Second Stage: Hope For Agoldensummer

by Will Butler

Download "Threads" by Hope For Agoldensummer (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer)

It's not very often that a young, up-and-coming band produces a fully developed, 17-track album. But the Athens, Georgia group Hope For Agoldensummer is wonderfully prolific. The band's members have produced a live album, two full-lengths, and they're now mixing a third. Their most recent LP, the lovely, meandering Ariadne Thread, plods effortlessly through 17 songs that are all extremely headphone-friendly. The album is mixed deliberately and tastefully, creating a beautifully layered sonic experience.

Page Campbell, Claire Campbell, and Suny Lyons (photo credit: Dan Donahue)

Sisters Claire & Page Campbell make up the nucleus of the band, providing most of the songwriting and vocals. "Threads" is a gem held back for the second-to-last spot on the album. The lonely theremin intro and strummed guitars might fool you into expecting another simple folk song, but Hope For Agoldensummer has a knack for crafting gorgeous and often complex refrains, supported by utterly captivating arrangements.

When it comes down to it, the lilting, alto voices of the Campbell sisters bolster Hope For Agoldensummer's sincere folk aesthetic. The group can craft folk songs that are truly unique and compelling, which can't be said for so many bands, in a genre that so often produces formulaic, one-dimensional tunes. Keep an eye out for the band's forthcoming album. In the meantime, check out what its up to on its Web site.

Listen to "Threads"

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3:26 PM ET | 02-25-2010 | permalink

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Second Stage: South China

by Will Butler

Download "Painting" by South China (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer).

Last week, when Washington was buried under absolutely awesome amounts of snow, I wanted to write a blog post along the lines of "Songs for the Dead of Winter." Now I don't have to, though, because I've found a single album to fill that need. Coincidentally, it's called Washingtons, the first full-length release from Maine-based experimental folk duo South China.

Husband and wife Jeremy and Jerusha Robinson have mastered a sound that's about as satisfying as their names would have you hope. They make sparse folk songs that are studded with beautiful cello, horn and piano inlays that give each tune a rich and appealing ambiance. Jerusha Robinson's soothing vocals are dispensed as intimately as if they were whispered in your ear. "Painting," the second cut off Washingtons, begins with a lovely, understated orchestral swell, and gives way to a warmly plucked cello line that quietly supports the rest of the song.

Jerusha and Jeremy Robinson (photo credit: Mikael Kennedy)

South China makes you want to lay down your load, take off your coat, unlace your boots and settle in for a tranquil winter's day with a big mug of whatever hot beverage you choose. Even if spring came early where you live, South China has a relaxing effect that's suitable for any season. Plus, who doesn't love cello?

The Robinsons are currently touring the U.S., playing small venues and other intimate settings in small towns and big cities alike. They have one date scheduled in Austin for SXSW. The venue? "A backyard."

Listen to "Painting" by South China:

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11:46 AM ET | 02-22-2010 | permalink

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Second Stage: Ernest Gonzales

by Robin Hilton

Download "Dancing in the Snow" by Ernest Gonzales (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer)

I've often thought that music is the most effective way to communicate our grandest ideas, because words alone often diminish feelings that seem so spectacular on the inside. Take the latest release from electronic artist Ernest Gonzales. Been Meaning to Tell You is an entirely instrumental album, but its 13 intricately produced tracks convey as much tangled emotion and soul as you'd expect from more lyrical works.

Gonzales wrote the album as a musical love letter to his wife, inspired initially by a period when the two had to spend time apart.

"I was the type of person that could handle being alone, actually really enjoy it and take pride in my independence," Gonzales says. "Growing up as an only child, you learn to entertain yourself. For me, that meant spending a bunch of time drawing or trying to make bow and arrows out of tree branches. My wife went back home to Illinois during the past Christmas holiday. During that winter, there were horrible snowstorms in Chicago, and that delayed her stay longer than expected. What I found out is that it is very hard to be apart from her. 'Dancing in the Snow' is a song that I made when she was trapped in the snow while I was home in San Antonio. As I was making the song, I kept picturing the two of us slow-dancing in the middle of slowly falling snow."

