The Colourist (Self-Titled)

There are moments where I wonder if I have equal passion for both folk and pop. These moments, usually prompted by a brilliant or catchy pop release, are fleeting. Pop over folk? Folk over pop? In the end, it doesn't matter. I, luckily, do not have to sell my soul out to either genre. But yet, the reason folk does capture a large part of my soul is the solid, passionate, thoughtful music the artists release. I can listen to a folk album and have a general expectation the album will be, for the most part, exceptional. I'm often not disappointed, even with such high expectations.

I have the opposite hopes for indie pop albums. I generally expect one fantastic song, that I can stream over and over again, until it is beaten to death by mainstream radio play and friends roll their eyes at me when I "act all hipster" about it. There is nothing rewarding for me when I am passionate about pop.

The Colourist is my current exception.

Their debut, self-titled album, tricks my brain into believing it's summer (it's not), believing it's warm enough to have my sunroof open (no, not really), and believing my morning and/or evening commutes are not terrible (they are). I'm not sure what sort of magical land my brain is now a citizen of, but I can't get enough of this album and the emotions it forces me to feel.

A few weeks ago, I saw a "hipster bro" on U Street carrying a vinyl copy of the album. I hadn't listened to it yet, but I had an idea of what to expect, based on what "hipster bros" skew towards. As far as pop goes, there's nothing new about The Colourist. I may be harsh, but their indie-pop, teetering on electronica, sound is not profound or revolutionary.

Their execution of this album, however, is.

Grouplove is an obsession people apparently have. As in, the band selling out three nights at 9:30 Club actually happened? Tongue Tied was everyone's anthem of Summer 2011, 2012 or 2013, depending on the platform they used for musical discovery. It's arguably one of the greatest songs of this decade, or even the millennium. But, the rest of Grouplove's work? It falls entirely flat on its own and especially in comparison to Tongue Tied. I'm not sure how the success of one song carries this band to such fame and every time I contemplate the phenomenon, I am fascinated.

I'm picking on Grouplove but the indie-pop circuit is full of albums consisting of one song, inspirational enough to be escalated to the mainstream airwaves, and mediocrity otherwise. Off the top of my head, I can think of the following that are guilty of this cookie-cutter formula: The Naked and Famous, Atlas Genius, Gold Fields, The Neighborhood, and Wild Cub, with the recent exceptions being CHVRCHES, Foster the People and Bastille.

Give The Colourist three months. In three months, during the height of summer, if this band isn't on the playlists for rooftop happy hours, beach trips, or various other activities, I will feel personally betrayed and once again, let down by the pop genre. The Colourist's self-titled is an anomaly that deserves to be worshiped by hipster bros, music snobs and tweens alike.

Little Games, the first track and first single, may be the Tongue Tied of Summer 2014, 2015 and 2016. It's about as flirty but with a more challenging dynamic, that will rouse those in "it's complicated" scenarios. "Am I your hit and run?" is the best one-phrase summation of what this song is trying to evoke.

Wishing Wells should be the mantra of this city for the next few months, "I'm sick of hearing what if, what if, just follow what you feel". At this point, at least 80% of the city has heard this sentiment, as I routinely belt the hook while driving through the streets of downtown (with my sunroof open, of course).

A few songs in and I figured the descent into mediocrity would begin. However, We Won't Go Home and Yes Yes bring their own unique jams to the table and could equally stand out as young adult anthems. We Won't Go Home is such a fantastic example of how both lead vocalists, Adam Castilla and Maya Tuttle, provoke each other to shine. In most bands with female and male lead vocalists, I feel one normally stands out over the other and that doesn't happen here. Yes Yes, as poppy and trite as it sounds, offers this piece of strikingly insightful wisdom: "you've been down for days and days but searching for another won't fix a thing." It's a reminder of where I've been lately and I can't help but agree wholeheartedly.

After five upbeat songs, Stray Away showcases the style range of Castilla and Tuttle. An acoustic offering, with soothing harmonies and bittersweet lyrics, it's the right time to take a break and come down from the high of the first half.

The ninth track, Fix This is the peak of not just The Colourist but of all indie pop to be released this year. The drama, the desperation and the determination are intrinsically woven with a cheery sound but remain obvious. The song is another example of The Colourist singing to lessons needing to be learned in our young adult years, "I thought love was a fight, you could tear each other down, then come back to life. I guess I don't always live." As much as Tuttle almost gives up, she's a rock in the chorus, stubbornly refusing to let her love go. If I royally fuck things up with my boyfriend, this song will be an olive branch - it's that fitting and that genuine.

Put The Fire Out does not work as an ending song, if only because I'm pumped up enough to expect more. On the upside, I can always re-stream the album and often find myself doing just that.

Listen to The Colourist's self-titled album on Spotify and purchase it on Amazon. A few tracks from the album are also available on Soundcloud.

[Local] Noon EP by The Sun Kite

Back in July, I was enamored with The Sun Kite's Morning EP, a project by musician and songwriter, Michael Frommack. As part of a three-release conceptual project, spanning all phases of the day, I couldn't wait to hear what would be in store for Noon and Night. Morning had soft songs, provoking inner-peace, that I couldn't help but to play some mornings, just upon waking. Before dressing in business casual, before the stressful commute, before that first sip of coffee, the four-track EP was short enough to meditate to before the hectic days begun.

Noon and Night were released back in early February, one week apart. In continuing with and playing into the theme, I first streamed Noon during a quiet afternoon where I was working from home. The opening track, Light Motes, immediately feels warmer. The lyrics evoke picturesque scenes of the light coming from the sun and interacting with those on earth. The motes seem to dance while the trees grow, people sing and children love. It's truly beautiful.

