Blog: Camp Revival

School of Seven Bells are the embodiment of what I've always imagined sirens sound like. Much like sirens, they lure the hapless listener inexorably forward with their beautiful, ethereal voices. Only, instead of being lead to an untimely end, SVIIB leaves us with Alpinisms ; a collection of 11 haunting, yet groove-worthy songs released in 2008. Their infusion of harmonic chanting with beat-driven rocktronica (err.. rock/electronica… dig it) is assuredly a note-worthy feat. Clearly, SVIIB cannot be easily categorized. School of Seven Bells has quite an interesting history. They formed when Benjamin [...]

MORBID ANAL FOG - UNTITLED This band needs no introduction. The video does all the talking. I have three favorite things about this video. #1. The portly keyboardist hidden in the bushes. Is that a Casio? #2. The lead singer's spike bracelets. It's just a matter of time until Hot Topic gets wind of these. Also, I'm pretty sure this guy was my waiter at Shoney's the other night. #3. The little choreography interlude where they up-down-up-down together. After watching this several times, I couldn't help imagining the following exchange in [...]

Utah has good music and good people, and I have a story to tell. Last Friday night, a band Desert Noises showed up to a local coffee shop. Despite the rainstorm, I loaded in a PA for the show, and from a mini trailer attached to the back of their station wagon, the band loaded in their gear. We talked a little about skateboarding and shared stories of touring. I found out they had been sleeping in their car most of this tour (w/ Drew Danburry), so I offered them some beds at my house. In the end, the [...]

The very first post that graced this blog featured the band Sharing Stone . Both members of Sharing Stone ( Trent and Ethan ) have their own solo projects. Recently Trent released three albums of FREE music through his myspace page that highlight all of his solo work. This is an incredible gift from Trent. I don't use the word incredible lightly; this music has depth. Trent is a young man, but his voice carries wisdom and soul; he is also a tasteful violinist. Enjoy the music and feel free to stop by Trent's myspace [...]

It's not Hip Hop. It's not Hipster-Hop. It's good music. Last Thursday Champagne Champagne played an incredible show at Nectar in Seattle. Kyle from Camp Revival caught the show. They performed a new song. It was caught on video, thanks to: Drop-bomb blogspot : Here are some other songs that the group performed that night:

Took a walk outside with this album and saw practically 11 or 12 animal shaped clouds. Enough said. Preview Mythomania at MuxTape Cryptacize Cryptacize on MySpace Seen live in Minneapolis

David Bazan (Pedro the Lion, Headphones) is at the end of his house tour. Tickets were available on his website, listed by city in which the show would take place. Upon purchasing tickets, attendees would then receive directions to the house, making for a private audience. I had the chance to see Bazan at Everyday Joe's Coffee House in Fort Collins last night. This show was one of several non-house shows, as well as the Ladies Literary Club (Calvin College) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As a highlight of his tour, he noted seeing Cornel West speak at Calvin College's FFM [...]

Back in 2001, after two amazing 73s and an instrumental 103, Havergal released Lungs For The Race on Secretly Canadian . Using little more than a guitar, sampler and a drum machine, Havergal principal Ryan Murphy crafted simple layers of music with which to state, more so than sing, his morose lyrics over. Written over the course of three years, the album is lo-fi but far from sloppy, with each song utilizing it's simplicity to great effect. Creating a world of beautiful melancholia, Lungs For The Race is the type of record you listen to when you [...]

Happy RSD! Happy Record Store Day everyone! Go out and support your local record store. Most stores in your area will be offering live music, DJs, and freebies. Do it!

As promised I captured some video of last night's performance. I really enjoyed it. Jamie was concise, emotional and engaging. He also ended the night with a cover of Ceremony, which was a lot of fun. Check out the videos. If you've got any questions, feel free to comment. "Fabulous Muscles" - Jamie Stewart (Solo) Seattle from Camp Revival on Vimeo . "F.T.W." - Jamie Stewart (Solo) Seattle from Camp Revival on Vimeo . [...]

Tomorrow night (4/14) I'm going to see Jamie Stewart perform solo at the Vera Project in Seattle ( plan on checking in on Wednesday for video ). This tour has been really exciting to follow. Jamie Stewart along with David Horvitz have come up with a smattering of viral marketing tactics to promote the tour as well as some noble causes. Each idea is a little more outrageous than the last, but all of them entirely effective. Example #1 Jamie Stewart will be photographing every person at every [...]

