Author Archives: Louis O'Callaghan

Ball of Wax 60 Songs: Serpent, Serpent, Go! and The Pica Beats

Serpent, Serpent, Go!: “Cracker Barrel” Imagine a road trip late at night, you’re tired, you’ve had lots of coffee, you need a song to keep you going ’til you get to wherever– hat’s what I picture when I listen to … Continue reading

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Ball of Wax 56 Songs: Grumpy Bear – “Wojciech Frykowski (Dead Playboy Song)”

“Wojciech Frykowski” begins with a bouncy electronic bass and then builds layers of acoustic and electronic textures and hooks over a four-chord progression which, apart from a bridge section a bit over halfway into the song, repeats for the song’s … Continue reading

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Ball of Wax 53 Songs: Levi Fuller – “Scott Pruitt Must Die”

In Scott Pruitt’s home state of Oklahoma, the concept of “castle doctrine” – the idea that you can protect your domicile with deadly force without fear of prosecution – extends outside the home, in the form of a “stand your … Continue reading

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Ball of Wax 51 Songs: The Luna Moth – “Paean”

Some music makes you want to be in a rock band. My first thought on hearing The Luna Moth‘s “Paean” was “oh hey this is live.” You can practially hear the room, maybe even the rain outside, the dark. It … Continue reading

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Ball of Wax 49 Songs: Strong Sun Moon – “Lovebird”

Mike Antone and Camelia Jade are mainstays of a Snoqualmie Valley folk scene loosely centered around the Black Dog Cafe. They’ve been writing and playing together for a long time, the last several years among other longtime collaborators in a … Continue reading

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Ball of Wax 49 Songs: Darryl Blood – “Dead Memories”

Smooth as molasses on a hot summer day (if you will), Darryl Blood‘s “Dead Memories” is laid back and perfect. It’s the sound of afternoon light through a dirty window falling on a shag carpet. It’s the soundtrack to your … Continue reading

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Ball of Wax 49 Songs: Michele Khazak – “A Song for the Willful”

If not for its one reference to texting on a cellphone (and a contemporary eff bomb) you might think this track from Michele Khazak was recorded many decades ago. With its minimalist piano over a gothic, soulful blues vocal and … Continue reading

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Album Review: Kat Terran – Lion & Blue

Kat Terran – Lion & Blue (2002, Little Roar Records) I acquired this CD in Neenah, Wisconsin after playing with Southerly, and with Kat Terran’s band Snowdrift. Snowdrift — who are from Seattle — didn’t have much recorded at the … Continue reading

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Album Review: Stray Kites

Stray Kites – Mieux (2011, self-released) I’ve found this to be true: lo-fi twee bedroom pop can be polarizing. I love the stuff, much of the time . . . for sure, the genre is littered with a lot of … Continue reading

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Album Review: Man Man

Man Man – Self-titled EP (2004, Ace Fu Records) I got to see Philadelphia’s Man Man at New York’s Mercury Lounge in 2004.* Their set was a spectacle — everyone on stage was an excellent player, each attending to his own intricate … Continue reading

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