Music Video: Ricky Kendall - Ozark County Blues

Gainesville's Ricky Kendall is one of north Florida's little hidden treasures. His previous projects, Jukebox Wagon and Paxico Via Mexico, received some modest notoriety regionally, but it's his more stripped down workingman's roots music that has really been putting him on the proverbial map of late. His music is simultaneously fresh but classic in it's tonality and playfully charming in it's splendid delivery. That along with a powerhouse voice and superlative lyrical stylings will most assuredly have us hearing much more from him in the near future.


This post was contributed by Paul Chapman, Jacksonville (via Tallahassee) musician/ writer extraordinaire. If you like his style make sure to check out his regular column for metrojax, Pump up the Volume.

Aircraft - Jeff Bridges over Troubled Water

If the concept of a local super group is even possible, Aircraft fit the bill. Some of Tallahassee's finest musicians, including Jake Tobin (Fruit Flesh), Malee Brigardner (Moonlasso), James Folker (Water Brother) and Ben Varian all take part in the collective. Last March I got a chance to check them out at Total Bummer, and their sound was more than ambitious enough to match the skills of their members. Taking cues from the most anthemic of indie bands (think Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene) the band tore through one of the best surprise sets of the festival. Nearly a full year later the band is finally unveiling its first release. The demos which were recorded several months ago are already a testament to Aircraft's evolving sound. "Jeff Bridges Over Troubled Water" finds the band basked in warmth, playing a brand of tropical folk that's manages to sound comfortingly familiar without cliche. "Jeff Bridges" is only the first stop Aircraft's continuing evolution, and a fine introduction to one of the most promising bands in town.

Carrousel - Darling EP

Last week Tallahassee's Carrousel released their debut EP, with an LP to follow in February. With sonic cues coming from the likes of Sufjan Stevens and Beach House, The Darling EP falls squarely in the intersect between Folk and Dream Pop. The album's warmth and accessibility is no accident however. Wisely, the band (originally a duo) decided to hole up in their home studio, focusing entirely on recording and honing their vision for the album without the complications of playing live. Two years in the making, the sense of dedication is palpable on the EP as it glows with a homemade sweetness, intimately crafted in a world all its own.

Oh Fortuna - Frosted Tips

Gainesville's number one Divas, Oh Fortuna return with their first official release of breezy, yet dance-able indie pop. Highly recommended for fans of MGMT, Reptar and I don't know... FUN? Highlights include the extra crunchy remix of Faces I can See and the shot of high fructose pop perfection that is Might Mountain. Frosted Tips sounds like your favorite Disney Channel band but sexier. Surely destined to sound track middle school dances across the nation. Listen below and expect the tape from the always fantastic Wonder Beard.

Holiday Shores - Spells

I certainly don't have a shortage of friends in Tallahassee who consider Holiday Shores the best band in town. Fortunately, their appeal is starting to break through to the outside world: Spells is the second single off of their new album posted on underground godfathers Altered Zones. Spells has been a personal favorite of mine from their live shows for a while now, and its great to finally have it recorded

Spells - Holiday Shores

Music Video: Fruit Flesh - Habit(at)

Download the mp3 on Jake's soundcloud.

Fruit Flesh - Viral Infection

Tallahassee Up-and-comer Fruit Flesh released another song over the weekend. "Viral Infection" is based around saxophone and vocals just like "Sin, Sin Away" but it results in a much more disorienting experience. Recalling Modest Mouse and Dirty Projectors and feeling a lot more woozy than it does breezy, Viral Infection is equally as interesting, but an entirely different beast from Sin, Sin Away. Fruit Flesh are on bandcamp now, so go download Viral Infection and a newly mixed version of Sin, Sin below.

Music Video: Holiday Shores - Threepeat Got Old

Holiday Shores - Threepeat Got Old from twosyllable records on Vimeo.

Sin, Sin Away - Fruit Flesh

Tallahassee Wunderkind and Longstreth disciple Jake Tobin has just released the first single of his new project Fruit Flesh. Featuring lounging tribal drums, saxophone and absolutely soaring vocals, Sin, Sin away is a potent combination of tUnE-YarD's breezy ethnic influences and the new romantic revival currently brewing. Its been on repeat for me all night, the perfect soundtrack after a busy summer day.

