This album is full of fuzzy dreamy catchy and whatever other good vibe adjectives that you can possibly think of. Gift is sure to have a least one track on it that will appeal to any and all listeners out there.
Honeymilk // “Lean on the Sun”
Coming out of Stockholm, Honeymilk contains a solid indie rock feel with their whining guitars and fuzzy vocals. Kinda sound like YUCK…but with lots of good flavors.
Solid girl punk rock. Not too crazy, but still consisting of all female vocals and in your face guitar riffs. PINS is on the rise and rightfully so.
Mainland // “Shiner EP”
Although this EP only has a total of four tracks, it is quite the head turner. Full of catchy rock melodies, this New York band is full of passion and definitely pushing their way into the music scene of today.
Desert Noises // “27 Ways”
Absolutely fantastic group. Giving off a good foot stomping indie folk/rock feel, Desert Noises combines lots of tambourines and clapping to make their music simply infectious.
Some truly entrancing music from this Carrboro based outfit. Diali Cissokho hails from Senegal but moved stateside and teamed up with a crew of really talented local musicians to form this incredible band. Some ridiculously dancy tunes interspersed with some intensely emotional tracks. To hell with the language barrier, music is universal. Play it if you’re looking for something different!
This band is split between N.C. and N.Y, but you wouldn’t know that with how cohesive and smooth this EP is. Sort of like a mix between Love Language and Jamaican Queens, Ladyfriend combines surf-psych elements with experimental pop and some slight electronic instrumentation pepper throughout the mix as well. REALLY awesome stuff!
The name of this EP is far more descriptive than I’d imagined. These whiskey-soaked tunes can easily lead to some foot-stompin’ hootin’ and hollerin’ (pardon, that’s the eastern North Carolina coming out in me). A bit of ragtime influence thrown in with some exciting folk-rock standards, there’s tons of potential here! Remind me a lot of an early Holy Ghost Tent Revival.
This Charlotte based duo is churning out some excellent folk-rock music. A lot of strong influences bleeding through on this release, very reminiscent of acts like The Avett Brothers. All around some really enjoyable tunes that range from poppy and anthemic to slower folk-leaning ballads.
Estrangers // Season of 1000 Colors
One of the most slept on local releases of last year without a doubt. Lots of comparisons can be drawn to The Love Language, but Estrangers add enough of their own flair to make it interested and unique (a little bit of classic 50s pop stylings and some sweet harmonies!) An excellent way to kick off Spring is by spinning these sun-soaked tunes!
Hailing out of Philly, the band Nothing puts their rock music right in your face. Loud, but still structured very well to show all of their talent. Definitely worth a listen.
Bear Hands // “Distraction”
Confession time boys and girls; I LOVE BEAR HANDS. This album is absolutely amazing; upbeat, catchy and full of those wonderful Bear Hand lyrics. I’m not sure how many people are aware of this band, but after this album they definitely will be.
Overall, Sacco is a soothing soft rock album/band that nobody can really complain about. Even though they do not really push the envelope for something new in the indie music world, they really contribute to the talent that exists in the music world today.
This is a beautifully constructed album. Cataldo has been gaining a steady following in recent years, and this album will definitely not halt that trend. Using diverse instruments and heartfelt lyrics, Gilded Oldies is an impressive album.
Of course, Lost in the Trees exude excellence on their latest album.Past Life is a bit of a departure from their usual styling, instead of intricately composed classical instrumentation the band has leaned more towards their art-rock influences. A fantastic album that deserves hella spins!
Lilac Shadows have blown my expectations out of the water with this one. Delving much deeper into the psych-rock realm, No Dark/No Light is filled with exploratory indie rock jams that are as catchy as they are expansive.
Some simplistic yet enjoyable honky-tonk infused rock music. This Charlotte based group has a sound that’s got enough contemporary grit and traditional twang to draw in folks of all ages. Some wonderful stuff on this album!
Ah, the zany folk rock antics of Curtis Eller are back once again. Eller’s got a brilliant mixture of traditionalism and innovation, providing a compelling twist to what could easily be a static genre. Eller’s songs provide enriching stories and immersive lyricism filled with just enough quirk to make it a riotous occasion.
A much needed dose of lo-fi high-energy punk rock for the local scene. Naked Naps combine early 90s indie rock sentiments with an almost twee-punk styling, all washed over with sweltering instrumentation.
By Grant Golden, Technician Staff Writer and WKNC Local Music Director
Lost in the Trees has long since been a band best known for its grandiose orchestrations – it was the band’s calling card of sorts. When I first happened upon the band, it had more than 10 members in its lineup, but during the years it has gradually trimmed down the roster, yet beefed up its sound. Though the band performed only as a sextet for A Church That Fits Our Needs it produced some of its loftiest, most ambitious work to date. When a band becomes so firmly known for a trademark sound, it can take two directions: settle into that foundation, or strip it all down and start anew.
