Category Archives: Recorded Music

Album Review: Can The Boy Tell Time – Tunia

Can the Boy Tell Time – Tunia (2011, self-released) Tunia is the kindly face-melting new album from Seattle band Can The Boy Tell Time. This music is by no means easy to describe, but I am eager to try. But … Continue reading

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Album Review: Man Man

Man Man – Self-titled EP (2004, Ace Fu Records) I got to see Philadelphia’s Man Man at New York’s Mercury Lounge in 2004.* Their set was a spectacle — everyone on stage was an excellent player, each attending to his own intricate … Continue reading

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Album Review: Jack Shriner – Dismember​/​Remember

Jack Shriner – Dismember​/​Remember (2011, Self-Released) On Dismember/Remember, Seattle-based Jack Shriner (as heard on Ball of Wax volumes 12 and 17) augments some pretty classic pop song conventions with smatterings of fuzz, synth outbursts and largely interesting instrumental asides. Opener … Continue reading

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Album Review: Southerly – Champion of the Noisy Negativists

Southerly – Champion of the Noisy Negativists (2011, Greyday Records) Another Southerly review? What is this, Southerly central? I swear, there’s a good reason for this. Let me explain. Those of you who headed out to the Sunset expecting a … Continue reading

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Album Review: Southerly – Best Dressed and Expressionless

Southerly – Best Dressed and Expressionless (2004, Dead Letter Records) In that heady, fateful summer of 2004 of which I have now rambled on about several times, I ended up one July evening at a coffee house in Neenah, Wisconsin, … Continue reading

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Lots of Ball of Wax Alums this Saturday at the Josephine

I will most definitely be in attendance at this show at the Josephine this Saturday. Of the four bands playing, three are Ball of Wax alumni, and the whole night should be filled with a diverse crop of great music. … Continue reading

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Air Museum!

This is verging on being even more of a conflict of interest than my usual posts, but I’m excited about it and it’s certainly in the Ball of Wax wheelhouse, so I’m sharing. Those of you who own Ball of … Continue reading

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Album Review: The Shivers – More

The Shivers – More (2011, Silence Breaks) The Shivers, whose many virtues have been extolled on these virtual pages, return with a new full-length, More, on a nascent Brooklyn imprint called Silence Breaks.  On More, Keith Zarriello and Jo Schornikow have … Continue reading

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Bright Archer Songs about Books Demo

Johanna Kunin (aka Bright Archer) boldly leaked a demo of one of her songs for the Songs about Books project a couple months ago. And of course it’s gorgeous. I’m getting really excited to hear everybody’s work (and to finish … Continue reading

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Ball of Wax Artists at NW Folklife This Weekend

As I mentioned a while back, I’m pretty excited about the Northwest Folklife Festival, occupying Seattle Center this weekend. Of course there’s the Ball of Wax showcase on Sunday, which features myself and four other fine artists that have graced … Continue reading

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