Category Archives: Album Reviews

Album Review: Southerly – Best Dressed and Expressionless

Southerly – Best Dressed and Expressionless (2004, Dead Letter Records) In that heady, fateful summer of 2004 of which I have now rambled on about several times, I ended up one July evening at a coffee house in Neenah, Wisconsin, … Continue reading

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Album Review: The Shivers – More

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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Album Review: Art Deco Cathedrals – Every Pain & Every Pleasure

Art Deco Cathedrals – Every Pain and Every Pleasure (2011, self-released) Portland’s Art Deco Cathedrals makes sparse, purely instrumental music with plucked strings, reverb, and the occasional drum machine. Rather than the quiet->less quiet->kinda loud->loud loud->quiet comedown arc of contemporary … Continue reading

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Album Review: Stellarondo

Stellarondo – Stellarondo (2011, self-released) I’ve had a soft spot for Missoula, Montana since the first (and only) time I ever visited there. My band The Luna Moth drove the 8 or so hours out, played a show at a … Continue reading

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Album Review: The Stares – Meridians

The Stares – Meridians (2010, self-released) (Listen and purchase on their site.) The Stares – Drew Whittemore, Angie Benintendi, and the various other brilliant musicians they surround themselves with – are slow and quiet, and not just in the music … Continue reading

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Album review: Yarn Owl – Montaña Y Caballo

Yarn Owl – Montaña Y Caballo (2011, self-released) Way back in 2006 I played in Pullman with a band called Ether Hour, a piano-driven, Elliott Smith-esque indie rock band that I found on MySpace, back when it was still useful … Continue reading

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Album Review: Car Scars – A.M. Gold

Car Scars – A.M. Gold (2005, Funkytonk Records) [Note: this review is part of the Bad at Listening series.] Car Scars is one of the many bands that Tim Leingang of Richmond, Washington has played in. Tim has been a central … Continue reading

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Album Review: Brad Dunn and Dandelion Gold

Brad Dunn and Dandelion Gold – s/t (2011, self-released) (Purchase or stream at Bandcamp) Brad Dunn (heard on Ball of Wax volumes 10, 14, 15, and 20) is yet another of Seattle’s all too well-kept secrets (I guess that’s part … Continue reading

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Album Review: Heatwarmer

Heatwarmer – self-titled (2009, self-released) (Purchase or stream at Bandcamp) Heatwarmer (heard on Ball of Wax volumes 9 and 14), fronted by the intimidatingly skilled Luke Bergman, is a very odd band, and I mean that in the best of … Continue reading

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Album Review: The Savings and Loan – Today I Need Light

The Savings and Loan – Today I Need Light (2011; Song, By Toad) Scotland’s The Savings and Loan serve a heavy duty blend of dour drunkenness, religious dread, and spartan arrangements on their debut, Today I Need Light. Stark and … Continue reading

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