Another variety show, no particular theme. It was set to be a sunny weekend, and that meant hitting the road. After a late Friday night at the station, I woke up early, grabbed my bike and went on a solid 10 mile ride. It was the first of the sort for 2012; the first of many. I need to get in shape for the 200 mile Seattle to Portland ride in July. Just about half way, I paused to snap the shot above. The Skagit Valley is known [...]
It's hard to imagine that just a few short months ago we were enjoying sunny summer days. 2011 was my best year yet, having achieved a few milestones: four and a half years running FensePost, riding my bike from Seattle to Portland and logging over 1,000 total on those two wheels between January and December, enjoying life with the love of my life (Andi), and a few defining mindset changes that put the two of us on a path to minimalism and frugality. All of this has led to happiness. That the [...]
It's hard to imagine that just a few short months ago we were enjoying sunny summer days. 2011 was my best year yet, having achieved a few milestones: four and a half years running FensePost, riding my bike from Seattle to Portland and logging over 1,000 total on those two wheels between January and December, enjoying life with the love of my life (Andi), and a few defining mindset changes that put the two of us on a path to minimalism and frugality. All of this has led to happiness. That the [...]
Interning here at Paper Garden Records , I've discovered some great music that I have not heard of before. One such instance is The Novel Ideas . Their single, "On Fire", is a lovely construction of boy girl vocals, set to the backdrop of ageless bopping. The vocals are very fragile, as if they are coming out unsure, making this song feel real. A bit Dave Monks, eh? While the song was released in the early part of the year, I feel the summer might be the perfect time for this. Well isn't it for most songs? [...]
If you have been following Lower Frequencies for a while, you may remember my obsession with Boston based synth pop group, Magic Man . Well it seems as though Mr. Caplow may be moving away from Magic Man and into The Novel Ideas. I wouldn't say this is a sad note, although I will be missing the upbeat synths and warm electronic beats. The Novel Ideas replaces that electronic sound with a much more pop rock sound. Another great addition is the backup vocals of Jeannie Yoon. She accompanies Caplow with warm, seemingly effortless, harmonies. "On Fire" comes of [...]
MP3: The Novel Ideas: On Fire Surprise and unexpected gifts tend to cause the most joy. Those who have been with us for a bit may remember my love affair with the Boston based Magic Man . Synth pop at its finest, I found myself listening to Real Life Color on repeat for several months. Recently, I was made aware that the powers behind Magic Man have dipped their creative fingers into a few other projects outside of Magic Man. Do not fear these guys pulling a German Army WWII mistake (all the history majors say what upp!!) by [...]
Here's a submission we received recently that I thought I would share with everyone. According to their bio, " The Novel Ideas are a rock-folk-romantic-pop outfit of old friends from the sprawling suburbs of Newton, Massachusetts. They play songs about books, girls, summertime, and the ambiguous hours between night and morning." The song they initially send to us was "On Fire," but I've included the entire four-track set for everyone to listen to. Definitely great music to get you in the mood for summer! Press the arrow on the right hand side of the player [...]
Just found a promo mail for new track Lego by Welsh quartet OK and since Lego is our nation's pride (sort of - don't forget Carlsberg ), I (sort of) felt obliged to check it out. The track itself is a (sort of) The Smiths inspired guitar pop thing, which I'm afraid left me somewhat unimpressed. But the video is absolutely hilarious (though it doesn't feature one single block of Lego ) and I [...]
So last night I spent yet another Friday evening cleaning the mailbox and once again 200+ mails ended up biting the dust. Some bands (and their music) avoided the broom and deserve a little exposure. Here are six of the better ones unearthed last night... + overlord - Oh, My Mechanical Heart! + Novel Ideas - On Fire + [...]
Lovely Hearts Club Presents: The Novel Ideas (LHC #20) Even in the dead of winter, The Novel Ideas stir up the nostalgic feelings of youth, warmth and carefree summers. Buy CDs, MP3s, more: The Novel Ideas on Amazon.com Incorporating pop elements similar to those of Death Cab for Cutie and melding them with the literary folk rock of Okkervil River , [...]
Even in the dead of winter, The Novel Ideas stir up the nostalgic feelings of youth, warmth and carefree summers. Incorporating pop elements similar to those of Death Cab for Cutie and melding them with the literary folk rock of Okkervil River , The Novel Ideas have an inventive style of indie rock. Created by two different songwriters, their music is tied together with distinctive instrumentation and folky male and female harmonies. Their collection of Summer Demos heralds the arrival of their full-length album slated for [...]
The Novel Ideas shared their upbeat, melodic tunes during a compelling opening set at the Middle East Upstairs on March 24th. Concert-goers were treated to an interactive number complete with clapping, a cover of the Pixies' "Where is My Mind?", and several songs off The Sky is a Field. Check out a live video premiere of one of these songs, "A Breath of Fresh Air" below. The Novel Ideas are giving away their album for free - all the more reason to download The Sky is a Field here . [...]
Foundwaves video contributor Extraneous Noise has put together a bill of four solid bands on Wednesday at the Middle East Upstairs. Headlining and one of four Foundwaves Weekly Picks on the bill, Spirit Kid weaves an infectious and smile-inducing sound, bringing the listener to a happy place where Ferris Bueller's playing hooky and dancing in the parade. Fronted by multi-instrumentalist/songwrit er Emeen Zarookian, the band takes cues from elements popularized by British Invasion rockers, but adds a potent dash of psychedelic, soul, and funk flair. [...]
Following on from their debut Say Hello The Novel Ideas present their slightly less quirky, but no less charming The Sky is a Field . The prominent dual vocals are still present, and the lyrics perhaps a little more mature, but there's an inescapable feeling that you've heard it somewhere before. Reminds us of: The Decemberists | Delta Spirit | road trips The Novel Ideas: ( MySpace ) the novel ideas the sky is a [...]
As I mentioned in my list of favorite full-lengths released last year, there were so many that came from bands based here in the Boston-area that I thought I'd spotlight them in their very own post. To be completely clear, though: This is far from some lesser-category of local releases, but a list of 10 albums that sit proudly alongside my other favorite 20 - the fact that they originate from
(photo: pathologicallovers.com) Every once in awhile I get the odd little nugget of gold dropped in my mailbox, unadorned and unlinked, forcing me to do some digging and searching to find out anything I can about a band. I don't think they mean to be secretive, but they certainly don't make it overly easy. At the very least, Jody Richardson emailed me and told me that his band Pathological Lovers is from St. John's, Newfoundland, and that they're releasing their debut, Calling All Favours , and are looking for [...]
A few Sundays back I once again had the honor of DJing the annual Bazaar Bizarre Boston, a massively multi-vendor crafy-fair that I'd attended many times before I was invited to actually show up and share a personal playlist. For me, it only starts feeling like the holiday season after I've spent an early-December afternoon there, and the fact that I get to provide the shopping soundtrack for a
The Novel Ideas are a Boston based collective that stay true to their name and write songs about books. The band just released their debut LP, Say Hello , which features all the strings, horns, accordion, and mandolin you could possibly hope to eat at one sitting. The Hippodrome's featured track for download, "When Will This End? (I Wish I Knew)," sees Radin and company build reverb drenched drums into a slick brass explosion brought upon by Timothy Cronin. I've had the opportunity to see these folks live, and the attention [...]
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