The What and the Why

Wax Tablet
By PORTLAND PHOENIX MUSIC STAFF  |  June 13, 2012

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If And It

• A brand-new record from the thoughtful indie-folk trio IF & IT dropped a couple weeks ago, courtesy of Ron Harrity's Peapod Recordings. It'll surely get a full review soon, but the early impression is that this record's got a lot of warmth. Sparkly Gold is less the sound of porchside boys plucking out folk songs in slow, spare arrangements and more a rich, dynamic, and experimental take on modern Appalachian post-punk, occupying the same sonic terrain as Palace Music and Silver Jews. These guys did a bang-up job playing our Best of Portland Awards Show in April, and Sparkly Gold is easily their most accessible work to date. Available for download at ifandit.bandcamp.com.

•Local multimedia producer JASON M. BOSCH has been busy lately, making super-slick videos for several high-profile local acts. Check out his website (jasonmbosch.com) for witty, highly narrative, and very Maine-centric takes of a diverse set of new singles. His video for WHITCOMB's "An Assassin" shows the stomping metal band getting murdered by a hitman as they play their song in a dingy basement. In "Gee Willikers," rapper SPOSE gets kidnapped by dudes wearing bunny and Santa costumes; "Swagless" shows off just how compelling a nasty party in a rural Maine barn can be. CAM GROVES's "Diamond in the Rough" is a lusty plea to a hot waitress shot on location at Congdon's Doughnuts in Wells, and a rustic Baxter Brewing Company features original music by OTHER BONES' ANDREW MEAD. Bosch is the same guy who shot the Other Bones' video for "Feels Like Home," which has given that band a notable YouTube presence. Maybe he'd do the same for you?

•If your ears have been longing for some beautiful folk-bluegrass-blues then clear your summer calendar for the COLORADAS, who just returned from a European tour and have released their East Coast summer tour dates. The indie group's self-titled debut album was released to rousing reviews this past winter; since then singer ROY DAVIS has already posted a new song on their website and tweeted the band's excitement to start recording again — so expect a lot of energy and fresh tunes at their summer shows. New England tour dates can be found at thecoloradas.com.

  Topics: New England Music News , Ron Harrity, Roy Davis, Roy Davis,  More more >
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