Norfolk and Western

This oughtta give you an idea of what Norfolk & Western are about: they drag a century-old Victrola around with them on the road and Adam Selzer, vocalist and band leader, will sing through it on stage. That, and they're liberal with the banjo and violin. And one more thing, Selzer and drummer, Rachel Blumberg have been musically involved with M. Ward and The Decemberists. That should be enough clues. Now get listening. The stand out track is "A Gilded Age," and its timeless melody, pierced with shimmering guitars, reflecting our own newly-gilded century.

from A Guilded Age:
A Gilded Age [MP3, 3.2MB, 128kbps]

from Dusk in Cold Parlours:
Impossible [MP3, 1.7MB, 64kbps]

from Winter Farewell:
Evergreen [MP3, 2.4MB, 160kbps]
Hegira [MP3, 4.6MB, 160kbps]

11/15/06 Update: Norfolk & Western: Now Touring + MP3s

Buy on iTunes
www.norfolkandwestern.org
www.hushrecords.com

Parks and Recreation

Okay, all you saps, here's one for your Valentine's Day playlist... Portland's Parks and Recreation craft completely over-the-top pop pastiche with a wistfull underbelly. Fits nicely alongside Jens Lekman. Oh, and go grab The Valentines. Happy lovin', lovers!

Maybe the Moon Knows Something [MP3, 2.6MB, 128kbps]
Break Into Song [MP3, 2.9MB, 128kbps]

www.hushrecords.com
www.parksandrecreationhq.com

Shelley Short

Call it a genetic defect, but I will always be a sucker for a woman who seduces not with sex appeal but with intellect. Shelley Short's beautifully facile voice sounds like a lullaby, but the kind that you might hear Patsy Cline or Loretta Lynn sing: resolute heartbreakers about women who are clearly smarter than the men in their lives and need to share their blues. Short isn't all the way that old-fashioned, but her resignation and independence come through thanks to her distinct sense of herself and a recording style that favors echoey live instrumentation to a canned studio sound. It's precious, yes, but for all the right reasons.

Like Anything It's Small [MP3, 4.2MB, 128kbps]
Pullin' Pullin' [MP3, 2.6MB, 128kbps]
Tomorrow Night [MP3, 2.2MB, 128kbps]
Carbon Paper Skies [MP3, 4.4MB, 192kbps]

www.shelleyshort.com
www.hushrecords.com

Blanket Music

Hush honcho, and artist extraordinaire, Chad Crouch, thinks vocal comparisons to Stuart Murdoch (Belle & Sebastian) have worn thin. I hate to perpetuate the problem, but the similarities are quickly apparent. Reminds me as well of a not-so-cynical Stephen Malkmus. More important, however, is the wonderful, and varied, pop sounds he and fellow Portland pals put together in his basement. Blanket Music is a pop Sno Cone to which brightly colored flavors are added: jazz, country, bossanova, and funk. You'll have to pick up their new album, Cultural Norms, to taste all the flavors.

You Shouldn't Have Said That [MP3, 5.5MB, 192kbps]
Hips [MP3, 3.9MB, 192kbps]
Bossa Rev [MP3, 4.8MB, 192kbps]

www.hushrecords.com

Noise for Pretend

Sultry bossa nova noir... Mysterious and enchanting, and not just because frontwoman Esperanza Spalding is barely 18 years old.

Pants With His Halfway Down [MP3, 4.8MB, 160kbps]
Due to Lamplooking [MP3, 3.9MB, 160kbps]

www.hushrecords.com