Port O'Brien used to be one of my favorite SF Bay Area bands but they broke up a couple years ago. The lead singer, Van, went on to form this new band, WATERS and his songwriting is still excellent. We get compared to them a bit and it makes sense as I think our influences (both known and unknown) are similar: 90s grunge, Neil Young, Americana. You mix all those up in a blender and you get Modest Mouse, early M. Ward and more.

Regardless, this video captures a little bit of the energy of the Morning Benders one from a while back. Enjoy.

Rainywood - “River Day”

MUSIC I LOVE = Rainywood - Rainywood E.P.

This album is the first by the group that later went on to form BrightBlack Morning Light and release a couple of albums on Matador. They were originally a group of a couple folks from Alabama who made this amazing and amazingly chill album. I am from the South and this captures the laziness so well.

Originally I heard them as they opened for Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy on a hot springs tour (they based the tour on the locations of hot springs they wanted to go to). I actually used to see the piano player, Rachel, at the Farmer’s Market all the time in Berkeley. They lived in the woods somewhere near Bolinas and last I heard they were living in a teepee in New Mexico.

Geographer - “Paris”

One of our favorite Bay Area bands performing at BAMM.tv where we once had a session.

Not an Adele fan, but this was awesome. The whole Emma Stone SNL episode is pretty funny. She impressed.

“On Feathers & Arrows (on Burnt Pine)” by il gato

Live at the Crepe Place opening for David Bazan. Featuring accordion!

Video courtesy of Sonic Ambulance

NEW SONG ALERT

“Slap your Tongue” - Live at the Great American Music Hall. Soooooo fun!

James Blake + Bon Iver: “Fall Creek Boy’s Choir”

Sweet lord! The R&B. The Bon Iver. The dog barking?! I loved the Bon Iver album and have been ambiguous on James Blake, but this has got the “X” factor. It took awhile for me to post this, but you should see me rock out to this at work:  slow jamz in the house!

What our new album won’t sound like.

A new song, “The Minutes Excite”, at the Great American Music Hall in early September.

 Pacific NW Tour starts tomorrow!! MEDFORD, SEATTLE, EUGENE & PORTLAND. Hope to see you there.

“On Feathers & Arrows (on Burnt Pine)” in the West Texas desert.