String Cheese Incident

Originally a bunch of bluegrass-lovin' folk who stuck to playing at ski resorts and private events in their home state of Colorado, the String Cheese Incident have evolved since their formation in 1993 to something more than just a bunch of guys playing rootsy rock at your local pub; from reggae to trip-hop to jazz and psychedelia, there isn't anything these blokes are afraid to sink their claws into whether on a stage or in the studio.

Still, it wasn't until this 4th studio outing, 2003's Untying The Not, where their characterisic live show excellence and the eclectic eccentricity of studio experimentation came together into a full and satisfying whole. From the jangly alt-rock tinged opener "Wake Up" to the spacious, trip-hopping "Mountain Girl" to the Beatlesque "Who Am I?", you will most certainly be amazed at the journey this record offers.

Basically, a fantastic genre-jumping bluegrass album for adventurous listeners and the ideal introduction to SCI's body of work. Listen to "Mountain Girl" below if you need convincing!



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Sense

A little known bunch from Quebec who generally play at small venues and occasionally spacious clubs, Sense are a band that fall squarely into the progressive rock genre, but with a very high emphasis on vocal harmony (they sing in English) and crafting gorgeous, catchy arrangements that soar just as deliciously as your favorite Sigur Ros or Mew album.

This particular record, Going Home, was released back in 2007 and has five tracks, three of which edge slightly past the 10 minute mark. To summarize, there's a lot of flute and insanely fluid guitar work eased in between a swamplike pounding bass that works even better when the synths come stabbing in like knives. Whether being aggressive or pastoral, these songs are simply fantastic!

Should appeal to fans of any kind of music really, even if prog. isn't your bag. Listen to 'Stone In The Sky' below, where the links to Amazon and mediafire are also. Enjoy!



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Woodpigeon

There are lots of indie rock bands named after deer and wolves. And there are also a lot of folk bands named after wood (Woods) and birds (Bowerbirds, Andrew Bird). Some folk bands just do both, like Wooden Birds (who had a strong 2009 debut) and Woodpigeon. Woodpigeon is a Canadian group who debuted in 2008 with 'Songbook', and followed up in '09 with 'Treasury Library Canada'. The two albums were both reviewed well (by those who bothered too), but generated fairly little hype, surprisingly so.

You may remember back to 2001, when "New Slang" had everybody who had ever seen 'Garden State' describing every indie band regardless as "Kind of sounding like the Shins". I'm pretty sure someone even told me Modest Mouse kind of sounded like the Shins once. That said many of the comparisions were relevant, as 'Oh, Inverted World' spawned as many imitators as any album I can remember in recent history. What is interesting about Woodpigeon is how they deliver on everything all of those bands ever aspired to be. Simply put, poppy, softly sung, acoustic based chamber pop. 'Songbook' honestly sounds like the best album the Shins never made, and yet instead of jumping for joy, we seem to be pushing it to the side. Why? Possibly because Woodpigeon just make it sound so effortless. The melodies are so natural, the progressions all so plainly pleasantly simple, that maybe were just embarrassed that all of our afore-championed imitators managed to somehow fall flat.

'Treasury Library Canada' is also a strong outing, but below you'll find 'Songbook', I'd argue the better of the two. Admittedly, this album is not without its pitfalls; song titles like "Death By Ninja (a Love Song)" are cause for rolling eyes. But that said, if you like pretty, folky, chamber pop like the song below, this is some of the best being made. Check it out.

"Take The Hint Kid", 2008


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