As the snow began to fall on a March morning, I wondered if this session was even going to happen. Luckily, Field Report, aware of the impending blizzard in Chicago, left Milwaukee early to beat the weather. This would be my first session since relocating SHIRK studios to its new location. The wiring and equipment had barely been tested and to say I was nervous would be an understatement. The band’s early arrival gave us some extra setup time and by the time I was ready to hit record, everything was sounding and behaving like I thought it should. The [...]
My discovery of Kopecky Family Band happened during one of those serendipitous moments at South By Southwest a couple/few years ago. I was at South Congress, walking in an alley behind Yard Dog Art Gallery to get to my next destination, when I heard some sweet music sounds coming from a small stage near a keg full of free beer. Never one to pass down free beers, I filled up a cup of Shiner Bock and settled in for a set from a band I'd never seen - Kopecky Family Band. It was one of my favorite SXSW discoveries - [...]
One of my fondest memories at SxSW 2012 was watching Bahamas at Antones at noon on Wednesday with a crowd of about 40 people. I attended with Woody, who was not yet a Bahamas fan. As Bahamas founder and lead singer, Afie Jurvanen, demonstrated his impeccable guitar skills on his electric Strat, Woody began to light up. As if sensing that Woody was converting, Afie seemed to stare directly at him as he crooned into the microphone. Woody leaned over slowly and whispered "He's singing straight into my soul right now." We had a quick laugh and then [...]
Patterson Hood is responsible for this music blog existing. We've probably never told the story, but Woody and I met at a business event in Chicago where things like insurance, mortgage, real estate, home security systems, outsourced HR, search engine optimization or similar such bullshit was being discussed. I think we were both wearing slacks. As we were filling up our coffee cups, one of us asked the other what we were into in real life. "I like music" said the other. "What type of music?" asked the other. "Have you ever heard of Drive-By Truckers..." Have you [...]
Kopecky Family Band caught our attention in the fall of 2012 with the release of Kids Raising Kids . And after countless listens it became one of my most listened to albums of the year and we placed it in HearYa's Top 50 albums of 2012 . Songs like My Way, Angry Eyes, Hope and The Glow get regular airplay in my house. The bridge section of The Glow in particular might be my favorite minute of anthemic indie-pop bliss to be released in 2012. So when the Kopecky Family Band came through [...]
A couple of years back when Yellow Ostrich (aka Alex Schaaf) released his excellent debut, The Mistress , I read about how it was self recorded at his home using laptops, loops, etc. When laptops enter the picture, I usually head for the door so I initially ignored Yellow Ostrich. Fast forward a year or so later and Yellow Ostrich was preparing to release their second album, Strange Land . Alex Schaaf, now had two-full time bandmates in Jon Natchez and Michael Tapper and there was something about this album's description that made me check out [...]
I started listening to Hey Rosetta! years ago after hearing them on XM Radio. Their 2008 release, Into Your Lungs , fueled many bike commutes to work when living in the Bay area. Then they released Seeds in February of this year via ATO Records and that album assured its place in rotation in my house. Seeds is one of the lesser talked about albums of the year, but one worth jotting down in your "best albums of the year" lists. Tim Baker (vocals/guitar) writes spellbinding lyrics while the rest of the band consisting of [...]
The last time I see River Whyless I was in Austin, Texas for SxSW 2012. It was a Wednesday afternoon, which is typically my favorite day of that week. I've just arrived in town with fresh legs and a grin on my face as I prepare to see a hundred bands and meet up with old friends. So on Wednesday, the various characters in our entourage all made the pedestrian quest from hotels to a wine bar called Uncorked - not your typical music venue. Woody, Shirk, Safariman, my cousin Katy, and a college pal named Rocky all [...]
One of the blessings and downfalls of writing for a music blog is the deluge of music we are lucky enough to experience. Sometimes something worthwhile gets lost in the shuffle and we don't get enough time to spend with a particular release. Back in March when Delta Spirit's self-titled third LP came out, Oz and I both spun it a few times and had a tough time connecting. Our buddy Ryan, their manager, kept telling us to stick with it and you'll grow to love it. So I would revisit it periodically, each time enjoying a song [...]
My favorite albums are the ones that sneak up on me. The slow growers that don't make an impact at first, but slowly seep in. Canada's Plants and Animals released The End of That back in February and it filled up all the little cracks and broken splinters of my life for the rest of the year. The album filled all those spare moments in airports, on planes, in hotels, or at home while doing yard work. I'd somehow put the album on without thinking about it and later wonder why I was so drawn to it. [...]
