New & Old Recommendations via Bandcamp: Puzzle Muteson & White Pines

Today I am showing some love for Bandcamp as the defacto music hub for new and emerging artists. Two artists featured, one with an album so new it is actually a pre-order and one that is a favourite from a couple of years back. Let’s start!

Puzzle Muteson - En Garde Cover

“En Garde” is the new album from Puzzle Muteson via Bedroom Community. I purchased yesterday (pre-order gets you the download immediately) already knowing this album would be good and so far it is not disappointing. The songs are lullabyes, floating in and out with fragile and almost tentative vocals. It would be redundant to say it is beautiful music – but know it is pensive and expansive beauty as opposed to strikingly stark beauty. This album is has warmth in its songs and thoughtful arrangements. Nico Muhly and Valgeir SigurÃ°sson joined in for the creation of the album alongside the music/lyrics of Terry Magson and they have created one stunning collection of songs. I think the title track of “En Garde” could be one of my favourite songs for the year…

Listen to a couple of the Bandcamp streams below:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=”http://puzzlemuteson.bandcamp.com/track/en-garde” mce_href=”http://puzzlemuteson.bandcamp.com/track/en-garde”&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;En Garde by Puzzle Muteson&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=”http://puzzlemuteson.bandcamp.com/track/water-rising” mce_href=”http://puzzlemuteson.bandcamp.com/track/water-rising”&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Water Rising by Puzzle Muteson&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Find more, pre-order and visit Puzzle Muteson via the Bandcamp page and Bedroom Community.

~~~

White Pines - A Face Made of Wood Cover

Next we have an EP from good friend Joseph Scott aka White Pines. In all transparency, our record label Yer Bird Records put out his debut full length album ‘The Falls’ late last year but this is his EP prior. The EP is “A Face Made of Wood” and before I really knew Scott and worked with him, I had this album in my top 3 EPs for the year in 2009 (see here) and it still stands up.

Actually I can credit Mostly Midwest (follow them) for reminding me via one of their tweets about this EP the other day. What is also great is that this fantastic acoustic, roots infused folk EP is available for FREE! Yes, one of the best EPs in the last few years is a free download and I can’t recommend it enough. Listen to a couple of tracks and then head over and download the 5 track EP immediately!

&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=”http://whitepines.bandcamp.com/track/speak-with-the-dead” mce_href=”http://whitepines.bandcamp.com/track/speak-with-the-dead”&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;speak with the dead by White Pines&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=”http://whitepines.bandcamp.com/track/foot-of-the-cross” mce_href=”http://whitepines.bandcamp.com/track/foot-of-the-cross”&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Foot of the Cross by White Pines&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Find out more, visit and follow White Pines on the Bandcamp Page, Yer Bird Records Page and Twitter.

There you have it, two fantastic albums via Bandcamp – one more dreamy folk and one more guitar/roots folk – what else do you need?

~Smansmith