Mountaineer

It's 2007 and with Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse, Feist, LCD Soundsystem, Panda Bear, etc. all releasing new material, it's hard to listen to anything else. But, I have stumbled upon an act that has yet to release anything in 2007, yet I'm stuck on them just as much as any of the acts mentioned above.

The 2006 Sleeper Album of the Year goes to Mountaineer.

Released by Type Recordings on October 17th, When the Air is Bright They Shine is a beautiful record. I must have just overlooked this album because I was either too busy listening to Electric President over and over or I was concentrating on my studies. I'll go with the first one, just because I don't like to front. Now Henning Wandhoff on the other hand, really doesn't like to front. You can tell he doesn't want to go too far of course with his musical structure, or veer into a genre he may not be suitable for. He knows what he wants to bring forth with his prolific songwriting and harmonized voice. Comparisons include, Sam Beam (of the Iron and Wine fame) and Erlend Øye (of the Kings of Convenience fame)

On the song "Morning Mist" Henning croons

"The day is fast / And I am slow / But I walk steadily /
The rain will wash my face / And sand is gonna cover me"

This could possibly be the best chorus written in the year of 2006.
With it's joyus slur, it sounds as if there could be nothing else said in the entire song and it would still be utterly solid. But with this being a repeated chorus, it makes one of the best songs, on one of the most, if not the most underrated album of 2006

MP3's

Morning Mist

A Town Called Ivanhoe

Eliza (A Day For Every Hour)

Radical Face

Ben Cooper is a very talented 24 year old man. Maybe the most talented man recording in the shed behind his parents house. Last year him and Alex Kane put out my favorite album of the year.

This time around he's trying things solo, under the moniker Radical Face. He will be releasing Ghost through Morr Music on March 20th.

Yes, I am very stoked about this album, and yes, it is very critical as to how it is going to match up to Electric President's Self-Titled. But no, I do not have any doubts.

Optimism will prevail and I'm sure Ghost will explore a little more folk, found sound, and different varieties of music that will captivate the listener and keep the timely lyrics and solid instrumentation secure.

MP3's

Radical Face - Glory

Radical Face - Welcome Home

Radical Face - Wrapped In Piano Strings

Last Days of April

Back in 2005 Samantha posted on the Last Days of April. A handful of months have passed, a lot of coffee has been drank, a lot of people have gotten drunk, and a lot of trees have grown and gone.

And now I'll do the same.

Karl Larsson is the main creative figure behind this project, along with his solo work. He and the band are from Stolkholm, Sweden.

MP3's

Last Days of April - The Days That I Recall Being Wonderful

Last Days of April - Will The Violins Be Playing?

Last Days of April - It's On Everything

Last Days of April - Live The End

The Twilight Sad

The Twilight Sad were formed in 2003 and they are from the same geographical location as my way of life. Therefore, nothing. But I will tell you that they touch me in a much different way.

They are currently signed to FatCat records.

MP3's

The Twilight Sad - That Summer, At Home I Had Become The Invisible Boy

The Twilight Sad - And She Would Darken the Memory

The Twilight Sad - 3 Seconds Of Dead Air


Special Thanks To :

Girlpants & The Yellow Stereo

Skateboarding

Today I woke up, and went directly to the gym. After I worked out, talked to some of my friends and chased some girls I met up with my friend Nate and we went skateboarding.

Nate had me listen to:

Weezer - Pink Triangle
&
Weezer - El Scorcho

And I had him listen to:

TV on the Radio - Wolf Like Me
&
The Spinto Band - Oh Mandy

Inlets

Sebastian Krueger is Inlets. He is also is the band My Brightest Diamond (backing up Shara Worden) Sebastian was brought up in Madison, Wisconsin and has been coming up with lo-fi bedroom recording ideas for some time. He has since released an EP entitled Vestibule. This EP is made up of multi-layered recordings, hushed vocals, heart of sleeve imagery and short-timed moments of serenity that seem to bloom into more of an organized sound that presses lightly on the ears, and never seems to go unnoticed.

Vestibule EP

Pictures of Trees

Decks, Up and Above

Straphanger

See Her, Seer

Roots on Sidewalks

Threads

Sunfed Shapes

You Are an Effigy

Ambulance LTD

Ambulance LTD - New English

Since the critically acclaimed LP (released in 2004) NY, New York's Ambulance LTD have only released a single EP titled New English. Though the band was formed in Spanish Harlem, New York in 2000, by singer and guitarist Marcus Congleton , Matt Dublin (bass), Andrew Haskell (keyboards), Benji Lysaght (guitar) and Darren Beckett (drums) all the members other than Marcus have left. (forming The Red Romance)

While rumors speculate a collaboration between the Velvet Underground's John Cale who's last collaboration was Le Bataclan '72 with Lou Reed & Nico, the two people who helped redefine an era and most of all, they got people making music, starting bands, etc.

It's a one man band now, hard to believe but true. Maybe we could see a little light at the end of the tunnel (that is if John Cale is still as bright as we know him to be)

MP3's

Ambulance LTD - Ophelia

Ambulance LTD - Heavy Lifting

Ambulance LTD - Stay Where You Are

Ambulance LTD - Primitive (The Way I Treat You)


A Special Thanks To:

CHRIS NEILES & THE BLUE WALRUS