Underground Artist of the Week: Telescreen

Here at Cassette Musique we have a vast appreciation for the struggling underground artist - the band who writes ambitious and genuine music but for whatever reason lacks the notoriety they deserve. As a result, we will write a weekly column on a hand-picked, or possibly reader recommended, underground artist in an attempt to give them some well-earned accolades. This weeks choice: Telescreen.

Born out of the dissolution of Codeseven and Classic Case, Telescreen self-released a seven song EP entitled 'The Solar Sea' in late 2007. These seven tracks represent Telescreen's only released material, however they serve to evidence the spacey and cathartic progressive rock that the Winstom Salem quintet pride themsleves on crafting. "True", the third track on the EP, combines post-rock instrumentation with Jared Draughon's harmonious vocals to form a listening experience that will induce thoughts of El Cielo-era dredg. The EP's title track is a bit more accessible, and again makes tremendous use of Draughon's voice, peaking with a knee-buckling bridge transition several mintues into the song. The EP closer, "Rumors", juxtaposes an organ backdrop reminiscent of M83's "In Church" with Draughon's chorus-like vocals before blasting into an emotional cacaphony that is tear-inducing. Perhaps the best part of Telescreen, however, is their live performance, which features the band honing their craft behind a giant screen, where ethereal images of space, computer-generated visualizations, and depictions of past wars combine to make one of the most memorable live experiences you'll ever see (saw them open for dredg in Novemember 2008).

Reccomended Songs: "True", "The Solar Sea", "Rumors"
Website: www.myspace.com/telescreen
Label: Tragic Hero Records