Kroda: Schwarzpfad (4.5/5)

Joshua's Top 10 Albums from 2011

#10 of 10

Year: 2011

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

Label: Purity Through Fire

TRT: 50:40

There's something very primal about Kroda. Hailing from The Ukraine, they incorporate a lot of the rich folk history of their country into their works, both through the instruments used and the lore reiterated. There's an undeniable beauty to their work, in both the cacophony and the quiet. This is a very memorable release with plenty of replay value.

01 Schwarzpfad I (First Snow)

02 Schwarzpfad II (Universal Provenances)

03 Schwarzpfad III (Forefather of Hangmen)

04 Schwarzpfad IV (Heil Ragnarok!)

05 Schwarzpfad V (Cold Aurora)

Search Amazon for Kroda

Other Lives: Tamer Animals (4.5/5)

Joshua's Top 10 Albums of 2011

#9 of 10

Year: 2011

Genre: Western Folk Dream Pop

Label: TBD

TRT: 40:16

For 12 was recommended to me for a compilation I was putting together. The compilation fell through, but I fell for this song, and immediately checked out the rest of the album. What we have here is a band that at times reminds me of Mumford and Sons, sometimes Bon Iver, maybe even a little Radiohead, yet their clear vision and western slant make their sound unique and refreshing. I doubt these folks will stay under the radar long, since they're currently touring with Radiohead (as well as being released on their imprint), which is good, because we need more high profile quality music on the airwaves.

01 Dark Horse

02 As I Lay My Head Down

03 For 12

04 Tamer Animals

05 Dust Bowl III

06 Weather

07 Old Statues

08 Woodwind

09 Desert

10 Landforms

11 Head East

Search Amazon for Other Lives

The Mountain Goats: The Life of the World to Come (4/5)

Year: 2009
Genre: Singer/Songwriter Indie Folk Rock
Label: 4AD
TRT: 43:08

In my youth, lyrics were very important to me, as important or more so than any other part of the composition. At some point in my musical journey, their importance dropped off dramatically. I think it was a combination of growing up and also being exposed to more and more great music with terrible or lackluster lyrics.

The Mountain Goats joins the elite few bands/artists that remind me what a joy it is to actually dwell on a songs' content in addition to its sound.

On this album, John Darnielle takes the inspiration for each song from a different bible verse, and tries to transpose the scriptures meaning into a context relevant to our current world. Some of these are extremely poignant and thought provoking (such as the utterly soul-crushing Matthew 25:21), and some leave you with a quirk of a smile at how he drew the connection (the slightly creepy and off-the-wall Genesis 3:23), but all of them make you stop and think, the seed verse adding an entirely new level of depth to the already well written songs.

Darnielle has been releasing albums under The Mountain Goats moniker for twenty years, and I'd been told numerous times in the last six or seven that it would behoove me to check him out. Well better late than never, and I'm giddy with excitement to dig into the breadth and depth of his massive back catalog. Don't make the same mistake as I did, listen to this immediately.

01	1 Samuel 15:23
02	Psalms 40:2
03	Genesis 3:23
04	Philippians 3:20-21
05	Hebrews 11:40
06	Genesis 30:3
07	Romans 10:9
08	1 John 4:16
09	Matthew 25:21
10	Deuteronomy 2:10
11	Isaiah 45:23
12	Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace

Search Amazon for The Mountain Goats

Natural Snow Buildings: The Centauri Agent (4/5)

Joshua's Top Ten "Not Metal" Picks for 2010
#10 of 10




Year: 2010
Genre: Psychedelic Folk Drone
Label: Vulpiano
TRT: 106:57

A Massive 2-disc venture, Natural Snow Buildings creates a unique vastness, an expanse unparalleled by anything but their own catalog. This is the soundtrack for swirling endlessly through the vacuum of space.

