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Category Archives: Recorded Music
Ball of Wax 52 Songs: Weird Hill – “Left in the Sun”
SCENE: Chicago in the mid-’90s, three indie rockers sit huddled around a Tascam Porta One 4 track (the one with batteries and strap pegs). Their band, Number One Cup, is recording a repetitive cowbell rhythm track, which they will then … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 52 Songs: Small Life Form – “Old Sounds for a Young Piano”
Small Life Form returns to Ball of Wax after an auspicious debut on Volume 51. “Old Sounds for a Young Piano” is definitely shorter, and arguably more musical, than “Penetrable Surface,” but it continues SLF’s creative exploration of repetition, drone, … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 52 Songs: Darryl Blood – “The Staircase”
Darryl Blood scores. Literally (and yes, I use the word correctly here). Clearly a fan of John Carpenter’s soundtracks (even tagging Carpenter and “vintage synthesizers” on his bandcamp page), he composed the score for this year’s The Campus, an indie … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 52 Songs: Syrinx Effect – “Super Soaker”
Syrinx Effect is the duo of soprano saxophonist Kate Olson and trombonist Naomi Siegel, along with a handful of pedals, a laptop, and some other sound toys. As on Kate’s solo contribution to Ball of Wax 50, the pair use … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 52 Songs: Shitty Person – “Dumbshit”
It just occurred to me that this volume of Ball of Wax starts off on a bit of a nihilistic bent. First we’re killing paradise with the Foghorns, then we have Xurs indulging in bad habits, and now we’re just … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 52 Songs: Xurs – “Bad Habits”
Seattle post-punk (or, as they put it, “angular weirdo punk”) outfit Xurs makes their Ball of Wax debut with “Bad Habits,” and I couldn’t be happier to have them as part of our scrappy crew. I think this is one … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 52 Songs: The Foghorns – “Bump”
Ball of Wax stalwarts the Foghorns offer up “Bump” on Volume 52, a rollicking workout that takes a page from some of the best work in the band’s catalog. Whereas last year’s outstanding . . . on a Dog’s Ass … Continue reading
Album Review: The Rainieros – The Fool EP
The Rainieros – The Fool (2018, self-released) “. . . no, it’s not nothing that I hadn’t heard before.” “The Fool” is a strong opener for the eponymous EP. The song is emotionally buoyant in the “High Lonesome” hallmark of … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 51 Songs: Darryl Blood – “Killing Blow”
I was listening to Darryl Blood’s “Killing Blow” early this morning at work as I prepared for a big biweekly meeting, wondering how I could write about the song, having listened to it in a number of situations, and really … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 51 Songs: Small Life Form – “Penetrable Surface”
Small Life Form’s “Penetrable Surfaces” begs analysis by its title alone. Nearly any surface can be penetrable to some degree and there have been numerous studies (mostly by Russian scientists, interestingly enough) regarding the effects of various forces on penetrable … Continue reading