The Weekend Review: In Houses In Trees, Bombadil, Panda steps in chocolate, Aaron Zimmer

The past week's independent artist album listens, in-review. See also the recent Independent Music Discoveries issue for more!

In Houses In Trees - Together In The Meadow
Part of the Tea & Oranges family of artists, In Houses In Trees are a duo from Maine comprised of Patric Cunningham and Ryan Higgins, both 17 years-old and formerly of Mt. Moon and 1800s Sea Monster (see also the AFIN review on Mt. Moon release A Burial in Seven Births). Their debut release Together In The Meadow make their MySpace Music page descriptions of sounding like "a quiet painting of a snowy forest in early Germany" and being influenced by "colors, forest creatures, the fox and the hound, clouds, and tall grass" seem quite fitting. Continuing and expanding upon the dreamscapes of Mt. Moon, in turns both open an introspective, Together In The Meadow is flowing with beautiful textures and a soft sincerity throughout. Stand-out Tracks: "Nana Dog" and "Black". Get in touch with them via their MySpace Music page about obtaining a copy!

Bombadil - Tarpits and Canyonlands

Set for release 7/7/2009, North Carolina group Bombadil's newest album Tarpits and Canyonlands was not only a fabulous listen, but also came as one of the most nicely packaged albums a band has ever sent me, complete with illustrated envelope, handwritten note, press photo, other goodies, and, of course the CD (with charming album art coming from an Idiots'Books release of the same name as the LP). Their MySpace Music genre classifications of 'Folk / Rock / Lyrical' are not enough- often folksy, yes, but packing a surprise punch with instrumental crunchiness and swift lyrical turns in tracks like "Sad Birthday" and "Cold Runway". What's more this is a band with a sense of fun ("Oto the Bear"), as well as of delicacy ("Reason"). You can pre-order Tarpits and Canyonlands from the Bombadil store- Best of 2009, ahoy!

Panda steps in chocolate - Kid Power (EP)
An AFIN affiliate (known here as 'Cristiano'), Arizona artist Panda steps in chocolate's new release is the Kid Power EP (available for free download on Last.fm- see also past reviews on Creep of the Crop and Just Pretend You Are a Pegasus), a further step in a new sound, interspersing electronic elements with a new addition to PSIC- a physical drum kit (sounds provided by Eli), used to particularly great effect on "Monopoly MONIES"! My fav track here is "Hippie Dressed Juice Drippers"- how can you go wrong with head-tripping electo/vocal-bits and a Clarissa Explains it All reference? Also recommended, and on a different musical planet algoether, is his Orioles project (along the lines of ambient/shoegaziness).

Aaron Zimmer - Live Wires

Live Wires, available now on CDBaby, is the latest release from Aaron Zimmer, a singer-songwriter, originally from Nebraska, currently based in New York City. The album's description "melodic rock for the new generation" fits neatly- Zimmer's tracks here, while any of them could easily be at home as radio tracks, has an edginess and personality about them that set his material far apart from the crowd of cookie-cutter nonsense. Production work by Christian Cassan (David Byrne, Passing Strange) adds a nice touch to Live Wires as well. "False Alarm" is my fav track here (you can listen at his official site and on MySpace Music)- you can also follow him on Twitter- that's how I found out about his music!