photo by Brittney Bush Bollay
Brooklyn’s Alex Schaaf began Yellow Ostrich as a bedroom solo project, but his talent quickly caused the budding project to flower into a full-fledged indie rock act. But despite the addition of drummer Michael Tapper and bassist Jon Natchez, the band still retains their heavily lo-fi aesthetic. Their newest album The Mistress was recorded in such exotic venues as an empty movie theater, a dorm room, a small office, and an apartment in Manhattan. The stripped-down tracks stutter and groove, calling to mind Bishop Allen and Andrew Bird. What Ostrich lacks in finesse they gain in pure DIY charm, and The Mistress is a revelry of hard-hitting substance over style. Watch the band take the floor at the KEXP studios for a one-of-a-kind live set below.
