That was a band that stopped in 2008, after over 7 years. Mike started the WEIRD FANTASY BAND with a rotating cast of really great players.

Passive Aggressor

Loud and messy local punk

Period Girls

Hot Cha Cha

“ With their catchy quips and tri-lingual sex appeal, the girls cut with punk rock edge and new wave emotions. They really went for it on their debut, and in the best way possible; there is still much left to the imagination. It’s the kind of record that leads to repeat listens and then begs for a follow-up. The girls of Hot Cha Cha have an undeniable power that I hope never stops. ” – Consequence of Sound

► releases and mp3s ||| here
► vid ||| here

Telenovelas

New york summer goth

► downloads ||| here

Baybee Teeth

raucous female duo w. shades of a lo-fi lightning bolt

► listen ||| here
► vid ||| here