Disc 1

o1	Our Man From Centauri
o2	The Accidental Remote Viewer

Disc 2

01	The Psychic Circle/Uchronia
02	Black Holes
03	The Storm of Resurrection
04	Moscow Signal
05	Phantom Twin
06	Stuttering Probe
07	Solar Flares
08	Emergency Network Farewell Broadcast
09	Memories Found in a Bill From a Small Animal Vet

Natural Snow Buildings on Vulpiano Records

The River Empires: The River Empires (Epilogue) (5/5)

Joshua's Top Ten "Not Metal" Picks for 2010
#1 of 10 (Album of the Year)



Year: 2010
Genre: Whimsical Cinematic Indie Folk Orchestration
Label: Self Released
TRT: 88:41

Jesse Ribordy and company came out of nowhere this year, and launched what could turn out to be one of the most epic series of releases of the decade, and perhaps of all time, if fully realized. I know that sounds a bit presumptuous, but after dozens and dozens of start-to-finish listens to this 88 minute masterpiece, I can come to no other conclusion.

The River Empires (Epilogue) is, as the title implies, a summary of the larger tale, which is scheduled to be released in reverse order over the next 3-5 years in the form of three more double disc sets. Additionally, these sets are meant to be soundtracks for three movies (though it now seems Ribordy is leaning toward as mini-series instead to avoid the possibility of one movie getting picked up and the others left to the wayside), telling the tale of "two children who, during one particular summer, find a glass bottle with a message in it that changes their lives forever." As a summary, the Epilogue makes little sense since we don't yet know the story, but once the narrative is complete, it's intended to be "a nostalgic look back on the beginning of a strange and terrifying idea called The River Empires."

The length of this release might seem daunting at first, but after 2 or 3 full listens, recurring themes and motifs begin to emerge, and the tantalizing lack of details will begin to take root in your mind. Ribordy and Crescenzo (The Dear Hunter) utilize a plethora of instruments, including the banjo, piano, xylophone, various strings...with the notable absence of guitar for all but a few tracks. This gives a very cinematic feel to the recording, and it's not at all hard to imagine it working as a film accompaniment. Imagine a marriage of Anathallo, Sufjan Stevens and (unsurprisingly) The Dear Hunter, and you'll have a bit of an idea of their sound, but hardly a complete picture of it.

Sometimes innocent, sometimes sinister, As dark as it is beautiful, this is the beginning (end) of something vast. A massive undertaking to say the least, but if they can pull it off i have no doubt The River Empires will go down as one of most ambitious visionaries of our generation.

Disc 1

01	The River Empires Theme I
02	Overture in Thales Summer
03	Our Neighbor, the Earth
04	The Coventry
05	Galloping Through Day Blooms
06	The Harbourland
07	From Faye to Astral
08	A Toast to the Snake King
09	The First Message
10	Catacombs and Orchards
11	Three Tigers
12	The Stag Hollow Fair
13	Lull Of Celeste
14	From Outside the Cellar
15	Vcias in the Pines
16	A Dimmer Lux
17	Lillius

Disc 2

01	Witches Blossom
02	The Curse of Maybel Cains
03	Wildbriar
04	The Motorbike
05	The Pelican
06	The Backyard in Sparkles
07	Land of Canoes
08	Theon, the Fox
09	An Elliptic Figure From Borelli
10	The Marching of the Clocks
11	The Woods of Northland
12	The River Empires Theme II

Visit The River Empires Bandcamp Page

Sol / Blóðtrú: Old Europa Death Chants (4.5/5)

Joshua's Top Ten "Metal" Picks for 2010
#6 of 10



Year: 2010
Genre: Atmospheric Funeral Folk Doom
Label: Paradigms
TRT: 77:34

"Old Europa Death Chants". With a title like that, my attention was immediately piqued, and rightly so. This collaboration of two Danish bands who's body of work falls in the realm of "doom", you sort of think you might have an idea of what they might do together. But that idea is like a rough pencil sketch of the Sistine Chapel. This is a very unique beast.