In Pebble, the sun is more antagonistic, beating down upon those on earth. We're introduced to the characters acting, "hard and dry like the pebble". This notion of staying hard and dry, embodying the spirit of a rock, becomes necessary. It's not just the sun who is causing problems. The moon appears next and takes an indirect approach with scorn: he is reflective, hard, cold and contemplative. While generally hidden behind the "gatekeeper" clouds, the stars shine and taunt. Despite these threats, the celestial beings do not successfully crack or deteriorate the characters into rubble.

The Flora & Fauna are bigger than the credit they're given. At the end of the day, they're part of "a bigger picture, a bigger setting, a bigger story, a longer telling of our lives and our thriving". In the same vein, "we're all just mirrors, reflections of a greater light". I'm construing these thoughts to mean the flora and the fauna grow and ever persist, while we're just the end creations of a higher being. Like the previous two tracks on this EP, the attention is drawn to the nature and the universe.

By the end of the EP, I can't figure out if the world Frommack has presented is a reflection of the past or a window to the future. In this modern day and age, these observations and appreciations of nature and life simply do not exist. I can imagine the past, with no technology, more community and less structure. However, if society had to rebuild in the future, Noon would be predictive of some of the challenges and interactions nature would pose to humanity.

Frommack continues to astound me with his lyrics and unique take on quiet folk. I am looking forward to critically listening to Night and discovering its subtleties and metaphors. You can listen to and purchase Noon on bandcamp.

Carousel by Miner

Around these parts, I'm not sure to what length I've discussed last summer. It was one of those beautiful times where despite feeling emotionally broken in every way, I pushed out of my comfort zone and accomplished more than I had ever hoped to. One of my favorite songs, going along with these moments, was courtesy of Miner. Hey Love was that warm, happy jam that wouldn't fail to make me grin or roll down my windows. At that point, Hey Love had been around for almost a year. With only one other released track at the time, Golden Ocean, that was all we had of Miner, until now.

Carousel, to be frank, is a relief. I'd come to expect more tracks heavily laced with the banjo and mandolin, upbeat and campfire-worthy, emulating that Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes vibe. On one hand, I find Miner almost more accessible than other bands it could be genre-lumped into with. This is catchy, from the soul, makes you want to fall in love, music and all of their released tracks thus far are solid. I can only hope their debut album will have twelve noteworthy songs.

With a year and a half from initial release to the debut album, husband and wife, Kate and Justin Miner had the time to build a band with Justin's brother Jeremy and other family and friends. It's a familial affair and an environment that can cultivate a grand work of art. Deriving inspiration from travels through Central and South America, with bedroom recording roots, I can guarantee this will be an album worth spending time with.

Miner releases their debut, Into The Morning, on February 25th. Preview the album by listening to Carousel and Hey Love on Soundcloud and by reading the lyrics on their website.

This Is The River by Fair Oaks

I am so over the Polar Vortex. Temperatures in the teens are far too cold for this mild-weather-loving Seattle girl to handle. Hell, I'd almost take back DC Summer of 2012, with it's one-hundred-degrees, can't walk two blocks outside without keeling over, miserable, heat and humidity. Can spring be here already? This weekend was an unfair tease, especially while being sick inside.

Currently, I'm away from the frigidness with a cup of coffee and the album, This Is The River by Fair Oaks. Recently released in mid-January, this was an undertaking that was three years in the making and by golly does it sound that way. Taking inspiration from the Mississippi River, This Is The River, hinges the gap between the seasons and is a perfect segway into the spring. I can't help but reminiscence about past warmer weather adventures too: patio brunches, street festivals, outdoor markets, bookstore hops, and picnics. Add in a little vintage charm and I've done as good as I can describing the appeal of this album.

With a twee pop folk sound, accompanied by the occasional trumpet and french horn, led by dueling male and female vocals, the best two comparisons to Fair Oaks I could offer up would be Del Water Gap or Aiden Knight. However, there's a little bit of Radiation City with the retro glam, some Typhoon when I hear the trumpet blare, The Research when songs are especially twee and a lot of other folk and/or alternative influences that strike me at short, random instances.  I haven't enjoyed an album so multidimensional and so full of pleasant surprises in a long time.

The album starts out with a rolling folk sound, with See What the Sun Gave. If there's anything that can persevere through the cold, this song is likely it. The piano and harmonies from both the male and female vocalists, create the sunny feeling one would find from a Slow Club track. Coming Through gives off a much more old-time blues vibe at first but flows into lush harmonies and trumpet backings. This Is The River (I, II, III) is seven minutes long and is an enchanting love letter to the Mississippi.

Duluth (Pull Me Into Your Soul) and Omaha (You Give Me The Feelings), are also love letters to their respective midwest cities. With Omaha, there's this light happiness that reminds me of some of Cataldo's work on Prison Boxing, a very high praise in my book. I like the comparisons the lyrics put forth: Omaha gives the feelings to help get along but alcohol kicks in the shins and chases down the hall. What are they saying? Is Omaha a better drug for releasing that carefree attitude that comes with drinking or does Omaha inspire the foolish drunken tendencies in the first place? I may never know but I always smile (and dance a bit) when I play this track.

Listen to This Is The River on bandcamp and while you're there, purchase the album. For a hard copy, the album is available in the band's store. While it is early on in the year, I already have my first contender for album of the year.
 

[Local] The First Few by The Ripples

My alma-mater, The University of Washington, was attended by a slough of musically talented individuals who would later be part of Seattle's greatest bands (Sound Garden, The Long Winters, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Hey Marseilles, PUSA to name a few). With other universities in the general Seattle area, such as The Evergreen State College, Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University and The University of Puget Sound, the Seattle-Tacoma area of Washington State is not short on a creative music scene. Because I moved to DC after college, I often forget about the universities in the district. Georgetown, George Washington, and American, among others, also cultivate musical talent and bring a young livelihood to this city.

Although I wouldn't pigeon-hole them as a "college band", The Ripples, a new folk-rock band, is mainly composed of current students at Georgetown University. To say I'm impressed with their debut album, The First Few, would be an understatement.

