Join Our E-mail List
Subscribe to Ball of Wax!
Subscribe now!
Help keep this Ball rolling, and get a ludicrous amount of music for a tiny amount of money!
Category Archives: Check Out This Song
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: 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: 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
Ball of Wax 55 Songs: Town Forest – “Crowns (Gold Teeth and Weapons)”
Volume 55 of Ball of Wax storms the gates with Town Forest’s energetic revision of the opener from their 2014 EP, One Day After the First Half Moon. Where the original live-recording was all raunch and skronk (and I’ll be … Continue reading
Posted in Ball of Wax, Check Out This Song
Leave a comment
Ball of Wax 54 Songs: Trash Lights -“Spirals Down Part 3”
“Spirals Down Part 3” is the second Ball of Wax offering this year from instrumental duo Trash Lights, and compared to the sprawling “Second Movements,” it’s a tiny, compact gem of musical concision. But Steven Andrea and Brendon Helgason can … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 54 Songs: Rory Gannon – “The Waves”
Rory Gannon‘s “The Waves,” the initial track on his most recent release Panic Language, presents a driving, repetitious initial motif that builds upon itself in layers. In the absence of guitar, lyrics, or any of the usual armature, he presents … Continue reading