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Old Canes - "Little Bird Courage"
Old Canes is the folk-inflected solo project of Appleseed Cast's Chris Crisci. The Lawrence, KS multi-instrumentalist recently signed to Saddle Creek to release his sophomore album Feral Harmonic (10/20). He recorded most of the collection alone in his basement studio over three-and-a-half years, though friends contributed guest trumpet, drums, harmophone, cello, and hammer dulcimer. We asked Chris about the collection's triumphant toy piano and horn-lined opening anthem "Little Bird Courage."
Who is "Little Bird Courage"? Any relation to Chicken Little? It feels like a fight song. Yes, absolutely a relation to Chicken Little. Little Bird Courage is all of us, it's everyone who makes the choice answer to beauty, not fear ... as my favorite Van Pelt song goes. It takes courage to put ourselves out there, to love, to show kindness. It's much easier to protect ourselves and treat each other with cynicism, which is how -- initially -- we tend to treat each other. The little bird is that love that is dying to get out and show itself ... that we think is so vulnerable, but is actually powerful if it's not constrained by our fear.
Evan Voytas - "I Run With You, Spirit Animal" Video
Los Angeles-via-Pennsylvania multi-instrumental singer and home recordist Evan Voytas -- sort of a more clean-cut Ariel Pink -- creates strange synth-pop/space-disco outings that feel danceable but private and insular. The idea's explored in the video for his most recent single... (more)
Dr. Dog - "Shadow People" (Stereogum Premiere)
Dr. Dog have been a band for over a decade now, Philadelphia-based throughout. Their hometown hasn't factored much into their sound, which throws back to the Beatles-era of the classic rock school, or their themes and lyrical schemes. That's changed... (more)
Joanna Newsom - "Kingfisher"
We've heard the stylistically diverse "81" pastoral and jazzy "Good Intentions Paving Company" outing. Now, after adding the gorgeous 9-minute madrigal/short story "Kingfisher" to the Have One On Me tracklist, the only thing to be sure of is that the... (more)
Under Byen - "Alt Er Tabt" Video (Stereogum Premiere)
Onetime BTW Under Byen's fourth album Alt Er Tabt ("All Is Lost") is out in April. The Denmark group's followup to 2006's Samme Stof Som Stof definitely has an anguished, although not done-for feel. In their new form, they're without... (more)
Archie Bronson Outfit - "Shark's Tooth" Video (Stereogum Premiere)
Four years after the worthy Derdang Derdang, London's Archie Bronson Outfit are set to followup that last LP's dark blues/rusty grooved garage rock with a long-awaited third album, titled Coconut. On production is sorta-ex-DFA-dude Tim Goldsworthy, whose stellar C.V. includes... (more)
