Surfing around on soundcloud, I came across a hidden gem. Empty Chairs are out of Brooklyn, and are responsible for this amazing sound. So much good music out there just waiting to be discovered. The Empty Chairs make a memorable impression, and provide an essential spice to any mixture on your player. The Sleeper of the week series is back, check it out!! Eyelashes by Empty Chairs

Gust of Wind # 7

Iron & Wine, Around The Well

Sub Pop Records

www.subpop.com/artists/iron_and_wine

This Gust of Wind holds us close while the leaves fall from the trees, and the summer memories fade into something more calm, something more tame, something we will miss, but inevitably have to wait for. As the clock spins and the days change into the New Year, this gust of wind will be right there, complementing the haze of autumn.

“>For those of you who are familiar with Iron and Wine, Around the Well is right on point with what you would expect from Sam Beam. Iron and Wine is known for their melancholy harmonies, and beautiful acoustic guitar playing. More recently the stripped down approach has been replaced with a full band, and musicians equal to the task of creating Beam’s wondrous sound. It’s hard not to get drawn into the pictures Iron and Wine evokes on their records, I know some who say it’s even hard to listen knowing the bitter sweet feeling these recordings can have. It’s imperative to grasp that emotion by allowing it to pass right by with the clouds up above, so you can see the brighter side of Iron and Wine.

Around the Well is a good place for new listeners to start, and equally a nice release for loyal fans, and even collectors. The beginning of the collection(disc 1) is a mix of older tunes, and the quality of recordings make it easy to distinguish between disc 2, which takes off into more diverse sounds, and even has a spark of experimental influence. That’s the beauty of Disc 2; it delves deeper into the Shepherds Dog approach. That album marked a significant shift for Sam Beam, and the extra tunes on Around the Well (Disc 2), treats listeners to more of that direction.

Iron and Wine is arguably one of the best bands in the last 10 years to come on the scene, but more  importantly the music on Around the Well, and any previous release, can be appreciated by more then just “the heads” of Indie Rock. Their music has an old timey quality to it, and as their discography has progressed into the sounds of different times, most notably Shepherds dog having a sixties and seventies rock undertone, Sam Beam reminds us that although their sound is expanding, the roots of their music will always come from the subtlety of acoustic guitars and hushed harmonies. Around the Well is a reminder of where they have come from, and were they’re going.

- Ryan Boos, September 22, 2009

Buy: Iron & Wine, Around The Well

Gust of Wind # 6

Night Control, Death Control

http://www.killshaman.com/

This gust of wind brings something different to the air.

Christopher Curtis Smith is Night Control – a one man project that uses anything in its sites to bring a fresh new sound to the table, one that gives the (middle) finger to musical traditions.

This record  has a  liberating quality to it, similar to the Velvet Undergrounds early recordings. Throughout this (19 track) lo-fi adventure, the listener is treated with off-tempo arrangements, loud distortions, random yelling, and excessive noise, which all comes out of left field. But that’s the beauty of this record; it’s almost anarchistic, if you will. His vocals are near impossible to understand, they come from every part of the song, and the instrumentation follow suit. It’s bold, refreshing, and manages to express imperfection as a virtue we have all forgotten.

There are some familiar groves and guitar riffs in this collection, some that sound right out of a Led Zeppelin play book. The opening track “Good Looks” is great way to start this record; it has very groovy bass drum that kicks right in. Going into the second track, “Know the Peasant” gives us a rock appeal, similar to the previous musical reference, but ultimately ends abruptly, giving it an unfinished quality, which is a consistent premise behind this (mysterious) Artist.

Night Control might not be on its way to stardom with Death Control, but it’s safe to say he doesn’t care. Death Control is a rebellious effort that comes with a jumbled bag of goodies – imperfection has never sounded so beautiful.

- Ryan Boos, September 4, 2009

Few indy EPs, or complete albums for that matter, make an impression on me as Surf City’s self titled EP has. It was released late last year but I only discovered it a few weeks ago. The opening track “Headin’ Inside” begins with classic, early 60′s, southern Cal guitar pickin (though the band calls the other side of the Pacific their home in New Zealand). Then thrashes into upbeat, good times, outdoor party music complete with fun melodies to sing to. The EP continues with “Records Of A Flagpole Skater” further encouraging me to buy a long-board and hit the salty shores. “Dickshakers Union” boasts the groups delightfully playful sounds and intelligently crafted structures. This is the track I could see getting some airtime. “Canned Food” pushes their surfer vision and borderlines and early R.E.M. classic. “Mt. Kill” adds a tween summer time romance to the EP but also add epic space with the intro guitar riff taking center stage. The release closes with “Free The City” which further enforces the good time sing along grooves. The entire release embraces the lo-fi, garage-studio sound with washed-out guitar and vocals, which although I could use a tad less reverb and some decent tracking… right now, it may just be a requirement for a breakout indy release. Highly recommended. I’ll be jammin this on the way to the beach all summer.