Tickley Feather is the musical endeavor of Annie Sachs. Upon first listen, she might not sound too different from the rest of the blissfully reverbed low-fi chicks emerging today. But despite her simple aural beginnings, Tickley Feather is much more than that. Some songs are haunting, others are an enchanting invitation to the spacey fun that lives within the depths of her simplistic tracks. Annie recently educated me on tasty Hors D’oeuvres, magical mushrooms, and West Philadelphia (born and raised, etc).

If you hadn’t heard of Danny Perez until recently, you’re probably not alone. Although this visionary filmmaker has been producing music videos and live visuals for acts like Black Dice, Animal Collective, and Panda Bear for many years, he has done a pretty good job of keeping out of the public eye. With concrete news of his highly anticipated Animal Collective visual album ODDSAC and its Sundance premiere finally surfacing, the director’s name is beginning to pop up all over the place. Danny was kind enough to speak to us in what may very well be his first public interview in years.

Phil is a busy man. Between multiple projects and travels, he manages not only to sneak an extra ‘e’ into his last name, but to never lose track of his place in the world. Perhaps best known as the man behind The Microphones and Mount Eerie, Elverum is also knee-deep in the works of others and actively involved in his own visual art. We are very excited to have gotten the chance to speak to such a versed individual.

Eric Copeland makes some music– primarily as part of the 3-piece band Black Dice, but also under the elusive solo moniker “Eric Copeland”. Seeing Black Dice live, you will probably observe some people in a sort of trance (partly thanks to the volume) alongside others covering their ears (definitely thanks to the volume). Wherever you fall within that spectrum, dancing is highly recommended.

One of the most fascinating things about amiina is not their talent, but instead the band’s creative versatility. On stage, they constantly rotate instruments, some of which are barely intended for musical purposes [saws and handbells]. Since their early international touring with Sigur Rós, these ladies have polished up their English and enlisted a few good men in the band as well. Sólrún Sumarliðadóttir introduces us to a new amiina we will grow to love in 2010.