Current Obsessions

I have not been able to stop listening to this album for a while now; Fryeburg Fair, Holler, Palm Trees for Mama are my top picks... An amazing LP, and Smushie's first! He's always had this unique sound, indie rocky/folky, a little humorous, a little soft at times; still, always sounds like Smushie. He's got two other projects as well, the Long Island Railroad (with Ryan Gebhardt), and Berta Bigtoe (with Ben Astrachan). All super cool and, in my opinion, unique. Smushie, Austin Koenigstein, is based in Chicago, as well as Astrachan (Gebhardt is based in Minneapolis) it seems he's really found a place to thrive!

If you like this stuff, you may very well like Star Parks as well!

My man J DUBSSSSSS! Seriously, this guy is awesome, not only as an artist. A few years ago, this guy hiked the Appalachian Trail, and just recently realized that that wasn't enough... So now, he's CANOEING the entirety of the MISSISSIPPI RIVER. To add on to it, he's touring while he's doing it. God, I dream of it. Enough of my tree-hugger behavior. 

This album is just as good as any other one you'd choose to listen to by JW. But what I love most about this album is how personal it seems, and truly is. He's got a lot of love to give and wow, it's some fun to take part in it. He starts the album off with one of my favorite song transitions of this decade, Track 1 - Home, into Track 2 -  Is that the One? So fun, and such a great response too! 

LoFi, New York, and Gold are also some amazing songs from this album! So happy to have heard it live... FOR FREE!

Check out Winona Forever too if you're interested!

The Apples in Stereo are one of a few bands under the same record label, co-founded by the lead guitarist, Rob Schneider, called Elephant 6 (popular playlist linked with Elephant 6 bands and their hits). Notable names of this label would be Neutral Milk Hotel, of Montreal, or The Olivia Tremor Control... Yea, one of the best "psych pop" labels to exist during that time, MY OPINION!

The Apples in Stereo give me a pretty nice Beach Boys-esque sound, but they're so much more than that. This album in particular fits the opening track's theme so well. I really felt like this was getting beamed to me from a satellite throughout my listen...

On a more serious note, some great songs; High Tide, Lucky Charm, and Innerspace. Although Innerspace is an instrumental song, the feeling of it while listening through the album was astonishing, giving the feeling that you got from one of those songs that you just didn't fully pay attention to on the radio. Amazing playthrough!

This may be a specific recommendation, but I already mentioned the artist so, check out Satanic Panic in The Attic by of Montreal!