Olivia's new home, perhaps?

Robin Pecknold, frontman of the folk saviors The Fleet Foxes and arguably one of the best songwriters of his generation, released a demo of a song entitled “Olivia, In a Separate Bed.” As he describes in his post, Robin has intentions of changing the track. However, the song’s unembellished, raw character–both in lyrical content and in tune–give it a sense of vulnerability that grants the listener access to a window into the creator perhaps previously unseen in other work. That is to say, we hear Robin’s bitter longing for a lost lover. Regardless of whether or not it is in its final incarnation, the song stands upright for that reason alone.

Yeah, we’ve been waiting for this one. After teasing us with EP Oblangle Fizz Y’all  the kooked up boys from Reptar have dropped their first hint from up-coming full debut, Body Faucet. Besides evoking some particularly strange bodily imagery, the album and opening track “Sebastian” seems to have some promise. Lots of it.

Jammed with tribal percussion, steel drum samples and one surf-happy guitar, “Sebastian” is a perfect encapsulation of Reptar: crazed and care-free to the point of bliss. With lead singer Graham Ulicny doing his best Ezra Koenig impersonation– “Mixing my emotions, you just don’t care!” he wails–Reptar takes off on choral hollers and sets the bar high for the rest of its 11 tracks.

Reptar’s Body Faucet comes out in May 1 on Vagrant Records.

Reptar- Sebastian (sign up for their mailing list to download)

Just a few hundred yards away from the best bluegrass in the country, a man kicks back. It's Ocean Beach on a beautiful day, after all. (Ellen Huet/treeswingers)

Warren Hellman wore a sparkly jacket and loved bluegrass. He did other notable things — set up Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, created the Bay Citizen, made San Francisco a measurably more wonderful place — but those two details were astutely remembered Sunday as the biggest names in bluegrass gathered to say goodbye and thanks for living.

Posters illustrating Hellman's storied life line the Great Highway by the stages. (Ellen Huet/treeswingers)

On Sunday, crowds remembered him with banjo picking, blanket picnicking and kites whipping in the ocean breeze. Audiences smashed onto the Great Highway paved lots — much less comfortable than the grass of Hellman’s Hollow — while  the gruff and lovely tones of the performers rang out in memory of just one guy.

“When I go, don’t cry for me,” Buddy Miller sang as he closed his early-afternoon set. “In my father’s arms I’ll be. It don’t matter where you bury me — I’ll be home and I’ll be free.”

For a concert thrown together in about two months, Sunday’s sets ran seamlessly together and bounced crowds back and forth between the two facing stages like a slow-motion tennis match, one performer observed.  But in each set, short as they were, the singers had a chance to remember various aspects of Hellman’s long life.

Dry Branch Fire Squad broke out of their guitar-bass-mandolin jams to do a sweet gospel number in honor of Hellman’s love of the simple melodies, citing Hellman as saying that “with gospel songs, it doesn’t matter what you believe, it’s what you hear.”

Later, Buddy Miller was joined on stage by Hardly Strictly diva and staple Emmylou Harris for a rousing round of “Burning the Midnight Oil.” But the rest of Miller’s set was more thoughtful, with lyrics whose overtones kept a more rough and somber mood.

Orange bling: if only we could all be remembered this way. (Sam Prestianni)

But Gillian Welch and David Rawlings brought back the sparkle with rhinestone-studded matching orange outfits in honor of Hellman’s iconic rhinestoned jacket that he sported just months ago when he played at the fall festival.

“We broke out the bling for Warren,” Welch said. “He did like bling.”

When the duo took to slow ballads like “Hard Times” and “That’s The Way That It Goes,” the resignation was sad and peaceful. But when they stomped things up in thumpers like “Six White Horses” and “I’ll Fly Away,” audiences remembered it was a celebration of a life. (Plus, Harris popped up again to do “Didn’t Leave Nobody But the Baby” of “O Brother Where Art Thou” fame, and it was delicious.)

Old Crow Medicine Show remembers Warren Hellman, the man behind all things bluegrass in San Francisco. (Sam Prestianni)

Old Crow Medicine Show delivered — that is, they played “Wagon Wheel,” much to the content of hearts in the audience. But the rest of their set seemed a bit out of place. Rather than remembering Hellman, the band slumped through a cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Wrong memorial, perhaps? Plus, the upbeat ’80s tune didn’t translate well and instead the “somebody — oooh” refrain felt like it was dragging through saltwater taffy. But they hit their stride in what they do best: quick-paced reels and jaunty tunes like “New Virginia Creeper” and “Tell It To Me.”