Arckanum - Gava Fran Trulen It just wouldn't feel like the beginning of the weekend without it. Today's feature is a little group that hails from Sweden. Rocking the praises of their dark lord since 1993, Arckanum is unique because their lyrics/screams are written in ancient Swedish. Take that, Peter, Bjorn, and John. This video breaks all stereotypes that I previously harbored against black metal. This video features just one gothic sojourner (we'll call him Jim), instead of the usual merry troupe. Also abscent is the signature face paint, which Jim seemed to have [...]

I'm smitten. The Veils have blessed us anew with Sun Gangs. I love this band and near everything they have made available for me to listen to. In a certain melancholic mood, The Veils have an uncanny ability to say exactly the right words and deliver them in a strikingly beautiful, cathartic way. However, they can still rock your brains out, make no mistake. This is music worthy of more than just wanting, or liking, but of needing to hear. The Veils have achieved a delicate balance between waves of simple, [...]

Spaceman is an MC trapped in a Hype Man. The first time I saw him perform was at Chop Suey in Seattle. He wasn't scheduled on the bill, but still managed to make his way on stage to freestyle; he literally stole the show. His charisma and energy held the audience hostage. The fact that Spaceman served as D. Black's Hype Man before he went solo in 2008 may attribute to his electric performances, but I think he was born for this. Spaceman's music is not introspective or wordy, which is a relief. This music [...]

Damnit, these guys can craft a song. The second I heard "We Sing In Time" by The Lonely Forest I was hooked. It has been a while since I have been so immediately attracted to a song. I blame it on Braydn Krueger, the band's drummer. His quick tempos and and consistent fills don't provide the listener the chance to turn away. The Lonely Forest are releasing a new full-length on April 21st, 2009 titled: "The Body Electric". You can sample the album here . I really hope a single as good as "We Sing In Time" [...]

While surf-pop and 4-track punk dominates the music scene, where can one look to find those dark corners of music? Detroit. What band? Prussia. Prussia's "Blessed Be, Yours Truly in Spirit and Soul" is an experiment in tension and terror. Eerie instrumentation and tales of all things terrible fill up the +20 minutes that Prussia takes to tell their story. Prussia's album is available for free download over at Common Cloud . For now check out these select tracks: Placemats Set For Three: My Twin Sister, The Lord, And Me To [...]

Trollech - Ve stinu starych dubu Today's installation comes straight from the Czech Repubic. And believe it or not, these guys are still around. For those of you who have been following BLACK METAL FRIDAY from the beginning you will note a common theme of peering out from behind trees, lots of makeup, and walking in a seemingly aimless direction. We can only hope that their road leads to some dark abyss of eternal shadows or something equally as rewarding.

Mike Simonetti & Johnny Jewel Mike Simonetti, from Troubleman Unlimited fame, has created something beautiful in his new(ish) dance label: Italians Do It Better . Mike, with Johnny Jewel, has started his own revival in dance. The bands under his employ are cerebral and infectious. More to come with Glass Candy show reviews and news on IDIB's two new bands: Twisted Wires and Desire. For now enjoy Mike's own remix of Jackson 5. Mike Simonetti - Express Yourself

Ok. So there were some wild Nostradamus-like guesses ventured against Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's newest record, Beware. And that's not a bad thing. Trying to keep up with the prolific steps of Mr. Prince is something of an exercize in folk-futility. Now that the ears have had time to digest (burp), I am more able to give a decent shake at the record. First off, I was right about that Neil Young comparison. The album art is not the only similarity- the crooning swells on Beware's sturdier tracks reminds me of some of the better moments of Young and [...]

Kitty Hawk is a project that is budding from Washington D.C.; a city where class still exists and people still wear ties and dresses to work. Being a bum (only in comparison) from Seattle it felt good to have a little of Kitty Hawk's class rub off on me. Kitty Hawk's music is calming and invigorating. After a full listen I feel as though I have stepped out of a sauna. Soak it in and enjoy. "Hollow shadowfax" "Big Day" "Bear in the morning" Kitty Hawk also has fun art on [...]