Here's that cut, "Dancing in the Snow." It's the album's opening track.

Been Meaning to Tell You includes a book of personal notes from Gonzales about each song, as well as some fantastic images from a number of different artists, including this one by Alexandre Szewinski.

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12:07 PM ET | 02-18-2010 | permalink

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Second Stage: Man/Miracle

by Will Butler

Download "Up" by Man/Miracle (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer)

If you've ever played tennis, or even ping-pong, you might know what it feels like to have a rally that just won't end -- the relentless back and forth and heroic execution that keeps it going. That's the kind of feeling I get listening Man/Miracle, a high-octane, four-piece group from the San Francisco bay area.

From left: Dylan Travis, Ian Benedetti, Brian Kennedy, and Tyler Corelitz are Man/Miracle (photo credit: Rachel Williams)

Man/Miracle crafted the songs for its first full-length effort, The Shape Of Things in what the band members describe as a decrepit basement in their Oakland, Calif. home. The ramshackle feeling of the recording space comes through on the album. It's also what is so fun about Man/Miracle: The music captures a certain kind of vibrancy that can only come from teetering on the brink of destruction. Singer-guitarist Dylan Travis should know, too. He labored over the band's first recordings while recovering from a painful back injury.

Like a battery-powered bouncing ball, you know the propulsive songs on The Shape Of Things have to either stop or blow apart. But Man/Miracle manages to sustain this electricity for the duration of album. The whole album is great, but we've chosen the song "Up." My advice when you listen? Turn it up real loud.

"Up" by Man/Miracle

Man/Miracle started playing live long before the group recorded anything, and they put on a great show. If you're from the band's home turf, you can see them at the Noise Pop Festival this month, and they'll also be in Texas for SXSW.

You can hear more from their new album at the Man/Miracle MySpace page. The Shape Of Things is due out Feb. 23.

3:10 PM ET | 02-12-2010 | permalink

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Second Stage: State Champion

by Will Butler

Download "Come See What I Have done (Right-click or control click to save to your computer)

I like a clean, polished product as much as the next music fan, but I'm also the first to admit to having a soft spot in my heart for the kind of gritty, unshaven folk tunes that singer-songwriter Ryan Davis pulls off so well. Davis, who writes and records under the name State Champion, along with Mikie Poland, Sabrina Rush and Aaron Osbourne, calls his music "garage country," which feels pretty accurate.

State Champion (from left): Mikie Poland, Ryan Davis, Sabrina Rush, and Aaron Osbourne

Davis is not necessarily what you'd call a technically precise or polished singer, but when I first heard his signature wail on "Come See What I Have Done," from the band's debut album Stale Champagne, I stopped in my tracks. He packs a lot of power. His lyrics are unusual, and the themes heartfelt. The songs of State Champion definitely have a country twang to them, but they're by no means simplistic or formulaic.

"Come See What I Have Done":

Most of the tracks on Stale Champagne are faster and more upbeat than "Come See What I Have Done," but they all retain the rambling melodies and compelling narratives, along with an added weight that might not come across on this track. Maybe it was the raw, informal production that got me, or maybe it was the naked, honest words, and how they're delivered. Either way, I think State Champion is a band to watch. They'll be touring in the coming months in support of their new album, so keep an eye out for them in your town.

Stale Champagne comes out today on limited edition clear vinyl. You can check it out over at Sophomore Lounge Records' Web site.

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10:08 AM ET | 01-26-2010 | permalink

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Second Stage: Andrew Morgan

by Robin Hilton

Download "As Long As We're Together" by Andrew Morgan (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer)

About five years ago, a little-known singer-songwriter named Andrew Morgan put out a CD that become one of my favorites at the time, called Misadventures in Radiology. The Lawrence, KS native has one of those wispy, Nick Drake-ish voices I always fall for, and really knows how to produce a melodic, richly textured, chamber-pop song. (He's also from my hometown, which I thought was pretty cool).

