Local Vertical

Introducing Mist and Mast

2009-11-27T22:40:00.002-05:00

The wonderfully subdued and melodic music belongs to Mist and Mast, a group of four musicians that combine to create a sound that is as flawless as it is catchy. Craig Adams, Bill French, Jason Lakis (whom you might know from The Red Thread) and Alex Steinhart comprise this Oakland, CA-based band and they've recently released their new self-recorded album Action At A Distance. While reading up on the band I've noticed they have earned comparisons to numerous bands, from Syd Barrett–era Pink Floyd to Beachwood Sparks. It could be the melodies, it could be the blends, it could be the lush nature of the music; there is something unique about their brand of music that makes it difficult to not want to hear it again. Highly recommended, even more addictive.

De Trop
Mist and Mast: Website • MySpace • An email address gets you the album free (no spam, opt-out available)

This Weeks' Kick-Ass Space Image

2009-11-27T20:12:00.003-05:00

Welcome Home Atlantis!

The Birthing • Baroness, from 2007's Red Album

New Music: Equestrienne by Neotropic

2009-11-27T16:31:00.010-05:00

Neotropic is the work of Riz Maslen and assorted friends. She does most of the writing, and instrument playing on her new incredibly hypnotic album, Equestrienne. A fixture on the electronic music scene since 1996, Riz' live shows are as much visual as audio and her tours throughout the world have taken the audience on a journey planned solely by Riz, as she incorporates slides and 8mm movies in her concerts. The new album is due to be released in December and is something you really should consider adding to your collection, regardless if it's your brand of music or not. Equestrienne includes 12 tracks, but they are as much twelve journeys as much as twelve songs. Choosing only one or two tracks to share from this awesome album was a real chore. Highly recommended.

Party Fears Too • Love & Hate
Neotropic: Website • MySpace • Neotropic music available here

From The Inbox: 27 November 2009

2009-11-27T12:26:00.028-05:00

Ah, yes Black Friday is finally here. That eagerly anticipated shopping day when normal everyday shoppers act out their Kill Bill fantasies by going into Shopper-With-Insane-Look-In-Eyes-Is-Locked-On-The-30%-Off-DVD-Player-And-Will-Trample-You-To-Get-It mode. At 4:00 in the morning. While guzzling a Starbucks Frappa-Latte-something. And charging it on that 29% APR Chase card they bitched to everyone in creation about. And must not forget it's "Happy Holidays", not "Merry Christmas"; don't offend the PC crowd (I guess they're okay with "Black Friday"). Let's try and mellow them out with some music...

• • • •

A nearly perfect folk-rock rock sound comes courtesy of Portland's Quiet Life. The usually-three-piece and sometimes-up-to-seven piece band has a 70's feel to their exquisite mix of harmonies and vocals. The "Neil influence" is evident and impressive.

Cave Country
Quiet Life • Quiet Life music available via Safety Meeting Records

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Another band with an extremely mellow slowcore sound is Washington DC-based Last Tide. The band recently finished their debut EP, The Broken Places, and it's a testament to the atmospheric genre. Their sound weaves delicately through a tapestry of melodies; simply wonderfully flowing.

The Aftertaste of Both
Last Tide • Available via Amazon

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Aintree is a two piece effort making sweet music that sounds like it's the work of a larger crowd. The Green Bay, WI based band has also recently completed a debut album and they are the proud owners of yet another highly-addictive sound. Highly recommended.

Gone Again Continental • Several Weeks Call Above The Bend
Aintree: Website • MySpace • Free downloads available here

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David Bernabo + Assembly feature some of the coolest album artwork you ever see; their new body of work, Happener-Magicker is on an even par. Two years in the making, it's a cyclonic mix of pop, jazz, rock, and even a bit of modern classical. Some of work on the new album detours into the music of Frank Zappa, Eberhard Weber, and Marvin Gaye to name a few. If the need to hear something totally different is tugging at you, this is at the end of the string. Also highly recommended.

