Daniel Martin Moore will release his new album Stray Age on October 7th 2008.

You’ve never heard of Daniel Martin Moore, from Cold Spring, Kentucky.  That’s okay.  Before we got his unsolicited demo in January 2007, neither had we.  Luckily, he’d heard of us, and contacted us the way people in Cold Spring still do- he sent us a package, just to see what would happen.  In all honesty, his odds were quite slim, but occasionally we’ll take down that “no solicitation” sign on our door.  And in this case, we’re glad we did.

The first thing you’ll notice about his debut, “Stray Age” is its simplicity.  It’s a folk record, evoking certain feelings (as all good records should), but there’s a gentle approach to its sound and the way Moore’s voice phrases his words.  “Stray Age” was recorded in Los Angeles in three different spurts, the first two sessions taking place in October and December of 2007, then the third in February of 2008.  He even got some people you’ve heard of to help him out.  Joe Chiccarelli (The Shins, U2, The White Stripes) took on co-production, recording and mixing duties.  Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck, Tori Amos) played upright bass.  Jesca Hoop lent her voice to “The Old Measure” and “Restoration Sketches.”  And Petra Haden (Bill Frisell, Beck) adds violin to “It’s You,” “The Hour Of Sleep,” and “The Old Measure.”

Those reference points are really just that, though.  Moore is most captivating as a singer, one who doesn’t seem concerned with usual folkie fodder.  If you ask him what his music’s about – a legitimate question – he just politely shrugs his shoulders in a way that says, “that’s up to you to figure out.”  But, the insights in “Stray Age” are not secrets and would never hope to be.  Yet as simply as Daniel Martin Moore thinks of “Stray Age,” it’s rich with understated complexities that take you to places that people like Nick Drake and Mojave 3/Slowdive principle Neil Halstead have been cited as doing.  There’s a soft swing in the vocals reminiscent of Chet Baker.  But the one thing with Moore, that we like to think of as separating him from the pack, is he’s looking forward.  He wants to go places, he wants you to come with him, and we’re finding him right in that moment.

NEW!  Mp3 “Stray Age”  http://www.subpop.com/assets/audio/4647.mp3 Give the new kid a try!

Artist Page http://www.subpop.com/artists/daniel_martin_moore

Tour Dates  http://www.subpop.com/tours/daniel_martin_moore

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***  FULL ALBUM STREAMING – NOW! on Blitzen Trapper’s MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/blitzentrapper *****

Furr is the fourth record by Portland sextet Blitzen Trapper and the follow-up to last year’s highly acclaimed Wild Mountain Nation. Written in the gaps of the group’s frenetic touring schedule and recorded mostly in a hoary old telegraph building close by the Willamette River, the new record refines and expands on the far-ranging yet distinctive songcraft that lies at the heart of Blitzen Trapper’s unique appeal.

Like its predecessor, Furr was made largely in the group’s studio at Sally Mack’s School of Dance, which is housed in the aforementioned telegraph building near downtown Portland. This is a small T-shaped room with high ceilings, a couch, a hot-plate, and a mixing console. During reprieves from tour, songwriter and producer Eric Earley lived furtively in the studio, crashing on the couch, but rising with the sun or staying up into the nether hours when the other bands in the building quit and went home. It was during these quiet times that the new songs took shape, with rhythm sections printed hot to four-track and then layered and embellished and deconstructed or sometimes just left the way they were.

One key to this new material was an ancient, warped piano that appeared in the hallway one day at Sally Mack’s School of Dance and which was subsequently muscled into the group’s studio. Though out of tune and missing teeth, this piano became the warhorse upon which Earley wrote and recorded much of Furr. The beast has gone away to the landfill now, but you can still hear the clacking and clattering of its rickety skeleton in songs like “Not Your Lover” and “Echo.”

Blitzen Trapper is a group of native Northwesterners, most of whom grew up in Salem, Oregon. They have lived and played together in Portland since 2000. Critics and fans have compared their music to just about everything; there have been calls to coin a new genre. After self-releasing Wild Mountain Nation in June of 2007, the group ventured beyond the West Coast for the first time to tour extensively in Europe and North America. Furr is their first Sub Pop release.

Mp3 “Furr” http://www.subpop.com/assets/audio/4591.mp3 There is a new, free mp3 coming soon!

Artist Page  http://www.subpop.com/artists/blitzen_trapper

Tour Dates  http://www.subpop.com/tours/blitzen_trapper

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Chad VanGaalen’s new album Soft Airplane is in stores now!

Chad VanGaalen’s musical roots date back to the first part of the decade, when he made a living busking on the streets of Calgary. He is also an accomplished animator and illustrator whose music is very much informed by his appreciation of visual arts. He has produced a voluminous wealth of material, by himself, at a rate that might best be described as alarming. And whatever his motivation for doing what he does, or creating what he creates, the result is that it is always both genuine and good.

