When we caught the Fresh & Onlys at Todd P’s Woodsist-curated event at SXSW 2009, my thought was that they brought “an autumnal Sticks & Stones” (aka somewhat rock ‘n’ roll gothy) vibe to the back porch at Ms. Bea’s. That same sorta atmosphere’s carried over to “Invisible Forces,” the lead track from the group’s forthcoming second full-length Grey-Eyed Girls. Speaking of live shows, the San Francisco band made it out to the Woodsist/Captured Tracks Fest, too. It’s nice to see some sort of label affiliation in a period when too many labels lack an identity, but the thing is, the Fresh & Onlys, like much of their Woodsist cohorts, are coming at lo-fi sounds from a different angle than their label mates. They mention the Buzzcocks, Mekons, and Country Joe and the Fish as favorites. Vocalist/guitarist Tim Cohen used to be in Black Fiction and you might remember bassist Shayde Sartin via his Jewelled Antler-related work in Giant Skyflower Band, the Skygreen Leopards, the sorely missed Flying Canyon (RIP), and also Wooden Wand’s temporary Sky High Band, which also featured members of Woods/the Vanishing Voice. See, more than any specific sound, it’s the linked community connecting these crews. You say lo-fi, I say lo-fi. Listen.

• The Fresh & Onlys – “Invisible Forces”Download

They have good song titles:

01 “Black Coffin”
02 “Grey-Eyed Girl”
03 “No Second Guessing”
04 “What’s His Shadow Still Doing Here”
05 “Invisible Forces”
06 “Dude’s Got a Tender Heart”
07 “D.Y.”
08 “Happy To Be Living”
09 “What Goes In Circles”
10 “I’m Gonna Be Your Elevator”
11 “Clowns (Took My Baby Away)”
12 “The Delusion Of Man”

Grey-Eyed Girls is out 9/15 via Woodsist. They’re out on tour, sometimes with Stephen Malkmus:

07/25 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex *
07/26 – Solano Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern *
07/28 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Rio Theater *
09/21 – Provo, UT @ House Show #
09/22 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge #
09/23 – Lawrence, KS @ Jack Pot Saloon #
09/24 – Memphis, TN @ Goner Fest #
09/26 – Bloomington, IN @ Uncle Fester’s #
09/27 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas #
09/29 – Fort Wayne, IN @ Brass Rail #
09/30 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick #
10/01 – Toronto, ON @ Wrong Bar #
10/02 – Ottawa, ON @ Babylon #
10/03 – Montreal, QC @ Pop Montreal #%
10/05 – Providence, RI @ The Dark Lady #
10/06 – Allston, MA @ Great Scotts #
10/07 – Middletown, CT @ Wesleyan #
10/08 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge #
10/09 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Bell House #%
10/10 – Pittsburgh, PA @ 31st St. $
10/11 – Chicago, IL @ Hideout $
10/12 – Omaha, NE @ Brothers $
10/13 – Denver, CO @ Bender’s $
10/17 – Portland, OR @ Scion/Vice Event
10/18 – Seattle, WA @ Funhouse &
10/20 – Oakland, CA @ Stork Club &
10/21 – San Diego, CA @ Bar Pink Elephant &#
10/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echo &#
10/24 – Merced, CA @ The Partisan &
10/25 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill [Budget Rock]

* w/ Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks
# w/ The Oh Sees
% w/ Golden Triangle
$ w/ Box Elders
& w/ Dan Melchoir