The pacing is a little strange, and at 77 minutes, a full listen is a commitment, but by the end, you'll feel it was time well spent, and look forward to the next time you take the journey. It's mammoth, serpentine, and oceanic.

01 Alone
02 Crippled by Emotions We Die in Solitude
03 The Dusk of Man: The Dawn of the Beasts
04 Where Did We Fall
05 A Golden Horse
06 Death Chants for Old Europa

Search Amazon for Sol / Blóðtrú

Nancy Elizabeth: Wrought Iron (4.5/5)

Year: 2009
Genre: Acoustic, Folk
Label: Leaf
TRT: 41:15

So, I came across this cd just a week or so ago. And really, I’m not sure why it has taken me so long to listen to it since I’m such a huge fan of her 2007 debut cd, Battle and Victory. After listening to Wrought Iron for the first time, I wanted to kick myself for not listening to it sooner. To give myself some credit, I began to play it at the perfect time- for me anyways. I happened to be driving down this windy country road, admiring the trees (all a different shade of autumn,) and becoming slightly sad because as I watched each leaf fall, the trees themselves looked closer to death than they did the previous day. But, inside my car was this beautiful melody coming across the speakers which seemed to give a sense of closure to the life of each leaf I saw fall. And as time progressed, I was able to hear a muted elegance that made my drive worthwhile.

In her sophomore album, Nancy Elizabeth has taken a more simplistic stance than compared to her first album. She uses instruments such as the piano, guitar, glockenspiel, and vibraphone (among others) to create a rich yet gentle composition. However, none of these compare to her tender and clear voice, which at times is just mesmerizing. Wrought Iron draws the listener in, often evoking a sense of melancholy and peace- from the mostly instrumental opening track, to the overall warmth the album seems to radiate. All too much alike the scenery from the country road I happened to turn onto, Wrought Iron is a natural beauty.

01 Cairns
02 Bring On The Hurricane
03 Tow The Line
04 Feet Of Courage
05 Diving
06 Cat Bells
07 Canopy
08 Lay Low
09 The Act
10 Ruins
11 Winter, Baby

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Eluveitie: Slania (4/5)

Year: 2008
Genre: Celtic Death Metal
Label: Twilight
TRT: 50:05

The word “folk” followed by the word “metal”, has historically caused me to roll my eyes and ignore a band. With good reason I’d say, as nearly every time I cave and say to myself “well maybe THIS one will be good”, it isn’t. On paper it seems like it would be great. Metal accompanied by folk instruments? Hell yeah! Bring it on! Sadly, it’s always the same thing: a mediocre metal band trying to be “interesting” or “different” or “unique” by incorporating mediocre “folk” sections, often even those are synthesized, giving them an even more artificial feel.

So even after being burned time after time, I always kept a small spark of hope alive in a dusty corner of my mind…because on paper, folk metal should be amazing. And I finally found the band I was looking for all along.

Eluveitie (pronounced “El-vay-tee”) hail from Switzerland, and consist of eight to ten musicians. Their name is Gaulish, and means “I am the Helvetian”, which is taken from an inscription dating back to the Celtic Helveti tribe, the first settlers of what is now Switzerland. Many of their lyrics are also in this extinct tongue, taken from prayers, incantations, and other spiritual writings from that time.

Among the instruments represented in the band are mandolin, several different types of flute, violin and fiddle, bagpipes…et cetera. They also have a dedicated Hurdy Gurdy player. Which is all well and good, but now we get to the reason they actually pull off “folk metal” with flying colors: They can actually play some fucking death metal.

Slania was the first album I heard from them, and perfectly blends the whirling Celtic melodies, traditional folk songs from their own country, and their own take on the Gothenburg-style of melodic death metal. They make use of both clean and growled male vocals, mixing in some female vocals at times to add even more contrast. It’s their ability to balance all these different elements, and form them into a cohesive entity that impresses me, and keeps me interested past the “gimmick” appeal that had kept me from checking them out sooner. They've figured out how to make two drastically different sounds work together beautifully, without ever sounding cheesy or forced. Nothing is present just to be present. Every part of every song is there because it's supposed to be there.

