Lovely Dark: Into the Roil

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 track=2991353708 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Psychedelic, layered, and theatrical, Lovely Dark’s upcoming full-length Into the Roil, out March 1, sounds like a walk through a fairytale forest, where the Decemberists meet The Doors meet Fleetwood Mac. The six-piece band’s meticulous and innovative blend includes organic strings, accordion wails, and roaring, distorted electric guitar, all dancing under the dramatic vocal stylings of Sonia and Travis Even, whose harmonies mingle gorgeously throughout the album. The album’s title track and single, “Into the Roil,” is a highlight, and features one of the album’s more aggressive hooks, as Sonia Even chants, “It’ll come for you, it’ll come for you.” Into the Roil is a sonic adventure, and like any good adventure story, it’s sure to keep you hooked on its every word. Lovely Dark will celebrate the release of Into the Roil with a release show at Cause Spirits and Soundbar on March 1, with Speed’s the Name, Fury Things, and Chris Weiland.

Dewi Sant: Home/Sick EP

Dewi Sant, a “post-genre” project fronted by singer/songwriter Michael Morris, has seen a revolving door of musicians and contributors—from Minnesota and beyond—since its inception. Their sounds mix homey folk compositions, organic instrumentation, slowcore experimentation, and pop influences, anchored by Morris’s understated vocals and thoughtful writing. Plastic Horse Records, based in both Seattle and Northfield, are the label where Morris and company have made their musical home since the release of May in 2010. Dewi Sant’s most recent release with Plastic Horse, the Home/Sick EP, will be released at a “duel” (get it?) release show at Icehouse on March 1, with fellow Northfielders the Counterfactuals. Incidentally, March 1 falls on the Feast of St. David, the patron saint of Wales for whom Dewi Sant are named.

The Counterfactuals: Minimally Decent People

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=1189571308 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Fans of Northfield professor band the Counterfactuals—including Current listeners—have been enjoying Minimally Decent People since the EP’s official release in late 2013. Since then, the profs have debuted the album on multiple formats and in multiple cities, soon to include an upcoming Minneapolis release show at Icehouse on March 1 with Dewi Sant. Minimally Decent People beautifully fuses elements of classic folk rock, indie pop, and Americana into a breezy, listenable package. Minimally Decent People is an exercise in melody and creative instrumentation, completed to stunning effect. It’s organic, familiar, and forward-looking at once.

BONUS—Lake Street Dive: Bad Self Portraits

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=1638028599 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

While the group are based in Boston and have established their musical career on the East Coast, Lake Street Dive, whose sound infuses jazz, indie pop, and soul, owe their name to, yes, that Lake Street, based on stories of Lake Street’s famous bars by the band’s Minneapolitan founder and trumpeter/guitarist Mike Olson. Their latest release, Bad Self Portraits, is out now on Massachusetts’s Signature Sounds label, and is earning national attention. The group have taken their saucy, full sound to The Colbert Report and to some of the country’s biggest stages, garnering praise from Rolling Stone, NPR, and more. The band may be too big to play your favorite Uptown pub, but Olson and company’s stylish, back-to-basic tunes can still be a source of Twin Cities pride.

KT Lindemann is a senior at the University of Minnesota, Morris, pursuing studio art and Spanish. She is a native of the Twin Cities and is a wannabe musician, artist, and music writer.