01 November 2009
And Now...A Pause

The work schedule the next few weeks will be even more intense than it usually is, and I feel the need to put Local Vertical on the back burner for a short time. If all goes according I may resume posting shortly after the November 16th launch of Atlantis. For those that have sent music for review and consideration, I would appreciate your patience and understanding and will effort to get caught up as soon as possible. And to our readers, please look for a return soon. Thanks!
 
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Reintroducing Codes In The Clouds


Even though we just had a mention of them about a month ago, the music from the UK's Codes In The Clouds new album, Paper Canyon, is just so good it deserves another post. It's some of the best post-rock I've ever heard, their compositions just seem so naturally perfect. Hard to believe this album was put together in just a few days. Highly recommended.

Fractures
Codes In The Clouds: MySpace • Paper Canyon is available via Erased Tapes
 
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31 October 2009
From The Blogroll: 31 October 2009

Good Rockin' Tonight...Halloween Party Music
Speed of Dark...Halloween Mix, Part 5
The Devil Has The Best Tuna...Happy Halloween
The Midnight Tracker...Something for the Season

 
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Happy Halloween!



Four hideous faces, four songs for the day. No tricks here!



Buy: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4


 
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30 October 2009
More From: Quest For Fire


Quest for Fire's recent June release of their self-titled debut album still has people talking. Their 10+ minute sonic assaults are old school classic rock and psychedelia at their gritty finest. We first mentioned them before the release and the offered track Bison Eyes was one of the most downloaded/played tracks we had offered. Since you can never get enough of a good thing, feel free to immerse yourself in Hawk That Hunts The Walking.

Hawk That Hunts The Walking
Quest For Fire: MySpace • Available via Tee Pee Records
 
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It's A Hugo Frusslinky Friday!
On this Halloween eve, I present to you a gift, these two droids...um, hang on. Actually, it's one of my favorite lady vocalists on the planet, the lovely and talented and not-really-as-threatening-as-she-sounds Heather McCallum. Got an email from my buddy Jono not Bono-whom I swear if I could sneak someone on a deep space probe it would be him as his guitars would wake a galaxy-and he's sent along a new track, Stone, from the band. If you aren't familiar with the U.K.'s Hugo Frusslinky, go back in time to this post and you'll get an idea how much I like this bunch. Besides some totally rockus music, any band that includes some type of fowl on an album cover has to be taken seriously. Well, maybe that's a stretch but you can't deny their music is brutally well done. If you are in and around London, they should be playing in some nearby club, pub or basement. And I guarantee you'll have no problem finding them, their sound will see to that.

Hugo Frusslinky • Stone • Fatty Boom Boom
 
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28 October 2009
This Weeks' Kick-Ass Space Image

Click For Full-Size; credit Scott Andrews, Canon

Well, needless to say it's been an incredible day. To help take something that was only on paper three years ago and watch it come to life and fly straight and true is a feeling I just can't adequately describe. It was just emotional as hell, most of the team was near tears but success combined with relief will do that. I'm just so humbly proud to be a part of such a wonderful, bright and dedicated group of people as those that commit their energies to our space program. Without a doubt, it was the most beautiful rocket launch I've ever seen. It's a big, majestic and glorious rocket with a soul and it came to life today. This is the future, this is for you, this is just so damn fantastic. We can't stay down here forever; it's such a big universe, it was put here for us to go explore, not fear. I just feel so damn proud to be a part of this, you folks just have no idea.

Before Tomorrow Comes • Alter Bridge, from Blackbird

 
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25 October 2009
From The Inbox: 25 October 2009
A couple of Seattle artists have new albums out via Cheap Lullaby Records. Tim Wilson and Ryan Carbary are Ivan & Alyosha(I wonder why they couldn't just be Tim and Ryan?) and their new album is called The Verse, The Chorus. It's getting terrific reviews and some comparisons to a slower variation of the The Shins, which can't be a bad thing. Call me overworked, but it even sounds a little early Beatles-esque to me.

