These days, the mediums through which artists can present themselves abound: We’re in the midst of a momentous vinyl revival, and not far behind are the clicks of cassettes changing sides as their nostalgia seems to be having an ever-increasing influence on smaller music acts. On the other end of the spectrum is the Internet, where we can click, listen, watch, dig and tweet until our eyes are bloodshot.

Chicago, Illinois-based Colin Caulfield, a.k.a. Young Man, takes full advantage of the latter. Granted, most bands would be foolish not to use the Internet to spread their goods, but for Caulfield, it seems to be his birthing place.

The first time I heard Young Man was actually the first time I found SoundCloud, where his debut EP, Boy, was streaming in its entirety. For first time listeners of Caulfield’s music, I suggest starting from the same place. Boy is a concept work—about being five years old, playing in the backyard and the unfairness of life. Despite the latter item on that litany, the EP is a pleasant ride packed with excellent vocal harmonies and satisfying guitar work.

The reason you should begin with Boy and not, say, his extensive arsenal of YouTube covers (below), is because the EP is the first real output Young Man can claim as his own. One of my initial reactions to it was a subconscious revisit to a Sung Tongs state of mind. Lo and behold, the kid appreciates “Winters Love” as much as I do! I don’t like Caulfield’s music because he covers cool songs; rather, because the musical gene pool he selects from seems to be creating a solid offspring. Caulfield opens the blinds at the right angles where whatever influences you choose to pick out of his sound shine through to create a warm room that is his own.

Colin Caulfield covers Animal Collective’s Winters Love:

A more recent and unique cover of Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti/Rockin’ Ramrod’s “Bright Lit Blue Skies”:

Earlier this month, Young Man was picked up by Frenchkiss Records. Boy gets an official U.S. release on August 31 (digital) and October 12 (physical). The EP is already out in Europe on Kitchen Music.

Bonus mp3: “Fate,” Caulfield’s latest non-Boy track.

Young Man tour dates:
08/04 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
08/09 Iowa City, IA – Gabes Oasis
08/21 Nashville, TN – THe Basement
08/22 St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway
08/25 Minneapolis, MN – 400 Bar
08/26 Chicago, IL – Schubas

The Pacific Northwest has long been associated with clouds, coffee, and counter-culture, so it’s no surprise that these elements made a direct influence on Past Lives, a Seattle-based quartet whose music often sounds something like the world’s greatest caffeine high mixed with a hefty case of Seasonal Affective Disorder. The band is often shelved in the post-punk/experimental-rock category, but the terms don’t do justice to the songs, which run the gamut of frantic hardcore-esque jams to brooding art-rock collages peppered with intricate arpeggios and epic guitar harmonies.

Past Lives—comprised of Jordan Billie, Mark Gajadhar, Morgan Henderson, and Devin Welch—formed in 2007, out of the aftermath of post-hardcore quintet The Blood Brothers. They hooked up with Seattle indie imprint Suicide Squeeze to release the Strange Symmetry EP in 2008, a move that landed the band a laudatory entry in the Journal of Popular Noise and thusly created a steady amount of buzz.

Now comes Tapestry of Webs, the band’s debut full-length that will see release later this month. It’s an erratic, evocative offering complete with shredding guitars, delicate pianos, poignant verses, and just the right amount of gritty feedback sprinkled over the top.

The band will spend a good chunk of winter and spring on the road touring the new material, so find them in a city near you soon.

Tapestry of Webs is out February 23 via Suicide Squeeze.

Listen: “Deep in the Valley”

Listen: “Hex Takes Hold”

Dates:
02/18 Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge *
02/23 Seattle, WA – Sonic Boom Capitol Hill, In-Store 7pm
03/12 St. Augustine, FL – Harvest of Hope Festival
03/14 Portland, OR – East End $
03/15 San Francisco, CA – Elbo Room $
03/16 San Diego, CA – Casbah
03/17 Phoenix, AZ – Trunk Space
03/18 El Paso, TX – Dominics Piano Bar
03/17 3.20 – Austin, TX – SXSW
03/21 San Antonio, TX – Ten Eleven
03/23 Kansas City, MO – Record Bar ^#
03/24 St. Louis, MO – Firebird #
03/25 Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge ^
03/26 Milwaukee, WI – Miramar Theatre ^
03/27 Grand Rapids, MI – DAAC ^
03/28 Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre ^
03/29 Cleveland – Now That’s Class ^
03/30 Rochester, NY – The Bug Jar ^
04/01 Toronto, ON – The Garrison
04/02 Montreal, QC – Casa Del Popolo
04/03 Pittsburgh, PA – Garfield Artworks
04/04 Washington, DC – DC9
04/05 Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor
04/06 Atlanta, GA – 529
04/07 Orlando, FL – The Social **
04/08 Tallahassee, FL – Club Downunder **
04/09 Gainesville, FL – Rion Ballroom at University of Florida **
04/10 St. Augustine, FL – Café Eleven **
04/12 Wilmington, NC – Soapbox **
04/13 Carrboro, NC – Cats Cradle **
04/14 Charlottesville, VA – The Southern **
04/15 Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church Sanctuary **
04/16 Baltimore, MD – Otto Bar **
04/17 Hamden, CT – The Space **
04/18 Cambridge, MA – Middle East **
04/20 Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl **
04/22 Princeton, NJ – Terrace Club at Princeton University
04/23 Columbus, OH – Cafe Bourbon St.
04/25 Minneapolis, MN – 7th St. Entry

* w/ The Oh Sees
$ w/ Get Hustle
^ w/ Air Waves
# w/ So Cow
** w/ The Thermals

Image by Robin Stein

Frontman Jason Reischel originally hails from North Carolina, and like any true-blooded Southerner, he knows country music. There’s plenty of playful guitar picking, rockabilly-style pianos, and cheeky twang on the band’s debut full-length, A Long Way From Home (self-released and out now). Any R&B elements tend to appear in more abstract form (perhaps they’re just a nod to the fact that Reischel relocated to Brooklyn, where he wrote the album), although you can’t miss the bluesy, stop-start rhythms in certain numbers. In Reischel’s own words, “It’s an American record. It reminds me of America.” So perhaps the best way to understand the band is by not taking genrefication too literally.

Of course you could always just hear for yourself. These four transplants—Reischel, plus Chris Gogan, Terry Quire, and Alex Wyatt—strike a fine balance between rollicking anthems made for barroom shenanigans and stripped-down acoustic ballads better suited for inward reflection.

The aptly dubbed A Long Way From Home dropped last month. The band will finish ’09 with a few shows in their new home. Stay tuned for more in 2010.

11/18 New York, NY – Fontana’s
11/24 New York, NY – Arlene’s Grocery
12/14 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge

“I Cried For You (Live Acoustic Version)”

Image: © 2009 My Cousin, The Emperor