Saxton
David Bernabo+Assembly: Website • Free album download here

• • • •

Cali's All of us/None of us has a wicked guitar-powered single out in advance of a new EP the band plans to launch in January (the single won't be on the album). We've featured the band previously and I'm really looking forward to the new release. AOS/NOS is the work for two, Eric Ray and R Tyck, and they've managed to make the distance between them a non-issue in their collaborations. If you aren't familiar with the band, they feature a bit of a Radiohead slant on their music. Nothing wrong with that.

All Of Us/None Of Us • Weaponize Our Love

Wishing You A

2009-11-26T04:54:00.000-05:00

Introducing Civil Twilight

2009-11-22T08:37:00.004-05:00

Civil Twilight is a alternative/rock band from Cape Town, South Africa. Their music has a wonderful lush and orchestral resonance to it and it is perfectly complimented with excellent lyrics. The image above is not their album cover, it's something I happened across that goes perfectly with the track shared below. Civil Twlight's self-titled new album was released late in the summer, and the band continues to earn praise for a wonderful body of work. Highly recommended.

Letters From The Sky
Civil Twilight: MySpace
Available via Amazon

From The Inbox Mixtape: 21 November 2009

2009-11-21T18:30:00.001-05:00

Needless to say, not having time to update the blog for a few weeks has allowed the inbox to grow to Rosie O'Donnell-sized proportions. There's no conceivable way I can get it all caught up in a reasonable amount of time with more coming in each day, so I'll just take the wuss way out and offer it up in mixtape form. I will hold back a couple that I'd like to feature in the coming days, so if you're a cyclops keep an eye out for that. If not a cyclops, keep both eyes out for it.

NEAR SIDE
New Sensation (INXS cover) • Snow Patrol, from Late Night Tales
Oakland 2008 • Beautiful Supermachines, from Shut Up
White Falcon Fuzz • The Mother Hips, from Pacific Dust
Slow Side • Mr.Gnome, from Heave Yer Skeleton
Moon Fallout • Dragon Turtle, from Almanac
Hand of God • Jason Boesel, from Hustler's Son (available January 2010)

FAR SIDE
Set Fire To The Hive • Karnivool, from Sound Awake (US release February 2010)
Civility • Project: Komakino, from The Struggle For Utopia
Simple Joys • Beautiful Small Machines, from Simple Joys Single EP
Testament • Xylos, from Bedrooms (free album download)
Never Meant To Hurt You • Kuba Oms, from How Much Time
Magnetic North • Fin Fang Foom, from Monomyth

Visual Audio: Ramona Falls, I Say Fever

2009-11-21T17:11:00.005-05:00

This is just unreal. The band is Oregon's Ramona Falls.

This Weeks' Kick-Ass Space Image

2009-11-20T16:48:00.003-05:00

Alright, let's wake this blog from the dead.

Mountain Man, from the Crash Kings self-titled debut album

And Now...A Pause

2009-11-01T10:19:00.004-05:00

The work schedule the next few weeks will be even more intense than it usually is, and I feel the need to put Local Vertical on the back burner for a short time. If all goes according I may resume posting shortly after the November 16th launch of Atlantis. For those that have sent music for review and consideration, I would appreciate your patience and understanding and will effort to get caught up as soon as possible. And to our readers, please look for a return soon. Thanks!

Reintroducing Codes In The Clouds

2009-11-01T00:19:00.004-04:00

Even though we just had a mention of them about a month ago, the music from the UK's Codes In The Clouds new album, Paper Canyon, is just so good it deserves another post. It's some of the best post-rock I've ever heard, their compositions just seem so naturally perfect. Hard to believe this album was put together in just a few days. Highly recommended.

Fractures
Codes In The Clouds: MySpace • Paper Canyon is available via Erased Tapes

From The Blogroll: 31 October 2009

2009-10-31T21:34:00.003-04:00

Good Rockin' Tonight...Halloween Party Music
Speed of Dark...Halloween Mix, Part 5
The Devil Has The Best Tuna...Happy Halloween
The Midnight Tracker...Something for the Season

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T05:00:00.009-04:00

Four hideous faces, four songs for the day. No tricks here!

