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Category Archives: Check Out This Song
Ball of Wax 50 Songs: Tom Pearo – “Plains”
Not that words absolutely have to be the end all be all. Tom Pearo, by appearances a good-natured Vermonter, can say a lot relying on soaring guitar tone. On first hearing “Plains,” I was reminded of pleasant nights when some … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 50 Songs: James Kelly Pitts – “I Knew Those Words”
Leave it to the author of the previously drooled over “Night Shift” to present a somewhat optimal set-closer. You can follow a lot about James Kelly Pitts in the recent issues of BoW. He’s been building expressive seemingly DIY tracks … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 50 Songs: Crystal Beth & the Boom Boom Band – “Battle Cry”
Beth Fleenor – aka Crystal Beth – is an undeniable, unstoppable musical force, and one of Seattle’s treasures. She uses her voice and clarinet – not to mention the deep connections she forms with her collaborators – to channel strange, … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 50 Songs: Elisa Flynn – “Sugar”
Brooklyn’s Elisa Flynn is a newcomer to Ball of Wax, though her gritty, wired music evokes a lot of the touchstones (PJ Harvey, Infinity Girl, Lync) that many of us old-timers grew up absorbing. “Sugar” is the kind of sweaty … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 50 Songs: Razor Clam – “ITB”
“ITB” is a perfect piece of ’80s-style punky girl pop. If you ever want to run around the streets with a ton of Aquanet in your pink-streaked hair, wearing a big lacy skirt, dancing with a pack of your best … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 50 Songs: Modo72 – “Ritual”
We last heard from drummer/multi-instrumentalist Mike O’Doherty almost exactly a year ago, as half of Stereo Sons. With his Modo72 project, he has branched out to create his own music: instrumental, driving, percussive, with a satisfying blend of live and … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 50 Songs: Screens – “Delridge”
I’ve been writing about music in some form another for about 20 years now, and I’ve never before had the occasion to use the phrase “psychedelic electro-funk,” but here we are. Seattle’s super inventive and fun Screens‘ “Delridge” (recorded at … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 50 Songs: KO SOLO – “Sunslip”
Saxophonist Kate Olson has been a fixture in Seattle’s multi-faceted jazz/improv/weird music scene for the past several years. As jazz musicians and improvisors tend to be, she’s an inveterate collaborator: I first heard her playing in the Syrinx Effect, her … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 50 Songs: Jenni Potts and OKADA – “So Be It”
I’ve been going through a real electronic pop sort of phase lately, and the lush, meditative beauty of “So Be It” by the team of Jenni Potts and OKADA really suited my mood. It’s perfect for walking around in the … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 50 Songs: Julia Massey – “Never in Extremity”
A fun fact about Emily Dickinson: you can sing pretty much all of her poems to the Gilligan’s Island theme song. Fortunately for us, Julia Massey did not chose to take that obvious route when setting Dickinson’s poem “‘Hope’ is … Continue reading