We can’t lie: the whipping ocean winds started to get particularly icy after 4:30 p.m., and we jetted after that set. What we saw, though, was a lovely afternoon (and lucky weather) framing a heartfelt remembrance of a man who, in simple terms, did good for the city. See you all at Hardly Strictly next fall.

Old Crow Medicine Show  — Tell It To Me (download)

Gillian Welch — Six White Horses (download)

This short three song EP from Shlohmo–LA’s maestro of muddied, mellow beats–finds the classically trained, maximally blunted producer trading in the live-session feel and soul-rending howls of his debut album, Bad Vibes, for something with a little more bounce to the ounce.

Vacation is a short but sweet slice of the young beatsmith’s gray matter, three songs under 15 minutes in which you can hear innovation and talent coalesce into a vibrant palette of sound that Shlohmo, born Henry Laufer, would use to paint the damn sky if they’d let him.

True to the EP’s title–and Laufer’s previous work–you can expect night sky expansive soundscapes, skittering percussion and live vocals, guitar, bass and keyboard, wrung through the electronic wringer. This is a soundtrack for an aimless voyage into deep headspace, only this time we’re riding on hydraulics.

If you haven’t heard the EP’s standout track, “wen uuu,” yet, evaluate your life choices, because I’ll be damned if it’s not Shlohmo’s strongest original work yet.  My fellow treeswinger, Dan, hit the nail on the head in his track review, but suffice to say, it’s a masterpiece of jigsaw puzzle composition, fitting together countless microscopic percussive sounds with a heart-filling rhythm and ass-moving beat for a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Of the other two tracks, “Rained the Whole Time” would be most at home on Bad Vibes and maybe not coincidentally, feels like the weakest link. Simply put, it could have been an extra track on Shlohmo’s debut, and if you’ve been craving that, it’s here.

“The Way U Do,” meanwhile, is made up of the EP’s same basic components, the fat asskick, the pitch-shifted R&B vocals, the aforementioned micro-percussion, only this time Shlohmo drops some machine-gun percussion, straight out of a juke track, before lighting the whole damn thing ablaze with an unexpected crescendo of talk-box guitar screaming over the bridge. Makes you want to dougie in a supernova.

All three songs are filled with chirps and chatter, bleeps and beeps, as though Laufer managed to get R2D2 in the studio for the session. Ranging from old Roland drum machine ‘cowbell’ sounds to micro-spikes of sound with origins yet more obscure, they’re as omnipresent on the EP as hi-hats and snares on standard electronic fare.

But these bright little ice chips of sound are more complex in context, merging the rhythmic aspect of a cowbell or woodblock with the tonal complexity of  marimba, allowing Shlohmo to merge rhythm and melody in a way few other producers (Ricardo Villalobos?) do.

Even if you don’t take to Shlohmo’s style (which, like, come on dude), you can’t deny the thrill in seeing a young artist find a style.

If you already like Shlohmo, well there’s no need to read a breakdown these songs, there’s only three of them. Just find some good headphones or a big ass speaker system, let ‘er rip, lie down on the floor and let Shlohmo take you away on an astral journey. Here there be vibes.

Shlohmo- The Way U Do (download) 

Shlohmo- wen uuu (download)

Hello readers,

It’s been a while since we’ve had a self-reflecting post.

Treeswingers has been in existence for nearly two-and-a-half years, and it’s been a time of growth, development and maturity. We’ve gone from a team of four writers in college dorm rooms to a set a very talented set of 12 spread across the county at any given time. Thank you for continuing to visit us as your source for new and up-and-coming artists.

Last week, before throwing up our 509th  post on Friday morning, I attempted to use our Mediafire page to upload content. After accessing the page, I noticed that our whole inventory of uploads—two-and-a-half years of files—were gone. They had vanished into the deep recesses of the Internet without so much as a message or an email from Mediafire. Those files included playlists; mixes; our beloved, hand-drawn Treeswinger icons and, of course, songs.