For Past Life, Lost in the Trees chose the latter and it paid off in bunches. Gone are the swelling chamber arrangements, steeped in rich classical tradition. In return they have delivered dense soundscapes crafted by synths and electric guitars. Though there is a handful of moments where its orchestral backgrounds peep in through the mix, Past Life is prominently built upon this new minimal approach and it works. Instead of emphasizing the pomp and fanfare of the string section, songwriter Ari Picker can concentrate more on the core aspects of these songs.
Though Picker’s previous work was dedicated to his recently deceased mother, Past Life trades in autobiographic musings for more abstract lyrical explorations. Dealing with less emotionally weighted subject matter allows for a more leisurely listening experienced listeners can put away their empathetic heartache and allow the soothing sounds to wash over them. Picker certainly still sings of love and longing, but it’s more firmly rooted in contemporary styling as opposed to the theatrical approach we’re used to receiving from this group.
Past Life finds Lost in the Trees bursting past expectation, album opener “Excos” opens with haunting vocals and a sparse piano arrangement that slowly unfolds to find Picker singing of the “rising water” and an infinite longing for another’s love. The song gradually devolves into a melodic collage of sorts, Emma Nadeau’s wordless chorus meshes with Picker’s verses, beautifully countering the subtle yet piercing horns in the background all washed in faint percussive embellishments.
As the song slowly bleeds into the titular track, we’re tossed into the waters of this new arrangement and it feels insanely gratifying. “Past Life” erupts with a melodic guitar lines and a minimal drum beat that pops and clicks along as Picker croons softly of warm, comforting images. As the driving synth line erupts within the song’s chorus, one can finally feel at home within this new soundscape.
Lost in the Trees always felt like they were in a category of their own musically, while their music felt immediately connectable it could easily be slightly dissociative due to how deeply it was entrenched within the classical and baroque styles.
Past Life finds the band pulling more from its peers, but doesn’t make its music any easier to classify. Although it has stripped down to a quartet, they’re still equally ambitious in their musical goals. Tracks like “Daunting Friend” and “Wake” are perfect examples of how Lost in the Trees has retained much of its initial extravagance, creating lush arrangements from minimal tools.
Shedding away the strings makes Picker’s songwriting the immediate draw-in, which is one of the most fantastic parts of Lost in the Trees anyway. Picker’s lyrical acrobatics are part of what makes this music so easily accessible, he paints vivid pictures and elicits specific emotions through his wordplay to make listening feel therapeutic.
But to only concentrate on what Lost in the Trees has changed for Past Life is doing a disservice to the album. If this were the band’s debut it would still be equally impressive, whether you’re aware of its orchestral background or not Past Life serves as an incredibly middle-ground between string-laden folk music and inventive electronic instrumentation. These songs feel firmly rooted in its contemporary influences like Radiohead and Blonde Redhead. It’s made a bold transition into the art-rock territory and did so flawlessly.
Lost in the Trees have reinvented themselves with Past Life. It has wiped the slate clean and left its future wide-open. One of the most exciting parts of this album is the knowledge that its sound can evolve in seemingly infinite ways now, and as a long-time Lost in the Trees fan, that has me as excited about this band’s frontier as I was the first time I saw it.
To my ears this release is a lil’ more upbeat than previous AO releases, some of the songs almost have a punky feel, but if you have intense personal demons or a dark heart, Angel will speak sweet nothings to your inner void.
This is put out by Captured Tracks, which means it’s laid-back guitar jams. Way less reverb on this then like Mac Demarco/Beach Fossils/Wild Nothing, so I think it finds a niche of being catchy acoustic music without being overly derivative of other CT bands.
Another release from 90’s acolytes Speedy Ortiz. If you like them, you know what to expect: 1995 vibes that sound exactly like Helium. In fact, if you like Speedy Ortiz, go listen to Helium, and you’ll be getting the authentic 90’s experience.
Female-fronted space-rock goodness from a band who’s brand of psych I’ve admired for a while. Very ethereal, and by ethereal I mean any other word that means ethereal because that word gets used a ton, damn
I feel like my parents would dig this record, but in a good way…? This is an all-female Burger Records (well-known Cali garage rock label) band that updates the sounds of 60’s girl-pop with modern punk and post-punk tropes, yet manages to avoid sounding like Best Coast. Omg remember Best Coast?
A slightly older release, but re-released by the industry in anticipation of new music..? Anyway, this album feels like someone dumping a big box of Polaroids on your head. Very chill.
If you’ve ever listened to a Xiu Xiu record you know what kind of dark vibes to expect. This is a band that has an album called Dear God, I Hate Myself. Does that put you in the right mindset? Anyway, this is dark post-punk synthy music with lyrics that are really dark, even for this milieu. Not entirely my thing, but hopefully this finds the right people.