Andrew Morgan

In the years that followed, I lost track of Andrew Morgan. But every time one of his songs popped up on my iPod, I'd wonder what he was up to and whether he'd put out any more music. This week, I got my answer when I came across a new CD called Please Kid, Remember. It turns out it's Morgan's long-awaited follow-up to that 2005 release. Morgan recorded songs for Please Kid, Remember over a ten-year period, starting in the summer of 1999, and collaborated with more than 30 other artists in seven states and two countries. The final result is more cohesive than you might expect, given the production process, with gorgeous, cinematic orchestrations and wistful melodies. Hopefully we won't have to wait as long for his next release.

This cut from Please Kid, Remember is called "As Long As We're Together."

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3:50 PM ET | 01-20-2010 | permalink

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Second Stage: John Heart Jackie

by Robin Hilton

Download "Women and Money" by John Heart Jackie (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer)

Add Peter Murray and Jennie Wayne to the growing list of artists to watch from Portland, Ore. The two singers, who write and record together as John Heart Jackie, recently released a glowing EP of acoustic, folk-flavored songs called Women & Money. The duo manages to pack a lot of beauty into about 14 minutes of handmade music, largely because of the enchanting two-part harmonies. John Heart Jackie say they recorded the songs in their shed and that "the learning curve was steep" because they originally intended to make a bunch of Sam Cooke covers. But, Murray assures listeners, "You'll like them. We do. Jennie likes to fall asleep to them."

Jennie Wayne and Peter Murray (Dundee Polaroids by Eugenie Frerichs)

This is the title cut for the EP, "Women and Money."

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2:33 PM ET | 01- 7-2010 | permalink

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Second Stage: Candy Claws

by Meg Ruddick

Download "Catamaran" by Candy Claws (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer)

Recorded as a musical companion piece to The Sea Around Us, the 1951 acclaimed book by Rachel Carson, Candy Claws' In the Dream of the Sea Life plays as the soundtrack to exciting undersea adventures and life lived by the ocean. The members of Candy Claws- Ryan Hover, Kay Bertholf, and Wesley Alonzo- hail from Fort Collins, Colo. After two years of writing and recording, the band self-released the stunning album early this year and were signed to the Irish label Indiecater in the fall.

As electronic music, it never strays far from the human element behind it. Gentle, finger-picked acoustic guitar and dreamy male and female vocals sit next to ecstatic drum machine rhythms and murky atmospheric synth. It's impossible to pinpoint all of the sounds going on at one time, but digging in further yields even more surprising noises and little details that really make the music beautiful. Gentle bubbling and lapping ocean sounds (recorded by the band while abroad in Italy and the Philippines) sit in the background of every track and flow serenely between songs.

Candy Claws just finished a virtual tour online, where they debuted exclusive performance videos on a number of blogs around the world. You can check out those videos linked from the band's MySpace page (while you're there, listen to their cover of the Ace of Base hit "Don't Turn Around"). You can also stream the whole album on the band's label's site, Indiecater.

"Catamaran" is one of the standout cuts from In The Dream Of The Sea Life:

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10:48 AM ET | 12-30-2009 | permalink

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Second Stage: This Frontier Needs Heroes

by Meg Ruddick

Download "Firefly" by This Frontier Needs Heroes (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer)

This Frontier Needs Heroes is another band that calls the young, indie epicenter, Brooklyn, NY, home. But after hearing the folk group's self-titled debut, you'd think the band was straight out of the old West. This Frontier Needs Heroes is a brother-and-sister duo, Brad and Jessica Lauretti. Having opened for bands like The Tallest Man On Earth, The Handsome Family, and Chairlift, This Frontier Needs Heroes plays what they dub "family folk." Their music ranges from simply arranged, heartbreaking ballads ("I Can't Do It All By Myself") to raucous foot-tappers, complete with rambling electric guitar solos and handclaps ("No More War"). Though it's the former that dominates the album, both call to mind vast and often desolate American landscapes. Their back porch sound is peppered with scratching violins, bass, and flute and ocarina flourishes, which add to the band's whole Western vibe.