Buy: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4

More From: Quest For Fire

2009-10-30T20:49:00.007-04:00

Quest for Fire's recent June release of their self-titled debut album still has people talking. Their 10+ minute sonic assaults are old school classic rock and psychedelia at their gritty finest. We first mentioned them before the release and the offered track Bison Eyes was one of the most downloaded/played tracks we had offered. Since you can never get enough of a good thing, feel free to immerse yourself in Hawk That Hunts The Walking.

Hawk That Hunts The Walking
Quest For Fire: MySpace • Available via Tee Pee Records

It's A Hugo Frusslinky Friday!

2009-10-30T17:46:00.003-04:00

On this Halloween eve, I present to you a gift, ~~these two droids~~...um, hang on. Actually, it's one of my favorite lady vocalists on the planet, the lovely and talented and not-really-as-threatening-as-she-sounds Heather McCallum. Got an email from my buddy Jono not Bono-whom I swear if I could sneak someone on a deep space probe it would be him as his guitars would wake a galaxy-and he's sent along a new track, Stone, from the band. If you aren't familiar with the U.K.'s Hugo Frusslinky, go back in time to this post and you'll get an idea how much I like this bunch. Besides some totally rockus music, any band that includes some type of fowl on an album cover has to be taken seriously. Well, maybe that's a stretch but you can't deny their music is brutally well done. If you are in and around London, they should be playing in some nearby club, pub or basement. And I guarantee you'll have no problem finding them, their sound will see to that.

Hugo Frusslinky • Stone • Fatty Boom Boom

This Weeks' Kick-Ass Space Image

2009-10-28T17:44:00.003-04:00

Well, needless to say it's been an incredible day. To help take something that was only on paper three years ago and watch it come to life and fly straight and true is a feeling I just can't adequately describe. It was just emotional as hell, most of the team was near tears but success combined with relief will do that. I'm just so humbly proud to be a part of such a wonderful, bright and dedicated group of people as those that commit their energies to our space program. Without a doubt, it was the most beautiful rocket launch I've ever seen. It's a big, majestic and glorious rocket with a soul and it came to life today. This is the future, this is for you, this is just so damn fantastic. We can't stay down here forever; it's such a big universe, it was put here for us to go explore, not fear. I just feel so damn proud to be a part of this, you folks just have no idea.

Before Tomorrow Comes • Alter Bridge, from Blackbird

From The Inbox: 25 October 2009

2009-10-25T08:59:00.012-04:00

A couple of Seattle artists have new albums out via Cheap Lullaby Records. Tim Wilson and Ryan Carbary are Ivan & Alyosha(I wonder why they couldn't just be Tim and Ryan?) and their new album is called The Verse, The Chorus. It's getting terrific reviews and some comparisons to a slower variation of the The Shins, which can't be a bad thing. Call me overworked, but it even sounds a little early Beatles-esque to me.

Josh Ottum and a rather large group of musicians, including a couple borrowed from Sufjan Stevens, have put together a rather adventurous album called Like The Season. It's their debut album and it has a fine 70's melodic pop sound to it that will fill any room it's being played in.

Ivan & Alyosha • Beautiful Lie
Josh Ottum • It's Alright
Both albums available via Cheap Lullaby Records

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Nebula seems to do this brand of music as well if not better than most everyone that tries; we'll strengthen the argument by offering another track of their July release of Heavy Psyche. If you play this really loud while the neighborhood kids contemplate knocking on your door for Mars bars this Halloween, you'll likely hear them saying this.

Aphrodite
Nebula: Website • MySpace • Available via Tee Pee Records

• • • •

The more I hear it, the more I really like this sound too. It's from the new album Over The Stones, Under The Stars from Ned Collette + Wirewalker. The Melbourne, Australia three-piece group's music is just great to listen to due to the simplicity of it, yet nothing detracts from the pace of it. The band has already earned a sizeable U.S. following and will continue touring the globe in support of the recently-released(October 23rd) album.