The album opens up with Dorothy, a track that immediately tells the listeners which direction this album is heading in, "Midnight, comes around, the day you turn 19. Bags packed, you're ready, cab’s revving in the street." There's a coming to age theme yet the music accompanying the lyrics sounds more mature, in a good way. The energy of 1960's rock and the use of much harmonica will be a common thread as the album progresses.

Woke Up In Mexico, bringing in a more airy sound, turns the whisky from Dorothy into tequila. What I find fascinating is the liquors referenced in both songs actually describe the overall feeling put forth. Listeners will also find fantastic songwriting with clever metaphors to be another foundational aspect of The First Few.

The track I can't stop listening to is Portrait, which is an even-keel, balanced-sounding song throughout. Here, I like to hone in on the lyrics which reminisce on old times with family and friends using painting metaphors - brushes, strokes, and the richest of colors. This isn't the last time we get an art metaphor in this album, an upbeat track, Picasso makes use of the Spanish artist. I'd like to see more art and art history references in folk music - it's a nice change of pace.

Frankie's Song is impeccably composed, with a take on smooth jazz, that surprisingly sounds from California than anywhere else. This is a good example of the interesting characterization The Ripples feature in their tracks. Frankie sounds equal parts frustrating and endearing, but listeners get a good feel for the type of person she is at the core.

Listen to The First Few on bandcamp, soundcloud or spotify. Support Georgetown's newspaper and radio station by checking out their write ups on the album at The Hoya and the WGTB blog. You can catch The Ripples, with a few other local acts, at Rock and Roll Hotel tonight (tickets here).

In Now And Then by Cataldo

CATALDO – LP4 COMING 2014 from Tyler Kalberg on Vimeo.

Eric Anderson, the multi-instrumentalist and lyricist behind Cataldo, knows how to craft albums with insanely brilliant songs about the trials and tribulations of life and love. Prison Boxing, released in 2011, features nine tracks with notions of hopeless romanticism, clever metaphors, and vivid imagery that has listeners both aspiring to find magic and staying realistic. I had this album on repeat for most of the year.

It was announced a few months ago that we'd see another album from Cataldo, Gilded Oldies, in the new year. I'm already anticipating this album to be one of my favorites of 2014. Unfortunately, March 4 is still two months away.

To hold us over, MAGNET Magazine premiered a track off of the album. In Now And Then stays true to Cataldo's distinct style and sound, yet also feels more mature. There's the opening piano and drum bit with a lush rhythm that has me tapping and nodding along. The trumpets are a treat that build up to the best instrumental portions presented in these three minutes. Lyrically, there's not as much to offer but I don't feel as if I'm missing out. "I'll be in now and then" continues with Anderson's apparent tradition of vague lyrics that are likely attributable to failed relationships. These emotions aren't trivial ones. "I'll be in now and then" could represent that sinking feeling in my stomach as I wander the streets of my neighborhood, anticipating the dreaded moment where I'll see an ex-boyfriend. Replace "Rebecca, Rebecca, Rebecca" with the name of any ex-boyfriend or girlfriend and this song just became easy to relate to.

Listen to In Now And Then over on MAGNET Magazine's online site. Join me as I count down the days until Gilded Oldies is released.

Charlie Patton's War @ Solly's

Much too long ago, one of my favorite local bars, Solly's Tavern, hosted Charlie Patton's War for a little show in their upstairs bar. It was a Tuesday evening and I had found out about that show the day of, via twitter. I have tons and tons of bands come across my radar on twitter and it's almost impossible to check them all out. There was something about this band's tweet, the show being at a neighborhood bar of mine and their band name that struck me. I decided, at the very least, to listen to a song or two off of their bandcamp site.

While blues isn't my normal forte, I was almost immediately jamming to their music while cranking out my projects at work. I had nothing on my schedule for the evening, no need to work late that night and I wanted to see this band play. I hit up my friends on our facebook thread - "anyone want to check out this awesome blues band at Solly's tonight?" My friend Erin happily obliged.

We loved this band and had a great evening. I don't think you can go wrong with a $3 cover, blues music, PBRs and whiskey sours. Before the show, we had a brief conversation with their drummer and lead singer, Aaron Frazer and one of his friends who had come out to see them play. Erin and I learned that the band was from Bloomington, Indiana, still in college and their main goal was to get their name out there. I told them that I saw Solly's retweet the band earlier in the day and that I decided to come out after listening to their album on bandcamp. I think Aaron was excited that people, other than friends and family, had decided to attend. Erin mentioned this blog, I assured them it was small and silly, but also said I'd talk about the show. Any press is good press, right?

It was a weeknight, therefore, we stayed for only the first of two, hour-long sets. During this set, the band covered a wide variety of their debut album. The highlights Git Gone, Fatties, Say Ya Mine and Friscoe Ride were all played and the energy in the room was high throughout all of them. Solly's was loud and it was deceptively easy to get lost in the music. Is this what blues is all about? I think so.

In addition to their own songs, they played an exceptional cover of Alabama Shakes' Hold On. I was floored. With Boys & Girls, Alabama Shakes essentially set a precedent for what modern day blues-style music should live up to. As much as I love the original version of Hold On, Charlie Patton's War did a fantastic job delivering a piece that exceeded that precedent. The same thought can apply to their cover of J.D. McPherson's North Side Gal, another personal highlight of mine that evening.

The ability for modern artists to find inspiration in and honor retro music is a trend I don't want to end any time soon. Charlie Patton's War joins the likes of Alabama Shakes, J.D. McPherson, Pickwick, Fitz & the Tantrums, Elin Ruth, Radiation City and others in proving that there's room to improve even in classic rock and pop.

