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Ball of Wax 37 Songs (and pictures): Werebearcat! – “Principles of Interspecies Dynamics,” Illustrated by Gabriel Mintz
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Tagged gabriel mintz, songs about animals, werebearcat!
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Ball of Wax 37 Songs (and pictures): Eli Rosenblatt – “Monkey Monkey,” Illustrated by Courtney Blazon
“In my drawing, made using marker and pen on paper, I wanted to capture these free, happy animals hanging out in their environments. The monkey and the snake are living in their own worlds of the grass and the trees, but they are also interconnected because they are sharing the jungle, and this is indicated by their tails intertwining. The monkey and the snake here are all about having some fun, swinging around, playing music and loosening their ties!” -Courtney Blazon
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Tagged courtney blazon, eli rosenblatt, songs about animals
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Album Review: The Crush – Future Blimps
The Crush – Future Blimps
(self-released, 2014)
Power pop trio the Crush first appeared on the Seattle scene sometime in 2013. They had the energy, enthusiasm, Kinks covers and cool guitars (Rickenbacker 360 and Danelectro Longhorn bass!!!) to quickly gain a loyal local following. The Crush’s first EP, Future Blimps, shows that they have the sound and songs to win over fans from further afield. Opener “Never Gonna Stop” is a party-ready tune built around Jacob Thiede’s rousing guitar riff and Daniel Cutting’s spot-on drumming. Songs like “Around” and “It’s Love” are equally bouncy, entirely enjoyable jangle pop workouts. Continue reading
Posted in Album Reviews, Bands You Should Know, Community, Recorded Music
Tagged the crush
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Ball of Wax 37 Songs (and pictures): Recess Monkey – “The Hermit,” Illustrated by Nathan Shields
Normally we like to write little reviews of each track as we post them leading up to the release of a new volume, but since Volume 37 is a little different, we’re going to take a different approach. For each new song, we will also share the image that song’s illustrator came up with, which will be printed in the accompanying book. Some illustrators will also share their thoughts on the song and how they created their image. Enjoy!
“Recess Monkey’s song tells the story of three hermit crabs upgrading to larger shells, which I tried to capture in an image. I figured chalk was an appropriate medium since it’s made of similar stuff as seashells (or used to be), and chalkboards are just fun anyway. The picture makes more sense when its development (which I recorded) is viewed while the song plays.” -Nathan Shields
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Tagged nathan shields, recess monkey, songs about animals
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Ball of Wax 36 Songs: Monica Schley – “In the Shadows (of Enchantment)”
Monica Schley‘s “In the Shadows (of Enchantment)” closes out Ball of Wax 36 with some sparse, roughly-recorded folk. The first minute of “In the Shadows (of Enchantment)” consists of just harp and violin. The fidelity is decidedly low – it sounds like an iPhone recording in a small bathroom, but the playing is intricate and determined. Schley’s vocals finally appear, though buried a bit beneath the instruments. A song emerges from the plucks and hiss, one that sounds like the Cowboy Junkies doing a very slow, very sad version of “Walkin’ After Midnight.” Schley has a rich voice which, combined with the spartan instrumentation, adds up to a heartfelt, slightly spooky, small set piece.
Ball of Wax 36 Songs: Tuktu – “1. Tupilak Creation Song 2. Tupilak Walk”
I never saw prog coming (but then again, one never does). Tuktu‘s contribution to Ball of Wax 36 is an expansive, angular song titled “1. Tupilak Creation Song 2. Tupilak Walk.” And I’m pretty sure it’s prog, though I confess I’m a little light on a genre that spans the likes of the Moody Blues, Gentle Giant, Rush, Yes, and Dream Theater. There are definitely deliberate, extended instrumental parts, tempo changes, and lyrics that deal with ancient myth (in Tuktu’s case, Inuit myth). “1. Tupilak Creation Song 2. Tupilak Walk” is also over 7 minutes long and, you know, titled “1. Tupilak Creation Song 2. Tupilak Walk” so – pretty proggy. But, I also hear elements of the accented rhythms and more cerebral riffing of math rock bands like Don Caballero and Heavy Vegetable (and thus, a little Pinback). It’s tightly wound, intricate stuff – the dry, upfront lead vocals add a sense of purpose to the song, reinforcing the sense that these guys aren’t just dorking around with guitars and drums. A total, and welcome, curve ball brought to the shores of Ball of Wax thanks to the relentless curatorial efforts of Mr. Fuller.
