New Digs.....

My new music radar has been on sleep mode for a while. i had to sort through a multitude of Fall releases and begin making a year-end list as of late. But yesterday, i was jonesin' for some new aural pleasure. i had 4 band names in mind when i went to The Hype Machine for some research. What i heard was instantly gratifying. 2 are very folky, 1 is crazy ambient-punk, 1 is Eurofolk - all are uber-hipsters.

Horse Feathers

Portland, Oregon indie-folk outfit Horse Feathers released their sophomore album in September on the eclectic Kill Rock Stars label (The Decemberists, Deerhoof, Colin Meloy). Sporting traditionally bluegrass instruments, Horse Feathers are refreshingly anything but bluegrass. Justin Ringle leads with airy vocals a la Sam Beam, while Heather and Peter Broderick, Nathan Crockett, Catherine O'Dell, and Sam Cooper offer their talents on loads of unusual instruments. Their sound is perfect for a rainy Fall day like today. Peter and Nathan both play the violin, and in this setting, it is truly classical violin. Often ominous, but always tastefully done, this element gives the Horse Feathers a truly unique sound. (MySpace/Official Page)

Horse Feathers - Working Poor
Buy House With No Home

Frontier Ruckus

Together, Matt Millia and Anna Burch sound like a younger Sam Quinn and Jill Andrews - with more energy to boot. Add wandering banjos, horns, a harmonium, an ebow, and additional harmonies from the rest of the gang and you get... well, a ruckus on the frontier. This Michigan folk group released The Orion Songbook earlier this year as a follow-up to a their now out-of-print debut EP, I Am The Water You Are Pumping. Bonus points for effective employments of a musical saw. i just received a promo copy of the new album, so i may write another, more in-depth post on these guys. (MySpace/Official Page)

Frontier Ruckus - Rosemont
Buy The Orion Songbook

Deerhunter

Bradford Cox and band don't fit the mold of my usual tastes here at This Mornin'... - too electronic and borderlining NOISE - but at the recommendation of a friend, i checked 'em out. What i've heard from their new release Microcastle isn't bad. It's tame enough to allow me to listen with inventive melodies often lacking in their genre. i don't see myself purchasing this one, but i might kick a few songs around a while and see what happens. (MySpace/Official Page)

Deerhunter - Never Stops
Buy Microcastle

Frightened Rabbit

Scottish indie-pop/folk band Frightened Rabbit put out their second full-length album this year. The Midnight Organ Fight is essentially Euro-pop and still very relatable for me. Climbing tempos stall to highlight emotive lyrics while engaging beats are accented with both acoustic and electric guitars. Frightened Rabbit has remained busy throughout their short existence. Five EP's surround their two releases and, most recently, the band put out a live album. (MySpace/Official Page)

Frightened Rabbit - Good Arms vs. Bad Arms
Buy The Midnight Organ Fight