Listen to Charlie Patton's War on bandcamp or Spotify. I especially dig this "basement demo version" of Say Ya Mine:

Sonsick by San Fermin

No posts in November? Life has been kicking my ass lately on pretty much all fronts: 70 hour work weeks and commuting to a client four hours away on a weekly basis, getting back into running, going to and hosting random events with friends, and unsuccessfully fading away on a boy who refused to be faded away on. It's November 30th and I have not only survived this month but I've come out on top. I don't want this outlet to go away when I'm stressed but it's been difficult to find inspiration in even music these past few weeks.

I've had the usual staples on repeat - there's been a lot of Lord Huron and Valley Maker, which despite my adoration, do nothing but further the depressive cycle. I'm positive I've streamed Grace for Saints and Ramblers, Keep Yourself Warm and I Need My Girl about a hundred times a piece. Several other tracks have been sprinkled through this scrobbled history. I've kinda-sorta-actually fallen in love with someone else's playlist for a change. This "Morning Commute" mix, by Melissa Ecker, has held together my sanity while driving the total of eight hours to and from the middle-of-nowhere, Virginia each week.

While there are many gems to be found on her list, Sonsick by San Fermin was the song that shouldn't have grown on me the way it did. When driving long distances, I tend to tune out a bit more than normal. There's no reason to be as hyper aware of my surroundings as I would be during my normal commute. During one morning, around 6:30AM, the track didn't at all capture my attention until the chorus, which is purely shrill but in a pleasant way. At the time, I needed to identify the song and to remind myself to listen to it again at a later point. Dozens of streams later and I'm obsessed.

I've talked at length about end of summer songs and this one also fits that bill when reflecting upon my disastrous summer of flings, false hopes and ultimate disappointments - "it's a summer kind of sickness". Transitioning into slowing down and caring about other human beings again (other than just myself) has been a refreshing, but weird process. "I'll fall for you soon enough, I resolve to love" is an ongoing mantra right now. I want to give up the emotional shitshow. I want to get attached to people again. My friends alone in this city are worth it.

The overlapping and warring thoughts in the chorus ground me when I start to panic about extending an olive branch to those in my life I want to keep around for a long time.

"Oho, don't be scared / That it's a harder kind of feel
Hold on tight / You must hold on unless you're in it
Ease your mind / And when you think, you're thinking clear
It's alright / You're really tied up and committed
Won’t you say? / But it’s an awful lot of talk
Stop the fight / Before the fire burns too quickly
Don't be scared / Why do you wanna hurt at all?
Hurts all right / Someone's summer kind of sickness"

The rest of the song progresses into whimsical thoughts about future plans and settling. The picture it paints is simplicity at its finest but absolutely mediocre: "Maybe find a place where we could rest/ when we're old enough/ we can have a dog and all the rest/ we can live it up/ all dressed in my Sunday best." I question whether slowing down and caring is really all that.

Listen to Sonsick when you want a little bit of confusing comfort playing in the background of your life.

Chicago (Sufjan Stevens Cover) by Fort Frances

With Sufjan Stevens' Chicago, any city could be substituted for the windy city and any individual coming to age, starting over or finding themselves would be able to listen to and understand the complexities behind lyrics. I've always loved Stevens' approach here - upon first listen, the song almost sounds upbeat and peppy. However, peeling back each verse as a layer, the song grows progressively melancholic and any hope for a story to aspire to goes out the window. While some of us can relate here, none of us should really want to.

Fort Frances' cover wears the song's emotion right on the sleeve. From the beginning, anyone will know this story does not have a happy ending. At the very beginning of the song when "I fell in love again" appears, it's predictable by the end of the song a point will be reached where "I've made a lot of mistakes".

I can imagine myself streaming Fort Frances' cover over and over again the minute I decide the district isn't the place for me anymore. I've fallen in love with DC over the past two years, but as flighty of a person as I am, there will likely an incident that propels me to run. With every city there's this cycle one experiences where you: recreate your life, grow as a person, fall in love with the city and everyone within it but inevitably make mistakes and leave.

Within this cycle, I'm somewhere in between falling in love and making mistakes. Sometimes, I'm not so sure how much longer DC will have a hold on me.

You can listen to and download Chicago, as covered by Fort Frances, on Soundcloud. As an additional note, their new EP, Breathing Room, was released last week and is truly fantastic.

Headlights by Get Dressed

When I was only a lowly teenager, I began my delve into local music. One of my favorite Seattle bands from around this time was an indie-rock outfit, Get Dressed. A song of theirs, Headlights, became a favorite of mine. Throughout the years, this song has remained with me and has never quite been forgotten. On a sad day back before grad school, my desktop computer finally died. With it, I lost my entire music collection. Nowadays, that's not the worst thing in the world, with Spotify and other comprehensive music players. However, a few tracks were lost, to never be resurfaced. Headlights was one.

Get Dressed broke up in 2008. I remember seeing flyers for their last show at The Vera Project. To listen to this song, I searched everywhere (from Myspace to Lineout to ReverbNation). I even pleaded with my friends on facebook. No luck anywhere.

In a little twist of irony (or something), I reclaimed Headlights when my current computer crashed. I'm debating getting a Chromebook and decided to check out Google Play. When Google Music first came out, I uploaded much of my old music collection on a whim. I had forgotten all about this. Several scrolls down the page, Headlights was there.

I couldn't be any happier.

The opening riffs hook me every time. The repetition of the chorus is the portion of the song I used to sing in my head when I hadn't listened to the track in a while: "and, we move slowly and slowly and slow". The way they portray a mediocre relationship - it could be on every teenager's life soundtrack. We've all experienced this sort of lackluster, even if we're hoping for more. Get Dressed was easy to relate to, non-pretentious and the local act you hoped would make it somewhere.

Listen to Headlights. I did the world a favor and uploaded a copy to Grooveshark. It's worth the four minutes (and a few replays).

