This Busy Monster
Fireworks
Barsuk
Slightly melancholic folksy indie rock. This trio, with the help of a few other guests, slides out an almost acoustic sounding mood, scattered with guitars, banjos, clarinets, cellos, French horns, and various other sounds. The vocals move a bit deeper in the register, but there are moments that make me think of The Violent Femmes. The music is sometimes happy when the lyrics are sad (“I’m calling death but he’s probably like most people/Who don’t even listen to the words I sing•”), but even the sadness can make you smile when it’s played this well.
Barsuk, PO Box 31016, Seattle, WA 98103; http://www.barsuk.com