IDEAOFNORTH

Available from peapodrecordings.com, iTunes, eMusic, toneVENDOR and select record stores.

brown bird
bottom of the sea

brown bird’s sound ranges from simple sea-shanty style folk to complex counterpoints with an eastern european flavor. their influences of indie rock, classical music, and old american hymns rise and fall within their songs like whitecaps on a dark and stormy sea.

brown bird’s newest full-length, the bottom of the sea, is a collection of very old and brand new songs recorded in chronological order in February 2008. The album is more stripped-down and traditionally song oriented than the earlier releases, with beautiful vocals and instrumentation from fellow brown birds jeremy and jerusha, along with annie palmer and eliza blue.

Dave will be on an extensive national tour in support of the album this summer. Check their MySpace page for details.

“Frontman and songwriter David Lamb is like an ancient foundation peeking up through wild grass, deeply rooted but whipped raw by the elements.”
— Sam Pfeifle, Portland Phoenix

the ice and snow haunt me still

dead end armory
hope you’re good

Equal parts Texas-style indie rock and New England wintercore. The often cited comparison of Willie Nelson meets The Pixies is apt — Hartley’s southern croon recalls the legendary Texan’s heartfelt delivery, and the 4 piece rock band’s sound ranges from spare, solemn songs that bring to mind The Red House Painters, early Low, and of course, the Red Headed Stranger, to the cacophonous noise of Sister-era Sonic Youth or classic Crazy Horse.

“DEA combine fire and ice musicianship with unpredictable meter changes, sharp guitars, and mellow, haunting vocals to create one of the most interesting sounds in the downtown scene.”
— Bill Reese, Good Times

treasures by the ounce

hearts by darts
self-titled debut

Baltimore’s Hearts by Darts started as a recording project by Sei Petersen and Mike Evitts after the demise of their band Sharky. They began crafting songs from the ground up, drawing from a diverse range of influences including 60s soundtrack music, 80s shoegaze, 90s indie rock, and Julee Cruise’s lovely Twin Peaks songs. With the addition of Wendy Weihs’ understated vocal style and intriguing lyrics (often referencing mathematical rules and impossible, far away locales), Hearts by Darts have succeeded in crafting a dream pop landscape that is simultaneously springtime and atmosphere, comforting and strange.

prime

honey clouds
earl grey demos

“… i am definitely diggin their sound which is very reminiscent of early pavement, velvet underground, the fall, east river pipe, etc. i love the use of the jangly guitar, it always goes far with me. will definitely be reporting on these guys in the future.”
— Captain’s Dead

“The guitars alternately jangle a la early R.E.M. and crunch like Crazy Horse. Killer riffs abound. The new group’s exuberance is palpable …”
— Chris Busby, The Bollard

color spills in
spinning from tops