Author Archives: Jon Rooney

Andy Says So: Grave Babies

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Jon Rooney

Continuing the string of recommendations from Andy of Fensepost, let’s check out Grave Babies.  Seattle’s Grave Babies put out a 7″ on Hardly Art and have an EP called Gothdammit coming out on April 17th. Like Orcas, Grave Babies have … Continue reading →

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Andy Says So: Orcas

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Jon Rooney

Since I’ve struggled a bit lately to stay on top of new bands, I enlisted the help of music blogger and all-around good guy Andy Fenstermaker of Fensepost to direct me to a handful of up-and-coming Pacific Northwest artists. Challenging … Continue reading →

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Interview with Carlos Forster, Who Is Touring the West Coast

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Jon Rooney

I reviewed Carlos Forster‘s new album, Family Trees, last year on this very blog. A couple of years ago, I wrote a short, somewhat random posthumous tribute to Forster’s former band, For Stars, on Fensepost. Forster is about to set … Continue reading →

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2011 in Review: New Is New, Old Is New and Lulu Is the Future

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Jon Rooney

A couple of weeks ago I asked a friend what she thought would end up being the consensus album of the year.  A potent combination of aging, new fatherhood, acute self-absorption, and YouTube-fueled distraction kept me from really having a … Continue reading →

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Album Review: Western Ghost House – Kaleidoscope Tower

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Jon Rooney

Western Ghost House - Kaleidoscope Tower (2011, self-released) Western Ghost House‘s second release,  Kaleidoscope Tower, is a tasteful, thoughtful collection of songs from a young Austin band that evokes the likes of Calexico, Shearwater, and Papercuts. Brooding, cowboy-esque opener “Varicose Veins” … Continue reading →

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We are all Absolutely Kosher

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Jon Rooney

Last week, venerable Bay Area label Absolutely Kosher announced that they would cease releasing new music this fall due to financial hardship and the inability to find a model that makes running an independent label viable. While not a mega-indie … Continue reading →

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Album Review: The Foghorns – To the Stars on the Wings of a Pig

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Jon Rooney

The Foghorns – To the Stars on the Wings of a Pig (2011, Knick Knack Records) Count this review as another in a long line of conflicts of interest here at the Blog ‘o Wax. The Foghorns are a Seattle … Continue reading →

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Album Review: Carlos Forster – Family Trees

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Jon Rooney

Carlos Forster – Family Trees (2011, HUSH Records) Carlos Forster once led a fantastic, woefully unheralded band called For Stars, about which I’ve written wistfully elsewhere. It’s been 7 years since the release of For Stars’ swan song, It Falls Apart, … Continue reading →

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Album Review: Jack Shriner – Dismember​/​Remember

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Jon Rooney

Jack Shriner – Dismember​/​Remember (2011, Self-Released) On Dismember/Remember, Seattle-based Jack Shriner (as heard on Ball of Wax volumes 12 and 17) augments some pretty classic pop song conventions with smatterings of fuzz, synth outbursts and largely interesting instrumental asides. Opener … Continue reading →

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Album Review: The Shivers – More

Posted on June 2, 2011 by Jon Rooney

The Shivers – More (2011, Silence Breaks) The Shivers, whose many virtues have been extolled on these virtual pages, return with a new full-length, More, on a nascent Brooklyn imprint called Silence Breaks.  On More, Keith Zarriello and Jo Schornikow have … Continue reading →

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