(image above via Lineout)

Pickwick @ Rock and Roll Hotel

"Thank you for showing DC how Seattle can rock."

I'm not ashamed of how much of a Pickwick supporter/fan I am. I love my Seattle bands and I keep them close to my heart. The spirit of the Seattle music scene flooded this show and I haven't missed home so much in ages. 

My Friday night started off as it normally does - stacked full of social plans but trying to fit everything and everyone in. I bike-shared from my apartment down to Chinatown to meet up with a friend for happy hour. A couple of beers left me appropriately buzzed for what would follow. A longer-than-I-expected ride over to H Street happened and I arrived to Rock and Roll Hotel right when doors were supposed to open. 

I have a penchant for arriving early, and early I was. Sound check was still happening but the second floor bar was hosting a drunk spelling bee and I joined in. A couple arrived upstairs and asked me if I was here to see Pickwick. I was and mentioned how much I loved them, especially being from Seattle. "Oh, you're from Seattle?", the lady, Sandy, asked, "do you know of another Seattle band, Campfire OK?". Yes! I told her that I really enjoyed their new album and had listened to it through and through the day before. She was thrilled, as she was Mychal, the lead singer's mother. This is what the Seattle music scene is all about. We hit it off, she showed me some baby pictures and I couldn't get over how unreal/adorable the whole exchange was. I definitely tweeted about it. Sandy ended up winning second place in the Spelling Buzz too! 

After I struck out during the Spelling Buzz for misspelling "geisha" (I know, I know), I headed downstairs and snagged myself a sweet little spot in the front row.

The Petticoat Tearoom opened and I thoroughly enjoyed their set. They're a Baltimore/DC area band and I'm hoping writing it down here will keep me accountable to go out and see more of their shows. Lately, the five-piece band has been drawing comparisons to Blitzen Trapper, Dawes and other folk-americana bands. The Baltimore/DC area needs more of this sound and I'm happy the Petticoat Tearoom were able to deliver so wonderfully. I spent some time this week listening to their most recent self-titled release and I'm convinced they need more attention. At the very least, listen to I Have Been Lost right now and I'll do a full write-up here shortly.

Between sets, I made a concert buddy, Cody, who had lived in Seattle for three months. I couldn't agree more with his feelings about the city: "those three months in Seattle were the most depressing of my life, but I still love that place".

With that thought in the air, Pickwick walked onto stage. Generally, I'm fairly good at remembering the order of songs played, but for some reason, I can't figure it out for the life of me. The set-list blended together, in the best way possible. I can't remember a single down period and I kept remembering the notion that Pickwick is truly a rock band. Despite my love of folk, there's really none involved here. The Round, Halls of Columbia and Lady Luck were my highlights. The Round, for being my current favorite; Halls of Columbia, for being the opening track that had me hooked; and Lady Luck for how much more I appreciated the song after seeing it live.

In addition to playing most of Can't Talk Medicine, several new songs were played. I must say, I'm so so excited for their new material. Pickwick has such a distinct style that they're sticking to and that's such a good thing. I don't think this band can do any wrong.

Galen was just as amazing as you'd imagine. While I knew his vocal range was off the charts, actually experiencing him live was a whole 'nother level of extraordinary. From the soft high pitches in Lady Luck to the guttural sounds in Halls of Columbia to the harmonizing in Window Sill - watching him span all the ranges was truly incredible. With his stage presence, you could tell he was made for this. I couldn't even get a great picture due to how much he was bouncing and rocking around. I definitely got hit with the microphone cord one or twice (worth it!).

Window Sill was the closing song and damn did we all rock out. For the encore, I believe they covered Pump It Up by Elvis Costello. I never realized it until then, but Pickwick absolutely has that Costello-vibe.

After the show, I went upstairs to buy a physical copy of their album. I ran into Sandy and we introduced ourselves to Galen. She pretty much pushed me towards him and he was such a sweetheart about conversing with fans. I told him about my passion in supporting my Seattle bands and he truly seemed humbled by all the praise I was pouring out of my mouth. I also got to watch him converse with Sandy about Campfire OK. I stood there floored because I got to experience the Seattle music community first-hand, three-thousand miles away. Parting ways, I thanked him for showing DC how much Seattle can rock.

Sandy and I said goodbye as well. We hugged and I, once again, reaffirmed how many people truly believe in Campfire OK. On a strange, music-inspired high, I walked out of Rock and Roll ready for whatever the rest of the evening would throw at me. 

City and Colour @ The 9:30 Club

The minute I saw this show pop up on the 9:30 Club website, I bought tickets. That was back in April. I painfully waited five entire months and it was more than worth the wait.

Over the five months, I had developed a few assumptions going into this show. One, Dallas would focus mostly on his new album, an album which is fantastic, but doesn't have that same emotional hold on me that his older albums do. And two, the show would entirely consist of Dallas with his guitar playing acoustic versions of all his songs. These assumptions were silly - Dallas is amazing to his fans and would never short-change us from all the C&C songs we grew up with. He also knows how to rock.

Such as the VC show, I had high aspirations of the front row. It didn't happen - I ended up being 8th in line outside, with another thirty inside. We did see Dallas go back into his tour bus after playing basketball - I think we were all too shell-shocked to say/do anything. The girls behind me weren't paying attention to anything, so my new concert buddy was able to cut the line and join me. I must say, I love going to concerts with people more so than just myself. Although, I'm convinced a person should be as passionately into music as I am to make good company. Carrie fit the bill and I hope to go to more concerts with her in the future.

Lucy Rose and her band opened. She was adorable and I could almost understand why the two sets of couples in front of me were there to see her versus C&C. The band wasn't too cohesive at first but really came together wonderfully by the end of the set. Initially, I think everyone was a bit nervous. I've been listening to her album since the show and I really enjoy and recommended it. At the very least, check out my favorites from the album: Red Face, Lines and Bikes. During the middle of the set, Lucy told the story of her and her band walking around D.C. trying to convince six different record stores to sell the album without luck before the show. For some reason, that story made me really sad. Come on, DC.