And that's why it's fuckin' awesome.

01 Samon
02 Primordial Breath
03 Inis Mona
04 Gray Sublime Archon
05 Anagantios
06 Bloodstained Ground
07 The Somber Lay
08 Slania's Song
09 Giamonios
10 Tarvos
11 Calling the Rain
12 Elembivos
13 Samon (acoustic)

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Klever: In the Name of Peace and Progress (4.5/5)

Year: 2005
Genre: Progressive Post-Rock
Label: Self Released
TRT: 43:54

Post-rock has been in its death-throes for a while now, with countless bands popping up everywhere, but contributing nothing to further the sound. But every time I think “that’s it, that’s the last post-rock album I’m going to waste my time on”, I stumble on one like this.

Hailing from the frozen tundra of St. Petersburg, they pull from their roots by using many traditional Russian folk instruments (such as the zhalejka horn), as well as an assortment of flutes, strings and other more esoteric instruments, giving their compositions a decidedly prominent folk twist that helps keep your ears on their proverbial toes.

I’m definitely buying their album (if I can ever get them to reply to me), because I want more material from this innovative group of musicians. I hope you do too.

01 Trip #1
02 Trip #2
03 Trip #3
04 Trip #4
05 Trip #5


http://www.myspace.com/kleverrr

Natural Snow Buildings: Ghost Folks (4.5/5)

Year: 2003
Genre: Psychedelic Folk Drone
Label: Hinah
TRT: 58:53


It’s been a few months since I was first introduced to this collaboration, and even with a good deal of dedicated listening, I’m still not even close to scratching the surface of their discography. In the past couple years, they’ve released a staggering amount of material, not just in number of albums, but also in breadth of content. Most are two disc sets, with each disc containing 70+ minutes of aural stimulation. That in and of it’s self is quite overwhelming on paper, but then when one actually starts listening…

I’ve chosen this album to review because so far it’s been the easiest to digest, clocking in at a mere 50 some minutes. But even so, I’m pressed for words to describe it. Well, that’s not entirely true. I could say “they are creating music that is outside the realm of consciousness. Ok maybe not quite, but the stark beauty here is delayed quicksand that you don't even realize you're sinking into until you're up to your mouth and begin to suffocate until you realize it's not sand but cosmic awareness of immense satisfaction.” but that still doesn’t really come close to unpacking and really grasping their material.

One thing I did realize whilst listening to this album, is my love for spoken word parts that are buried in the mix, and just give you a sense of “otherness”, that perhaps something is going on just outside your perception that you probably should pay attention to, yet can’t quite delineate. It’s unsettling, but it also sucks you in, and helps you connect with the recordings on a deeper level than you might otherwise. I love that.

So here it is, your entry point to a vast amassing of music that will confuse and unsettle you, and that you may never quite “get”. But for me at least, that’s all the more incentive to open the door and take the first step down the abandoned corridor, where one day has just died, and another has just begun.

01 Nuclear Winter (Dispatches)
02 If I Can Find My Way Though the Darkness...
03 ... I Came Down Here
04 Sun
05 The Haunted Falls (Let Us Now Praise Harry Powell)
06 Fallen Lords We Riding Half Horses
07 With a Stolen Red Lipstick Bible on Her Side
08 They are Still Hanging Around
09 (...)
10 Guns & Rifles
11 Nuclear Winter

Cry about not being able to buy it here

Espers: III (4.5/5)

Joshua's Non-Metal Picks for 2009
#6 of 10



Year: 2009
Genre: Psychedelic Folk Rock
Label: Drag City
TRT: 47:25

It's getting to the point where I think this band can do no wrong.