Sin, Sin Away by Fruit Flesh

If you're digging it, check out Jake's current main squeeze, Wingsuit.

Ha Ha Hospital (Live at the Farside)

This weekend I finally got to see Tallahassee mainstays and Mountain Goat disciples "Ha Ha Hospital" over at the always lovely Farside. Coincidentally, some one recorded and uploaded a few songs from the very same show! They write bite-sized pop numbers with an obviously witty sensibility. Its probably worth mentioning that it seemed like everyone at the show except for me knew all of the words. Definitely a charming duo worth checking out.

Watch a few more videos from our courteous uploader's youtube channel.

Jane Jane Pollock

Ok you guys, I'm not going to lie: I'm really not all that integrated into Tallahassee's music scene. Thats changing as we speak though! Last night I had nothing to do so I decided to walk over to the farside to see a few locals I'd heard of but never seen. The last band of the night, Jane Jane Pollock left me completely awe-stricken. Instead of pretending I can explain their sound to you I'm just going to post a live video. Expect a longer write-up after I've heard more from them.

Jane Jane are playing twice at the engine room in the next few weeks, once for their CD release and once opening for Thee Oh Sees.

Gloomy(live at the engine room) - Jane Jane Pollock (not the same show as the youtube video)

Total Bummer mixtape - Vol 1

I didn't make this mixtape, but I'm going to count it as the mixtape for the week anyways because I'm lazy. Total Bummer 2.0 is a 3 day event coming to Tallahassee March 25-27th. Boasting 60 artists (that doesn't include visual artists!) in 3 days and taking place in and around Railroad square, Total Bummer is going to be a damn good time for all us Tally Folks. Bands include: Gobble Gobble, Reptar, Hear Hums, Waylon Thorton and the Heavy Hands, Moonlasso ,Oh Fortuna and obviously a ton more. According to their facebook, Spirit Cat is " a collective/record label of electronic music based out of Gainesville, FL", and I'd give props to whoever specifically made the mixtape if I knew.

Find More info on Total Bummer on their website or their angelfire (lol) and check back for updates on the second phase of the line-up.

If you're not in Tallahassee and really don't care, don't worry. I'm just about finished with a mixtape for next week (I'm finally getting back into the routine). On that note, if anybody wants to contribute some artwork for next week's mix email me.

Creepers - Songs from the Green House

Swimming Trunks/BWEDGE Split EP

Tourmates and like minded tropical punks "BWEDGE" and "Swimming Trunks" recently released a free split EP of fuzzy, sample based joy. Fans of Tree Hopping (or Totally Nebular) will definitely enjoy these guys. Although both bands feel pretty tropical throughout, they aren't afraid to throw in samples and synths that break the beach mood. (I wanna Know and Small Victories respectively).

The EP has five songs from each artist and you can download it right here. Check out the track list below, along with a few individual mp3s. UPDATE: I just realized they are actually mp4s, so open them in a new tab if they aren't playing for you.

BWEDGE:

1. Restless
2. Golden Gloves
3. Phantom
4. I wanna Know
5. Simple Dreams

Swimming Trunks:

1. Small Victories
2. Past/Future
3. Necessary Evils
4. Ripe (Ft BWEDGE)
5. Wisdom

Tree Hopping - The Beat Band

Tree Hopping is the side project of 1/3 of carnival yelpers Totally Nebular. If I had to guess I'd say this guy is the main song writer for Totally Nebular, as they aren't too far apart. The Beat Band is heavier on the tropical influence and lighter on the (already light) hip-hop influences on Boat Boat. The music (except vocals) is made entirely of loops, but it never sounds inorganic. There's also something particularly grin-inducing about hearing the incredibly catchy hooks pop in more than one song.

P.S

This is totally(hah) unrelated:

Day Trotter is KILLING IT with the Pop Montreal Sessions. 4 Braids songs in a single take, an acoustic Diamond Rings session and Oberhofer all in a week? You should probably go download those if you haven't yet.