Come Clean
Ned Collette + Wirewalker: Website • MySpace • Available via Remote Control

• • • •

Ravens & Chimes is one of my favorite bands I've found due to this blog. They are in the middle of recording a new album and has sent over a track to share as a tease of what's coming. Their 2007 release, Reichenbach Falls, was fantastic and I'm sure what they are putting together will surpass that. They recently had a CMJ show and had I not been so busy lately, I would have told you that before the show, not after. So that's kind of pointless. When we get word of the album release, we'll pass it along. Before it comes out.

Hearts of Palm
Ravens and Chimes: Website • MySpace • Reichenbach Falls available via Amazon

New Music: Little Fish, Darling Dear

2009-10-24T21:04:00.004-04:00

If you plan to follow any musical act this year as they ascend up the charts, you could do worse than Little Fish. Fronted by JuJu (who didn't even pick up a guitar until college), she's taking female rock to a rarified level. Joined by drummer/percussionist Nez, Juju is earning impressive comparisons to Patti Smith and PJ Harvey and likely will continue to do so as long as the UK duo (assisted by Levi French on keyboards) pumps out music like this. This is raw, no-pretense rock by a woman who gets it. And gets it right. Highly recommended.

Darling Dear
Little Fish: MySpace • Available via Amazon

Visual Audio: Royal Chant, Somedays

2009-10-24T20:40:00.008-04:00

By popular demand (right), we've brought back the most popular header in the history of this blog. By even more popular demand (seriously!), we've got another video by Mark Spence and Royal Chant. This video gives me Tom Petty-Don't Come Around Here No More flashbacks. God help the sheep.

Music Royale

2009-10-24T19:54:00.006-04:00

I think pretty much everyone's heard of the Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Rainbow-Wizard of Oz connection. One of my all-time favorite movies is the 1967 original version of Casino Royale. I guess if I ever get the urge to try music-movie synchronization, that movie and this music might just do the trick. Or maybe not.

Slap On The Face • Blue Jungle, from Baby Don't Cry
Gimme Money • Electric Tickle Machine • , from Blew It Again
Ticket Away From Prague • Hotchacha, from The World's Hardest Working Telescope and the Violent Birth of Stars
She Walks Downtown • Kill The Dandies!, from I Saw White Fields
Love Etc. • System and Station, from I'm Here To Kill

This Weeks' Kick-Ass Space Image

2009-10-21T16:45:00.007-04:00

Lately, from Day of Fire's upcoming album, Losing All (January 26, 2010)

From The Inbox: 10.17.09

2009-10-17T16:04:00.003-04:00

Before we dive into some new music, I just want to wish Merz, author of the fine blog Mars Needs Guitars, best of luck as he deals with some personal issues. Merz, I'm just right up US1; if there's anything I can do to help out, just send up a flare. Actually, pyrotechnics aren't really necessary...just send me an email and I'll be there for you any way I can bro.

• • • •

Cleeman is a one-man project comprised of Danish downtempo singer and multi-instrumentalist Gunnar Cleeman. His new CD, titled 45 Minutes Mostly About Caring, is as unique and interesting as pop music comes, and there's a certain genius to his work. Lush vocals gently woven among calming instruments are his hallmark and make for a rather charming album that relaxes as well as reassures. With songs titles such as Ambitious, Righteous, and Optimist, how could it not? Excellent.

Ambitious
Cleeman: MySpace • 45 Minutes Mostly About Caring available via Series Two Records

• • • •

Brian Ward is best known for his simple, emotional songwriting delivered by floating vocals that are some of the most melodic yet intense you'll hear. From Columbus, Ohio, Brian has earned and enjoyed a substantial online following and his new release Only In The Mornings: Hubert, is an impressive texture of raw acoustics and ambient guitars with his vocals the tender final touch. Even if you are not a fan of the genre, this album will still capture your ear the first time you listen to it.

