Chris Mansfield fancies himself a fuck-up.
Through the ten songs that make up the self-titled full-length from Fences, the 27-year-old musician’s band, the singer and songwriter sings, in his resigned baritone how he just can’t seem to get it right – love, life, family – again and again.
That might be right, but if Mansfield’s growing international fanbase, which includes the album’s producer Sara Quin, of Tegan and Sara, shows anything, it’s that Mansfield can do no wrong with his songs.
The founder of Foxtail Somersault, guitarist Seiken Nakama, replanted himself from LA to San Francisco in the late 90’s and has been playing various instruments since he was eight years old. While their 2007 record fathom was completely composed by Seiken, with time, a more collaborative process led to the production of this year’s recording Reflection. The songs are tasteful like his fashion preference, which includes an allergy to neon and extremely colorful clothing outfits. Committed to an ever-evolving collaboration with the other band members, Seiken looks forward to growing old with his mates, swearing by Fender guitars, Dava picks and Lindy Fralin pickups. While Brian Anderson, the bass player, is ridiculously proud of his new Vespa, joining Foxtail Somersault was his first foray into shoegaze. He cynically expects two more EPs will be released in the next five years.
Pearls Before Swine 