Three full lengths and an EP, and not a single misstep anywhere to be found. They have truly mastered their craft.

Their craft of course being trippy psych folk that refuse to dip into the realm of "freak folk for the sake of being called freak folk". They also manage to maintain a "classic folk" vibe, even though the things they're doing are quite progressive and modern.

Meg Baird continues to wow with her angelic voice leading the way, with front man Greg Weeks chiming in from time to time. The music isn't as "bombastic" as it was at times on II, which was a little disappointing, but this album is still absolutely gorgeous.

01 I Can't See Clear
02 The Road of Golden Dust
03 Caroline
04 The Pearl
05 That Which Darkly Thrives
06 Sightings
07 Meridian
08 Another Moon Song
09 Colony
10 Trollslända

Search Amazon for Espers

The Avett Brothers: I and Love and You (4/5)

Jonathan's #20 out of 20 Album of 2009



Year: 2009
Label: Columbia
Genre: Americana Folk
TRT: 50:42

This is a down-home harmonized folk album we have here. It's very intimate and has a lot of thoughtful lyrics to ponder. A good amount of tracks on the album have an old-timey feeling that's pretty cool, although I will say it may keep me from listening to this album too much. Also, I don't quite understand what it is I'm looking at on the cover but it's kind of disturbing in a way...maybe that's the point

"Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promise" is by far my favorite song on this album...It has a great organ sound....and the way the song is written just pulls you into the parts they're about to go into really well. This is a pretty solid album overall...with an exception of a couple songs.

01 I and Love and You
02 January Wedding
03 Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promise
04 And It Spread
05 Perfect Space
06 Ten Thousand Words
07 Kick Drum Heart
08 Laundry Room
09 I'll With Want
10 Tin Man
11 Slight Figure of Speech
12 It Goes On and On
13 Incomplete and Insecure

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Sin Fang Bous: Clangour (4/5)

Jonathan's #16 out of 20 Album of 2009



Year: 2009
Label: Morr
Genre: Psychedelic Indie Pop
TRT: 43:31

I heard this album really early in the year and I really liked it then...but as the year went on it started slipping back behind other recordings. I still really like it as it has made my list, but I've also heard it enough to form a solid opinion. For a one-man operation it is definitely well executed and there are a lot of interesting sounds going on. I like his tasteful use of heavy reverb in certain areas....also his smooth voice gives the entire recording a reserved mellow feel. I personally would have liked a little more variation in the beats made for this record and his vocal runs sound very similar to each other....but I can imagine that this was all part of the vibe he was going for. It's a good listen to come back to every now and again.

01 Advent in Ives Garden
02 The Jubilee Courses
03 Catch the Light
04 Sinker Ships
05 Melt Down the Knives
06 Clangour and Flutes
07 We Belong
08 Carry Me Up to Smell Pine
09 A Fire to Sleep In
10 Fafafa
11 Poirot
12 Lies

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The Pines: Tremolo (4/5)

Jonathan's #15 out of 20 Album of 2009



Year: 2009
Label: Red House
Genre: Folk Rock
TRT: 45:22

I don't think many people know about this release and I don't know if they ever will, but fans of Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band should definitely give this a listen. The vocalist sounds a lot like Oberst...but I'll give it to him he definitely has his own flavor of the tremolo quiver. The title of the album comes into play here obviously...but his voice isn't the only thing with the tremolo effect. The slide guitar is effectively used throughout the recording...especially when you think a song is about to drag it slides in and gives proper support.

The main thing that I commend about this album is the song writing. It is equivalent to last year's Dr. Dog album but with a more laid back folk vibe. The lyrics are pretty interesting also...I like how musicians are starting to become a little more creative in the ways they can translate their different ideas.

