Alt-Country

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Keaton Henson – “Sweetheart, What Have You Done To Us”

October 11, 2012 in Acoustic, Alt-Country, Indie by chase | No comments

Acoustic guitar is good for beards, or maybe vice versa

Keaton Henson wasn’t looking for people to listen to his music. An artist and poet from the suburbs of London, his first demos were recorded in the solitude of his home and meant as a gift for friends. Soon he was convinced to put them on the internet, leading to an outpouring of support and eventually signing with Radiohead’s agency, ATC. He’s an odd soul, afflicted with panic attacks since the age of 12 and reluctant to play many live gigs or do interviews.

Still, the beauty and pain that flows out of his music is creating a rabid fanbase that only continues to grow. “Sweetheart, What Have You Done To Us” is one of those incredibly rare, genuine songs that could only come from a place of deep sorrow. As one fan commented, “Whoever broke Keaton Henson’s heart did a damn good job of it.” And even though this music wasn’t originally intended for our ears, we’re grateful for it.

Ramona Falls – “Proof”

April 30, 2012 in Alt-Country, Electronic, Experimental, Folk, Indie, Indie Rock by chase | No comments

"This door needs a bird on it..."

With The Shins officially declaring to the world that they’ve lost their touch, it’s time for a new indie darling to emerge from Portland.  Enter Ramona Falls, an experimental indie rock band started by Brent Knopf, a former Menomena band member. They’re not experimental in the Ariel Pink sense, preferring to take the Yeasayer road of genre-melting.

They’ve got an album coming out tomorrow, and will be playing Cafe Du Nord on May 11th. In the meantime, you can catch some of their other moody jams on Facebook.

Flashback Friday: Jamie Lidell – “Compass”

October 7, 2011 in Alt-Country, Experimental, Flashback Friday, Soul by chase | No comments

Some things you just can't argue with

This is a fairly recent flashback, as Jamie Lidell’s “Compass” came out just last year. But hey, we’re on blogger time here. A world where Gorilla vs. Bear makes snotty comments to Chris Weingarten for waiting 5 days to comment on new music. By that definition this stuff is ancient!

Anyway, I digress and now on to a nerdy confession. The place I found this song was none other than one of my favorite video games, Red Dead Redemption. After you kill the final bad guy and are rewarded with the right to see your family again, protagonist John Marston traverses the Great Plains on his galloping horse toward home as this song sweetly fills the air.

And what a song! “Compass” initially strays from Lidell’s typical soul/funk/experimental sound to something very folky and country. I’d even go so far as to call it an underground classic love song. After a gorgeous 4 minutes he goes right into a Tom Waits style get-down for the last minute for a grand finale. Maybe it’s the context of the game in which I discovered it but this one leaves me breathless every time.

Jamie Lidell – “Compass” 

Find Jamie Lidell’s music on iTunes

Introducing: Xoe Wise – “Was It The Way”

September 7, 2011 in Alt-Country, Dream Pop, Indie, Pop by chase | 2 comments

An obvious case of ADD

Chicago-based singer-songwriter Xoe Wise is on a mission to break into the music scene, armed with a delightful full length, Echo. While billed as a dream pop artist, she’s more of a mixture between dream pop and country roots in what would otherwise be a stark dichotomy (no “Cotton-Eyed Joe” to be had here, folks). That is to say, Wise is more than just a girl with a guitar and a broken heart.

In fact, the whole offering comes off really sweet in a Taylor Swift-meets-Swedish music scene kind of way. The fluctuation between the acoustic strummings of songs like “NC101″ and synth-y pop of “Was It The Way” give her range to rest her consistently upbeat personality.

She’ll be performing tonight (9/7) at The Living Room and again Friday night at The National Underground. Definitely worth checking out if you get a chance (read: bring your girlfriends, they will love you for it).

Xoe Wise – “Was It The Way”

Support independent music and buy Echo now on iTunes

Music Monday: Mount Moriah – “Lament”

August 15, 2011 in Alt-Country, Folk, Indie by chase | 1 comment

Pfft... Scenesters

What happens when you combine artists with post-punk and heavy metal backgrounds? Apparently you get Grade A-mericana folk music. Heather McEntire and Jenks Miller combine to form Mount Moriah, whose debut album is spreading more aggressively than their previous guitar riffs. Their self-titled debut had premiered to rave reviews, and I am but one in an expansive sea of bloggers covering them right now.

“Lament” is arguably the most accessible song on their debut – an instant classic that will hook you long enough to delve into the superior songwriting and intricate instrumentalism of the rest of the album. Though, as she is oft-compared to Dolly Parton, the resemblance is never more clear than on this track, with McEntire’s voice delicately flirting with the clouds in that endlessly endearing way Parton mastered years ago.

As DJ Kool once said, “It ain’t where you from, it’s where you at.” Mount Moriah is right where they need to be.

Mount Moriah – “Lament”

Stream and purchase their self-titled debut on Bandcamp

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