Ball of Wax 36 Songs: Tuktu – “1. Tupilak Creation Song 2. Tupilak Walk”

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Jon Rooney

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.

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Ball of Wax 36 Songs: Town Forest – “He Speak Bird”

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Jon Rooney

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.

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Ball of Wax 36 Songs: Music for Dead Birds – “A Better View”

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Levi Fuller

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.

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Ball of Wax 36 Songs: Casey Ruff – “A Broken Heart’s Immortal”

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Jon Rooney

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.

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Ball of Wax 36 Songs: Pufferfish – “Lean”

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Jon Rooney

Seattle’s Pufferfish is well-situated in the Ball of Wax universe, counting frequent contributors (and in Levi’s case, Czar) Levi Fuller and Emiko Blalock among its members and the Foghorns, Casey Ruff, Jeremy Burk and Wesafari as past bill mates. “Lean” is a pretty thorough Americana meditation, driven primarily by banjo and Jonah Baker’s baritone drawl. As the song builds, bass, electric guitar and accordion fill in the spaces, though “Lean” never quite reaches a crescendo, content to wind around itself and hint at high points.

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Ball of Wax 36 Songs: Tenderfoot – “Do It My Love”

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Levi Fuller

Adam Boehmer’s Tenderfoot is another new addition to the Ball of Wax camp, though I’m surprised it’s taken this long for him to cross my radar. I really enjoy his approach both to songwriting and production; “Do It My Love” is a sincere, moving, and even catchy song with roots in folk and soul, but it also just sounds interesting. There’s guitar, of course, and piano, but then there are other strange instruments and sounds that weave in and out throughout the piece, and this very satisfying, deeply thumping, minimalist percussion. And Adam sings over the whole thing, intently, intensely, and somewhat mysteriously (I’ve listened to this song at least a hundred times by now and I’m not sure what “it” is), but with utter conviction. I’m excited to see Tenderfoot play at our Volume 36 release show on June 7th, and to see where he takes his music in the months and years to come.

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Ball of Wax 36 Songs: The Foghorns – “Beautiful Soul”

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Levi Fuller

Somehow I didn’t get a waltz or a love song from the Foghorns for Ball of Wax 34 or 35, respectively, so of course now that I have a volume with no theme at all, here comes Bart Cameron with this beautiful ballad that would have fit neatly in either collection (and it’s not the only song on this collection that would have fit one or both of those themes). But a song this gorgeous and heartfelt doesn’t need a theme to be appreciated.

Up to now there’s pretty much always been an edge, or a darkness, in Bart’s songwriting – whether it’s the angry wit of “Ain’t I a Man,” the booze-soaked woe of “80 Proof,” or some other form of humor, sarcasm, or bleakness – but I believe this is the first song I’ve heard from his pen that’s just purely sweet, and it turns out he can pull that off just as well. I won’t say that having children has blunted Bart’s edge, but it’s certainly brought out new facets in his musical persona, which is all to the good. The stripped-down arrangement, highlighting the wonderful bass clarinet work of Lauren Trew (who just might be the second-most important member of the band [with all due respect to Jason, Ken, and the choir]), is a perfect vessel for this open-hearted ode to Bart’s firstborn.

Don’t miss the Foghorns’ performance at our Volume 36 release show, Saturday June 7th at Conor Byrne.

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Ball of Wax 36 Songs: Emory Liu – “Irish Goodbye”

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Levi Fuller

It’s been quite some time since we’ve had a song from Emory Liu on Ball of Wax – half as long as BoW has existed, in fact. (Emory and I collaborated on Volume 18, “One Minute Singles,” for which he provided the track “Misfortune Cookie.”) Emory – whom you might remember for his drum work with Seattle post-rock juggernaut Joy Wants Eternity – has not been particularly prolific with his solo output, but whenever I get something from him it’s a delight. Something about the minimalist production, Emory’s unassuming vocal delivery, the finger-picked acoustic guitar, and the slightly twisted pop sensibility of “Irish Goodbye” call to mind some of Jim O’Rourke’s best work, which is something I’m always happy to be reminded of. I sincerely hope he has a proper solo release in the works. If not, though, this is why I started this dang thing in the first place, to get these strange and beautiful songs that might not otherwise be heard out into the world. Enjoy!

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Ball of Wax 36 Songs: Joey Beltram – “Red Lights”

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Jon Rooney

Joey Beltram‘s “Red Lights” rides on the same moody, mellow waves as the surprisingly popular National – gruff baritone vocals singing a weary melody atop a bed of acoustic guitar strumming and tasteful drones, plucks and plinks. It’s pretty without a saccharin overdose, somber without being too weighty. Despite being relatively sparse, “Red Lights” is a really well put together song – every background vocal, every pipe organ part, even every reverb decay is in its right place.

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Ball of Wax 36 Songs: Gabriel Mintz – “Western Days”

Posted on May 22, 2014 by Levi Fuller

Gabriel Mintz is a newcomer to the Ball of Wax fold, and a most welcome one. I’ve been seeing him around and hearing his name for a while now, but for some reason I hadn’t sat down and listened to his music until he went ahead and sent me a couple songs. (I guess that’s kind of why I do this, now that I think about it.) I don’t know what I expected, but I must have expected something, because I was stopped in my tracks by the lush, dreamy psychedelia and beguilingly androgynous vocals of “Western Days.”

Like “Not Old,” the tune starts with a few chords strummed on an acoustic guitar and builds from there. Soft vocals and brushed drums enter, then come the backing vocals and layers of highly effected guitars and other instruments, all building to a gorgeous, textured musical landscape. The end result is something like Califone with a subdued Norah Jones on vocals – and I mean that as a sincere compliment. Gabriel won’t be able to join us at the Volume 36 release show on June 7th, but I look forward to seeing him play out soon. You should definitely grab his new record Future Wars on vinyl while it lasts.

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