After a relatively short period of time, Dallas prepared to enter the stage. The song to welcome him on was strange and we endured an anticipatory minute for his appearance. He and his band came out and started rocking. The Hurry and The Harm was the opening song - I'm a big fan of bands opening their shows with their most recent album's opening song. It's fitting. Of Space and Time and The Lonely Life followed. I still didn't trust Dallas enough at this point to not play his entire new album. When Grand Optimist came on, I knew he'd play a great set with lots of variety. As Much As I Ever Could was an interesting first choice from Bring Me Your Love but he proved that song is underrated. Weightless was the last big rock song from the first part of the show. I can't get over how amazing it was to see that song live. After spending most of the past year with that song as my alarm in the morning, experiencing it during the show woke me up in other ways.

At this point in the show, the band left and we got Dallas all raw and acoustic. Day Old Hate was another intriguing choice that I wouldn't have expected, but greatly enjoyed. Northern Wind was dedicated to a couple Dallas had met previously in the day, who had had a special moment with the song. When I think about it closely, Northern Wind is a far better love song than The Girl. Comin' Home had been on a playlist of mine leading up to the show and I was really happy to experience it live - the song had a way of bringing everyone together to sing.

The third part of the show, once the band had come back on stage, left little to be desired. Sleeping Sickness was just not meant to be this hyped-up rock ballad. I almost couldn't keep a straight face... I feel awful about this but my conflicting emotional feelings tied to that song also didn't help. Thirst, Fragile Bird and Sorrowing Man were all good ending choices, but I was exhausted.

The encore was long. What Makes a Man? was the first song of three and Dallas went through this whole spiel to get the audience to sing with him during certain parts of the song. From here on out, we'd no longer get the chance to interact so intimately with him and it was the perfect song to start saying goodbye with. As much as I was expecting The Girl to be the song of the night, the show, for me, truly ended here.

Looking back, Dallas' stage presence made the show. He's such an approachable-seeming, humble musician. The encouragement to sing along was appreciated and he even called out all the grouchy attendees who were getting upset over all the off-key, off-measure sing-a-longs. A girl was celebrating her birthday in the front row (even had a birthday tiara) and he did a shout out to her (I'm pretty sure that made her year). He casually played off all the "Marry Me Dallas" fangirls by pointing at his ring. The man is chatty and all the interaction with the crowd made this show so memorable and his music somehow more easy to relate to. A two-hour set was long but you could tell how much he was enjoying himself. I also loved how his drinks of choice were a shot of whiskey and a beer - I wasn't expecting anything less.

I Can by the Dancing Hats

It's Friday. I didn't take the day off of work, per se, but I did decide to forgo my miserable car commute for a walking commute to the DC office. I'm almost regretting this decision entirely. I barely have any work to do, it's a perfect day outside and I'm in the dreariest office of all time. No windows. No company. The lights keep turning off because no one acknowledges my presence.

On the upside, I have plenty of privacy to jam out to I Can by the Dancing Hats all afternoon. The Dancing Hats, from what I can find out, appear to be a fun-party-sort band out of Portland, Oregon, with varying numbers of individuals contributing. Are they the next big folk super-group (ala upbeat Typhoon)? Who knows? But, I think there's a lot of potential for something.

The track is catchy and multi-dimensional. There's truly a lot going on, both lyrically and aurally. I'm not one-hundred percent sure what this song is about, but my guess is rebellion against a stereotypical life and shooting down everyone who tells you you can't live extraordinarily. At first I wasn't sold on how slightly jarring the lead male's voice sounded, but as the song goes on and he experiments with different styles, it's highly enjoyable. The female vocalist is equally fantastic and provides the balance the song needs. The random, instrumental portions prove that the band can rock out and have fun while doing so.

I don't think there's a better song to capture the end of summer.

You can listen to and download I Can on the Dancing Hats' bandcamp page (for name your price!). If you do, please rebel against office culture with me and participate in some Friday cubicle dancing.

Home Is by J.D. Vernon

Justin Vernon. When I mention him off-hand and proceed to gush over his brilliance, I frequently get inquisitive looks. When I lead with, "the man behind Bon Iver has other projects that I can't get over", people seem to understand on the surface level. There's always disconnect. Surely, nothing can be as stunning and delicate as Skinny Love or Holocene? Not a single person has ever further inquired about what his other projects involve or why I'm so emotionally entangled in them.  

I find this truly depressing. 

While there's a lot of be said and loved about Bon Iver, I can't get over everything else. 

Home Is, under the moniker of J.D. Vernon, is plausibly my all-time favorite work from Vernon. I hope that notion isn't disheartening, as it is one of his first projects. The album was put out in 2001, twelve whole years ago, while Vernon was only 20. Since then, we've had multiple releases with DeYardmond Edison, The Shouting Matches, Volcano Choir, as Justin Vernon, Gayngs, Bon Iver and multiple other projects. My notion sounds downright mad. However, I find something so enchanting about Home Is that I can't find elsewhere. 

Feels Like Home gives away the answer to the question imposed by the album title within the first minute: "home is where your family sleeps, same country sky is honest like it's always been". Despite the question already being answered, the song sets us up with a roadmap for the rest of the album. We learn further what home is and isn't, should and shouldn't be.  

Feel The Light is gospel-worthy. Initially, listen for the crooning of "peace on earth tonight/ let those stars shine bright/ let our souls feel high/ come on, feel the light" by Vernon and a female counterpart. Subsequently, listen for how Vernon eloquently describes people, places and his feelings. Especially, the line about him wanting to stay in a city, because everywhere people are making the best of their days. 

Breathe is the song to listen to to be reminded of the magic of life. 

