Los Angeles’ yOya is Alex Pfender and Noah Dietterich. The two have been working on yOya since 2009; with their debut album, “Nothing To Die,” under their belt, the duo is determined to tour the West Coast and Rocky Mountains.

In Seattle you can catch them at the Skylark on Friday:

Yoya @ Skylark
Fri, Feb 18th
9pm, $5
w/ Jeremy Serwer & the Agony Bells
and Stroppy

2/16 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
2/17 – Eugene, OR @ Oregon Voice Release
2/18 – Seattle, WA @ Skylark Cafe
2/19 – Corvallis, OR @ Bombs Away Cafe

“Fireworks”

“Dusty Loners”

Visit the band here:
www.yoyatheband.com
myspace.com/yoyamusic

otem rellik, seen above with a suitcase of rewired and painted electronics for which he is responsible, has been called a hip-hop mastermind. Yes, he has put out many records over the past decade featuring heavy drum machines and quick flow verse, but there is something more than a rapper, and more like a Bob Dylan-esque monumental folk singer, with Toby Hendricks, the man behind otem rellik. If you don’t like the readability of that last sentence, dive into otem rellik’s newest album, Elephant Graveyard. Circle Into Square just released a colection of remixes by otem rellik titled Skelephant Remixtape, featuring remixes of Restiform Bodies, Sole and the Skyrider Band, Wu-Tang, Dr. Octagon, as well as some of his own tracks. The remix release is available for free through the label.

Empty Coffins from otem rellik on Vimeo.

“Splinter” from Elephant Graveyard

Sing•ing•it•true

“Home” from Hoarse & Roaring

“Short Road” from Hoarse & Roaring

Parlor Hawk “Every Bone” from The Occidental Saloon on Vimeo.

Currently residing in Denver, Eric Peterson has made quite an impact on the mile high city. He contributes to the music community playing in Old Radio, Houses, and Hindershot, contributing and arranging music for Tangled We Weave (a split project between himself and film contributor Jennifer Brookes), organizing local music compilations, and playing a leading role in the Denver-based music collective Hot Congress. Somehow, in between all of this and being a full-time student, Peterson manages to make some of my favorite Colorado music, under the moniker Roger, Roll.

For his solo project, he writes, performs, and records everything that will be on record. He has recently compiled a group of friends for a live band, including members of Sun Red, Hello Kavita, Dream Wagon, Old Radio, among others projects. Since 2007, Peterson has crafted two releases for Roger, Roll, with the help of Old Radio and Hot Congress member, Patrick Kelly. These are “Dodging and Burning” and “The Blackwell Gate.”

Roger, Roll just released its new 7″, “Polaroid in Reverse” on July 16th through Hot Congress. “Polaroid in Reverse,” as well as previous R,R releases, is available through rogerroll.net. One may purchase the release under the name-your-own-price system that Radiohead pioneered (at least for “major albums”) for their “In Rainbows” release in 2007.

As a heads up, the new 7″ release is the first of several Roger, Roll 7″ releases, with similar themes. In essence, the collection will translate to one cohesive, full-length record spread across multiple 7″s. Although this rings a similar bell to the layout of the latest Broken Social Scene release, “Forgiveness Rock Record” – which was released as a multiple 10″ box set – I will certainly be laying down the skrilla for the whole Roger, Roll vinyl collection. It has shown to be a worthwhile project just from the two songs from “Polaroid in Reverse.”

“Foreword” from Polaroid in Reverse

“Picture Perfect” from Polaroid in Reverse

“Don’t Hesitate” from the Blackwell Gate

This is my friend Robby Ritter. He lives in Kentucky, but plays across the river in Cincinnati with Lujo Records band Enlou. Robby and I met many music projects ago though. I think it must have been close to five years ago, I stumbled across a crazy music scene in St. Louis. One that felt like home as I would listen to the three or four songs each band had on their myspace page. Among the bands were So Many Dynamos, Say Panther, Berlin Whale, the Marching Ohs (Robby’s brother Luke), and the Ghost of the Forest. Robby was in the Ghost of the Forest. Ghost of the Forest became one of my favorites, and we began to meet up in each other’s areas while our bands were on tour. Robby moved to Cincinnati a couple years back to join Enlou. They are really really great! Last time we were through, we kept Kurt (Enlou) up until a few hours before he had work, and we all (9 of us) camped in Robby’s room and watched mid-90s comedy until we laughed ourselves to sleep. Robby will be hitting the road with Bear (the Ghost) and Enlou in July.

Robby has been sending me music of his own and friends, just sharing what he loves to be around. Also, he started showing me his solo project Bear (the Ghost). It is terrific, and I’m excited to hear more of the new material.

One of the bands from Cincinnati that Robby showed to me was Pomegranates. Their quick-moving, sunshiny pop rock took my listening ear to the next level.