Josh Ottum and a rather large group of musicians, including a couple borrowed from Sufjan Stevens, have put together a rather adventurous album called Like The Season. It's their debut album and it has a fine 70's melodic pop sound to it that will fill any room it's being played in.

Ivan & Alyosha • Beautiful Lie
Josh Ottum • It's Alright
Both albums available via Cheap Lullaby Records

• • • •

Nebula seems to do this brand of music as well if not better than most everyone that tries; we'll strengthen the argument by offering another track of their July release of Heavy Psyche. If you play this really loud while the neighborhood kids contemplate knocking on your door for Mars bars this Halloween, you'll likely hear them saying this.

Aphrodite
Nebula: Website • MySpace • Available via Tee Pee Records

• • • •

The more I hear it, the more I really like this sound too. It's from the new album Over The Stones, Under The Stars from Ned Collette + Wirewalker. The Melbourne, Australia three-piece group's music is just great to listen to due to the simplicity of it, yet nothing detracts from the pace of it. The band has already earned a sizeable U.S. following and will continue touring the globe in support of the recently-released(October 23rd) album.

Come Clean
Ned Collette + Wirewalker: Website • MySpace • Available via Remote Control

• • • •

Ravens & Chimes is one of my favorite bands I've found due to this blog. They are in the middle of recording a new album and has sent over a track to share as a tease of what's coming. Their 2007 release, Reichenbach Falls, was fantastic and I'm sure what they are putting together will surpass that. They recently had a CMJ show and had I not been so busy lately, I would have told you that before the show, not after. So that's kind of pointless. When we get word of the album release, we'll pass it along. Before it comes out.

Hearts of Palm
Ravens and Chimes: Website • MySpace • Reichenbach Falls available via Amazon
 
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24 October 2009
New Music: Little Fish, Darling Dear

If you plan to follow any musical act this year as they ascend up the charts, you could do worse than Little Fish. Fronted by JuJu (who didn't even pick up a guitar until college), she's taking female rock to a rarified level. Joined by drummer/percussionist Nez, Juju is earning impressive comparisons to Patti Smith and PJ Harvey and likely will continue to do so as long as the UK duo (assisted by Levi French on keyboards) pumps out music like this. This is raw, no-pretense rock by a woman who gets it. And gets it right. Highly recommended.

Darling Dear
Little Fish: MySpace • Available via Amazon
 
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Visual Audio: Royal Chant, Somedays
By popular demand (right), we've brought back the most popular header in the history of this blog. By even more popular demand (seriously!), we've got another video by Mark Spence and Royal Chant. This video gives me Tom Petty-Don't Come Around Here No More flashbacks. God help the sheep.


 
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Music Royale

I think pretty much everyone's heard of the Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Rainbow-Wizard of Oz connection. One of my all-time favorite movies is the 1967 original version of Casino Royale. I guess if I ever get the urge to try music-movie synchronization, that movie and this music might just do the trick. Or maybe not.

Slap On The Face • Blue Jungle, from Baby Don't Cry
Gimme Money • Electric Tickle Machine • , from Blew It Again
Ticket Away From Prague • Hotchacha, from The World's Hardest Working Telescope and the Violent Birth of Stars
She Walks Downtown • Kill The Dandies!, from I Saw White Fields
Love Etc. • System and Station, from I'm Here To Kill
 
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21 October 2009
This Weeks' Kick-Ass Space Image

Click For Full-Size; credit NASA/Kim Shiflett

Lately, from Day of Fire's upcoming album, Losing All (January 26, 2010)

 
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17 October 2009
From The Inbox: 10.17.09
Before we dive into some new music, I just want to wish Merz, author of the fine blog Mars Needs Guitars, best of luck as he deals with some personal issues. Merz, I'm just right up US1; if there's anything I can do to help out, just send up a flare. Actually, pyrotechnics aren't really necessary...just send me an email and I'll be there for you any way I can bro.