When we began this blog in the summer of 2009, we faced a legal dilemma: Should we offer the songs that we post as available for free download? While we were cognizant of the debate that would ensue by offering up an artist’s blood, sweat and tears for free, we came  to believe that posting these downloads were fundamental to the promotion of artists and music that we’ve come to love and hope to share with you. We took into consideration how other blogs operated, posted a disclaimer (which still exists to this day) and realized the intrinsic significance of the music blogosphere. There is something fundamentally valuable in having a music file that is easily accessible in your iTunes or on your iPod and there is no faster way to share music with your friends than by emailing them an mp3 for a listen. Remember that first time you heard The Weeknd or The xx? Who sent you that music?

While many blogs toe the fine line of legality, many artists, especially those who believe in the “indie” credo, recognize the important role of critique and promotion provided by sites like Treewingers. Oftentimes we are the outlet of first recognition, spreading the word on artists until they reach the threshold of acceptability that can be so fickle or so hard to attain when you’re a new musician jamming out of your parent’s garage or mixing from your laptop in your dorm room. Chromeo recently justified the existence of music blogs in their opposition to Congressional bills SOPA and PIPA. Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend has been vocal of the positive contributions of blogs and their online downloads. If we continue to have the backing of artists, then we will continue to do what we love: providing you with great music.

This is why we were so surprised on Thursday when we found out that Mediafire had eliminated our library without so much as a warning or notification. For a file sharing service of such stature, Mediafire has been disappointing. The files that were deleted included many of our own personal files, not simply the mp3’s that we believe they were targeting. What a shame.

But, we move on. Treeswingers doesn’t plan to change the way we operate, nor do we plan to discontinue the offering of music downloads. We plan on finding a new file sharing service (so if you know of one please let us know in the comments section). Also, any artist or music entity that is unhappy with our policy can feel free to email us to remove any content that they don’t feel is appropriate for the web. We have always cooperated when contacted.

Other than that, keep coming back to us. Thanks for your support.

-Ryan, treeswingers

After a month of being blasted in the media, lampooned on Saturday Night Live and roasted on every social networking outlet available, Lana Del Rey made her San Francisco debut at Amoeba Records on Thursday. With pending tour dates cancelled because of the negative hoopla, Del Rey’s show at the end of Haight Street was likely one of her only public appearances for the year, corroborated by the bulging crowd that filled the record store’s aisles all the way to the back reaches of the classical section. Yes, even those searching for Bach vinyls needed their Del Rey fix.

Wearing a white dress, Del Rey arrived at her virgin appearance with a giant smile–nonexistent at her fateful SNL performance. After a few cliché greetings–”I only sing for you,” she said to her acne-scarred crowd–she was off on a short four song teaser. Backed by a piano and a single guitarist, Del Rey sang, less inhibited, perhaps because she was back by a defensive crowd that wooed and courted every drawn out note with applause and cheers.

It was standard fare for a crowd that hoped for more. “Blue Jeans” and “Born to Die” were slowly whispered along to by hordes of teenage girls, careful not to be heard over the pair of speakers that weakly projected the singer’s voice. Playing with her red bob and puckering her trademark lips, Del Rey closed with “Video Games” ending the affair by sending off 300 fans with signed albums. There was no backlash. No laughs. A relatively peaceful day for music’s newest diva.

Lana Del Rey- Trash (Miss America) (download)

It’s been a while since I’ve heard about a really good, new, independent artist.  Usually, when I browse through Hypem, it’s filled with Skrillex remixes amongst recycled rap music and the like.  Then making his entrance is Stefan Evan Niedermeyer, or SIREN, the 21 year old with a bright future in front of him.

21-year old Stefan Evan Niedermeyer aka SIREN is a half-German, half-Australian musician, who is a young man of many talents. Raised in Singapore, Niedermeyer’s life was initially all about skateboarding, but after moving to London and getting more and more into making music, he’s now about to release his first single ‘Buckets Of Blood’, a beautifully crafted and catchy song about not finding the right path with the right girl. With plenty of more great tunes written and an experienced production team behind him, 2012 will be the year of the SIREN. (via Lodown)

It’s been a while since I’ve heard something sound fresh, yet so familiar and welcoming in a while, so be sure to listen and share with all your friends.

SIREN – Buckets Of Blood (download)

You can argue all day about whether to love Zooey or hate Zooey, but here’s the rub: M. Ward was around before her and will last long after her.

Need proof? The first 20 seconds of his single, “The First Time I Ran Away,” starts out bare-bones tinkling and then — boom — it’s lush, rich texture à la M.

