Artist Of The Day: Iron & Wine

Sam Beam has had a large hand in the popularization of indie folk. Along with folks such as The Mountain Goats, Fleet Foxes and of course, the band that comes to everyone's mind for the genre, Mumford & Sons. As far as staying to a particular sound goes, though, Beam has a particularly simple time due to being a solo project, and the biggest perk that comes with being an individual in the music industry is room for creativity. For example, he began with a solely folk-central sound, with a Neil Young sort of style, purely acoustic strings and a fresh sound in the new millennium that we hadn't been accustomed to for quite a while. As he wrote more and more, Beam added other tastes and colors into his music, including electric guitars and brass instruments. He's also explored different types of sounds, delving into traditional Mexican music, pop, jazz and R&B, while keeping the core of Iron & Wine at the base of everything. His most recent effort, April's Ghost On Ghost, expands the pop sounds featured on his previous album, Kiss Each Other Clean, but including some of the experimental jazz style and of course, his folk roots.

Beam will be touring for Ghost On Ghost more extensively in the fall, so take a look for tour dates and locations on his site.

Jukebox: Volcano Choir - "Still"

When I did my artist of the day about Bon Iver, I looked at Blood Bank for the first time from a critical standpoint, and there were a few things that shocked me about it, like the auto-tune. However, upon a re-listen of "Woods," I've come to appreciate just how much artistic merit the song actually holds, how using auto-tune as an instrument to blend differently auto-tuned voices together was an incredibly new innovation to me. It was disconcerting at first, but now I look at it as a stroke of genius, and props to the band for having that kind of creativity and ingenuity.

And then I discovered Volcano Choir. A side-project of Justin Vernon's, the band releases similar works to the more group-oriented material of Bon Iver. Specifically, I'd found that "Woods" had been re-recorded on The Volcano Choir's Unmap as the song "Still" (seriously you probably already know this, but it's blowing my mind right now) and the differences are as wonderful as they are varied. While "Woods" has only the auto-tuned vox as instrumentation, "Still" utilizes vox in addition to clean, powerful guitars and layers of depth from synthesizers. The result is something incredibly close to post-rock, something I would never have associated Justin Vernon with in a million years - yet Volcano Choir proves me wrong, right in front of my face. Although it was up in the Billboard 200 back in October 2009, it's just really cool to see a tie with everyone's favorite indie band and my favorite genre of music.

Artist of the Day: The Act of Estimating as Worthless

There really isn't a better time to listen to folk/indie than the Fall. There's something about this season that compliments the subtly dark and atmospheric tone that genre generally has, and The Act of Estimating as Worthless may be the best I've come across all year. Just released this February on Birthquake Records, Amongst These Splintered Minds, is a nearly flawless album that ranges from being rustically relaxing to hauntingly dark. From start to finish the album is all around beautifully entrancing, which fans of folk/indie acts like Mount Eerie should more than appreciate. And, to make things even better, it's up for free download on their Bandcamp page.

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Artist of the Day: Bon Iver

Fame came easily to Justin Vernon. Thanks to a very likable sound and a down-to-earth musical style, Bon Iver ascended to the tops of modern day music charts like a rocket, simply because it was easy to connect to, stood out from anything else that was popular, and no one could fight the craze - it was, indeed, good music. The popularity might not be as frenzied or talked about anymore, but the 2011 self-titled still remains as a go-to album for any neo-hipsters of the day, and you can still hear "Holocene" if you jump around the radio.

Artist Of The Day: Photocomfort

If you're in the mood for something different and refreshing, I can't think of anyone better to recommend than Photocomfort.  It's a music project featuring singer/songwriter Justine Bowe, who, alongside a handful of friends, have put together one of the best folk/indie ep's I've heard in quite some time.  It's dark, beautiful and all around entrancing from start to finish, with slight leanings into chamber pop.  There's a really haunting element in the music they right, made only more prevalent by Bowe's entrancing vocals and touching lyrics.  Granted, not everyone has a penchant for folk/country/indie music, but those who do should be floored by how heartfelt and tear-jerking Bowe is capable of being.

Photocomfort's self-titled ep can be download for free on their Bandcamp.  Highly recommended for fans of Belle Histoire, Neko Case and Lissie; as well as anyone who is open to hearing something new.

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Jukebox: The Dimes - Walden and the Willow Tree

The Dimes are very much indie folk, working with a lot of acoustic instruments in order to find a traditional sound. The Portland-based outfit self-released four EPs before being picked up by Pet Marmoset and recording a debut full length. Each one of their songs on their most recent album, The King Can Drink The Harbor Dry, has a vintage sound that brings an instant charm to their sound, and stand as the indie folk band that's instantly likable.

"Walden and the Willow Tree" is first and foremost an acoustic song. It's laid back, and floats along like a cloud, or like the ship on the album cover across a clear, gently moving ocean. The song style feels akin to early Owen tracks, when Mike Kinsella would have essentially zero effects besides his guitar and his voice. A harmonica lazily drones over the single guitar, and Johnny Clay whispers about romanticism, Oregon, and facial hair in a voice that doesn't seem to care much about any of it, but intently focuses on finding his own quietude: "Far from Salem by the sea, to Walden and the willow tree / stop and ask Elias how / the beads stay on your dressing gown." The song talks about all of these trivial things and finds some relation with the world outside with an easy inner peace that grows within.