• • • •

Cleeman is a one-man project comprised of Danish downtempo singer and multi-instrumentalist Gunnar Cleeman. His new CD, titled 45 Minutes Mostly About Caring, is as unique and interesting as pop music comes, and there's a certain genius to his work. Lush vocals gently woven among calming instruments are his hallmark and make for a rather charming album that relaxes as well as reassures. With songs titles such as Ambitious, Righteous, and Optimist, how could it not? Excellent.

Ambitious
Cleeman: MySpace • 45 Minutes Mostly About Caring available via Series Two Records

• • • •

Brian Ward is best known for his simple, emotional songwriting delivered by floating vocals that are some of the most melodic yet intense you'll hear. From Columbus, Ohio, Brian has earned and enjoyed a substantial online following and his new release Only In The Mornings: Hubert, is an impressive texture of raw acoustics and ambient guitars with his vocals the tender final touch. Even if you are not a fan of the genre, this album will still capture your ear the first time you listen to it.

Trapped Windows
Only In The Mornings: MySpace • CD Baby has Only In The Mornings: Hubert

• • • •

Philadelphia indie-pop band The Swimmers will release their second album, People Are Soft, on November 3rd and it's almost as much a debut album as the band has reinvented itself through a very refined sound. Featuring distorted hooks, crushing guitars and reverb trails in their refined mixes, The Swimmers have made a triumphant effort with the music of the album and are definitely a band to watch if they keep creating music this alluring. Save Me is typical of the pounding choruses of their music, which the band recorded entirely themselves. Very well done, should be a well-received release.

Save Me(From The Brightness)
The Swimmers: Website • MySpace • Watch Mad Dragon Records for the release

• • • •

The Heavy's Sophomore Album, The House That Dirt Built Is Out and to no surprise, the band continues to outdo itself with each release. Doesn't matter if it sounds genre-bending or musically schizophrenic. It just sounds great.

Short Change Hero
The Heavy: MySpace • The House That Dirt Built available via iTunes

• • • •

Freaky gorgeous: Titiyo's new album Hidden. Her first album since 2001’s chart-topping Come Along LP, it's a far cry from the common sounds of your everyday Swedish indie pop. But that's the beauty of it, no?

Crystal Clear Mud
Titiyo: MySpace • Available via Despotz Records

• • • •

The Little Death will take you back in time when 60's rock bands discovered the Blues, and take their individual rock roots and drown themselves in the deep south sound. Everything about the band screams a grassroots time period and blends a sound sharing their love of raw blues, soul, and psychedelic rock. Recording nearly every song in three takes or less in order to capture the fervor of their live performance, and recording to tape to encapsulate the rich sound of yesteryear, their self-titled debut is best heard loud.

Gather Round
The Little Death: Website • MySpace • Debut Album available via the band's store
 
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Local Video: v5





The latest effort of combining time-lapse video and appropriate music. Hope you enjoy it!

 
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The Never-Left Return of Ryan Costello
If you consider yourself some sort of historian, you might recall a post featuring an Orlando band called The OaKs, a six-piece indie folk band whose music was as smooth as silk and just as fine. The band has put themselves on hiatus while the members each follow different paths that hopefully will lead them back to each other some day, as The OaKs music was something really special. The news is not all bad by any means however, as former OaKs lead singer Ryan Costello will be releasing a solo album on October 20th. Appropriately titled After The Fire, the album features music mainly folk-based yet tinged with electronic elements. The music from the new album and Ryan's Paul Simon-esque voice immediately serve to sooth that while The OakS may not be around as a group right now, the elements that made the band are still in great form and doing what they do best: making near-perfect music. The alum is a rebirth of sorts, rebuilding the human spirit while continuing to share the gift of Ryan's voice that is almost singular in nature. We've had the privilege of hearing the entire album, and choosing just one track to share was a real challenge. A great body of work, highly recommended.

The Thief
Ryan Costello: Website • MySpace • After The Fire available via Amazon
 
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