You Should Know
Father John Misty
02/04/2012
We’ve always been strong supporters of J. Tillman here on Captain Obvious. He was one of our first interviews on the blog and has consistently released compelling material. A few years ago, Tillman became the drummer for it-band Fleet Foxes, which surely helped garner more attention for his solo work. Recently Tillman announced his departure from Fleet Foxes to pursue other projects and a lovely duet with Phosphorescent entitled “I Would Love You” surfaced under the name Father John Misty. Set for a May 1st release on Sub Pop, Fear Fun will be Tillman’s first album under the new moniker. Now you can hear the first single off the upcoming album: “Hollywood Forever Cemetary Sings,” a catchy Neil Young-esque psych-rock ditty sure to build some significant buzz. Mark it as one of our most anticipated releases of 2012. – Capt. Obvious
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Caveman
10/12/2011
I was introduced to Caveman when I saw they were playing some shows with CO favorite The War On Drugs. Their self-released album CoCo Beware (80s wrestling reference. nice.) is already available digitally and will get the proper CD and vinyl treatment Nov. 15th. Hazed out harmonies, intricate drums, swelling psychedelia, and pop sensibilities combine swimmingly on CoCo Beware. Lead singer/guitarist Matthew Iwanusa and company operate in a strange grey-zone where moments of melancholia blend with celebratory catharsis. The seamless transition from moody instrumental track “Vampirer” into album-highlight “Old Friend,” which operates on deftly layered vocals and instrumental crescendos until it eventually floats off into feedback-heavy oblivion, serves as a microcosm for the mood of the entire album. Coco Beware is an impressive debut: a cohesive vision that firmly places the band on this humble music blogger’s map. — Capt. Obvious
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Family Band
09/12/2011
At the core of Brooklyn-based Family Band, now apparently a 4-piece (I’m deducing this from press photos), is the natural chemistry of husband-wife duo Kim Krans and Jonny Ollsin. Krans provides the haunting vocals while Ollsin lends dark guitar textures. My introduction to the band was their stunning cover of Jack Nitzche’s “Marie.” Their rendition is barebones elegance built around Krans’s hypnotic lull and accentuated by lush slide guitar and swirling feedback. The track is available for free download on the band’s bandcamp page, along with a few select tracks off of band’s album Miller Path. The band’s most recent effort, an EP aptly titled Cold Songs, extends the band’s pension for psychedelia-tinged cabin-folk. EP highlight “The Deal” is equal parts gorgeous and creepy, a juxtaposition the band has a firm grasp on. If you’re looking for a new winter soundtrack, you’ve found it. — Capt. Obvious
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Youth Lagoon
08/07/2011
Recently I was returning from Miami on a stormy evening plane ride. As usual, I opted for a window seat. For a brief moment, the moving cars, lights, and structures below resembled some sort of breathing circuit board powering some unknown giant machine. “Daydream,” a track from The Year Of Hibernation, the debut album from Youth Lagoon, pulsed through my headphones as a fitting soundtrack to the scene below. Youth Lagoon is the work of 22-year old Boise native Trevor Powers, who recently signed to Fat Possum Records and is due to release his debut LP The Year Of Hibernation on Sept. 27th. The multi-instrumentalist offers a brand of shimmering dream-pop run through a lo-fi filter that gives the album a melancholic slant. That’s not to say that The Year Of Hibernation doesn’t soar, but even at its most vibrant, there’s still a tangible sense of desolation. Powers deftly combines electronic drum beats, his distant/fragile vocals, and ear-worm arrangements veneered with a fresh coat of ghostly haze to create an album that operates on gorgeous juxtapositions. It’s both darkly introspective and infectiously uplifting. Lovely stuff.
Speaking of Fat Possum, they are having a $10 sale on almost all of their vinyl, which includes pre-orders of Youth Lagoon’s The Year Of Hibernation and A.A. Bondy’s upcoming album Believers. What better way to spend your disposable income? — Capt. Obvious
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