01 Pray Tell
02 Heart and Bones
03 Shine on Moon
04 Lonesome Tremolo Blues
05 Meadows of Dawn
06 Skipper And His Wife
07 Spike Driver Blues
08 Behind the Time
09 Avenue Of The Saints
10 Shiny Shoes

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Nurses: Apple's Acre (4/5)

Jonathan's #10 out of 20 Album of 2009



Year: 2009
Label: Dead Oceans
Genre: Neo-Psychedelia Indie Folk
TRT: 35:33

I'm actually surprised that this is rated as my 10th favorite album of the year....because I really like this. It seems this year has been exceptional and there's more that I prefer than the last few years had to offer.

I like the atmosphere this album gives. It sounds like your in the room with the guys recording. This album may have some of the most unique vocal runs I've heard in a long time although I can imagine that some may not like the vocals here because it is different in many ways...but I think they really sit well in this atmosphere. The drum sound has that acoustic set in a room with natural reverb sound...and there's some nice piano runs sprinkled throughout....but the main vocal part and harmonies take the forefront in this record.

01 Technicolor
02 Mile After Mile
03 Caterpillar Playground
04 Manatarms
05 Apple's Acre
06 Bright Ideas
07 What Then
08 Winter
09 Lita
10 Orange Cymbals

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The Young Sinclairs: Songs of The Young Sinclairs (4/5)

Jonathan's #9 out of 20 Album of 2009



Year: 2009
Label: Kindercore
Genre: Psychedelic Folk Rock
TRT: 59:55

I have to say that I was really excited to see this record pressed. My brother lives in Roanoke, VA and is friends with a lot of the guys in "The Magic Twig Community" and about two years ago he introduced me to some of them. These guys are doing music the way they want in a large group of friends with about 5-6 different bands....and The Young Sinclairs happen to be signed to Kindercore Records.

I actually emailed Kindercore once asking them to press The Young Sinclairs to vinyl, and one day my brother comes to my house with this....so I gave him money to get me one of these limited copies. I'm glad to hear the great mixing/mastering job that John Thompson (drums and lap steel for The Young Sinclairs) did for all these different tracks from their past recordings. They all come together really nice.

I'd describe the sound as being a mix of The Byrds and The Who with a heavy dose of the modern reverb sound. Sam Lunsford has some great melodies that float over the guitar riffs that show the songs are well written...and I love that the lyrics are on their myspace.

01 Darling
02 Cancelled Flight
03 Engineer Man
04 Thanks Paul Horn
05 Blessed Blackness
06 Tough Face
07 It's Real and It's the End
08 Keep Them Down
09 Tribe
10 The Most Impressive
11 Up Against the Wall
12 They're Not Writing
13 Honeysuckle, Rose and Pumpkin
14 Talisman
15 Don't Be Scared
16 Llama Farm
17 Everything I Do is Wrong
18 Help You Decide

Myspace for The Young Sinclairs

DM Stith: Heavy Ghost (5/5)

Jonathan's #3 out of 20 Album of 2009



Year: 2009
Label: Asthmatic Kitty
Genre: Psychedelic Baroque Folk
TRT: 43:46

I instantly loved this album...there's so much to take from this. Stith makes simple minor notes something new by bending them slightly to the perfect psychedelic melodies. Also, there is this haunting feeling throughout the recording because there are so many parts that have distant eerie harmonies. There's guitar, other strings, horns, lap steel, effects, piano, and probably instruments I can't pronounce....but they are all used in the most profound ways. The drums are almost tribal sometimes and really help build his climaxes to a spiritual place.

Each song has a similar feeling but they are also so different. Stith really takes himself to places and then somehow brings it back into a uniform translation of those feelings. The artwork that came with this package really helps translate this...as each piece looks similar to the others but has a very definite uniqueness.

Overall, even with the eerie feelings at times; Stith pulls everything into a beautiful swirl as his freedom of expression is painted on each song.

