Back in April we interviewed the darling behind Port St. Willow, Nick Principe. He had just released his stunning EP Even//Wasteland that, although only four songs deep, is truly a spectacular introduction to the singer/songwriter talent that is Principe.

Since then Port St. Willow has been making the rounds playing shows on both coasts, as well as creating new music. How does one write new songs that rival the intoxicating beauty of his last EP and tour at the same time? Apparently, it’s a gift in multitasking with which not everyone was born. Pfft.

The Good Life: Novena on a Nocturne

2000, Better Looking Records

Ah, Tim Kasher. The man behind Cursive and The Good Life. If you’ve never seen either one of these bands live, it’s a must. Kasher’s stage presence is amazing.

The first time I heard “So Long Moby Dick,” by Grandpa Was a Lion I fell in love. It was something instant, one of those love at first listening type of moments that are far too rare. I immediately downloaded The Whalestoe Tapes and proceeded to fall in love even deeper. I felt like I was 16 all over again and had found something so precious that I had zero intention of letting it go.

Today Yellow Ostrich announced that they just joined the impressive ranks over at Barsuk Records. Barsuk is home to such bands as Cymbals Eat Guitars, Say Hi and The Wooden Birds – just to name a few.

On August 16th, Barsuk will be re-releasing Yellow Ostrich’s album Mistress, as well. In celebration of the big news, the fellas will be playing a couple of shows in New York City and one in Chicago.

Following their self-titled debut from earlier this year, Yuck will be releasing a double A side 7″ on June 27th. The album will include “Shook Down” from Yuck and a new song, “Milkshake.” Although the end of 2010 was a rocky one for Yuck as they missed a handful of shows in the US because of visa issues, 2011 seems to be the year for the band.

Songs: Ohia: The Lioness

2000, Secretly Canadian

I first heard Songs: Ohia’s The Lioness long before I even knew the concept of heartache. Until you’ve experienced it, you can only equate it to superficial things – movie characters like Lloyd Dobler outside a window with a boom box or a heroine on the side of a bridge so willing to jump to her death. The first time I listened to The Lioness in its entirety, I remember staring at the stereo and thinking, “and that’s what heartbreak feels like” – that sinking feeling; the death of something inside is so intense through Jason Molina’s lyrics and dark riffs, one would actually be smart to steer clear of love and its cronies.

Braids is what happens when four best friends decide to skip the whole college thing and devote themselves to music. From Calgary, the high school buddies made the move to Montreal, where they truly made a go of it. In the French-speaking Canadian city, their debut album, Native Speaker was conceived, perfected and produced.

Nick Principe writes the type of music that is the perfect soundtrack to a dream you can’t shake for days; the type you wouldn’t want to shake even if you could. Under the moniker, Port St. Willow, Principe’s EP, Even//Wasteland, is an epic display of how sometimes it only takes four songs to make an impact that resonates long after the last note.

The Microphones: The Glow Pt. 2

2001, K Records

The Glow Pt. 2 came out on my birthday in 2001. It was my first introduction to The Microphones and a love for Phil Elvrum that would go on and on, even as he drifted between his original moniker, then Mount Eerie, and then back again. My friend, Jack, had wrapped the CD in newspaper print and a piece of twine that he had found laying around the radio station. When I opened it and saw the wonky elephant that graced the cover, I wasn’t impressed. “Trust me,” he said, “you’ll love it.” And he was right.