Jessica and Brad Lauretti of This Frontier Needs Heroes (photo by Andrew Tingle)

With its lonely acoustic guitar, Brad's desperate warble, and Jessica's open, airy harmonies, the album opener, "Firefly," provides a great introduction to the band's sound.

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10:16 AM ET | 12-22-2009 | permalink

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Second Stage: Son Of Rams

by Meg Ruddick

Download "Flying Tigers" by Son of Rams (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer)

I find that it's often the plainest packaging that yields the most surprising and enjoyable music for Second Stage. Son of Rams arrived in a simple, white paper sleeve, with a link to a fairly cryptic MySpace page. This Brooklyn-based band is (from what I could gather) actually just one man: Joseph Pruitt. His heavily vintage sound is drenched with distortion and has a distinctly sixties, garage and psychedelic vibe. Fuzzy, layered vocals sit on top of biting guitar riffs and melodic bass lines. I really love Pruitt's intricate but brawny guitar work. The layers of intertwining riffs create a huge wall of sound, and whenever I listen closer, I hear a new part emerge from the background.

Son Of Rams' entire self-titled album is available for streaming on its MySpace page.

This song is "Flying Tigers."

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1:55 PM ET | 12- 8-2009 | permalink

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Second Stage: Suzanne Vallie

by Meg Ruddick

Download "Keep Away" by Suzanne Vallie (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer)

Hailing from Vermillion, South Dakota, Suzanne Vallie writes unusual folk songs that are at times sweet and childlike, and at other times haunting and seductive. A roots-y aesthetic runs through her music, and her lyrics paint vivid (and often weird) pictures of small town, rural life. At first listen, I was completely drawn into the stories she sings, from racing dogs to the mailbox to sitting on top of propane tanks to cool off. Her honest, unadorned voice rings beautifully over her often spare arrangements. Vallie's four-song EP, Water Table, is an excellent introduction to her work, but it left me wanting to hear more; hopefully there's a full-length release in the works. I was torn between two of the songs to feature on Second Stage, the rambling country-tinged title track and the closer, "Keep Away." The latter won out with its unusual lyrics, eerie harmonies, and growling electric guitar touches.

You can hear her entire EP plus a few more great songs at her MySpace page.

11:03 AM ET | 11-23-2009 | permalink

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Second Stage: The House Floor

by Meg Ruddick

Download "Tyrants!" by The House Floor (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer)

There's a lot going on in The House Floor's music. The band's epic album, Warship, was recorded in Virginia in the spring of 2009. With just 10 songs, the album clocks in at over an hour, with most songs averaging a good six and a half minutes long. Lead singer and guitarist Alex Tschan's voice is reminiscent of Conor Oberst, and the breathy, quavering vocals make for an almost spoken-word, poetry reading feel. His imaginative lyrics stand out above the music, and make you wonder just what the heck he's talking about. Sharp guitars and an incredible rhythm section (Ryan Lee on bass and Peter Chudzik on drums) give the music its bite and make it really fun. The songs themselves move and shift constantly and remind me more of compositions than standard rock songs. "Tyrants!" seamlessly blends about three or four songs into one, transitioning at one point with a really fantastic freak-out about midway through.

The band's album is available for download on its Web site.

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10:52 AM ET | 11-10-2009 | permalink

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Second Stage: Abbott Carter

by Meg Ruddick

Download "Burden Onto You" by Abbott Carter (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer)

All I can tell you about folksinger-guitarist Abbott Carter is that he's based out of Austin, Texas. What he looks like and his age are both mysteries to me, but I think that only adds to his music. His anonymity allows me to romanticize my image of him: I see him sitting on a porch somewhere picking out his beautiful folk tunes and singing to the trees.

