The Perfect Playlist: "Smiles and Sighs"

So...

Who knew that people actually paid attention to me posting things on Facebook? Cheers. I started talking about The Perfect Playlist recently, and got requests to post it when it was complete (Sorry, Kendra: wish I could do downloads, but I am SO not that cool.). A brief explanation is in order before I proceed, however.

Is this The Perfect Playlist? No...and yes. And maybe. This thing was designed for a purpose. One day recently, while listening to music, as I am wont to do occasionally, I heard CHYSY's "In this Home on Ice". I thought (and even FB'd!) about the lyric "Now that I'm so sad and not quite right / I could dance all night". That lyric has a strange effect on me...makes me both sigh and smile. It gives me the feeling of being resigned to things, yet very much OK with them. It speaks of the potential for utter happiness in the midst of difficult situations. Simply put, I love that lyric. It got me thinking about what other songs give me a similar feeling. So, I set out to make a playlist of songs that gave me this feeling, songs that I was amazed people were living their lives without listening to...that said, some of the songs are relatively obvious, but most are on the more obscure side of the spectrum for those of us who don't have ridiculous amounts of time to scour the indie-verse for the next amazing band/song/album. I mean, me? What else am I gonna do? I scour, so you don't have to.

So, here it is. It is 2 hours long, and separated into 2 different "sides". Not a "Smile" side and a "Sigh" side (remember, all the songs elicit both responses--for me)--the sides are almost arbitrary, but in sequencing, it just made sense to me. Plus, I like titling things, so I was able to come up with an extra title (AKA, I was able to rip a lyric and call it a title)...here goes. I will try to explain as I go, but some of the choices need no explanation--or, if they do, I can't really explain them.

My thanks goes out to Crystal (who smartly made me feel lame when I said I was attempting "Perfection"), Annastasia (who asked first to see this diabolical scheme), Kendra (who probably shouldn't compliment me so much), Jeffrey (who is a true mix-making hero), and Laika (who paved the way for humans to travel in space, ensuring we would all always have reasons to smile and/or sigh).

Please, be gentle with your criticism. :)

Smiles and Sighs
Side 1: "...I could dance all night"

1. Ryan Adams: Come Pick Me Up
2. Band of Horses: Detlef Schrempf (Kind of schmaltzy, but my favorite of BoH's more sentimental works.)
3. Elliott Smith: The Biggest Lie (I could find an Elliott song for any mix, so...I did.)
4. Film School: Two Kinds (I can't hear this song without being surprised by the violins. So pretty.)
5. Pinback: Penelope (How many love songs are there about fish? This is easily the best of them.)
6. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: In This Home on Ice
7. Ra Ra Riot: Run My Mouth ("All my days, they end too slow")
8. The Spinning Wheels: Wrecking Ball (This band needs more fans. That means you.)
9. Owen: Femme Fatale (Not as good as the original--obviously--but I like the way it sounds here.)
10. Iron & Wine: Jezebel (Sigh. I couldn't love this song more than I do.)
11. Volcano Choir: Island, IS (I told someone recently that this song has ended up on nearly every mix I've done for the past year...PROOF!)
12. Rogue Wave: Maps (Yes, we all love Karen O. This version is better. I get being a purist about the original, but this one is SO GOOD.)
13. Loch Lomond: Wax & Wire (This one is kind of scary, if you really listen to it, but something about the rise and fall of Ritchie's voice always mellows me out.)
14. Foals: Spanish Sahara (This may be the most epic song that gets released this year. That's not meant to be hyperbole.)


Side 2: "You little mountain noise"

1. Coconut Records: West Coast (Turns out, Jason Schwartzman can write a pretty damn good Beatles-esque melody.)
2. Spoon: Goodnight Laura (Makes me wish I knew someone named Laura...)
3. Peter Broderick: Below It (I am enamored with everything Peter Broderick does, but it all started with this amazing song.)
4. Glen Hansard: Say It To Me Now (If I could sing and play guitar, I would just cover Glen Hansard songs.)
5. Neal Burton: Bandages (I was introduced to this on Aviation Records' "2021" compilation, and this guy's voice is killer. And the song embodies such a beautiful, escapist idea.)

