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Category Archives: Ball of Wax
Ball of Wax 55 Songs: Jacopo Andreini – “9 borders to cross”
Jacopo Andreini‘s “9 borders to cross” is, alas, the only track on Ball of Wax 55 to come from outside the US border. Jacopo is Italian, but the music he makes crosses many borders, as you might guess from the … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 55 Songs: Green Light Cameras – “Hurricane Fence”
“Subdued ebullience” is maybe a bit of an oxymoron, but it’s the phrase I would use to best describe Green Light Cameras’ “Hurricane Fence.” A scintillating piece of slow pop pleasure, “Hurricane Fence” comes in at the pace of a … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 55 Songs: Nic Masangkay – “Diaspora Lover (feat. Guayaba)”
It’s easy to think that Nic Masangkay’s strength is their chops when it comes to mixing and composing, and yet time after time, their voice surprises with its strength and emotion. The content of the lyrics on “Diaspora Lover” are … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 55 Songs: Peter Colclasure – “Synth 3”
[Disclaimer: this review contains homework.] Peter Colclasure’s “Synth 3” is the story of modern America encapsulated in a five-minute tonal work centered in A minor, its primary i-VII-III-v (V? I can’t tell because Colclasure maddeningly/wisely avoids establishing that third interval … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 55 Songs: Drekka – “Frozen Watercourse”
Drekka‘s “Frozen Watercourse” is a dreamy meditation for piano, bowed ukulele (played by our old pal Darryl Blood), voice, and other sounds. The vocals are buried deep in the mix, adding subtly to the wordless, layered, pulsing thrum of the … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 55 Songs: Danbert Nobacon and Kira Wood Cramer – “Building a Wall”
I could write a few words here about the impressive musical pedigree of Danbert Nobacon and let it speak for itself, but that would detract from the wry humor and restrained angst of the smartbomb singalong protest song that is … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 55 Songs: Isaac Castillo – “Humanity”
Isaac Castillo‘s “Humanity” is a sobering, heartfelt message delivered in a beautiful, catchy package – the perfect stealth-bomb of political truth. It’s easy enough to write a dumb, angry punk song about dumb issues that make you angry – take … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 55 Songs: Grumpy Bear – “‘Our Land'”
“‘Our Land’” (placed in double quotes because the title itself is properly written with quotation marks, for all you punctuation-heads out there), is a new slice of dark pop genius – extreme emphasis on the dark – from our dear … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 55 Songs: Guest Directors – “Parachute On”
“Parachute On” is the first song (and kind of the title track) on Guest Directors‘ new EP Dream the Currents – their third in as many years. I’m not sure how I’ve missed this group until now, but I’m glad … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 55 Songs: Annie Ford and Corespondents – “Pájaros”
The moonlight casts shadows through papel picado in this collaboration between Annie Ford and Correspondents. Channeling early 20th century Rancheras, or Mexican Folklore-based traditional music, Annie’s commanding alto extends dolorously into the end of each note, resolving in a graceful … Continue reading