If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Athena Merry Sleeper's Bell started off as the lo-fi bedroom folky pop of Chicago's Blaine Teppema, and has now grown into a duo including Evan Green. Their latest single, "Bored," still has all of the intimacy of a lo-fi bedroom recording while being much more lush and fleshed out. At times, "Bored" is almost painfully intimate. You get the feeling that the song wasn't quite made for an audience to listen to even though it's obviously fully fleshed out. The song is gorgeous in its simplicity. Even as it gets bigger and more involved as it goes on, it never loses that intensity.  You can listen to "Bored" below. Clover is due out February 7 on Fire Talk Records/Angel Tapes, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Sleeper's Bell, check out the artist on Instagram . 

Photo by Malcolm Riordan "Road Song" is the first full band song from Chicago folk duo Sleeper's Bell. The song has this certain alt-folk quality that might delve into freak folk at times, but not too deeply. This is definitely not a standard or traditional folk song. Blaine Teppema (vocals/guitar) has a touch of Adrienne Lenker in her voice, and once the horns come in the song takes a unique and oddly wonderful direction. "Road Song" starts off at least a little traditionally, but soon ventures off into free jazz territory. Somehow this is accomplished inside of a folk song. Sleeper's Bell aren't exactly for the masses, but those with an open mind will most likely end up adoring this one. Blaine Teppema says of the band's latest single: “It’s partially about the sunk cost fallacy — you put so much time and energy into something that you forget you’re allowed to try something new. But then, sometimes, you put so much into something and then you’re a ...