*photo by David Greenwald

Cedar Teeth‘s indie roots run deep. Their genre bending nod to roots rock and Americana has warranted them show slots with famed Pacific Northwesterners Hillstomp and Fruition, but their upcoming second album, Farewell To Green Mountain, is sure to take them steps closer to that historic bluesy status.

"Winter" is the first single to come off the sophomore effort, and ties the romantic adventure of budding love to the glories of the seasons. Lead singer Dylan Martell sweetly sings of his personal and positive experiences on the matter, with lyrics including “When we meet, there won’t be winters.” Such a beautiful sentiment is backed by incredibly powerful plucking, driving this ballad home in all of its sweetness.

Listen to "Winter" below and be sure to check out the release show tonight at the White Eagle with General Mojo’s and MOsley WOtta.

Finding ways to make jazz even more ecclectic and interesting than it already is might seem a creative challenge. There are so many ways in which jazz commands attention that finding a way to make it individually intriguing requires some alternative approach. For Echo Pearl Varsity, Portland’s jazz fusion post-rock hybrid group, that approach was near effortless and incredibly fitting.

It all started back in 2015, when lead songwriter Sam Luna, bassist Nolan Henderson and drummer Ian Taylor were working at a pizza shop together, yearning to add something original to Portland’s (and, the general) music scene. Once they were joined by saxophonist Levi Downey, Echo Pearl Varsity was complete, and their sophisticated innovation of post-fusion came to be.

Their EP Tragic Bronson debuted their mellow yet mercurial production but their first full length, Fires, takes it to the next level. Establishing the band as leaders in this avant category, Fires shows EPV as masterful yet mallable and commanding yet flexible, with a willingness to flow with the orchestrative freedom post-rock and jazz allow. They’ll be releasing an EP of cover songs in the next few months, coinciding with another tour.

Congrats to Echo Pearl Varsity for winning our poll and our hearts. Listen to Fires in full below. 

Thematically centered around social anxiety, personal loss and other relatable content, the second full length from The Dovecotes is more than aptly titled. Humorless speaks on sadder subject manner, with the music not always reaching as low.

Staying on their same course of jangly dream pop, Humorless is the perfect follow-up chapter for the near two year old quartet. Over the course of eight days the band recorded and stripped down their new set of songs to keep their same powerful chord progressions and dynamic arrangements, with the help of producer Skyler Norwood. The results are complex and at times a bit unpredictable, though still true to The Dovecotes sound.

Celebrate the release of Humorless, along with a new album from the band Team Evil, tonight at the Alberta Street Pub. Your next chance to catch The Dovecotes won’t be until the end of next month, during their show at the Secret Society with Risley and A Certain Smile. 

Post-rock is a beautiful genre, especially when it leans more towards the classical end of the spectrum. It’s one that really shows the depth of an artist or band’s talent, since at times it takes a little more effort to keep the fascination going. This isn’t a problem for new solo orchestrator James Randolph Fouty, recording under the moniker Sleeping Horses, who keeps interest piqued with his self-titled debut.

Each track is ambient magic in its own right, but one that stands out is "Rarely Has Reality Needed So Much To Be Imagined." Aside from its thought provoking title, "Rarely Has Reality…" builds up in sonic expansion without becoming too chaotic or losing its intrigue.

Give the song a listen below and check out the debut album from Sleeping Horses, out on Fluttery Records.