Category Archives: Album Reviews

Album Review: Jack Shriner – Dismember​/​Remember

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: Southerly – Champion of the Noisy Negativists

Southerly – Champion of the Noisy Negativists (2011, Greyday Records) Another Southerly review? What is this, Southerly central? I swear, there’s a good reason for this. Let me explain. Those of you who headed out to the Sunset expecting a … Continue reading

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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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