Memphis Pencils debut EP ‘Crayon Jewels’ available to download

In December of 2009, local band the Memphis Pencils released an incredible 7-track EP called Crayon Jewels via some cassette tapes and a few hand-made CDR’s.

Only about 200-300 of them were ever produced, and as a result, not nearly enough people got to hear one of the best EP’s released by a Fayetteville band in recent memory.

Now, thanks to the magic of the internets and the accessibility of Bandcamp, the Memphis Pencils’ debut recording is available to download for free.

Here’s how the band describes the record:

The songs on “Crayon Jewels” were recorded over the span of two years and to a certain degree convey the dynamism of mood and perhaps genre, which has become one of our key features. And while we have difficulty precisely describing our sound in terms of concrete genres and wish not to pigeonhole ourselves, dynamism is perhaps the one characteristic that most accurately defines our music. Dynamism, however, is not only apparent in the differences between songs, but also within songs, which is to say that variations in time signature and phrasing are an essential part of the Memphis Pencils sound.

The Pencils are currently working on a new full length, Shhh, I’m Rustic, set to be released as a 7″ single that comes with a full-length digital download later this spring.

On a related note, singer Martin Bemberg also released four solo tracks via his Bandcamp page recently, and they are free to download as well.

It’s a good time to be a prolific songwriter in the universe right now. It’s an even better time to be a human being who enjoys having access to good local music for free. Get yourself some.

Crayon Jewels by Memphis Pencils

Album: Crayon Jewels EP
Cost: Free
Released: December, 2009

Sills by Martin Bemberg

Album: Sills
Cost: Free
Released: February, 2011