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Author Archives: Jon Rooney
Ball of Wax 44 Songs: Karaoke Hottiez – Get on By
When I first wrote about Karaoke Hottiez (and that still-atrocious moniker) for volume 43, I had no idea that the band was the side project of one Matty P, he of the Foghorns choir, Plastic Jet Airline and all-around good … Continue reading
Posted in Ball of Wax, Bands You Should Know, Check Out This Song
Tagged Karaoke Hottiez
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Ball of Wax 44 Songs: Kelly Morgan – Way Down
“Way Down” opens with an uneasy gurgling of voices that sound like the creeping nightlife in a jungle. That gurgle persists like a vamp, looping as sonic foundation underneath a handful of voices weaving around each other, singing the words “Way … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 44 Songs: The Lonely Coast with Annie Ford – The Ravens’ Feast
“The Ravens’ Feast” sounds like a timeless folk song, composed of a simple, repeated melodic figure that gives way to a soaring resolution in the last third of the minute-and-a-half or so track. As far as I can tell, however, … Continue reading
Posted in Ball of Wax, Bands You Should Know, Check Out This Song
Tagged Annie Ford, the lonely coast
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Ball of Wax 44 Songs: Mts. and Tunnels – Not Bad
On “Not Bad,” Seattle’s Mts. and Tunnels go full pop doo-wop and they absolutely kill it. While the first “bum, ba bum”‘s of the barbershop quartet bass parts seem a tad hokey for a second, the lead vocal and harmony … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 44 Songs: Levi Fuller – Mirrorful
There are a bunch of different ways you can approach an a capella arrangement. Ainara LeGardon went with an unaccompanied voice singing the lyrics and melody, simple and sparse. Head Ball of Waxer Levi Fuller went another in another direction with … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 43 Songs: Thad Wenatchee and OK – Last Letter
Though Seattle producer and MC thad wenatchee makes his Ball of Wax debut with “Last Letter,” he’s a prolific member of the Seattle hip hop community, with connections to everything from the Hollow Earth Radio folks to the Filthy Fingers United collaborative … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 43 Songs: Terwilliger Curves – Doubles the Rainbow
Finally, some tasty retro ’60s freak-out pop on the Ball of Wax. I’m not going to burst my own bubble by Googling band pictures, but in my mind the members of Terwilliger Curves all sport Prince Valiant haircuts and wear striped turtlenecks. … Continue reading
Posted in Ball of Wax, Check Out This Song, Recorded Music
Tagged Terwilliger Curves
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Ball of Wax 43 Songs: Perish the Island – Loose Blood
Luna Moth main man Mark Schlipper is a devotee of drone, ambiance and the hypnotic beauty of expansive repetition. Whereas the Moth trades in heavy guitars, bass and drums, Schlipper’s other project, Perish the Island, works with more subtle soundscapes. “Loose Blood” … Continue reading
Posted in Ball of Wax, Check Out This Song, Recorded Music
Tagged mark schlipper, Perish the Island
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Ball of Wax 43 Songs: Karaoke Hottiez – I Don’t Care, It Don’t Bother Me
Ok, so there’s the band name. Karaoke Hottiez is just brutal. It’s another in a growing trend of jokey pizza-fart-punk rock-ish names that seem to be all the rage in this town, evoking 8-bit ’90s Olympia backwash posing as transgressive … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 43 Songs: Raymond Anderson – Two Dreams
From the first few bars, I was all in on Raymond Anderson’s “Two Dreams,” a brief lo fi torch song featuring crooning vocals, jazzy chord changes, and stream of consciousness lyrics. Anderson employs just voice, electric guitar, and some analog … Continue reading
Posted in Ball of Wax, Check Out This Song, Recorded Music
Tagged One Horse Records, Raymond Anderson
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