When I first listened to his self-titled album, I thought his music was just simple folk that maybe deserved a second listen. On that second listen, though, I found details in his guitar playing and lyrics that really made me stop and pay attention. Some songs feature touches of electric guitar, plodding percussion (usually a stomping foot) and Grateful Dead-like harmonies. But they mostly focus on Carter's fine acoustic fingerpicking and weathered voice. I hear the gnarled lyricism of Bob Dylan as well as the low rumblings of Leonard Cohen. Most songs have a tinny, vintage sound, but the music doesn't sound dated. After a few listens, the songs have stayed with me and haven't lost their novelty. It was hard for me to pick just one to share -- I really love them all. But luckily, the one Web site of his that I found streams what appears to be his entire catalog of songs, including the beautiful "I'd Only Ask It." But one of my favorites from the album is the bittersweet "Burden Onto You."

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5:40 PM ET | 10-30-2009 | permalink

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Second Stage: Slow Skate

by Meg Ruddick

Download "Acting Like A Kid" by Slow Skate (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer)

Seattle band Slow Skate is fronted by married couple Caitlin Sherman and Jason Goessl, with help from Brian Oppel on drums and Geoff Harper on bass. Songwriter and lead singer Sherman has a clear, haunting voice that drew me deep into the music at first listen. I love the way it never stays the same between songs, instead moving between delicate and powerful from track to track. It blends perfectly with the band's eerie brand of indie-pop, and brings to mind voices like St. Vincent and Fiest. Strings, toy piano, autoharp, and glockenspiel punctuate the finely crafted pop tunes, giving them a woozy, carnival-like feel.

Slow Skate released its second full-length, Past The Whole Parade this past September. The album opener "Acting Like a Kid" features beautiful, faraway vocal harmonies backing Sherman's light and agile voice.

4:37 PM ET | 10-26-2009 | permalink

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Second Stage: Flora Shakespeare

by Meg Ruddick

Download "Simple Divide (Wyatt Earp)" (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer)

According to a MySpace blog post, Flora Shakespeare gave away its four-song EP, Out of Our Hands, to fans as a gift. "Out of our hands and in to your car, ears, hearts, mind, spirit, life, sub-conscience, etc." The EP is a short, fun, and definitely infectious introduction to the Tennessee quartet.

Back in 2004, Michael Zadick and Josh Cooper began writing songs together in their hometown of Murfreesboro, Tenn. It wasn't until 2007 when bassist Graeme Morris and pianist Timothy Kenyon joined in that they got their official start as Flora Shakespeare. This past May, they began recording their first full-length record with producer Joel McAnulty (a.k.a. Joel J. Dahl) of the Nashville-based band, De Novo Dahl. The new album is expected for release sometime this October.

The EP, which is available for free streaming on MySpace, is filled with saloon-tinged piano and slurred barroom chants. Handclaps, whistling, and group singing give each song a friendly, down-home vibe. I love the ramshackle groove and yelping vocals on the Out of Our Hand's standout track, "Simple Divide (Wyatt Earp)."

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3:57 PM ET | 10-21-2009 | permalink

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Second Stage: Royal Bangs

by Robin Hilton

Download "War Bells" by Royal Bangs (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer)

When you listen to Let It Beep, the sophomore release from Knoxville-based quintet Royal Bangs, it's easy to hear why Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney is a fan. Let It Beep is a confident, propulsive rock record that moves at a breathless but carefully plotted pace, with crunchy bass lines, blown-out guitars and vintage synths. Carney discovered Royal Bangs' home-recorded and self-released debut, We Breed Champions, and reissued it on his own label, Audio Eagle Records, last year. The band then recorded Let It Beep at Carney's Tangerine Sound Studios in Akron, Ohio. The album gets an added lift from some surprisingly light moments dropped in the middle of harder rockers, with handclaps and playfully beeping synth lines. I hear that Royal Bangs gives a great live show, and the band is on tour right now. So check out its Web site and catch a set if you can.