***There is a bit of a tonal shift here, from the more grounded to the more ethereal. If I'd thought a bit more, I may have dispersed the following songs more throughout the mix, but it turned out I liked the idea of the end of the mix being really dreamlike and pensive. Totally a personal choice.***

6. tUnE-yArDs: Fiya (This is one of those songs you hear on a cellphone commercial, and just marvel about how little those advertisers knew about what they were getting into.)
7. Rauelsson: Elefantes y Ninas (Admittedly, this only qualifies as "dreamlike" since it is sung in Spanish, but I still like the way it fits.)
8. Mum: We Have a Map of the Piano (This has been a favorite of mine for so many years, it's impossible to really talk about. The title of this side comes from this song, as well.)
9. Bent: Cylons in Love (A classic of the "chill-out" genre from the turn of the century.)
10. Animal Collective: Winters Love
11. Grizzly Bear: Foreground
12. Grizzly Bear: Colorado (I have never, nor would I have ever imagined I ever would, put two of any one band's album-enders side by side on a mix. I love the way these two work. There is a first time for everything.)
13. Gayngs: The Last Prom on Earth (Another album-ender. It's kind of tongue-in-cheek, but I still think it's a really pretty song. And it cleanses the palate a bit from all the preceding heaviness.)


OK...let it fly. What do you think?

roar,

TRx

They Came from Across the Water

Who is Lemolo?

I have been asking myself this for months now. And as I've been looking for an answer that makes sense to me, I've also been trying to explain it to other people--in neither attempt have I been fully successful. While I'd love to sit here and analyze the music these girls make (which should be relatively easy, mind you), I find that I have a lot of questions.

But let's start with the facts.

A) Lemolo is Meagan Grandall and Kendra Cox (respectively known as the "Band Queen" and the "Energy Specialist"). B) They are from Poulsbo/Gig Harbor, or thereabouts. C) They are in their early 20's--very early 20's, I am assuming. D) They play keyboards, guitar, and drums--typically playing either guitar OR keyboard, depending on the song. E) They write tremendous songs. F) They gig like crazy, burning up stages all over the Seattle area since this past summer. G) They are as sweet as the sugar on your Cornflakes, in every sense of the word (I can hear you arguing that saying someone is "sweet" is an opinion, but I have empirical evidence on this--it is a verifiable fact. Trust me.)



It all seems relatively simple, up to this point--I'll grant you that. But then the picture gets hazy.

How do girls this young have such a command of songcraft? They employ such delicate subtlety, especially in their slower arrangements--adding layer upon layer and change upon change until a melody that originally had an alluring negative space is full, each measure is bursting at the seams. Or, put another way, the songs are made with a patience that people this age have no business possessing--each work is fully-formed, mature in its own right. A great example of this is the aptly-titled "Old Fashioned Lover", which begins as a somewhat whimsical lament about the loss of summertime friendships, then slowly, and exquisitely, over the course of eight minutes somehow fast-forwards the listener into an autumnal plea for genuine companionship. It's breathtaking.

Who are their influences? The basic dynamic of the instrumental make-up sounds, on paper, as though it should reflect clear influences (several duos have had similar DNA, not least of all Mates of State and Beach House). While there is a bit of it, albeit fleetingly (along with noticeable nods to such heavyweight female vocalists as Hope Sandoval and Chan Marshall in the singing), this band sounds too original to be merely the sum of its elements. The sheer individuality behind this band's vision is utterly remarkable, turning simple notes into stunning melodic turns through timing and vocal interplay. How do they do it?


I speculate on these things, but when I think I have answers, I hear something I hadn't heard before (their songs are like that...), and it knocks my conclusions right back into the murk of uncertainty. Luckily, I am OK with having a little mystery in my life--after all, who wants to see a magic trick after they know how it's done?