Pomegranates is a four-piece band with the ambition to write music that takes the listener (and I imagine the band) to many different places. High and low. The band has two put out two records in the last two years, through Lujo Records, found a niche in the midwest, touring with French Kicks, Aloha, and Islands, and played Daytrotter once in 2008 and then again in 2009. The band have two sets of tours coming up posted to their myspace page; the first one playing shows with Cloud Cult, We All Have Hooks For Hands, and Blitzen Trapper, the second with Colour Revolt.

Pomegranates’ two releases, Everything is Alright and Everybody, Come Outside are available in the Lujo store. The band’s upcoming One Of Us is due out in October through their new label Afternoon Records. From what I heard, they may be stopping in Seattle and Spokane this November, right after the record comes out. If their archive of previous work and performances is any indicator of the forthcoming release, I wouldn’t miss those shows.

Pomegranates~Corriander from LaundroMatinee on Vimeo.

“Everybody, Come Outside” from Everybody, Come Outside

“Corriander” from Everybody, Come Outside

al•ways•want•ing•more

“Happiness” from Then & Now & Then

Ambassador Engine is the works of Aaron Landgraf. He has been very very lax about his presence, however he already has four releases under his belt [and he offers them all for free download via his myspace page]. He recently released a track “Nowhere Near the Beach” through my favorite Colorado Label, Patient Sounds, for their first label compilation [also available for free download via their blog].

The latest Ambassador Engine release, Live Dismally EP, is a really great piece. Standing out from his previous works, the release doesn’t lack cohesiveness; in fact, the EP stands out the most to me. More dance, more gaze, more movement. Dig it. Also, Aaron sent me a new track “Destroy Everything” this morning. Wow.

“Nowhere Near the Beach” from Patient Sounds Sampler Vol. 1

“Niigata (July 16, 2007)” from Live Dismally EP

“Destroy Everything” (unreleased)

This is Matt. He and I played in the band Castles in high school. It faded into many other projects over the years, but he is now creating music under the moniker M. Pyres, as well as running his own cassette label, Patient Sounds. Patient Sounds is home to M. Pyres, Cochise, Lush Cola (Tim Perry of Weed Diamond), as well as Seattle’s own Cradling and Martha! Mother. Matt has played a large role in guiding my eager listening ears. Making mixes of his music and friends’ music, as well as many other bands from which I still draw influence.

About a year or so ago, he started telling me about this great scene on the east coast: Underwater Peoples, Kurt Vile, Woodsist, Mexican Summer, Real Estate, Julian Lynch. Starting to dive in further now, Lynch’s tunes are making my days brighter than a Gaga stage setup.

Julian’s music has a nice stripped-down quality to his music at most times. When there is any sort of build it really isn’t one instrument standing alone as a lead. The songs will move as if they are but one machine with synchronized limbs. His recordings remind me of some of the things Matt and I have recorded together and separately: definitely tape and definitely cared for, but not overanalyzed. As well as touring most of the summer, Julian Lynch has two upcoming releases: Droplet on a Hot Stone 7″ out through Underwater Peoples and Mare LP out through Olde English Spelling Bee.

You can order his releases here
and look at his tour poster here.

‘Droplet on a Hot Stone’

‘Just Enough’

The•jam•of•twen•ty•ten

‘Leaving Trails’

Oliver is a friend of mine who is one of the most passionate people I’ve ever met when it comes to music and people and people who play music. When he is not busy with other folks’ music or booking awesome shows within the Denver DIY scene, Oliver plays music on his own. Living in Denver, he has played in many bands himself: Ate by Animals, Papa Bear, the Fainting Fansies, Mehko & Ocean Birds, and Henry Sugar, and those are just the ones I know. A couple weeks ago, he called me proposing a show called Wizard Prom, which was also a benefit for a local art program, for a band from Bloomington, Indiana.

This band is Good Luck. They are a three-piece pop punk band – Matt Tobey, Ginger Alford, Mike Harpring Jr. – and they sound like the nineties, but better. They have played in many bands together, coming across as some sort of like-minded Arts and Crafts collective. They moved to Bloomington before starting Good Luck in 2007.

With several posts on If You Make It (home of the Pink Couch sessions) and some national touring under their belts, they have developed quite the internet presence. Their music is available for download and purchase at the band’s Myspace or Bandcamp pages. The band’s full-length Into Lake Griffy was released on vinyl through No Idea Records.

The band will be playing in Seattle on Saturday May 22 at Healthy Times Fun Club (with Megabog, Agatha, and A Million Years Ago) and in Olympia on Sunday May 23 at Northern All Ages Project (with Kimya Dawson and Your Heart Breaks).

DEMONSTRATION 2010 EP:

1 – Novel Figure

2 – Contact

3 – Decider

4 – When You Were Mine