Le Loup – Family

March 1st, 2010  |  by camden andrews  |  published in experimental, freak-folk  |  3 comments

Even though Le Loup started as the solo project of Sam Simkoff, the band now emphasizes its identity as a family on their website, and the cohesion really comes through in the music. There isn’t a single element of the multi-layered tunes that overpowers the others; not even Simkoff’s vocals. Each member adds an equal contribution to the sound, and the result washes over in waves that are both complex and tranquil.

Saintseneca – Saintseneca

November 27th, 2009  |  by jason grishkoff  |  published in acoustic, folk, freak-folk

Saintseneca is an indie folk band from the Columbus, Ohio music scene. They put out their first album at the beginning of 2009, and a new four track, the self-titled Saintseneca EP, on September 1st. They play fast paced banjo/guitar folk music with handclaps and twee vocals, with stomping singalong chorusses and simple vocal melodies to match. According to their Myspace, they’ll play anywhere that ‘it echoes, and there’s a good floor to stomp on.’

Devendra Banhart – What Will Be Will Be

November 4th, 2009  |  by jason grishkoff  |  published in freak-folk  |  1 comment

What Will Be Will Be presents a much more user-friendly version of Devendra: an artist that many may enjoy. In a nutshell, I’d attribute it to the song-clarity that this album possesses, whereas much of his prior work was murky and fringe-experimental.

dead man’s bones – dead man’s bones

October 26th, 2009  |  by jason grishkoff  |  published in folk, freak-folk  |  3 comments

Actor Ryan Gosling and his best friend Zach Shields are joined by Silverlake Conservatory Children’s Choir. The end result is an amateur, choral-freak-folk album that is winds up being both creepy and an all-together fun at the same time.

edward sharpe & the magnetic zeros – up from below

August 16th, 2009  |  by jason grishkoff  |  published in experimental, freak-folk, psychedelic  |  1 comment

“Alex ebert could easily double as some kind of indie-rock messiah. Fronting his new band, the 11- or 12-member strong Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Ebert appears onstage shirtless and barefoot, strands of shoulder-length hair tied back in a faux crown as he conducts his smiling, face-painted ensemble like a giddy choir director. At those moments, he is no longer Alex Ebert, hard-partying lead singer of the dance-rock band Ima Robot; he becomes Edward Sharpe, his boyhood alter ego, and his band is his family. His agenda, as 1960s as it sounds, is little more than love and honesty.” – the la times

edward sharpe & the magnetic zeros – up from below

August 16th, 2009  |  by jason grishkoff  |  published in experimental, freak-folk, psychedelic  |  1 comment

“Alex ebert could easily double as some kind of indie-rock messiah. Fronting his new band, the 11- or 12-member strong Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Ebert appears onstage shirtless and barefoot, strands of shoulder-length hair tied back in a faux crown as he conducts his smiling, face-painted ensemble like a giddy choir director. At those moments, he is no longer Alex Ebert, hard-partying lead singer of the dance-rock band Ima Robot; he becomes Edward Sharpe, his boyhood alter ego, and his band is his family. His agenda, as 1960s as it sounds, is little more than love and honesty.” – the la times

dm stith – heavy ghost

July 14th, 2009  |  by camden andrews  |  published in experimental, folk, freak-folk

if justin vernon (bon iver), grizzly bear, and andrew bird were in a plane crash and their spirits got together and made music, it would sound like this album. recording from his basement, stith incorporates a lot of elements from his immediate surroundings including pots and pans, coffee mugs, and staples, adding some interesting textures to the already lush, multi-layered orchestrations and vocal harmonies. the result is down-right eerie in some parts, but makes for a great listen.