But I know this much:

1. Lemolo is one of the most consistently interesting bands in the Seattle scene right now, if for no other reason than they sound like nothing else in it.
2. The new songs I've heard take everything I've said above and capitalize on each strength exponentially, which shows that this band is nowhere near slowing down creatively--and that makes them one of the most exciting bands in the scene as well.
3. You will love them, if you don't already. Check them out online (www.myspace.com/lemolomusic and/or www.lemolomusic.blogspot.com), or see them live sometime soon at a venue near you--namely Tyrannosaurus Records on Friday, 9/10 @ 6pm for a FREE, ALL-AGES in-store performance.


Does that answer your question?

roar - TRx

Track Reviews (Yeah. That's the most interesting title I could come up with.)

Nothing too complicated here: 3 reviews of 3 tracks off 3 new releases. One hard, one mid-tempo, one kind of folky (but still a little bit punk-rock in its delivery). Ch-check it out...



Artist: Guns for Radios
Album: losses and gains (Rockin' Stan Records)
Track: "kings and queens"

This band is made up of members of past bands who were well-respected in the Seattle scene (including Alta May and The Fluid [Editor's Note: I have since found out that this is incorrect--GfR contains no one who used to be in The Fluid. That's what I get for trusting a blogger. Sorry for the error. -n]), but has charted a new course. GfR occupies the space where 90's "alternative" (yes, kids, that's how we described music in the 90's) butted up against more traditional pop song structures, simultaneously obliterating them and giving them an entirely new life, and nowhere on the record is it more apparent than here. Starting with a snaky, distorted bassline that belies the high melodic sensitivity apparent in the higher registers of the composition, it calls to mind such disparate influences as Pinback and The Catherine Wheel. The lyrics are a chess game (get it?) of emotion and a vague heartache ("Hearts on the sleeves / of Kings and Queens"), matching wits with the complicated guitar and drum interplay. This band has started to make waves on KEXP--and this is a standout on the record, released last month. Of all the bands in the NW who are re-vitalizing sounds lovingly remembered from the "grunge/alternative" era, this is easily one of the most interesting, and most competent, I've heard.



Artist: Laura Jorgensen
Album: Feathered Arms (self-released)
Track: "Pens"

The lead-off track to Laura's new record is all about blood. Using the vivid and topical imagery of writing, she lets us into her creative process ("We sit down with our pens / And bleed ink"). But the real glimpse of her insides is in the vocal performance she delivers here--her voice lifts and falls with recklessly throat-shredding abandon, rocketing to impossible heights and cascading rapidly to barely-fathomable lows. Her voice matches the emotionality of the confession she alludes to in the lyrics--and that's all fine and good, if you can stop listening to the singing long enough to get all the words. I personally have a hard time with that. Her band, led here by Nolan Eley's trumpet mixing with her own accordion, proves a worthy match to the amazing power of her voice, providing crescendos at a moment's notice and never overplaying the role it's given. This is an amazing recording of an amazing song. I must admit, I've been in love with this song since back when I'd only heard it live and as a demo--hearing it with the full band and the full power of Laura's unbridled talent has given me an even bigger appreciation for it.



Artist: Unnatural Helpers
Album: Cracked Love & Other Drugs (Hardly Art)
Track: "The Truth About You"

Punk-rock? Garage? Indie? Yes. You know what they say: "If the Doc Marten fits..." This song is led by a BLISTERING guitar riff into a valley of sludge-tastic bass under a sea of cymbal crashes and double-kicks. The production is pitch-perfect medium-fi, allowing Dean Whitmore's voice to rage out of the muck with a caterwaul of betrayal and apathy that nonetheless lends itself to a slightly ironic twist (the recriminating "I learned the truth about you" is tempered by a rationalization: "You'd be unhappy with me") that, I'm convinced, is as much a product of the thick skin necessary to make it in the Seattle music scene as it is indicative of the thick skin necessary in matters of the heart. There is rock music, there's good rock music, and then there is F***ing Good Rock Music--this is the latter.