Ball of Wax 36 Songs: Town Forest – “He Speak Bird”
Town Forest brings the foreboding and midnight clang with “He Speak Bird.” Driven by an eerie guitar vamp, evoking a Goblin riff played through a fuzzy Fender Twin, “He Speak Bird” stalks and hovers like some sort of rural Bauhaus or haunted My Morning Jacket. The arrangement is simple, repetitive, and completely effective, marked by stabs of yearning vocals and spans of intricate drumming. The vocal performance is pretty great, even though the echo-ey yowls obscure pretty much all of the lyrics. Nevertheless, this is good stuff. I’m looking forward to hearing more from Town Forest when they play the Volume 36 release show on June 7th.
Ball of Wax 36 Songs: Music for Dead Birds – “A Better View”
Astute Ball of Wax listeners might remember Jimmy Monaghan’s band Christian Bookshop from Volume 30. Listeners with long memories might remember his other band, Music for Dead Birds, from way back on Volume 12. I was excited when Jimmy appeared after such a long absence with the “friendly folk” of Christian Bookshop, but I was even more excited to have another dose of moody rock from the guitar-and-drums whirlwind of Music for Dead Birds in the form of their new album, Vitamins (which you can, and should, pick up for as little as you wish to pay at that link). I’ve always been a sucker for a well-executed dose of quiet-loud-quiet rock, and Monaghan and drummer Dónal Walsh are excellent purveyors of said genre. “A Better View,” like many of their songs, draws you in with a soft, melodic guitar lick, hushed vocals, and a tight, restrained drum pattern before walloping you over the head with layers of overdriven cacophony and emotive hollering, then draws right back down to start it all over again, ending with a final triumphant, overblown riff. This is the kind of stuff that gets my approaching-40-year-old blood pumping like I was a teenager in a church basement rock show.
Posted in Ball of Wax, Check Out This Song, Free Album of the Day
Tagged music for dead birds
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Ball of Wax 36 Songs: Casey Ruff – “A Broken Heart’s Immortal”
Bart recently wrote that Casey Ruff has a “unique form of charisma where when the person gets up on stage, you know it’s performance time, you know it means something,” heaping deserving praise on Ruff’s affable stage presence, equal parts Johnny Paycheck and Jeff Spicoli. On “A Broken Heart’s Immortal,” there’s a richness and nuance that shows a more contemplative songwriter and lyricist than one might detect on songs like “Born in a Bar” and “Wingman.” On “A Broken Heart’s Immortal,” the party’s over and things get a bit deep. Ruff sings lines like “this Sisyphus is sick of his rock and roll” and “you hold fast to coping / with the hope that it will help you but it won’t” in a voice reminiscent of Dylan’s caramel croon on Nashville Skyline. Recorded at Colin J. Nelson’s Her Car studio, the song has a warm, murky vibe that reminds me of “A Season in Hell” from Eddie and the Cruisers (if you had HBO in the ’80s, you’ll have my back), all minor chords and moodiness. The playing and production are top notch, with Casey’s vocal performance being particularly impressive. The brief, dramatic breakdown at the end is great, indicative of the care that went into the song’s arrangement. All in all, “A Broken Heart’s Immortal” is a compelling glimpse at another side of Casey Ruff and a fine addition to Ball of Wax 36. Be sure to see Casey and his band at the Volume 36 release show on June 7th.