Royal Bangs

This is the opening cut to Let It Beep, called "War Bells."

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10:48 AM ET | 10-16-2009 | permalink

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Second Stage: Milktooth

by Robin Hilton

Download "Such Wondrous Light" by Milktooth (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer)

A "milk tooth" is another name for a baby tooth, or the first tooth a child grows before his or her permanent teeth come in. It's also the name of a band from Nashville that's put out one of the more mesmerizing CDs I've heard in recent months. Milktooth's self-titled debut dabbles in a bit of everything, from noise-rock to glittering indie-pop and gentle folk, all in the span of about 25 minutes. If a single tone or theme ties the songs together, it's a surreal kind of creaky Americana, with spare acoustic instruments and sometimes haunting atmospherics, led by the howling voice of frontman David Condos. The members of Milktooth say they're working on a new batch of songs for release sometime this fall. In the meantime, here's a standout cut from the band's eponymous EP, called "Such Wondrous Light."

Milktooth (photo by Rusty Ralston)

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3:26 PM ET | 10-13-2009 | permalink

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Second Stage: Boca Chica

by Robin Hilton

Download "Lake Eerie" by Boca Chica (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer)

Boca Chica has been a local favorite in the band's hometown of Pittsburgh, Penn. since releasing it's self-titled debut in 2005. In the years since, Boca Chica's principal member, Hallie Pritts, has been trying to reach a larger audience, with her arresting blend of gentle folk and pop. But, as she tells the Tribune Review, "You can do all the right things and never get anywhere. You can (also) do none of the right things and just get lucky." Pritts is doing all of the right things with her music and, hopefully, with Boca Chica's latest album, Lace Up Your Workboots, she'll get a little lucky, too. Pritts writes songs that walk the line between more traditional Americana artists like Gillian Welch (whom Pritts cites as an influence), and slightly more contemporary folk and pop artists like Hem.

Boca Chica: Susanna Meyer (left) and Hallie Pritts.

Pritts formed the band in 2005, with her friend, Susanna Meyer, and continues to get help from a rotating cast of supporting artists, for both recording and performing live. This is the opening cut to Lace Up Your Workboots, called "Lake Eerie."

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2:07 PM ET | 10- 6-2009 | permalink

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Second Stage: The Amazing

by Robin Hilton

Download "The Kirwan Song" by The Amazing (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer.)

The Amazing, a four-piece group from Sweden, has one of the least searchable band names I've come across. (I spent way too much time fumbling around on Google before I finally got a direct hit.) But The Amazing also has a debut full-length album that's been getting a lot of play on my iPod this week. The self-titled release features a pleasant mix of styles, from cosmic psych-rock to lushly orchestrated baroque pop to breezy acoustic folk. The vocals are particularly nice -- airy and pure. Though the band's members aren't well-known in the U.S., together they're considered a supergroup in Sweden, with members of other prominent groups such as Dungen, Anna Jarvinen and Sagor & Swing.

The Amazing

This beautifully hazy track opens the album. It's called "The Kirwan Song."

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12:27 PM ET | 09-24-2009 | permalink

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Second Stage: We/Or/Me

by Robin Hilton

Download "Tell Sarah" by We/Or/Me (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer).

Bahhaj Taherzadeh is a singer-songwriter from Chicago who's just put together a gorgeous EP of spare but emotionally wrenching acoustic songs called Ghostwriter. Taherzadeh, who records and performs under the name We/Or/Me, sings with a wise and slightly weary voice, strolling through delicate melodies and heartbreaking narratives reminiscent of Scottish folk artist Bert Jansch or Leonard Cohen. Taherzadeh keeps the instrumentation to a minimum, adding occasional female harmonies or a simple piano line to gently strummed guitars.

This beautiful little song from Ghostwriter is called "Tell Sarah."

