Artist of the Week: Dawes

Artist of the Week: Dawes

I stumbled upon Dawes, a four-piece band from Los, Angeles, at this year’s Newport Folk Festival, and I was instantly taken with their endearing folk rock. Hailing from the renowned Laurel Canyon region of California, they don’t shy away from their influences, infusing the warm harmonies of CSNY and the comforting melodies of The Band into their familiar sound. What really set these guys apart though are the lyrics, inspired and poetic, yet somehow instantly germane and deeply human. They’re debut album, North Hills, came out last summer, and it is a compelling collection of Americana songs that show a remarkable maturity for a few guys in their early twenties.

-- Jared Iversen

Listen to a few tracks below:

Dawes & The Morning Benders "When My Time Comes" from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

Artist of the Week: Tennis

Maybe it's because I totally missed the wave along the Best Coast, or perhaps its because I was too afraid of falling even further in love with Zooey to dedicate myself to She & Him, but something about Tennis, the newest hype-hungry-too-cute-for-real-life duo out of Denver finally settles well with me. They have something that the other two lack: a story. It's not always fair to give a band extra points for a great personal narrative, but the urge to romanticize the process of music creation is hard to resist, and Tennis deliver on this front. The married couple saved up in order to buy a sail boat and set sail along the East Coast. They had no intention of creating an album along the way, but the endless amounts of free time that come with a sailor's life gave room for creativity, and the inspiration of 'Baby It's You,' by the Shirelles sparked a vicious bout of music making that manifests itself in these tracks. The songs aren't really about places, but about experiences. But since the experiences were so closely linked to their location at any given moment (sailing is an exercise in geography, after all) they wrote songs with titles like 'Baltimore,' and 'South Carolina.' It's infectious, cute, and intelligent. And if their forerunners are any indication, its gonna be big. Click Through to Listen to 'Marathon' !

Marathon by Tennis by igorgerman

Oh, and they got matching tattoos instead of wedding rings.

Artist of the Week: Onward Soldiers

It was Christian who first posed the inevitable question during our office hours last week: "So when are we going to stop doing this folksy stuff for Artist of the Week?"

It seems we may have painted ourselves into a corner in past weeks, with AoTW's like Chris Riffle, Avi Buffalo, and The Films, but even Christian, probably the least folk-inclined of your three loyal Music Directors here at WGTB, instantly liked Onward, Soldiers upon hearing it.

Sounding like a fusion of Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson and Deer Tick, with undeniable comparisons to their North Carolina neighbors the Avett Brothers, Onward, Soldiers have a distinct breed of edgy Americana that is at once pleasant and intriguing. Plus, they're still playing mostly locally, so you can say "you knew them when."

Listen to "Let the Time Roll By" below, off their new record just released in March.

Artist of the Week: Donora + Free MP3

Like their pop peers and touring partners the Ting Tings, Donora makes twee-leaning boy-girl dance music, equally suitable for a sunny day drive or summer night bonfire. The band consists of two Jakes and one Casey, making catchy, playful light tunes that place Casey's ethereal vocals at the forefront.

Signed now with Rostrum Records, they had a big hit when their song "Shh" was featured on a Post Secret Valentine's Day viral video.

For one week only, the band was nice enough to give us an MP3 of their song "Shak'ida" to give away here, so download it below ASAP!

"Shak'ida" MP3

Artist of the Week: Avi Buffalo

Avi Buffalo is a band that caught the Music Directors' proverbial ear within the first couple minutes of the first track. Avi is short for Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg, the bands lead singer and front man. Starting out as an amateur skateboarder in Long Beach and graduating to guitar virtuoso (taking the two coolest jobs- not fair), Avi built a band to compliment his taste. Citing Nels Cline as his inspiration, their sound is uncomfortable; they can be both timid and lucid. Effortlessly stretching simple pop constructions with innovative melodies, impressive guitaring, and obtuse lyrics, Avi Buffalo achieves something different. And when you get 30 albums a week, different is hugely important. Stay Tuned for Josh Smith's full review, but for now, check out this track!

	Avi Buffalo - Whats In It For? .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Artist of the Week: Love is All

Love is All is a lot of fun. Their light-hearted, earnest power-pop is infused with Swedish attitude and art-rock experimentation, with frontwoman Josephine Olausson leading the troupe in playful, soaring vocals. When they opened for Japandroids last night at the Rock 'n' Roll Hotel in DC, it was hard to keep the crowd from dancing to their special brand of exuberant punky tunes, mostly culled from their latest Polyvinyl release, Two Thousand and Ten Injuries. The band is now touring the States and garnering praise for this last album. Hear "Repetiton," from Two Thousand and Ten Injuries, below:

	Love Is All - Repetition .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Artist of the Week: The Spring Standards

Like sunny, upbeat indie rock? Like pleasant harmonies and grooving beats? Like easygoing, rustic riffs and charming lyrics? Of course you do. The Spring Standards, who sound more derivative of Southern California than their native New York, are bringing their tunes to the Jammin' Java in Vienna on April 7. The trio is set to release their first full-length album, Would Things Be Different, which was produced by Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Apples in Stereo, Akron/Family.) Their last EP garnered much praise and was produced by Rhett Miller of the Old 97s. Keep an eye out for Would Things Be Different!

Listen to The Spring Standards' "Sad Song" below:

	The Spring Standards - Sad Song .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Artist of the Week: Red Pens (& mp3!)

This week we've been enjoying the second album from Minneapolis duo Red Pens, Reasons. Their simple, lo-fi brand of pop music is immediately charming, with just enough grit and attitude to keep the listener entertained from the album opener to the final track.With Howard Hamilton III of the Busy Signals on guitar and vocals, and Laura Bennett on drums (which she paints herself), Red Pens are just starting to leave their mark on the fuzzy indie art-rock scene.

Recommended if you like Joy Division, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Sonic Youth.
Download "Hung Out" from Reasons HERE (via Insomnia Radio)

Artist of the Week: The Films

Artist of the Week highlights a new band or musician on the scene that has captured the attention of your loyal WGTB Music Directors. This week brings us the catchy, upbeat tunes of South Carolina-based band The Films, fresh on the heels of their latest release, Oh Scorpio. We like their earnest, Conor Oberst-like lyrics, danceable rhythms, and the a capella opener on "God Bless Your Heart."

Check out The Films' track "Completely Replaceable" here. 
Download "Completely Replaceable"