Ball of Wax 46 Songs: Jon Garcia – the river will fall

Posted on November 30, 2016 by Levi Fuller

It’s been several years since we’ve heard from Jon Garcia – I think he’s been taking a break from music to focus on his work as a filmmaker – so it was quite a pleasant surprise to receive some new music from him for this volume of Ball of Wax. “the river will fall” leaves behind the baroque, orchestrated approach of his past work for a simple, stripped-down, droning feel that I find very appealing. A couple keyboard chords, a pulsing kick drum, and the title of the song repeating, mantra-like, in a sedate, soothing melody. What river? When will it fall? What does it mean for a river to fall? Keep this song on repeat as you try to work it out.

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Ball of Wax 46 Songs: James Kelly Pitts – Night Shift

Posted on November 30, 2016 by Matty P

James Kelly Pitts cuts to the core of 21st century living with the beautiful simplicity of “Night Shift.” It’s an anthem for all of us who at one time or another feel beat down upon by working for our wages while we strive for something greater. He takes several elegant lines and sets them in rotation with each other. Lines like “I’m the shadow of a man,” and “They never said it was gonna be easy.” James shows a mastery of song craft, weaving in and out of verse, chorus, bridge, and refrain such that you can never really tell just where at in the song you are. Yet he manages to tie everything together into a very cohesive, well-sung tune.

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Ball of Wax 46 Songs: Karaoke Hottiez – Grandma, Grandpa

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Jon Rooney

All around local treasure Matty P returns to Ball of Wax under the inexcusable moniker of Karaoke Hottiez with the lovely, nostalgia-rich “Grandma, Grandpa.” Is this a vaudeville ditty from ages long past? Is the Coney Island suitcase organ a stroke of arrangement genius? Was this lo fi gem as hastily put together as the listener is led to believe? Sometimes it’s good to have answers, other times it’s good to bathe in the scratchy mystery of bedroom pop.

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Ball of Wax 46 Songs: Like, Listen To – What I Avoid

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Levi Fuller

We haven’t talked much about Drew Danburry here since he totally conned us with those delightful For All the Girls tunes a couple years ago (no hard feelings!), but he’s been steadily making music since then, and recently saw fit to finally submit some for Ball of Wax. Like, Listen To’s album East of the Sun and West of the Moon is a beautiful collection of songs for guitar, string quartet, and two voices. I’m fortunate enough to own a copy of the full album on vinyl, and it gets a fair amount of turntable time. “What I Avoid” is a perfect example of the spare beauty of this album, which was recorded live to 2-track 1/4″ tape. The strings perfectly punctuate and accent the wistful sway of the acoustic and voices without ever getting heavy-handed or sappy. I’m a big fan of multi-tracking and studio magic, but it’s beautiful to imagine these six people in a room in Utah performing this song just the way we’re hearing it now. I hope one of these days to experience this magic in person. In the meantime, keep sending us music, Drew!

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Ball of Wax 46 Songs: Amanda Winterhalter – What’s This, Death?

Posted on November 28, 2016 by Jon Rooney

Golden-throated Amanda Winterhalter returns to Ball of Wax with “What’s This, Death?,” a somber ballad in a traditional folk style that features only voice and finger-style acoustic guitar. “What’s This, Death?” is appropriately somber and menacing, issuing the warning “you don’t talk to death / you listen close.” Consider this a fine example of one of many styles Winterhalter can confidently deliver. Her recent full length, Olea, showcases Winterhalter’s considerable range, including the album’s triumphant high point, “I’m 100 Years Old,” and “What’s This, Death?” delivers yet one more reason Winterhalter deserves our attention.

Catch Amanda and her band this Friday at the Ball of Wax 46 release show.