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2:49 PM ET | 09-22-2009 | permalink

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Second Stage: The Nightgowns

by Robin Hilton

Download "Buoy" by The Nightgowns (Righ-click or control-click to save to your computer)

Tacoma, Wash. doesn't have the reputation for music that its neighbors Seattle and, further south, Portland have. But Tacoma is getting a little more attention this year for a group called The Nightgowns. The four-piece band released it's full-length debut earlier this summer and have since been touring and getting some airplay, including a featured spot on NPR member station KEXP. The Nightgowns' new CD, Sing Something, is a nice mix of mostly uplifting, if occasionally moody, electro-pop gems. The band's music is heavily influenced by '80s pop sounds, but lack the heavy handed production. Analog drum machines and synths anchor the songs, but the melodies are more intricate and the mix more finessed. There are a number of standout tracks on Sing Something, but "Buoy" is the one I keep going back to:

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10:15 AM ET | 09- 3-2009 | permalink

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Second Stage: Silk Lung

Download "Just A Thread" by Silk Lung (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer).

I realize musicians have been making home recordings for years now, but I continue to be impressed with the quality and depth of what some of them come up with. Take the new EP from an unsigned band I've just discovered called Silk Lung. Silk Lung is the musical project of Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist Jim Orso. His new release, Just A Thread doesn't come in a slick package, and there are only four tracks. But they're gorgeously produced, with some of the loveliest melodies and orchestration I've heard this year. Orso, who plays all the instruments and sings all the vocals by himself, weaves together samba rhythms and stylings from Brazil with American folk and experimental pop. He sings with a gentle but affecting voice about sleepless nights, memories of past loves, and hopes for a better tomorrow. Just A Thread leaves me wanting a lot more from Orso, so hopefully this is just a precursor to a full-length release.

This is the title track, "Just A Thread."

You can download the entire EP for free at Silk Lung's Web site.

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3:44 PM ET | 08-18-2009 | permalink

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Second Stage: Drug Rug

by Robin Hilton

Download "Never Tell" by Drug Rug (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer).

Drug Rug seems like an entirely random name for a band. But apparently it's what you call a kind of striped poncho "hippies" wore back in the '60s and '70s. Drug Rug the band is a duo featuring the music of Thomas Allen and Sarah Cronin, and their songs owe a lot to the bands of those decades, particularly groups like The Byrds or The Velvet Underground. Allen and Cronin say their latest album, Paint the Fence Invisible, was inspired by "early folk musicians, comic books, campgrounds, funny hats," and the images of Garth Williams, the illustrator who did the artwork for books like Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little. That might explain the playfulness and innocence that you can hear in Drug Rug's music. Allen and Cronin make lovely, two-part harmonies, with joyful melodies and propulsive rhythms. It's the perfect batch of songs for the dog days of Summer.

Thomas Allen and Sarah Cronin of Drug Rug

This cut from Paint the Fence Invisible is "Never Tell."

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3:01 PM ET | 08-13-2009 | permalink

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Second Stage: Generationals

by Robin Hilton

Download "When They Fight They Fight" (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer)

Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer are two New Orleans-based musicians who write and record under the name Generationals. The duo's newly released debut album, Con Law, is an unabashedly cheery, uptempo collection of songs that remind me a lot of the more innocent pop music of the '60s. Widmer and Joyner serve up catchy three-minute tracks with soulful horns, handclaps, ringing guitars and sweet two-part harmonies. There are a few seemingly anachronistic surprises here and there, like an analog drum machine or the occasional synth line, that give the mix a slightly more modern feel. But overall, the production is classic and warm, in part because Joyner and Widmer say they recorded the album on "an old 24-track, 2-inch tape machine that threatened to melt down several times."

This is the standout cut on the album. It's called "When They Fight They Fight."

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4:05 PM ET | 08-11-2009 | permalink

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Second Stage: Andy McWilliams

by Robin Hilton

Download "By Boat" by Andy McWilliams (Right-click or control-click and save to your computer).