Well, primary election season is finally, blessedly behind us. And what’s there to do with all that time you spent looking at shirtless pictures of Sam Forstag and trying to figure out who’s actually running for Senate? Honestly, maybe it’s a nice time to not think about the influence of PAC spending and instead catch up on some of the stellar records from Montana artists released this spring as the clouds float overhead and all of Missoula glows green like the Irish countryside.
These passionate independent musicians run a wide gamut, from sumptuous old-school hip-hop to a trio of teenagers busting out epic Nirvana-inspired rock. Over in Livingston, The Beagles drop a thick slab of spaced-out surf grooves, and the crew at Bozeman’s Whistle Pig Music releases their third compilation of Treasure State indie and punk.
So settle in for some A+ music that you likely won’t hear in any Taylor Sheridan show anytime soon. They are the real Montana deal.
The Beagles — SOLID STATES
They aren’t the Beatles (nor the Eagles) but the Beagles’ debut album retains much of the delightful ramshackle shagginess of Sir Paul’s first solo outing. The Livingston band’s SOLID STATES is ostensibly a surf-rock album, blooming with mercurial guitar noodlings and bass lines that bob like buoys in the waves. But these largely instrumental tracks are far more exciting — and weirder — than your standard surf-rock fare. Behind thick drapes of sound, funky rhythms and rich textures emerge. Opening track “Bad Dog,” for instance, channels Yo La Tengo at their most delightfully spacey, and “Windrider” moves nimbly from a chipper groove into unexpected flamenco territory. No lyrics needed to convey a blissed-out chill vibe — it’s one I’m happy to sink into for a long time.
Tin Finley — Be Here Now, For Now
After years spent bouncing around from one big city to another, the four members of Tin Finley came together in the Flathead Valley in 2020. Their brand-new Be Here Now, For Now EP follows a string of singles. It includes some of the most exciting folk-indie-rock-whatever-you-wanna-call-it around, packing an extraordinary amount of ideas into four songs. Fans of Sharon Van Etten and Luluc will revel in the cross-hatched guitars and elegant vocal hook of opening track “Memory.” The group nails splendid harmonies on “Coyote,” and embraces a looser, jangly sound on “River Song.” Tin Finley opened for Lord Huron earlier this June at the Kettlehouse Amphitheater. If you missed the gig, let’s hope you get another chance to hear them bring these terrific songs to life ASAP.
Coyote and the Great Rock ‘N’ Roll — Gray Skies, White Sails
The thunderous debut album from C&TGRR hit Bandcamp like a silent meteor. It’s one of those albums you put on and wonder, why isn’t everybody freaking the fuck out about this? While the trio wears their love of Nirvana on their sleeve, their sound covers much wider territory. The colossal guitar riff in “White Sails” pays tribute to both Zeppelin and Boris, while “Let My Spirit Rise” evokes the Pixies’ twitchy angst. And closer “The Great Rock’n’Roll” takes a sharp turn into pop-rock, even throwing a synth line into the mix. Yet it’s Manny Red Heart’s sandpaper shredding vocals that steal the show. He howls his way through these songs with the audacity and grit of a much more seasoned performer. Adding to the album’s allure, the trio remains largely anonymous, with no apparent internet presence. According to Bandcamp, they are teenagers from the Crow Nation, and the album is a “vision quest with electric guitars.” That’s all we know, but that’s alright. These songs more than speak for themselves.
Sunshine Deity — Sunshine Deity
Sunshine Deity, the stellar Missoula saxophonist and vocalist Jolene Green, teams up with an impressive cast of local artists to bring an impeccable dose of neo-soul and R&B to the Garden City. While the EP is chock-full of grooves that bring to mind heavy hitters like St. Paul & the Broken Bones, the Dap-Kings and the Frightnrs, Sunshine Deity carves out a lane all their own. “Sunlight” dips into dub territory before erupting into a face-melting guitar solo. “Love Darts” (named after the Bozeman punk maestros, perhaps?) is especially slinky, and “Fly Away” sounds like the long lost Songs in the Key of Life B-side you never knew you needed. The group’s name suits it perfectly, and it’s hard to not come away feeling like you’ve been blasted by a hefty dose of sonic Vitamin D.
Whistle Pig Music Compilation Volume 3
For those not in the know, Whistle Pig is both a Korean restaurant and label/music promoter in Bozeman. If the third installment of their compilation series is any indication, their knack for music curation rivals their beloved bibimbap and BBQ short ribs. Bozeman’s Chairea kicks things off with a good dose of Sonic Youth’s soaring, snarling punk energy. Vagus Nerve, Fairly Brief and Prints all swing for the fences with epic pop-punk throwbacks — the latter’s “Urine Alarm Clark” takes the cake for the catchiest track here. And just when you think you’ve got the vibe figured out, Hornbread’s “This is How it Ends” delivers a whimsical blast of horn-saturated ska-rock. Let’s hope there’s more on the way from Whistle Pig. Even with 21 tracks of music, I can’t get enough.
Mellow Mike and R’Know — Scratch Soup
On Scratch Soup, Bozeman producer/DJ Mellow Mike teams up with Missoula emcee R’Know for a delicious set of tracks that pair plush production with earnest, open-heart lyrics. This is peak summertime music, the perfect jams for a slow-paced, blunt-smoking cookout under the late-setting solstice sun. R’Know boasts one of the smoothest flows in the state — if anything, I keep waiting for him to cut loose and get a little wackier. But his chill cadence is the perfect match for Mike’s velvety instrumentals, which bring to mind iconic producer Madlib and the gauzy sounds of DJ Muggs. “Stitch lyrics to heal spirits, that’s real rap,” R’Know unspools on “Soul Food.” It’s the perfect summation of this upbeat emcee. Bonus points: The second half of the EP features instrumental versions of the same five tracks, for anyone tempted to drop a verse or two of their own.