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Ball of Wax 46 Songs: Robert Deeble – Coal Miner

Posted on November 28, 2016 by Levi Fuller

It’s been quite some time since we’ve had a full-length release from our old friend Robert Deeble, but he has a very good reason – which also happens to be the inspiration for the album he’s working on now. Two years ago, Robert and his wife adopted their daughter (the full, beautiful story is here on his blog), and I can vouch for the fact that parenting provides equal measure of inspiration and upheaval, rendering one simultaneously excited to write and record music and completely lacking in the time and energy to do so. But if the lush, heartwarming “Coal Miner” is any indication, this collection of songs will absolutely be worth the wait, whenever it arrives. Just like our kids.

Robert and his band will play the Ball of Wax 46 release show this Friday, December 2, at Conor Byrne. See you there!

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Ball of Wax 46 Songs: Boring Ghost – Hypnagogic

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Matty P

‘Hypnagogic” is an extremely easy listening song. It hovers over a state of nearly falling asleep, when at last, you fall into the trance. It has one of the most beautiful guitar refrains I’ve heard, ever. Original, catchy and inspiring. The song swells brilliantly between a calm baseline with a halftime feel to the upbeat refrain, each time adding subtle, well-textured layers. Boring Ghost [returning to Ball of Wax for the first time since Volume 3! -ed] has a mastery over lyrical delivery. Take for instance the way he sings, “El-lec-tric.” It’s easy to overlook the brilliance of the delivery, but it’s just smooth, awesome, and cool. Excellent syncopation between the instruments, particularly the drums. Yeah, this song delivers.

Boring Ghost will make the trek from Indianola to join us next Friday, December 2nd, at Conor Byrne for the Ball of Wax 46 release show.

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Ball of Wax 46 Songs: The Echolarks – Little Boots

Posted on November 22, 2016 by Matty P

The Echolarks work the concept of space brilliantly into their song “Little Boots.” A space which allows the richness of the guitar tones and the singer’s timbre to shine. The song flows seamlessly through 6/8 time as if a painter in a dream slashes brushstrokes with each note, accent, and hits. This is a song in a dream cruising across the cosmos. Dynamic builds and descents help give “Little Boots” its great ebb and flow. The Echolarks are a band on the ascent and have made a singular contribution to Ball of Wax 46.

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Ball of Wax 46 Songs: Darryl Blood – Flavor of the Day

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Levi Fuller

Our old friend Darryl Blood has been getting quite avant garde with his Ball of Wax submissions of late. While I’ve sincerely enjoyed his experiments with heavily processed vocals, re-edited cellos, and spacey ambience, it’s also always a pleasure to hear what I know him best for:  a snappy, sardonic, perfectly-put-together song. “Flavor of the Day” bounces along with an upbeat country vibe, backing up the barbs and ruminations Darryl delivers in his pleasingly raspy voice. I welcome all past, present, and future artistic incarnations of Darryl Blood, and I’m happy to know that the avant weirdo can exist at the same time as the singer-songwriter. More along these lines will likely be heard on his forthcoming album Arden Eevin, Vol. 2.

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Sam Russell and the Harborrats release Born to Hurt single

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Jon Rooney

Seattle-via-Kenosha, Wisconsin anachronistic troubadour Sam Russell just released a new single and it’s fantastic. The anthemic “Born to Hurt” feels like a defining statement for Russell, an artist with a body of work spans a live EP with his ace band, the Harborrats as well as his Blue Moon Bible project, an ongoing series of 8 albums with 8 songs apiece inspired by The Odyssey and James Joyce’s Ulysses (Russell is, thus far, 6 records in). All strains of folk, Americana, doo wop, rock ‘n’ roll, and post-Dylan folk-rock that Russell has employed over the last decade meet on board an ’80s synth-laden space ship and soar above the trees, past the old factory and over the train tracks to glory a la the movie The Explorers. Western civilization needs not one more iota of half-baked post-US presidential election commentary, but Russell’s literal (he left Kenosha over a decade ago) and figurative escapism is a sharp contrast from the fascist incantations many of his fellow Rust Belters cast in the voting booth on November 8th.


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