It's really not tough to jump onto this record. I'd recommend it, as you can find it on their Bandcamp and stream it for free. Definitely check it out.

Album Retrospective: Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record

Album Rating: B+

As summer rolls in, there's a lot of music that really fits the mood of relaxing and keeping cool, or being active and alive and joyful. I think music is an important part of making these activities memorable, and making a good experience out of something as simple as driving on a beautiful day, or playing frisbee in the park. While we don't connect with these albums on a deeply emotional level, they can make something trivial into something momentarily grand, an attention grabber that can make our day. I think Broken Social Scene's latest and final effort really fits the bill beautifully. Forgiveness Rock Record has some special qualities about it that would simply and easily make a summer day into a musical delight.

Album Review: Good Old War - Come Back As Rain

Album Rating: B-

Come Back As Rain begins exactly as you'd expect a Good Old War record to begin - an ambient, folk-tinged guitar lick prances around for half a minute before giving way to the dulcet vocal melodies of Keith Goodwin, Tim Arnold and Dan Schwartzman.  Just like that and Philadelphia's heralded indie-folk trio are off to the races with their much-anticipated follow up to 2010's self-titled LP.  Sprawling and soaring vocal melodies, guitar lines worth getting hopelessly lost in and those classic three-way Goodwin/Arnold/Schwartzman warbles still populate the record, yet it's hard not to feel as if something more significant is missing.  Even though Good Old War have infused these songs with the same sunny disposition and tender crooning found on past efforts, Come Back As Rain often slips into purposeless song-writing and redundant track layouts.  Still, the obvious musical prowess with which the trio operate lends the record a good deal of bright moments and a yields a generally uplifting listening experience.

Album Review: The Wild - A Collection

Album Rating: B+

Oh joy, rapture—The Wild have entered my life just in the nick of time. Whilst 2011 has been winding down, I’ve been getting glum, knowing that this fantastic year is now coming to a close. Alas and alack, however, as A Collection has arrived. A Collection is exactly what its name implies—a collection of lovingly composed tracks from a sadly ignored act, The Wild. Who are The Wild you ask? Well, albeit a bit derivative, they’re simply the epitome of what every indie/folk should be doing, and doing it damn well.

Album Review: Wilco - The Whole Love

First things first--The Whole Love is way better than anyone could have, and should have expected. After all, Wilco has sort of been on a bit of a downward slope since Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. To be fair, how couldn’t they be? After all, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was a defining release, helping shape 2000’s indie, as well as being a stunning album in its own right. Impossible to top, yes, but Wilco haven’t been anywhere near their A game since, release records to little fanfare, and mixed critical acclaim. Well, whatever funk they were in has ended, as Whole Love not only sees Wilco return to their former, amazing selves, but it sees them creatively invigorated, ready to prove they aren’t down for the count.

Album Review: Andrew Jackson Jihad - Knife Man

It would be pretty easy to just tell you to go get Knife Man right now. I mean, it would make my job so much simpler, because really it's simply essential 2011 listening. However, for those not easily convinced, I'll delve into why Andrew Jackson Jihad have crafted what is quite possibly their greatest achievement. Added to that, Knife Man is without a doubt one of the most exhilarating, enjoyable, and positively fascinating records this year.

Album Review: Chelsea Wolfe-Ἀποκάλυψις

Ἀποκάλυψις is just the sort of thing that really makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Odd, considering how dark, desolate, and cold it actually is. Yet can't deny the marrying of a low-fi, Enemies List Recordings-esque sound with the charm of a female folk artist. It's languid, mystifying, and completely arresting. Chelsea Wolfe has made an unsettling, but comforting record that really displays a great sense of creativity, as well as musicianship.

Ἀποκάλυψις (a title which I won't even pretend to know how to pronounce, or explain its meaning) is a tough nut to crack. It's part folk, part indie, and part low-fi avant-garde. Largely it revolves around a very dark aesthetic. The fuzziness of the production only furthers this, as it makes Wolfe's already eerie vocals come off as otherworldly. That's the charm of Ἀποκάλυψις though, because even withing it's harsh, cold sounds, it somehow sounds so wonderful human and inexplicably comforting.

Album Review: Laura Stevenson and the Cans - Sit Resist

One of the several new writers that will soon be joining us, Eli is a consistent reviewer on SputnikMusic. However, he will now be joining us as a full time staff reviewer. He has plenty of experience with writing reviews, and will be covering a wide variety of genres.

In mid 2009, armed with an acoustic guitar and a dulcet croon, a young woman by the name of Laura Stevenson captured the hearts of an entire scene. With her EP, “Holy Ghost,” Laura Stevenson did in 15 minutes what many folk/indie artists could barely achieve in a length of twice that. Bursting with poise and personality, the EP captured a feeling of drama and urgency, whilst coming off a wholly fun and capricious. “Sit Resist” is her first full length, but even more so, it is solid, wonderful album that signifies what could possibly be a truly exceptional career.