In many ways The Epoch—a Brooklyn collective of artists and musicians—is the modern equivalent of Elephant 6. Much like that now-legendary group of bands that brought the world Neutral Milk Hotel, The Epoch’s framework is loose, with its members often spilling over from one band to another. Such is the case for Bellows, the project founded by Oliver Kalb, who has played in fellow Epoch bands Eskimeaux and Told Slant, and those bands figureheads in Bellows. The A.V. Club is streaming all of Fist & Palm, Bellows’ third album and most fully realized since Kalb brought it to life in his Bard College dorm room.
Fist & Palm is the most densely packed Bellows release to date, with Kalb throwing everything he has into these songs. “Thick Skin” sounds like an unearthed song from The Postal Service, with silky vocal harmonies bouncing off the song’s mix acoustic and electronic elements. But even when the songs are stripped down, such as the delicate “Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter,” Kalb’s creations sound far more fully realized than ever before.
Fist & Palm is out September 30 on Double Double Whammy and pre-orders are available now.
Bellows tour dates
9/30—Shea Stadium—Brooklyn, NY #
10/22—3S Artspace—Portsmouth, NH ^
10/24—Silver Dollar Room—Toronto, ON ^
10/25—Mahall’s—Lakewood, OH ^
10/26—Beat Kitchen—Chicago, IL ^
10/27—7th Street Entry—Minneapolis, MN ^
10/28—Milk Run—Omaha, NE ^
10/30—Lost Lake Lounge—Denver, CO ^
11/1—Kilby Court—Salt Lake City, UT ^
11/2—Neurolux—Boise, ID ^
11/3—Billsville West—Walla Walla, WA ^
11/4—333 Clark—Vancouver, BC ^
11/5—The Vera Project—Seattle, WA ^
11/6—Mississippi Studios—Portland, OR #
11/7—The Boreal—Eugene, OR ^
11/9—Rickshaw Stop—San Francisco, CA ^
11/11—Bootleg Theater—Los Angeles, CA ^
11/12—Rebel Lounge—Phoenix, AZ ^
11/14—The Mohawk—Austin, TX ^
11/15—Club Dada—Dallas, TX ^
11/16—Big Sleepy’s—Jackson, MS ^
11/17—The End—Nashville, TN ^
11/18—The Masquerade—Atlanta, GA ^
11/20—The Pinhook—Durham, NC ^
11/21—DC9—Washington, DC ^
11/22—PhilaMOCA—Philadelphia, PA ^
11/23—ONCE Somerville—Somerville, MA ^