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Small Sails

Tue, Feb 27, 2007

Instrumental, Rock

Labels use a variety of tactics to get a writer to notice a record. One of the most effective techniques — especially to the freelancer with a day job and limited time — is the old RIYL package sticker. It’s a quick reference that allows me, within a glance, to determine if I’m about to listen to speed metal, drum n’ bass, or indie rock. It works. And it’s the main reason why I grabbed Similar Anniversaries by Portland’s Small Sails before I hopped on the train to work.

I won’t get all effusive about how I love what they do — the post should cover that — but I do think that SK has stumbled into it’s character because of an alarmingly rich year in music that melds both electronic and traditional instrumentation. And 2007 is starting off even more profoundly. Small Sails’ take on mostly-instrumental future-pop is a very accessible one, and they hop around the musical spectrum sounding all Chicago-y (think Tortoise, Sea Cake) during some songs and more 4/4 beat-oriented at others. The track that I posted is automatic for SK: acoustic guitars, vibraphone, tight snare break, melodic as fuck. They are definitely a quartet to look out for and I’m lucky and honored to have stumbled upon this excellent disk.

RIYL: The Album Leaf, Postprior, The Six Parts Seven, The Mercury Program, Mum, Mice Parade, Minotaur Shock

Read: Smallsails.com, Small Sails’ MySpace Page

Buy: Pre-order Similar Anniversaries at Insound for a March 27th release

 
icon for podpress  Small Sails :: "Backside of A Magnet": Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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This post was written by:

steve - who has written 125 posts on scissorkick.

Steve Marchese has been doing scissorkick for almost a decade now -- in one form or another. Since he was sleeping on pizzabox pillows. Since he was taking 3-hour showers. Scissorkick predates 9/11 and has been in the city as long as he has. It's a love affair that takes less than it gives back and that's mostly thanks to you.

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4 Comments For This Post

  1. Jared Says:
    February 27th, 2007 at 1:36 pm

    Fuck yeah. This is the kind of stuff I need more of, and I usually hate the vibrophone!

    Thanks for cluing me in yet again.

  2. Laurent LaSalle Says:
    March 26th, 2007 at 12:38 pm

    I received their album as part of a promotional camapaign held by Nice Promotion and was really impressed by the quality of their songs. People that are fans of Electric President (Morr Music) might find that both projects are very similar; Small Snails is able to create the same sound, even thought most of their stuff is instrumental…

  3. nala Says:
    September 23rd, 2007 at 2:13 pm

    Nice Site!

  4. Pfarr Says:
    March 13th, 2008 at 8:39 pm

    Hey, I heard this song on the radio while drivin home. It kicks butt. I am deffinently going to keep track of you guys. Seriously, good job.

2 Trackbacks For This Post

  1. Zune Insider : MP3 Friday: Thirteenth Edition Says:
    March 2nd, 2007 at 6:52 pm

    [...] MP3 Friday: Thirteenth Edition What a week! The Zune Markeplace editorial team got featured in the Seattle P-I. Readers expressed their firmware thoughts, then expressed their 1.3 update thoughts; NPD January numbers came out, I apologized to NYC; and a few people won the photo contest. But MP3 Friday (my most-read post) continues on: First up, Mars Needs Guitars drops four different MP3s from four different artists: Folksongs for the Afterlife, Longview, Big Star, and Imperial Teen. Nice! Aquarium Drunkard posts music from Patti Smith, Ryan Adams, and Galaxie 500 You Ain’t No Picasso has the new Bears’ single (Cesar’s favorite this week) Reader “Lord Baker” points to a page where you can download the entire Infloential EP, adding: “I was at their show last night at this little venue called Cat’s Cradle and they rocked the house! Toubab Krewe was the main act and had normal people acting crazy! I also saw some fellow Zune users. The social was pretty awesome last night J” Stereogum has an MP3 of Christopher O’Riley (classical pianist) covering Nick Drake Locksley, a Brooklyn band “on the up and up” rocks Cleveland. Rockinsider has music from Tom Brosseau and Foreign Born This week, Dodge has music from Chicago’s Magnolia Electric Co Notes from a Different Kitchen has a stream (not MP3 but as good as I can get right now) of the new MIMS single And last but not least, Scissorkick has a single “instrumental future pop” outfit Small Sails  Ok folks! Enjoy the music, thanks for commenting this week, and have a great weekend!  |  Saturday, March 03, 2007 1:18 AM  |  0 Comments Tags: MP3, Friday  [...]

  2. ipickmynose » small sails Says:
    April 5th, 2007 at 11:51 pm

    [...] Small Sails – Backside of a Magnet (mp3) (via scissor kick originally) [...]

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