speed of dark

I missed Finally Friday this week because when it comes to a choice between the grandbaby and the blog, the grandbaby is gonna win every time.

Here are two unsigned shoegaze-type bands that really deserve a label and a place to expand on their repertoires.

The Evening Sounds

Combine all the finest shoegaze you can think of--like Sigur Ros, Mazzy Star, and Slowdive--with a vision of a glowing sunset, and you have an idea of the sound of The Evening Sounds, an unsigned band from U.K.'s Midlands.

Tom Howell, Gary Sheppard, Andrew Kennedy have created lush and serene soundscapes with floods of vocal layers interspersed with simple acoustic guitar. Somebody please pick these guys up so we can have a full album of these warm and heart-soothing hymns.

Two more songs are available for download at their MySpace page.
The Evening Sounds: A New Suggestion
The Evening Sounds: Cellar Track (demo)

MySpace | Label: Unsigned!



Hazelwood Motel


Herman Jolly keeps sending me bulletins about Seattle band Hazelwood Motel, and I'm grateful because I checked them out and really liked their songs. Jolly played drums for the group at one time, and apparently the association continues to be warm.

Band members Ed Vierda, Megan Pickerel, and Patrick Smail play tender, heart-breaking ballads based around quiet piano or guitar, although "Break Myself In Two," which can be streamed on their MySpace page, has a head-bobbing beat to it. I'm really looking forward to hearing more from them. They've been playing some shows in the Seattle area, so if anyone has seen them live write us a comment.

Hazelwood Motel: Released
Hazelwood Motel: Not Enough
MySpace | Label: Unsigned!

Show Schedule:
Sep 18 2007 - Nectar, Seattle, WA
Oct 12 2007 - Mars bar with Half Light, Seattle, WA


From the blogroll:

Contrast Podcast #75 is Musicians with Moustaches. I chose J. Tillman because in most photographs he has both a moustache and beard.

Covers! Aquarium Drunkard has Neil Young's "Cortez the Killer" covered by Built To Spill, and there are more covers by Drive By Truckers and Jason Isbell at Berkeley Place, and even more covers at HaHaMusic's Cover Tuesday.

Can You See the Sunset has a review of the new Pinback album, Autumn of the Seraphs.

School has started, and Marcy at Lost In Your Inbox reminds us that that means it is marching band season. Hey, Indie Mom--remember that? Check out the song "I Used to Play the Euphonium."