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Author Archives: Sam Russell
Album Review: Washed in the Sound with Black Nite Crash
Black Nite Crash – Washed in the Sound with Black Nite Crash (Neon Sigh, October 2022) Sam Russell & Patrick Gibbs have teamed up to discuss the latest offering from Seattle shoegaze collective Black Nite Crash, Washed in the Sound … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 62 Songs: Virgin of the Birds – “Delco Saved the World”
In the Virgin of the Birds Cinematic Universe (or the VOBCU, itself a subsidiary of the Ball of Wax Cinematic Universe, aka the BOWCU), Pennsylvania is our HQ. Jon Rooney (humble leader of Virgin of the Birds) is making it … Continue reading
Album Review: Claire Tucker – Same Old Hunters
Claire Tucker – Same Old Hunters (2020, Drums and Wires Recordings) Back in August, Claire Tucker sent me a pre-release copy of her upcoming release Same Old Hunters, out this Friday Oct 23rd via Drums & Wires Recordings and co-produced … Continue reading
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Ball of Wax 61 Songs: Tekla Waterfield – “I Wanna Love You Forever”
A great love song will always find itself in the position of conversing with all the other great love songs of the past, quietly announcing itself to be a continuation of the elusive, sometimes fleeting and always mysterious emotion that … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 61 Songs: Nick Droz – “There Goes the Neighborhood”
No, this song is NOT a cover of the 1992 Body Count* classic but a song written (per Nick) as “part of a prompt-based project . . . for one of the Hugo House’s literary series. Inspired by the construction … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 59 Songs: Tomo Nakayama – “The Sugar Nile”
It’s quite an experience to hear one of your songs covered for the first time, and I can’t think of a better one to have than hearing Tomo Nakayama do “The Sugar Nile.” In fact, “cover” seems a woefully inappropriate … Continue reading
Posted in Ball of Wax, BoW Covers, Check Out This Song
Tagged sam russell, Tomo Nakayama
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Ball of Wax 59 Songs: Julia Massey – “Ain’t No Place”
Annie Ford’s original recording of her song “Ain’t No Place” (which, it turns out, was written by drummer Matthew Manges) strikes that mythic sweet spot between the composed and the seemingly found; the song feels like it’s been around forever … Continue reading
Posted in Ball of Wax, BoW Covers, Check Out This Song
Tagged Annie Ford, Julia Massey
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Ball of Wax 58 Songs: Robert Deeble – “Veni Emmanuel”
Seattle-by-way-of-Long-Beach institution Robert Deeble has a deep discography containing multitudes (including collaborations with fellow Ball of Wax contributors Tomo Nakayama and Shenandoah Davis) and here offers a sinister gothic take on “Veni Emmanual” . . . or “O Come, O … Continue reading
Album Review: Virgin of the Birds – Numberless Needs
Virgin of the Birds returns to Seattle for their first Pacific Northwest show of 2019 at the Conor Byrne on May 11, joined by The Foghorns (also playing their first show of 2019) and Sam Russell’s new old-soul band Doug … Continue reading
Get On With It: Going Home with the Foghorns
The Foghorns – . . . on a Dog’s Ass Sometime (2017, Knick Knack Records) The older you get, the more the memories pile up. The Foghorns’ new album . . . on a Dog’s Ass Sometime (a companion piece … Continue reading