The three-part ditty tells a tale as formulaic as a country song but with the tiny sweetness that Ward’s work never misses, accompanied by animation that plays with motifs of fish, waterfalls, faces and pink argyle patterns. It works. (Bonus point: You might recognize the work of Joel Trussell, the video’s director, who also did the video for “Chinese Translation.”)

Ward’s A Wasteland Companion is out April 10.

M. Ward- Rave On (Feat. Zooey Deschanel) (download)

So, you remember those albums I was really excited about for January? Well, the dark, introspective part of me overrode the quirky and experimental this past month. I assign the blame to Sharon Van Etten, Brooklyn’s modern folk songstress. Her third album, Tramp, is out via Jagjaguwar, and upon first listen I realized that this was the album I hoped to get this year. ‘Heavy rotation’ does not even begin to explain how many times I envision myself appealing to Van Etten’s croon for understanding and rapport throughout the future months. Sharon, we have never met, but you will be my best friend this coming year. I will sing along with you, in grief and elation, and feel that through your songwriting you have looked into my soul and delivered the blackest as well as the most cherished emotions back to me through songs so pristine, that I know myself better now because of you.

Tramp starts off with “Warsaw”, with its shuffling beat and drawn out vocal lines. It is a shadow of a tease, a glimpse into what awaits during the rest of the album. As show-stopping an opening as you can get in folk, it is incredibly successful at setting the tone of candor and restrained emotions that Van Etten’s music is all about. Following up is “Give Out”, a song heartbreakingly honest, with a voice so tender and an acoustic guitar perfectly tempered to showcase the beauty of Van Etten’s vocals. The third track and first single off the album, “Serpents”, completes an opening trifecta for the album. “Serpents”, with its driving guitar strumming and powerful marching drum line makes for the best collective performance on the album. The track is flawlessly produced, the emotions palpable, the musicianship enviable.

With “Kevin’s”, the album veers towards a more subdued ambiance. Another jewel of a song, and a strong contrast to the dynamic power of “Serpents”, “Kevin’s” is a long, hushed and slurred wisp of a song, a guitar session around the glowing embers of a dying fire. The next set of songs are in the same vein, soft and plodding, profoundly meditative. Although not as arresting as the opening tracks, they function as an interesting intermission for the last set of cleaner songs.

“We Are Fine”, a duet of sorts with Beirut’s Zach Condon in which a pair of friends comfort each other through some sort of emotional break down, is the opener for this set of crisper compositions. It sounds fresher than the intermediary tracks, uncluttered by virtue of the perfect harmony of voices and strings. If the past few tracks were written around the faint light of a campfire, these were written in the brightest light of day. “Ask” is a token of sincerity through its tangible emotional ache, and its sparse piano line echoes the feeling to a T. “I’m Wrong” goes so far as to include some apprehensive twinkling bells to what would otherwise have been a re-statement of the more morose tracks.

Tramp’s last song does not give the album closure, which makes sense in a certain way. The album is characterized by the power of the emotions its music sought to capture, and when it comes to sentiment, borders are blurred. It is difficult to distinguish the end from the beginning, and that may very well be the aim. Tramp is more about introspection that it is about definition, and that is what makes it engaging for the listener. I identify with Van Etten, and am grateful to her for allowing me to do so through the sincerity of the emotions conveyed. Honesty is the first rule in friendship, and I foresee this being a long one.

A deer, a female deer. (Photo courtesy of rcrdlbl.com)

If James Blake had a shy little sister, I’d imagine her to be something like Doe Paoro. A budding songstress with a penchant for emotive reverb and echoing daggers, Paoro has a voice that seems melted onto recordings. Add in light dubstep a la Monsieur Blake and place her over some ivories, and you’ve created an artist with a sound you’ll be unable to scrape from your mind for days.

While her debut LP, Slow To Love, drops in a few weeks (ironically on Valentine’s Day), the most stunning work from Paoro has been her cover of Future Island’s ”Little Dreamer.” Replacing the charming croons of Samuel Herring, the songstress brings a bit of uncertainty and heartache to the track. With a sonar beat that drops in and out with an added doppler effect, Paoro wails and wails, but to no avail. Cupid isn’t saving her any time soon.

Doe Paoro- Little Dreamer (Future Islands Cover) (download)