Sam Russell: “The Slide Show”
Sam’s keen falsetto overlays guitar and electronic kick drum, gradually building to what you think will be a cathartic release, and th-
Green Light Cameras: “Chemicals”
BoW pop master Phil Chamberlin takes a more experimental approach with this anxious, yet still catchy, exploration of mental illness.
Danbert Nobacon, Kira Wood Cramer, and The Axis of Dissent – Precarious Chair (The House Is on Fire)
57 seconds of flaming dissonance to soundtrack our current state of dystopia. Also, trigger warning.
Aaron J. Shay – Bet It High
Sultry man-bun vocals, catchy banjo, and efficient lyrics— all come together to form one helluva pure, Pacific Northwest minute.
Kenneth Lee Nottingham: “Cradle”
While a folk Americana guitar pattern zigs comfortably, enter the zagging of Bolan-esque light mysticism with lyrics like “giants and jellybeans / angels in perdition” and some “dee dee dee dee”-ing to round things out from one of Seattle’s most esteemed musicians.
Four and Five: “Quiet Streets”
Behold a wistful parlor lullaby composed of the most simple ingredients: acoustic guitar, folk strum pattern, single voice, single room mic and (presumably) a room of some sorts.
Cindy’s Property: “The Great Unraveling”
Cindy’s Property with a personal fugue shapes a brief verse-chorus into a statement on identity crisis — as one might struggle reconciling human identity with the environmental — vocals over piano, resolving with hope, but it’s Groundhog Day.
Lys Guillorn: “Hop Hornbeam”
Music for cabins with wavering vocals and empathic harmony… Americana seeking solitude, forsaking audience for the release that comes with confession — Lysguillorn invites their song’s subject to find kinship within a shared atmosphere of abandonment.
riceburger: “heartbleeps”
Mechanical sounds overlay the playful, rhythmic melody in a way that both draws the listener in and unsettles them deeply at the same time.
Norman Baker: “The Battle at Waterloo”
Norman Baker’s beautifully eerie falsetto and familiar childlike melodies hearken back to a time when no tragedy was too great to be reenacted on the playground.
Serpent, Serpent, Go!: “Cracker Barrel”
Imagine a road trip late at night, you’re tired, you’ve had lots of coffee, you need a song to keep you going ’til you get to wherever– hat’s what I picture when I listen to this, and it might be about sausages.
The Pica Beats: “ohshtmthrfkrwrfkdnw”
“Oh shit motherfucker, oh we’re fucked now”–these words, sampled among other voices in a crowded restaurant or a bar, maybe? remember going to those? were on many of our minds early in our present dilemma, tossed off with a laugh, not quite believing what we knew was coming, softened as gallows humor and here set to electronic beats and synths; of course, it might be about something else.
Vic Bondi: “dBoon Was Born on April Fool’s Day”
My four-and-a-half-year-old son thought this song was too silly, but he doesn’t fully appreciate D. Boon’s contributions to our culture (nor Lou Giordano’s, for that matter).
Sonic Graffiti and Soapbox Soliloquy: “Luxury Condo”
An incredible amount of mayhem and diabolical, face-kicking energy packed into a 60-second package, straight from the mean streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.
Brian Michael Roff: “Snakes”
Our long-lost friend Brian returns with a weary, bleary, low-fi meditation on herpetological aspirations, ending with the timely suggestion that we “get to sheddin’ already.”
Sherbet & Champagne: “The Ballad of Ira Lee”
Terry Kyte, another old and farflung friend, reimagines Skee-Lo’s “I Wish” as a rock and roll rave-up about a college basketball player, and it slays.
Ryan Ogg: “After Hours”
“After Hours” creeps out of your speakers at a relaxed pace with eerie chord changes and vibes perfect for late-night introspection.
Tom Janci: “Sometimes”
Beautifully tasteful guitar playing is the high light of this breezy surf-rock tune with all the key elements of the sound.
‘lectrified spit: “Untitled”
“Grandma’s Theme” is one of my favorite tracks on John Mellencamp’s excellent and angry rocker Scarecrow, and ‘lectrified spit’s dusty and down the hall contribution to BoW 60 sits comfortably on the shelf next to that song.
Small Life Form: “Gengen”
Small Life Form brings a welcome addition to your glitch/ambient playlist with its track “gengen” which sounds like someone sanding down your hippie neighbor’s Tibetan singing bowls.
