Today is the one year anniversary of Sound Doctrine but you wouldn’t know it by looking at it right!? It’s also the one year anniversary of East to West blog so happy anniversary to Holly over there. I created this blog exactly one year ago with the intention of making myself more appealing to women and I think we can all agree that it’s a case of mission accomplished.

I’ve been saving this pearl for a special ocassion and today is that ocassion. I’ve been calling Anathallo my “favourite band” since 2006. It’s a contentious title that has to’d and fro’d over those years with the likes of The Middle East, Sufjan and The Tallest Man on Earth all centimeters away.

Anathallo released three EPs (available now as one compilation) before releasing two records that would heavily shape my current tastes: Floating World and Canopy Glow.

I could write an eternity on why I love these two records but I’ll keep it to this. The first, Floating World, was written on the back of a Japanese tour and is the most earthed, culturally tasteful, understated piece of folk music I have in my collection. The track names to the drum sounds are demonstrative of the Japanese influence and it’s truly something else. It’s worth keeping in mind that this record dropped before the folkwave had crashed violently upon our musical shores. I probably could have used more tasteful imagery in a pragraph referencing Japan.

Anathallo – Hanasakajiji (Four: A Great Wind, More Ash

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Anathallo – Kasa No Hone

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Absent on Canopy Glow is the Japanese influence that has kept Floating World so separate from much of the chaff that would come after it. Nonetheless, it still crescendos amazingly and is arranged like little else out there. Here’s two more winners.

Anathallo – Noni’s Field

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Anathallo – The River

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[FREE MP3]

I’ve already written too much. Just quietly celebrate a year of Sound Doctrine with me.

It’s pretty rare that I’d even bother to click play on a Bon Iver cover. This one was endorsed by the great Justin Vernon himself so I thought “why not?” and I’m glad I took the time to play it through because it’s cracking. It’s a straight up heart crushing, pianemotional three minutes and twentyone seconds. It’s said that ‘Birdy’ (ugh) is a 14 year old girl. When I was fourteen I was too stoked on Bombfunk MCs to have time for nu-folk but I guess these are different times of different tastes. It’s availale for purchase on iTunes.

I’ve been sweating it out in anticipation of Chris Brown’s 2011 release F.A.M.E. Finally, FINALLY, it’s out. Obviously I’m messing with you. But shame on you for thinking that I’d write about Chris Brown just because I’m a MASSIVE DEAL in the record industry these days. Yeah, I’m talking to you Tim Watkins.

Here is a little something something to make up for getting your hopes up with all that Chris Brown talk. Hopefully this is more your sort of thing. It’s a band that Katie Brown introduced me to yesterday afternoon called Yellow Ostrich. Hopefully they won’t mind that I haven’t used their official press image.

They’re a New York trio and one of the three is formerly of Beirut so they come preloaded with indie-cred. It’s kind of what I imagine it would sound like if Taylor Rice from Local Natives had a solo project.. Their album is a sometimes chirpy/sometimes experimental thing called The Mistress. Sadly the digital album is exclusive to eMusic (which means it’s almost off limits to any Australians save the few still holding their eMusic account). They have two other EP that are free on their bandcamp which I’ve not listened to yet. Someone download the pair and fill me in.

Yellow Ostrich – I’ll Run

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Yellow Ostrich – Whale

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[FREE DOWNLOAD]

Sometimes I read back over my own posts and I wonder what the hell I’m thinking.

Here’s a little lo-fi surf pop from Oregon Bike Trails, the project of Santa Monica’s Zach Yudin. The production is inch perfect capturing the 60s beach vibe that Wavves have made popular over the past year or so. They pull it off better than the majority of the competition. It is however, impossible to write 60s throwback tracks without coming off as, at best, a little contrived, so you’ll have torohypnol your inner cynic before hitting play. Just enjoy it as pure aesthetic.

There are a few tracks available on their bandcamp but it’s ‘Swimsuit’ that’s been lodged deep within the vaulted halls of my brain. That’s probably false from both an architectural and anatomical standpoint but I’m going to stick with it. You can stream and [legally] download Swimsuit below.

Oregon Bike Trails –

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[FREE DOWNLOAD]

I’m completely getting behind the new track from Parades. If you haven’t already heard of them (which I find hard to believe) they’re Jono Boulet‘s other band. That’s unfair though, because they’re more than that. They’re probably (definitely) the best upbeat post-rock Australia has to offer.

Their first 2008 and 2009 demos got a little attention but it was their cracking live show that brought them to the fore. Then they dropped their debut full length Foreign Tapes to general applause. Now you’re up to speed. Last week they gave up the firstfruits of their sophomore release as a free download to those who sign up to their mailing list here. It’s pretty clear that they’ve become a whole lot more refined over the past few years.

Parades – Water Stories

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Parades – Hunters (from their 2009 Demo)

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Sydneysiders, they’re playing April 8 at the Gaelic. I promise you won’t regret attending.