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Author Archives: Jon Rooney
Ball of Wax 42 Songs: Louis O’Callaghan – The Meaning of Life
Whether as the Graze or Sun Tunnels or even the long-lost Indie Rooney, Louis O’Callaghan has been one of my favorite Ball of Waxers over the years, an unheralded and often unmatched creative figure in a town stuffed to the … Continue reading
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Tagged louis o'callaghan, the meaning of life
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Ball of Wax 42 Songs: Holly Small – The Meaning of Life
Holly Small was last heard from on Ball of Wax Volume 40, as part of the instant, ephemeral band I Am the Deciders. Small returns to volume 42 to offer her take on the meaning of life as effusive bedroom synth … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 42 Songs: Visceral Candy – The Meaning of Life
Seattle locals Visceral Candy return to Ball of Wax for the second straight volume with their take on “The Meaning of Life.” Like “Catastrophe” from volume 42 and Visceral Candy’s Seth Swift’s other band, Soft Blows (see volume 39), the … Continue reading
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Tagged the meaning of life, visceral candy
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Ball of Wax 41 Songs: Invisible Hours – Wake the Ghosts of Night
Invisible Hours‘ “Wake the Ghosts of Night” is moody, dark guitar rock with a few interesting twists. “Wake the Ghosts of Night” has the woozy, fuzzy feel of much of the modern psych revival, but elements like a quasi-prog breakdown around the … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 41 Songs: Brenda Xu – Trumpet Song
Seattle artist Brenda Xu‘s “Trumpet Song” is a clever, sophisticated pop song featuring, you guessed it, a trumpet that make a couple of cameo appearances at the middle and the end. Trumpet aside, the song’s strongest elements are Xu’s understated, … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 41 Songs: The Kings – Jenzone
Instrumental ska on Ball of Wax? Indeed, instrumental ska on Ball of Wax. Levi stretches his curatorial wings to the plaid, Dr. Marten-wearing heavens for Volume 41 and returns with “Jenzone,” an almost 4 minute, horn-driven, skronky workout from a … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 41 Songs: Electric Dylan – 1998
Before hearing a single note, I decided that Electric Dylan‘s “1998” is in my wheelhouse. Electric Dylan is the best Dylan (Street Legal foreva!) and I come from the ’90s, so this is a natural fit for my blurbage. Electric … Continue reading
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Tagged Electric Dylan, Michael Sanchez
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Ball of Wax 41 Songs: Amy Blaschke – Silvery Dreams in Blue
Amy Blaschke‘s “Silvery Dreams in Blue” is all gossamer and atmosphere – pretty, floating, and a little eerie. It’s almost a duet between Blaschke’s gentle voice and the decidedly ’80s synthesizer pads, a torch song out of Twin Peaks or … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 41 Songs: Blake DeGraw – Quartet IV
It’s really exciting to see Blake DeGraw’s bracing composition, “Quartet IV,” on Ball of Wax 41. While we tend to mean rock, folk, punk, and Americana when we talk about Seattle’s underground music scene, there are obviously other styles of music being … Continue reading
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Tagged Blake DeGraw
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Ball of Wax 41 Songs: Travis Champ – The Yellow Rose of Borges (demo)
Travis Champ’s “The Yellow Rose of Borges” is, at first glance, a simple cowboy song. Champ’s baritone drawl and campfire strumming makes it immediately familiar and, if you’re not really listening, easy to gloss over as yet more Americana aural … Continue reading