Trapped Windows
Only In The Mornings: MySpace • CD Baby has Only In The Mornings: Hubert

• • • •

Philadelphia indie-pop band The Swimmers will release their second album, People Are Soft, on November 3rd and it's almost as much a debut album as the band has reinvented itself through a very refined sound. Featuring distorted hooks, crushing guitars and reverb trails in their refined mixes, The Swimmers have made a triumphant effort with the music of the album and are definitely a band to watch if they keep creating music this alluring. Save Me is typical of the pounding choruses of their music, which the band recorded entirely themselves. Very well done, should be a well-received release.

Save Me(From The Brightness)
The Swimmers: Website • MySpace • Watch Mad Dragon Records for the release

• • • •

The Heavy's Sophomore Album, The House That Dirt Built Is Out and to no surprise, the band continues to outdo itself with each release. Doesn't matter if it sounds genre-bending or musically schizophrenic. It just sounds great.

Short Change Hero
The Heavy: MySpace • The House That Dirt Built available via iTunes

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Freaky gorgeous: Titiyo's new album Hidden. Her first album since 2001’s chart-topping Come Along LP, it's a far cry from the common sounds of your everyday Swedish indie pop. But that's the beauty of it, no?

Crystal Clear Mud
Titiyo: MySpace • Available via Despotz Records

• • • •

The Little Death will take you back in time when 60's rock bands discovered the Blues, and take their individual rock roots and drown themselves in the deep south sound. Everything about the band screams a grassroots time period and blends a sound sharing their love of raw blues, soul, and psychedelic rock. Recording nearly every song in three takes or less in order to capture the fervor of their live performance, and recording to tape to encapsulate the rich sound of yesteryear, their self-titled debut is best heard loud.

Gather Round
The Little Death: Website • MySpace • Debut Album available via the band's store

Local Video: v5

2009-10-17T14:02:00.009-04:00

The latest effort of combining time-lapse video and appropriate music. Hope you enjoy it!

The Never-Left Return of Ryan Costello

2009-10-17T11:18:00.005-04:00

If you consider yourself some sort of historian, you might recall a post featuring an Orlando band called The OaKs, a six-piece indie folk band whose music was as smooth as silk and just as fine. The band has put themselves on hiatus while the members each follow different paths that hopefully will lead them back to each other some day, as The OaKs music was something really special. The news is not all bad by any means however, as former OaKs lead singer Ryan Costello will be releasing a solo album on October 20th. Appropriately titled After The Fire, the album features music mainly folk-based yet tinged with electronic elements. The music from the new album and Ryan's Paul Simon-esque voice immediately serve to sooth that while The OakS may not be around as a group right now, the elements that made the band are still in great form and doing what they do best: making near-perfect music. The alum is a rebirth of sorts, rebuilding the human spirit while continuing to share the gift of Ryan's voice that is almost singular in nature. We've had the privilege of hearing the entire album, and choosing just one track to share was a real challenge. A great body of work, highly recommended.

The Thief
Ryan Costello: Website • MySpace • After The Fire available via Amazon

Introducing Skeletons With Flesh On Them

2009-10-11T10:38:00.007-04:00

How to make a successful album:

1-Come up with a name people will remember.
Check.

2-Assemble four really good musicians.
Check.

3-Pick a genre, then damn near reinvent it with some unique as hell music.
Check.

4-Compose and produce a full-length and release it regardless if signed to a label or not.
Check.

5-Base the band in Seattle; instant credibility.
Check.

6-Hang out with the guys in the band Stencil.
Hmmm...

The band is called Skeletons with Flesh On Them; you won't forget that name. Four guys-Neal, Scott, Devon and Lucas-have written and produced some of the best melodic chamber rock I've ever heard. Thirteen tracks that individually stand on their own and collectively make one awesome full-length. There is no musical justice if this band doesn't get the recognition they deserve for this release. The CD is called All The Other Animals, and it really needs to be in your music collection. Highly recommended.

Ten Times
Skeletons with Flesh On Them: MySpace • CD Baby has All The Other Animals