So I haven’t made a label playlist in a while and I noticed the good folks over at IODA have a fair amount from one of my favourite Portland (East side: Maine, not west side: Oregon) labels – Peapod Recordings!

With the new Brown Bird album coming out, it reminded me that this label needs some more attention, and that is where I come in.  There are quite a few great albums on the label – Brown Bird, Chriss Sutherland, South China and more.  While most bands on the label are considered “indie” and even “folk” they range quite a bit and blend both your mellow vibes with some get up and move type bands.  With label running going hand in hand with being an actual artist on the label (Ron Harrity who also lends his axe to Honey Clouds) the label seems more like a community than an office where you distribute and promote music.  I like that, but I can be a sucker for grassroots good guys that offer me good music to listen to – I’m funny that way.   Why don’t we give you a label specific playlist and for those of you that are new – consider this an introduction to the the label!

Let’s dig into the talent shall we?!

~~~

Brown Bird
“Danger and Dread” (mp3)
“Muck and Mire” (mp3)
“Gallows” (mp3)
from “The Devil Dancing”*
(Peapod Recordings)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

*Order the vinyl!!!

~~~
South China
“Painting” (mp3)
“Sun Sets on Washington Ave.” (mp3)
from “Washingtons”
(Peapod Recordings)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

~~~
Chriss Sutherland
“What Are We Gonna Do Now?” (mp3)
“Hey Justice” (mp3)
from “Worried Love”
(Peapod Recordings)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

~~~
Honey Clouds
“Living Room” (mp3)
“Color Spills In” (mp3)
from “Fall on the Honey Clouds”
(Peapod Recordings)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

~~~
Dan Blakeslee
“Your Spanish Scarf” (mp3)
“Carrie” (mp3)
from “Lincoln Street Roughs”
(Peapod Recordings)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

~~~
Trey Hughes
“This Room In Packed Boxes” (mp3)
“When Your Plane Lands” (mp3)
from “Poplar Street Demos”
(Peapod Recordings)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

~~~
Hearts by Darts
“Company” (mp3)
“Prime” (mp3)
“Rural” (mp3)
from “Hearts by Darts”
(Peapod Recordings)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

~~~

There are more artists to explore on their website and a new Winter 2009 Compilation for free download!

Visit Peapod:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• last.fm
• MySpace

~Smansmith

I have been a bit lax on the label playlist feature here on Slowcoustic so I noticed that the good folks at IODA have quite a bit of content from Shameless Records available.  Hell, it is time to represent Alberta here – Canadian label action from my own province!  They have a pretty eclectic  roster, with my clear stand out favourite being The Wheat Pool – but that’s how I roll (all families have their favourite child, right?).

In reading over the info on their website, you know that 2002 was the official start of the label with organizing by Glen Erickson (wait, does he play guitar in a band…).  Erickson wanted to create a local scene that was growing and what better way to do this than be a label in the City of Champions (Edmonton, Alberta).  Not that this label is exclusive to Edmonton, its roots are there and they are hoping to grow it world-wide (hey, why not?).  The label is basically “indie” with artists falling into the alt-country, folk-pop-rock genres, but I don’t think they are stopping there – swing by the page, get to know them.

Lets build a playlist now with hand picked examples of some tunes!

~~~

The Wheat Pool
“This Is It” (mp3)
“One of These Nights” (mp3)
from “Hauntario”
(Shameless Records Canada)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Rhapsody

More On This Album
(NEW ALBUM)

~~~

The Wheat Pool
“Peniel, SK” (mp3)
“Evergreen” (mp3)
from “Township” (Excellent album)
(Shameless Records Canada)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at eMusic

More On This Album

~~~

F&M
“Shrug It Off” (mp3)
from “Every Light Must Fade”
(Shameless Records Canada)
More On This Album

~~~

F&M
“I Pray For The Fog” (mp3)
from “Let Every Light Shine”

(Shameless Records Canada)
More On This Album

~~~

Hector Fector
“All the Way’s We’re Living” (mp3)
“Let’s Make Friends” (mp3)
from “We Are Romantic”

(Shameless Records Canada)
More On This Album

~~~

James Murdoch Band
“Building a Bridge” (mp3)
“Canadian Summer” (mp3)
from “Wondering Where the Rush Has Gone”

(Shameless Records Canada)
More On This Album

~~~

Becky
“This Winter” (mp3)
“Breath” (mp3)
“Untitled in May” (mp3)
from “Some Like The Water” (GREAT album)
(Shameless Records Canada)

More On This Album

~~~

Now don’t you just want to be Canadian?