Words I use to describe Lindsay Fuller's debut album You, Anniversary : Aching. Heartbreaking. Devastating. Haunting. Beautiful. The album is paradoxical with dark subject matter enveloped in a sound that is warm and inviting, like Gillian Welch singing passages from Edgar Allen Poe. If you're unfamiliar with Lindsay Fuller, I'd urge you not to listen until you're free from distractions and ready to pay careful attention to her lyrics. Like other great songwriters, her verses could be set into pages of a book and stand on their own as poetry. "Everything I Ever Had" is the lead [...]
Bhi Bhiman is a one-man folk music force of nature. He's a Sri Lankan-American who grew up in St. Louis and later re-located to San Francisco, where he lives today. His debut album, BHIMAN, was released in January of this year and is winning over music critics, musicians, fans and long-time folkies with impeccable acoustic guitar and marvelous storytelling, taking on personas of a North Korean prisoner, a hobo riding the rails, a redneck, and a jealous lover, among many others. But more impressive than his technical proficiency on acoustic guitar or his songwriting is his unmistakable tenor. [...]
On day one of SXSW, Heartless Bastards gave us one of our best memories. If you've ever been to SXSW, you know to expect your fair share of problems - venues with awful acoustics, sound problems, and laptop failures for the hipster bands. You expect issues in parking lots set up as makeshift stages, but not at famous Austin venues like Antone's. But just as Heartless Bastards took the stage at Antone's and played the first chords of "Parted Ways," the power in the entire venue shut down and Erika Wennerstrom's powerful voice became distant, trailing off without the benefit [...]
Port O'Brien were one of those bands that resonated us. We had a real connection with them from the first time we heard " I Woke Up Today ." They had a Neil Young-inspired folk-rock sound that was at times rocking and electric, other times organic and acoustic, and sometimes tribal and trippy. Over the years we had them in for two sessions, saw them live on many occasions, chased them down at SXSW, and became friends. Van gives great hugs. So the demise of Port O'Brien was met with sadness amongst the HearYa staff. Knowing that Van [...]
Little Hurricane had quite a year in 2011. While many bands struggle for years to fight for the attention of fans, labels and the media, Little Hurricane found the buzz almost immediately. The two-piece band formed after lead singer/guitarist Anthony Catalano posted an ad on Craigslist for a drummer. I've used Craigslist to sell a couch, area rug, and old dog dishes and I've encountered my fair share of characters. I can only imagine what type of humans emerge when you post and ad for a drummer in San Diego. Catching a drummer like Celeste Spina is like [...]
I’ve been following the growth of Bailiff for a few years now. After hearing the band at Lincoln Hall back in January of 2010 I was eager to get them in for a HearYa session. After speaking with the band, I learned that they probably weren’t ready for a session at the time, but were about to begin work on their first full-length album. We decided to spend an evening cutting a demo together and it was at this point that I learned what an ambitious process the making of Red Balloon would be. I specifically [...]
Mount Moriah is my favorite discovery of 2011. Founding members, Heather McEntire and Jenks Miller, admit to resenting their North Carolinian Southern Gospel roots in their former bands. In creating Mount Moriah, however, they embrace folk, gospel and alt-country in pursuit of a gorgeous and melancholy batch of songs that underscores the changing season. After spending some time with Mount Moriah's debut album, it's odd to me that McEntire was reluctant in entering Americana territory in her music. Her vocals are stunning and remind me of country music pioneers like Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn. Her voice [...]
Dax Riggs' live session with us was the most appropriate to dig up for Halloween. I'm pretty sure his voice pulls spirits from their graves. Dax Riggs - Say Goodnight To The World (HearYa Live Session) Dax Riggs - Let Me Be Your Cigarette (HearYa Live Session) Dax Riggs - Sleeping With The Witch (HearYa Live Session) Dax Riggs - I Hear Satan (HearYa Live Session) Dax Riggs - Heartbreak Hotel [...]
Other Lives released their sophomore album, Tamer Animals , earlier this year. It's not one of those albums that was created spontaneously in one session. The band spent 14 months crafting the arrangements and placing all the right sounds in all the right parts. Lead singer Jessie Tabish was quoted as saying "“There’s nothing like, ‘Hey, let’s rock out on this!’ It’s homemade in a way. For better or for worse, it’s all our sound." The album is magnificent. If you've fallen in love with the album but have never seen them live, this session will give [...]
White Denim's latest album D may end up being my favorite release of the year. There have been many great albums released in 2011, but few have I explored with the same depth and focused attention. The band finds a way to blend frantic dueling guitar solos into one cohesive sound and, having never seen a live performance, I have eagerly anticipated this session. On my short list of tracks was the most accessible track on the album, "Street Joy." On the album, it serves as a nice reprieve from the roller coaster [...]
HearYa: An Indie Music Blog
Listen: Smith Westerns – “3am Spiritual”
Fauve ≠ - Blizzard [EP en écoute]
Mount Kimbie ft King Krule - You Took Your Time
PICTURE OF THE DAY
