Category Archives: Check Out This Song

Songs you should check out.

Ball of Wax 44 Songs: Colin Isler – Ribbons of Sun

“Ribbons of Sun” plays and listens like a typewriter. Colin Isler sings a line, leaves you to ponder what he’s just said amidst hmms, ohhs, and a Friday the 13th-esque tcha tcha tcha tcha. It has an eerie effect. and … Continue reading

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Ball of Wax 44 Songs: Visceral Candy – Scratching My Head (Feat. Tim Stiles)

I am so glad Seth Swift et al. took up my all-vocals challenge to concoct this delightfully twisted hip-hop tune about insecurity, lice, and boogers. Just four tracks in we’ve seen the stark, solo vocal; the multi-tracked faux rock band; … Continue reading

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Ball of Wax 44 Songs: Mts. and Tunnels – Not Bad

On “Not Bad,” Seattle’s Mts. and Tunnels go full pop doo-wop and they absolutely kill it. While the first “bum, ba bum”‘s of the barbershop quartet bass parts seem a tad hokey for a second, the lead vocal and harmony … Continue reading

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Ball of Wax 44 Songs: Swooning – Sun & the Moon

[We’re proud to welcome a new writer to the  fold. You’ve probably heard Matty P on Ball of Wax and/or seen him on stage at a BoW release show, whether as a member of the Foghorns Bucket o’ Bourbon Choir … Continue reading

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Ball of Wax 44 Songs: Levi Fuller – Mirrorful

There are a bunch of different ways you can approach an a capella arrangement. Ainara LeGardon went with an unaccompanied voice singing the lyrics and melody, simple and sparse. Head Ball of Waxer Levi Fuller went another in another direction with … Continue reading

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Ball of Wax 44 Songs: Ainara LeGardon – Last Day

The 44th volume of Ball of Wax Audio Quarterly – containing only sounds originating from the mouths of humans – starts with this stark, haunting beauty by Ainara LeGardon. “Last Day” opens Ainara’s most recent album, Every Minute, which I’ve … Continue reading

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Ball of Wax 43 Songs: Thad Wenatchee and OK – Last Letter

Though Seattle producer and MC thad wenatchee makes his Ball of Wax debut with “Last Letter,” he’s a prolific member of the Seattle hip hop community, with connections to everything from the Hollow Earth Radio folks to the Filthy Fingers United collaborative … Continue reading

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Ball of Wax 43 Songs: Thomas Pearo – We’ll Be OK

. . . and then sometimes you just want something simple and beautiful. Vermonter Thomas Pearo‘s looped guitar piece “We’ll Be OK” makes for a lovely bit of musical sorbet (and I mean that absolutely as a good thing) after the … Continue reading

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Ball of Wax 43 Songs: Terwilliger Curves – Doubles the Rainbow

Finally, some tasty retro ’60s freak-out pop on the Ball of Wax. I’m not going to burst my own bubble by Googling band pictures, but in my mind the members of Terwilliger Curves all sport Prince Valiant haircuts and wear striped turtlenecks. … Continue reading

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Ball of Wax 43 Songs: The Vardaman Ensemble – Hills & Monuments

If I were better at ever writing album reviews or composing year-end lists of favorite albums, you would have already heard me singing the praises of The Vardaman Ensemble, the skronky post-rock-and-jazz-in-a-blender side project of The Harvey Girls’ Hiram Lucke. … Continue reading

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