May 27th, 1999 (5:23AM) regales a story about a girl leaving home for the first time. Vernon knows how to showcase the stark but realistic thoughts and feelings associated that transition: "so exchange your last looks/ and walk on a field for lost times/ forever isn't a measurement of time". Forever isn't a measurement of time. Saying goodbye is inevitable but not endless. But, home won't perpetually exist either. 

In addition to the above, listen to Leave It Alone and Trainyard Blues for the classic blues stories and harmonicas, When It Rains Down Here for nine minutes of quintessential folk, accompanied with a heart-wrenching violin, and Morning to be surprised when Vernon's brother starts rapping. 

Play the entire album when you want to be reminded of what home is or when you're ready to grow beyond Bon Iver. 

You can listen to Home Is on Youtube or on Grooveshark. For more insight on Justin Vernon as a person, Who, What and Where is Bon Iver?, by Jon Caramanica, is a lovely narrative. 

The Great Northwest by Mighty Oaks

There are two magical places on earth that vie for home in my heart. There's North Bend, Washington and the greater Snoqualmie Valley -- the actual area where I grew up. On the other coast, we have my current neighborhood of Columbia Heights in Washington, DC. With Snoqualmie Valley, I can talk for hours about Rattlesnake Lake, Mt. Si, Snoqualmie Falls, the outlets, the Twin Peaks references, my childhood home, George's Bakery and all the other spots I miss. However, despite those feelings, Columbia Heights generally wins the home battle, if only because of the people. 

Today, Snoqualmie Valley wins. 

My hometown area tends to be heavily influential on musicians, a thought that shouldn't come as much of a surprise. A few favorite examples are the band Snoqualmie (they'll get their own write up soon), The Cascades by the Fleet Foxes, and Twin Peaks by both Surfer Blood and Genders. I'm going to add a new favorite to this list today: The Great Northwest by Mighty Oaks. 

Mighty Oaks are based in Berlin but feature three musicians from three different countries (U.S., Italy and the UK). Together, they released a self-titled EP that went big on Soundcloud. The follow-up to that EP is the Just One Day EP, released on July 5th this year. The band is touring with large acts already -- they have that indie-folk sound and catchy tunes that could easily be played alongside The Lumineers, Fleet Foxes or Imagine Dragons. I have high hopes.

With three musicians from three different countries, I'm glad the Pacific Northwest is part of their inspiration. Not only are their lyrics reflective of this, their overall musical style is. I was honestly surprised when I realized they're neither a Seattle or Portland band. However, one of the members, Ian Hooper, is from the Pacific Northwest. I'm dying to know where. It has to be my hometown area, right?

Regardless, the band knows how to capture the magic:
we lost our sun in the rain // oh my love found me at the right time // my heart is yours, I ask you to be kind // we drove out east to the mighty Cascade range // to the place where the water falls from the heights of Snoqualmie // 

Today, I just want to go home and fall in love.

You can stream The Great Northwest and the entire Just One Day EP on SoundCloud. 

Mighty Oaks – The Great Northwest from Raffaele Mariotti on Vimeo.

(the picture at top is Mt. Si and was taken in my front yard the day before leaving on a plane out east)

[Local] Hand-Me-Down Cardigans by The Raised By Wolves

(via DC Music Download)

I have a bad habit of not associating certain songs with certain people. Once upon a time, this was true only for guys I was dating. However, when I confessed this tendency to my friend Adam, he was a little miffed that I didn't have a song for him. It was a fair point. I'm highly emotionally invested in music and if I'm at all close to a person, friend-wise or otherwise, I should be able to have a song that reminds me of them.

Frequently, I meet a person and I immediately know "their song". Sometimes, in other cases, it takes a few months before "their song" shows up on shuffle. More rarely, I'm convinced "their song" does not exist. 

With one of my friends, his song didn't really exist until today. 

The Raised By Wolves are a local Maryland/DC band that just popped up on my radar a few hours ago, via DC Music Download. Their debut album, Sadie Hawkins, was released today. It's a fantastic array of experimental, indie-pop-rock. I really appreciate albums that I can leave on in the background while focusing at work, but also have the occasional song or two that pulls me out of the "Excel trance". 

When I heard Hand-Me-Down Cardigans, I stopped searching through my email inbox and immediately went straight to the lyrics page. It was a strange visceral reaction but I quickly knew who this song reminded me of. This makes sense, but there's a distinct feeling of "district" feelings/relationships/friendships sprinkled throughout the lyrics. 

[She was standing alone again in that little black dress

And if she became a silhouette, that would have been best

Because I was cut from a different cloth]

[There lives a stranger inside of me that you will never know

Because a heavy hard heart is worth its weight in gold]

[And I never didn't love a girl who loved me first

And I could never be your one and only

Be your one and only lonely one]

To all the dudes I've been friends with here, this song reminds me of one of you. Is this blog getting a little too personal? Quite possibly. 

You can download Hand-Me-Down Cardigans and the entire Sadie Hawkins album (for free, or pay as you wish) on The Raised By Wolves' bandcamp page. Maybe, one of their songs will remind you of someone too. 

The Agreeable White Tiger Moth: Vol 1 by Daniel Blue of Motopony

One of my biggest regrets of my last relationship was not being able to run through my backlog of music recommendations - a Netflix-esque queue of ridiculous proportions. You see, it's almost a rarity in my life to be dating someone who is at all musically compatible with me. It was a dream come true. Motopony's self-titled, 2010 release was the next album I was planning to share before the breakup happened. It's an album so full of brilliance, I almost inbox'd it as a "break up gift".

While I have endless thoughts on Motopony, I am highly anticipating the solo work from their lead vocalist, Daniel Blue. The project, The Agreeable White Tiger Moth: Vol 1 gets released sometime soon, with a release show on August 2. This is another one of those moments where I am dying to be back in Seattle. As a plus, it's the grand opening of Santcuary, "a hundred year old repurposed chapel in the heart of downtown Ballard." I can't find too much information on Sanctuary but I'm guessing it's going to be an artist mixed-use sort of venue (much like The Dunes). As an additional plus and major relief, all of Motopony will be playing music written for this show and, despite the solo project, there will be a second Motopony album.