~Smansmith

Elephant Micah and Vollmer share more than the label and a penchant for ethereal folk/experimental noise: they both were responsible for Elephant Micah’s stellar “Exiled Magicians” – EM with the actual music creation and Vollmer assisting in the recording.  This alone moves Vollmer into my good books.  While I don’t pretend to know Joe O’Connell (Elephant Micah) and Justin Vollmer (Vollmer), they seem made for each other, whether they be old college roommates, childhood friends or simply two musicians who connected over the love of experimenting with sound.

Take a sample of both artists below, with Elephant Micah’s “New Nature” from last year’s Exiled Magicians and “Samson” from Vollmer’s 12″ Compilation (which combines 3 previous EPs in one release) which is newly re-released this past April 2009.  Tell your friends.

“New Nature” from Elephant Micah – (Visit) – *Purchase*

~~

“Samsons” from Vollmer – (Visit) – *Purchase*

~~

Visit Third Uncle Records at their Website and MySpace Page.

~Smansmith

FatCat Records is pretty much an “ahead of the curve” indie label with a few great “straight ahead” indie artists.  If you are a bit sketchy on what I am trying to say, think of starting at Animal Collective and move towards Frightened Rabbit.  See, now you know what I mean.  It is always hard to get all the “new stuff” for an entire label’s roster (and there is surprising little downloads on the their website), but check out below for some great samples of what FC has to offer.

• Amandine
  “Faintest Of Sparks” (mp3)
  from “Solace In Sore Hands”
  (Fat Cat Records) More On This Album
• David Karsten Daniels
  “Martha Ann” (mp3)
  from “Fear of Flying”
  (Fat Cat Records) More On This Album
• Frightened Rabbit
  “Be Less Rude” (mp3)
  from “Sing the Greys”
  (Fat Cat Records) More On This Album
• Frightened Rabbit
  “Head Rolls Off” (mp3)
  from “The Midnight Organ Fight”
  (Fat Cat Records) More On This Album
• Gregory & The Hawk
  “Grey Weather” (mp3)
  from “Moenie And Kitchi”
  (Fat Cat Records) More On This Album
• Hauschka
  “Freibad” (mp3)
  from “Ferndorf”
  (Fat Cat Records) More On This Album
• Mice Parade
  “Double Dolphins On The Nickel” (mp3)
  from “Mice Parade”
  (Fat Cat Records) More On This Album
• Mum
  “Dancing Behind My Eyelids” (mp3)
  from “Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy”
  (Fat Cat Records) More On This Album
• No Age
  “My Life’s Alright Without You” (mp3)
  from “Weirdo Rippers”
  (Fat Cat Records) More On This Album
• Songs Of Green Pheasant
  “King Friday” (mp3)
  from “Gyllyng Street”
  (Fat Cat Records) More On This Album
• Ten Kens
  “Bearfight” (mp3)
  from “Ten Kens”
  (Fat Cat Records) More On This Album
• The Twilight Sad
  “Cold Days From The Birdhouse” (mp3)
  from “Fourteen Autumns, Fifteen Winters”
  (Fat Cat Records) More On This Album

• Silje Nes

“Ames Room” (mp3)
from “Yellow EP”
(Fat Cat Records)
More On This Album

There you have it, hefty amount of music for a Tuesday, no?

~Smansmith

Well I have done this before and I am sure I will do it again.  Let’s see what a pretty damn good label has for us today – a little bit of a sampler of another provider of music…if you will.

While I don’t pretend to know all the artists on the AKR label (and I wouldn’t exactly say they are considered “Slowcoustic”) but there are certainly some interesting ones.  An almost end to end “indie” presence if you will.  What I mean by that is the fact that they have fairly mainstream indie all the way to freak folk.  Case in point going from Chris Garneau to Xiu Xiu….nuff said.  I think this is what makes Absolutely Kosher so attractive to artists/acts – respected, play the field for styles and have 10 years of history to back it up.