01 Isaac's Song
02 Pity Dance
03 Creeksong
04 Pigs
05 Spirit Parade
06 BMB
07 Thanksgiving Moon
08 Fire of Birds
09 Morning Glory Cloud
10 GMS
11 Braid of Voices
12 Wig

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Grizzly Bear: Veckatimest (5/5)

Jonathan's #2 out of 20 Album of 2009



Year: 2009
Label: Warp
Genre: Psychedelic Baroque Folk
TRT: 52:04

I pre-ordered this as soon as I saw it was available...because I just knew after "Yellow House" this had to be amazing. Well, it actually surprised me more than I had initially thought.

The first thing I noticed was that it wasn't a gatefold but when I looked inside, it had a really nice booklet with big beautiful pictures of natural landscapes and unique shots of their instruments. After my first listen of the album...I thought it wasn't as good as "Yellow House", but after the next listen I was thinking it might be better. Grizzly Bear is just extraordinary with unimaginable sounds that give me feelings that I've never experienced with any other recordings.

The music here is dynamic psychedelic folk with beautiful melodies and graceful harmonies...it's great to listen to at almost any moment. My favorite part of the band is how progressive the drummer can be as it really adds to all the other textures the band has. After thoroughly listening to this recording, I can easily see how Grizzly Bear has stretched themselves far beyond what they were doing on "Yellow House", even though I still love that one. I believe this will definitely be a timeless album for all the future to come.

01 Southern Point
02 Two Weeks
03 All We Ask
04 Fine For Now
05 Cheerleader
06 Dory
07 Ready, Able
08 About Face
09 Hold Still
10 While You Wait for the Others
11 I Live With You
12 Foreground

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Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes (5/5)

Jonathan's #2 out of 20 Album of 2008


Year: 2008
Label: Sub Pop
Genre: Baroque Harmonic Pop
TRT: 54:27

Fleet Foxes is a five-piece Seattle based band who describe their music as "baroque harmonic pop jams". This is a perfect way to describe it because in some places you'll hear 5 part harmonies that are just so beautiful paired with an up-tempo drum beat.

I bought this vinyl from my local record store "Speakertree Records" after I'd heard the internet leak, which I was immediately digging upon my first listen. I was also really impressed to see the band was releasing not only their full-length but also the ep "Sun Giant" together with the gate fold packaging. The artwork alone is a great reason to purchase these two records but once you start listening to the music you realize the talent and songwriting is rarely matched.

There are so many tracks I could highlight but they all take you on an amazing journey. Overall, I can't get over the earthy tones, harmonies, and natural feeling this one gives me.

Full Length~
01 Sun it Rises
02 White Winter Hymnal
03 Ragged Wood
04 Tiger Mountain Peasant Song
05 Quiet Houses
06 He Doesn't Know Why
07 Heard Them Stirring
08 Your Protector
09 Meadowlarks
10 Blue Ridge Mountains
11 Oliver James

Sun Giant EP~
01 Sun Giant
02 Drops in the River
03 English House
04 Mykonos
05 Innocent Son

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The Dodos: Visiter (4.5/5)

Jonathan's #8 out of 20 Album of 2008


Year: 2008
Label: Wichita
Genre: Indie Folk Pop
TRT: 59:09

The Dodos formed in the early part of 2006 in San Francisco; shortly afterward, band member Meric Long released an EP entitled "Dodo Bird".

On "Visiter", the very interesting thing that first stood out was the slapping of acoustic guitar strings against the frets meshed with the layered drum beats. Usually, musicians try to avoid the strings hitting the frets, but it really works on these songs.

This album is one of those that just keeps growing on you, although on the first listen I was already loving it. As I keep listening to this album, I continue to find places through-out where the intricacies of certain parts engage me to really listen to everything going on. It really amazes me how much the band is able to accomplish with such few instruments.

01 Walking
02 Ted and Purple
03 Eyelids
04 Fools
05 Joe's Waltz
06 Winter
07 It's That Time Again
08 Paint the Rust
09 Park Song
10 Jodi
11 Ashley
12 The Season
13 Undeclared
14 God?

Search Amazon for The Dodos