Marissa’s first album for Sacred Bones, this sounds at place on that usually-dark label, as this is an album of solid dusky folk music. Also the cover has good typography, because it’s a Sacred Bones release, duh.
Something about Andrew’s unique voice being paired with soothing acoustics and echoing vocals makes many of the tracks on this album simply stunning. His sound may not be for everyone, but definitely take the time and check out this album.
The soft and dreamy vocals of Priscilla Ahn being paired with even more dreamy beats and synths makes this album pretty irresistible. Simply put, Priscilla is amazing.
Consisting of only four tracks, it is not hard to find that the best song on this EP is Dom La Nena’s cover of The National’s “Start a War.” Dom’s voice is soothing and nearly perfect.
I guess I’m just a sucker for dream pop music, but I absolutely loved this album. From the softly blended in acoustics to the impressive lyrics/vocals this is just all around outstanding.
Cibo Matto // “Hotel Valentine”
This album definitely has its high points, but throughout most of it I felt like I was in the middle of some strange Japanese club experience. These girls are quirky and are not ashamed to show it through their music.
Those 60s surf/garage rock sounds that are oh-so-popular these days, plus some campy special effects stuff, like screams and “haunted house” organs (think Wampire). Super upbeat, impossible not to tap your foot/bob your head to this while daydreaming about how you’re totally gonna chat up that girl/guy you like at that hip surf party next weekend.
Surf City // We Knew It Was Not Going to Be Like This
Don’t be fooled by the name – this is actually not surfy at all. It’s also probably not named after Surf City, NC, since these guys are from New Zealand. Presumably in a field, amidst a flock of sheep, they make relaxed, “slacker” psych rock. Dreamy and wistful, you know how it is.
I don’t even know what to call this. Like, the Indian Fiona Apple. She is the daughter of a famous Indian dancing couple and is a dancer herself. Consequently, the theatricality of Indian dance comes across in these 4 tracks, which are dominated by Reddy’s alluring voice and backed by a jazzy, psychedelic, east-meets-west sound.
A guy as old as your dad but way cooler (no offense). This is nothing radically different from other Stephen Malkmus solo albums (characteristic wordplay that alternates between clever and nonsensical; sprawling, relaxed beats), but it’s still a really good listen.
Yeah, I rolled my eyes at the album title, too, but then I listened to it cause that’s my job. Energetic, wide-eyed, poppy, and sunny. Described as “flower punk,” which I think is a pretty apt description. This one was actually released last summer but somehow slipped through the cracks…anyway if you’re dreaming of sunnier days, then you should play this!
An INCREDIBLE band based out of Asheville that produces some wonderful psych-pop music. There’s a bit of that ol’ mountain folk sound in there, but it’s mostly reverb washed blasts of excellence.
This is a short EP from one of the areas finest hip-hop acts and holy god it’s awesome. This is their first “big band” recording, which means this already jazz influenced hip-hop crew is joined by some of the areas finest string and brass players. Seriously check this if you’re into hip-hop.
While the sound quality isn’t top notch, these songs are slow brooding, somber pieces of acoustic glory. While some of the tracks suffer from being a bit too static, the ones that have some musical direction are pretty incredible.
Just some good fun indie rock from these Chapel Hill folks. Sounds a bit like the quirky college rock acts in the area that have picked up a bit of steam. Some of these songs are terribly catchy and definitely worth a spin or two.
Another brief collection of songs from a very fresh roots rock band. Texoma is comprised of former members of Magnolia Collective and some other local Americana-based acts. Self described as dust-rock, which is far more accurate than it should be!
Some seriously smooth hip-hop from this producer/rapper. A lot of R&B influence tossed in and the tracks tow the line between melody based and swiftly spat hip-hop. Spin these tunes if you’re looking for some easily accessible rap.
A great collection of folky Americana songs that play off of some excellent melodies and simplistic instrumentation. Easily palatable tunes that make for a nice way to slow things down.
RIYL: Birds & Arrows
The Genuine // Blooms
Such harmonies, many beautiful, very music. For real though, this is some fantastic folk rock out of Winston-Salem that plays wonderfully off of the male/female vocal counterpoint. Some really fantastic music here.
Linnea Olsson: “Ah!” This album consists solely of Olsson’s beautiful soft voice, and all the impressive sounds that she can produce with her cello. Linnea is certainly full of a lot of talent and she shows it in this album.
Milosh: “Jetlag”
Straight out of Canada, Milosh produces minimal electronic beats combined with soft mysterious vocals. Don’t be fooled though, there are other subtle dimensions that make it give the feel of what ‘jetlag’ may be like if put into sound.
Kramies: “The Wooden Heart”
Although the cover of this album looks like a picture from the Pirates of the Caribbean, it is actually full of many soothing soft rock components, soft vocals, and nice synths. I highly recommend this if you’re looking for a slower listen.