The proof is in the songs themselves. They have heart. They have pain. They have hope. They have humor. And most importantly, they have fun.

Chad VanGaalen’s first two LPs, Infiniheart (2005) and Skelliconnection (2006), were wildly eclectic and ethereal, texturally imaginative, sometimes ambitious and sometimes restrained. Recorded on a Tascam 4-track and other analog devices, using synthesizers, guitars and a collection of his own handmade instruments, Chad created a unique style of pop songcraft, fundamentally experimental, both delicate and soaring, simple and elaborate.

Chad is more confident now, and unlike his previous albums, the songs on Soft Airplane were written and recorded more or less within the same time period, rather than collected from disparate moments and sessions spanning many, many years. As such, it feels more focused, deliberate, thoughtful and centered, both thematically and musically. It’s the sound of someone taking his time and sharpening his focus while opening his mind. At its core, it’s a pop record, one that feels free.

Mp3 “Willow Tree” http://www.subpop.com/assets/audio/4611.mp3

Artist Page http://www.subpop.com/artists/chad_vangaalen

Tour Dates  http://www.subpop.com/tours/chad_vangaalen

Video “Molten Light” http://www.subpop.com/assets/video/4646.mpg

YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/ChadVanG – with all Chad’s videos!

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 IndieUprising #55: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (796)

Music By: Norma Jean, Secret & Whisper, Breathe Carolina, MayOrWest, Blameshift, iuengliss, Owen, The Classic Crime, The Windupdeads, Chad VanGaalen, Blitzen Trapper, Children 18:3, October Nites

Show Notes

• Download the Fuel/Tooth & Nail Sampler HERE! (You have until September 15th 2008, so hurry!
• I prounounced iuengliss wrong.  I said luengliss.  So, to set the record straight…it’s “eye-wen-gliss.”
• I was a little harsh on Breathe Carolina.  Sampled more songs from the album….it’s suprisingly good. (I do, however, stand behind my criticism of Metro Station.  Yuck.)
• I still think Secret & Whisper still sound like Saosin’s long lost brother.  (Though rumor has it Charles Furney can pull off the vocals live.  Unlike Saosin.) Discuss.

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 IndieUprising #54: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (873)

Featured Band: Sky Eats Airplane. Interview with Lee Duck.

Music By: Portugal, The Man. Dear and the Headlights. Take the Crown. Emarosa. They Mean Us. Cineplexx. Oxford Collapse. Sky Eats Airplane. Death Vessel. Soldiers.

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Sub Pop Records artist, CSS have released a new video.  Check it out!

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Sub Pop Records artist, Fleet Foxes have released a new video.  Check it out!

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The Indie Review

By Sean Duregger
June 15, 2008

Artist: Foals
Album: Antidotes
Label: Sub Pop
Rating:

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With their home base in Oxford, England, Foals have no trouble with being different. With their quirky blend of dance, rock, and punk Foals remain unclassifiable. With their Sub Pop release, Antidotes, Foals are quick to prove that you don’t have to stick to formula or genres to gain following. They let the music do that for them.

Antidotes is one of the most enjoyable discoveries I’ve had in music so far this year. Songs laden with disco dance beats, yet with an indie-rock sensibility, Foals are one of the most interesting bands out right now. The opening song The French Open blends seamlessly into one of my favorite tracks Cassius, I originally thought it was all one song. Antidotes takes you on a journey and doesn’t let you out of the world it creates until the last track is over.

One of the of the biggest advantages that Foals have over comparable artists (Cobra Starship, Men Women and Children, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah) is the production. So many dance influenced rock acts rely too heavily on synth or reverb. Also, many indie/garage rock bands don’t give enough thought to their production, making their albums sounding too raw. Foals have struck production gold with Antidotes and have found the perfect balance of sound for what their pulling off here.

Ditching any formula that a lot of band rely on, Foals have given us a fun and grounded album that deserves multiple revisits. Innovative yet accessible, Antidotes is a memorable album that is sure to place Foals into our collective conscience.

Stand Out Tracks:

“Cassius”

“Red Socks Pugie”

“Electric Bloom”

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 IndieUprising #44: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1131)

Music By: Sigur Ros. No Use For A Name. No Age. Empires. Jason Yudoff. Thebrotheregg. Gillmor. This Century. One Star Story. Destiny or Design. Damiera. Love&Reverie. U.S. Royalty. Ingrid Michaelson. A Moment’s Worth.

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 IndieUprising #42: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1134)

Featured Band: 1997. Interview with Alida Marroni.

Music By: Mad Caddies. The Years Gone By. Static Radio NJ. Band of Horses. Delta Spirit. Amue. The Record Winter. 1997. Action Item. The Race. Cloak/Daggar. The Battle Royale.

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