I know you are going to ask about the name of the label, so you can also find the meaning behind the distinctly Jewish name under their “info” tab from their website.  The “Coles notes” version is that Cory Brown (who is Jewish) wanted a very identifiable name, but in the same respect knew it was a bit tongue in cheek.  It it helped bring attention to the Jewish contribution to music, well then all the better.  There that’s it (from what I read).

So let’s get on with some tunes, shall we!!!  See below for a cross section of the vast library of current artists (if I miss anyone/artist, it is due to simple math!!  11 tracks is good for now…I hope).

+/- {Plus/Minus}

“Snowblind” (mp3)
from “Xs On Your Eyes”

More On This Album

Chris Garneau
“Baby’s Romance” (mp3)
from “Music For Tourists”

More On This Album

Bottom Of The Hudson
“Bee Hive” (mp3)
from “Fantastic Hawk”

More On This Album

Frog Eyes
“One In Six Children Will Flee In Boats” (mp3)
from “The Golden River”

More On This Album

Okay
“Oh” (mp3)
from “Low Road”

More On This Album

Pinback
“B” (mp3)
from “Offcell”

More On This Album

The Wrens
“Everyone Choose Sides” (mp3)
from “The Meadowlands”

More On This Album

Xiu Xiu
“jennifer lopez (the sweet science version)” (mp3)
from “Chapel of the Chimes”

More On This Album

The Extra Glenns
“Going to Marrakesh” (mp3)
from “Martial Arts Weekend”

More On This Album

Sybris
“Oh Man!” (mp3)
from “Into the Trees”

More On This Album

Azeda Booth
“Ran” (mp3)

from “In Flesh Tones”
More On This Album

Now tell me this isn’t a great start on the label material.  There is singer songwriter, alt rock, folk rock and even freak folk.  So now that your pallet is wet with the talent that spans the roster of the label – head on over and see for yourself!

~Smansmith
p.s.  Oops, almost forgot to post Chris Garneau – “Baby’s Romance” my podpress player is set for 10 tracks only (as it slows down wordpress)….so here is a direct link!

Sorry for no post yesterday, but I have a big one today (and inspired by yesterday and no posting…).

Well yesterday I received an advance copy of the new J. Tillman – Vacilando Territory Blues from an online friend.  This led me to immediately start an all encompassing listening fest of my own.  So, I had no choice but to listen over and over again and not even come close to posting.  So, to make it up, the label that is releasing the latest J. Tillman opus is Western Vinyl and for that reason alone, they are tops in my books and getting a post dedicated to them.

I have recently teamed up with IODA (Independent Online Distribution Alliance) and they have a boat load of music from the aforementioned Western Vinyl label for people like me to push on people like you.   All kidding aside, it is a venue for “indie” music to get more exposure which has to be a good thing.  With that being said, I am hereby pushing WV artists (not all new releases, but good releases) and their music on you below.  Take a listen, hit the link, look into it – supporting labels such as Western Vinyl are only going to make it easier for us to get the great music that we all want anyway.

Regardless, for someone making J. Tillman albums available, I will do almost anything to help out.

Callers
“Tied About” (mp3)
from “Fortune”

More On This Album

Songs: Ohia
“Untitled 1″ (mp3)
from “Untitled”

Songs: Ohia
“Untitled 2″ (mp3)
from “Untitled”

More On This Album

Burd Early
“Phonecall Away” (mp3)
from “Leveler”

More On This Album

Burd Early
“Fertilizer Waiting To Happen” (mp3)
from “Mind And Mother”

More On This Album

Windsor for the Derby
“Shaken” (mp3)
from “Now I Know the Sea”

More On This Album

Knife In The Water
“Slavery” (mp3)
from “Red Bird/Slavery”

More On This Album

J. Tillman
“James Blues” (mp3)
from “Vacilando Territory Blues”

More On This Album

~ALL ABOVE FROM WESTERN VINYL~

~Smansmith