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Category Archives: Recorded Music
Ball of Wax 68 Songs: Night Owl – “Mellow Moods”
Night Owl’s “Mellow Moods” is, just as advertised, a sweet, mellow tune. The trio manage the delicate balancing act of creating a guitar-driven, bluesy, melodic piece of music that holds your interest and keeps your head bobbing (albeit slowly), while … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 68 Songs: Orion – “The Woods”
Orion is a newish project of longtime Ball of Wax friends and collaborators Mark Johnson and Mike Bundy – born, I presume, of the pandemic, though I don’t know for sure. We have heard all manner of sounds from these … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 68 Songs: Galenbaby – “Do Wild”
In his notes for Ball of Wax 68, Galen Disston – aka Galenbaby – asks, echoing Erk Satie, “Can music be wallpaper?” But then he goes on, “If you look at the wallpaper enough, do you start to see yourself?” … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 68 Songs: Domenica Diavoleria – “Only I Have the Key”
The music of Domenica Diavoleria – an oeuvre which has grown and developed with stunning rapidity since the release of her debut EP last September – is not something one can easily pin down or slap a label onto. I … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 68 Songs: Al Mustaqil – “What we’ve just lost (Dub version)”
“What we’ve just lost (Dub version),” an instrumental piece by Al Mustaqil, is digital maximalism: idea stacked upon idea with frantic synth sounds weaving around a glitchy, intermittent sequenced beat that leaves little space for silence or ambience. The opening lead … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 68 Songs: JNA – “Tell Me Why”
JNA‘s “Tell Me Why” is premium grade ’80s style electro-funk track perfect for cruising down Aurora on a Saturday night, taking in the sights, like the neon palm trees of the Club Hollywood in Shoreline. This is a classic, g-funk … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 68 Songs: Sound Madrona – “I Am Filled with Hate”
Sounds Madrona‘s “I Am Filled with Hate,” while not nearly as brutal and unforgiving as you might expect of a song with that title, contains a through-line of darkness that can’t be denied. The ping-ponging beat that starts us off … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 68 Songs: Kora Karuna – “Kambuche”
Cambuche, according to Kora Karuna and the internet, is a Colombian term for an improvised dwelling. (The Kora Karuna folks are fond of using K’s in lieu of hard C’s.) An array of percussion and flute join in with the … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 68 Songs: Colin Ernst – “Rocinante Rides Again!”
Colin Ernst‘s “Rocinante Rides Again!” is, as its title suggests, a musical journey with cinematic sweep and flair. In lieu of my own review, I’m tempted to just paste Colin’s text from the Ball of Wax 68 liner notes (which … Continue reading
Ball of Wax 68 Songs: Lisa King – “Lunaria”
The only voice you will hear on this volume of Ball of Wax is Lisa King’s breathy, tossed-off “all right,” leading her acoustic guitar into the gentle groove she’s established on hand drums to ease us into the landscape of … Continue reading