These are exciting times.

Currently, there are two songs released off of the project on SoundCloud. Flower Children is a dreamy track where I'm envisioning myself running through an expansive field with not a care in the world. I know that sounds overblown, but I guarantee you will start daydreaming the same. I also agree with Sean DeTore of The Mixtape -- this song is straight out of the 1960's in the best way possible. I Don't Need to Know features Meagan Grandall of Lemolo -- the duo execute a beautiful, soulful track in unison. Grandall is just one of many collaborations. I'm very much looking forward to the collaborations with Mary Lambert and Jon Russel (of The Head and the Heart).

There's just so much Seattle-goodness involved.

I absolutely recommend checking out the release show if you're in the Seattle area. Go and let me be envious of you.

You can listen to Flower Children and I Don't Need to Know on Blue's SoundCloud page.

[Local] Moonless EP by Blatant Neon Ion

Once upon a time, an ex-boyfriend of mine declared he was working on a theory that coming to age exists on the spectrum between Frightened Rabbit's Midnight Organ Fight and Neutral Milk Hotel's In The Aeroplane Over the Sea. I sometimes hate how brilliant this sentiment is.

I'm convinced that the Moonless EP by Blatant Neon Ion should be a milepost somewhere on the same spectrum.

With rough vocals that are reminiscent to me of Frightened Rabbit and Foals, Moonless EP is an acquired taste that is quick to acquire to.

The exact lyrics aren't readily available, but this is my interpretation. The album tells a story of a young man going through many of life's themes and downturns and how those themes and downturns continue to exist when a love ends.

Marianna is rooted deep with this theme of time passing regardless of a relationship's existence [didn't feel any time pass at all/ not ready yet/ too scared/ give us our dreams/ don't leave me/ crash]. Moonless delves into a similar theme with the monotony of every day life [fresh pot of coffee/ save me a pot, okay/ it's 7am and I'm leaving/ let me take you to the movies/ tell me you love me again]. Restless Ashes discusses the life cycle in general and possibly how we fit in with the rest of the earth [from here this is all I know/ scatter my restless ashes/ return me back to where I came]. Rocket Summer seems to be a flashback to a nice, simple summer with a lovely lady and the aftermath of trying to not only hold onto the memory but repress it from every day thoughts. I adore the dreamy, softer backup vocals here. Alone spends equal parts of time reflecting on how to exist while alone but also the struggle to navigate back home. This is the perfect ending song -- despite how emotional the whole album is, it still feels like there's a build up that ends here.

I'm sold. This may be my new go-to when things feel particularly rough with life and love.

You can download Moonless EP (for free, or pay as you wish) on Blatant Neon Ion's bandcamp page. 

Beginning by Matthew Fowler

(via r/folk and slowcoustic)

Outside of music and thrifting mid-century modern decor, Reddit is probably the other big facet that my life revolves around. Last night, I subscribed to r/folk and r/indiefolk for the first time. I can already tell these will be frequent stops for me. As I was scrolling through the latest submissions, about a hundred threads down, I noticed a post from an artist himself. Personally, I'm a huge advocate for more artists promoting their music via Reddit. However, a lot of the time, these sort of posts go unnoticed.

That wasn't the case with Matthew Fowler and his album Beginning. The Redditors of r/folk embraced this album with open arms and warm reviews. I concur entirely with just about every comment in that thread.

Blankets and Beginners are what I consider to be the real high points. Blankets astonishes me with the lyrics alone: "I ache to venture out and join to circus/ of people learning how to feel alive". The trumpet seems to be a recurring instrument in the folk songs I've been listening to lately, and I absolutely love its incorporation here. While the trumpet doesn't showcase in Beginners, the melodica ties the song together. I find myself yearning for the vocal-less downtime in this song, just to hear Sam Coplin work his magic on the instrument. The vocals do have a strong showing here as well -- partially due to Fowler's raspy, emotionally-heavy voice and partially due to the lyrics. It really is such a raw, honest love song. "We are beginners, you and I" should really be a mantra for love in my life.

While slowcoustic pegs him as similar to Damien Rice, I find close parallels to Ray LaMontagne, David Gray and Alexi Murdoch as well. Basically, I think I'll be emailing my dad a link to Fowler's album. That's a high praise in my book.

You can download Beginning (for free, or pay as you wish) on Fowler's bandcamp page. It'll go perfectly with that cup of chamomile tea on a rainy day. Or, with everyday life.

Step Into My Life (Restless) by Marshall Lewis Baker

As of late, bands have been following me on Twitter and Tumblr. It's been the catalyst I've needed to work on a larger scale music project, such as what I'm attempting to do here. I obsess over the indie-folk genre quite frequently and it's nice when people take notice. I will always give the bands that do follow me, on any platform, a listen and it's a great way to find new gems.

One of these gems is Marshall Lewis Baker, an 18-year old artist out of Bloomington, Indiana. He's drawing comparisons to Dallas Green already, and I surprisingly agree with the parallel. I can see him living up to that soulful, deep, emotional-rollercoaster you'd expect from a City and Colour album. I'm excited to see Baker's development.

I've been listening to Step Into My Life (Restless) on repeat for the past half hour. It's an unassuming, quiet song with just enough of a hook to keep my ears peeled. The vocals span an impressive range of talent and the minimalist folk background compliments perfectly. I adore this song.

He is releasing an EP around August, which just got funded off of Kickstarter. With 12 hours left, I pledged. It was worth it.

You can download Step Into My Life (Restless) on SoundCloud or Bandcamp. I highly recommend that you do.