And there you have it--3 local bands, 3 great songs, 3 new albums. Listen to 'em! Tell me what you think! Get out and see some local music!!

'til next time,

rOaR,

TRx

A Lifetime in a Month

ROOOOAAAARRRR!!!

Oh. My. Goodness. It has been too long. The past month has been a dizzying cacophony of awesomness and hard work, and we have emerged victorious (finally) in a new space, with a new partner, and ready again to service your music needs in DTR at full-throttle. Check out my totally random list of what's been going over the past month!

1. Obviously, the big news is: we are no longer located at 914 S 3rd in Renton--instead, you will find TRx at 924 S 3rd in Renton. We have moved inside our favorite indie craft haven, Happy Delusions, and we are trying to be careful to not damage all the rad stuff in the store during random bouts of rocking--which we have been prone to since birth. Please wish us luck. Come by and say 'Hello'!

2. Our selection has gotten richer and fuller! The selection of used vinyl is growing weekly and cycling nicely (check it often for your favorites on vinyl!), and the selection of new music is growing as well, augmented most recently by new titles from Sub Pop and our newest direct partner, Kanine Records (may I suggest Viernes' new album on Kanine, Sinister Devices?--it's super-good!)!

3. We are looking forward to lots of exciting possibilities in the coming 2-4 weeks, including (but not limited to) August's First Friday, featuring music-centric arts/crafts from the always-amazing crew of Happy Delusions; and a possible live-remote radio broadcast from the good folks at KGRG!

4. Friends of the store, The Head and the Heart, have released their beautiful first album. We are so excited for them and hope to be able to offer the release soon for retail!

5. Summer has arrived! (Duh.)

6. All kinds of great, wonderful, uber-fantastic things are happening--so many I can't even wrap my mind around it enough to write any more here! You'll have to pardon my giddiness.

So get out, enjoy the weather, enjoy great tunes--don't forget to stop by and say "Whaddup?" to your friendly friends at Tyrannosaurus Records!

See you soon--

-TRx

Happy Delusions + Tyrannosaurus Records = Coolest Thing Ever*

*This is what I was trying to get across in the last post... Sorry for any confusion. No, Sonic Youth is not playing in the store. *sigh* If only... :)

"Hear ye, hear ye--"

More details and other such stuff to come on this whole thing, but the long and the short of it is this:

Happy Delusions, DTR's foremost DIY and indie art authority and retail outlet, will soon be taking on a new partner. You may know this new partner as.............us. That's right--in an epic move that is being lauded by some as "the coolest thing since cool came to Cool Town", HD and TRx will be joining forces to more efficiently spread the awesome throughout DTR and the surrounding areas.

Questions? Of course there are questions. To that end, here's a little FAQ that may tide you over until more info begins to bubble up... Enjoy!!

FAQ's: What YOU Need to Know

Q: Why merge?
A: Well, that’s what multi-national, ultra-conglomerated, corporate super-powers do. That reminds me of a joke we tell at The Club: “If you can’t beat ‘em, BUY ‘em!!”. How else would we ever get “too big to fail”?

Q: OK, but why now?
A: Would you ask a shooting star why it picked just that moment to zoom across the night sky? Didn’t think so. Let’s just say it is the right thing for all parties, and the timing couldn’t be any awesomer.

Q: Will the new name be Tyra-ppy Reclusions, or Happy-saurus De-cords? ‘Cuz I think they’re both SWELL…
A: Um, neither. Both names will remain intact and both stores will remain virtually unchanged, except for the fact they will be in the same place. The only significant change will be to the Coolness per Square Foot (C/ft²) ratio on South 3rd between Wells and Main—yeah, that’s gonna go up.

Q: What are the advantages? How do I benefit?
A: Glad you asked. 1) Extended and More Consistent Hours of Operation—once we get a chance to get our feet wet on this deal, we plan to have the store open for longer and be much more consistent on Open and Close times. 2) Consolidated Indie Goodness—remember how you used to have to walk almost a whole block to satisfy your need for sweet indie crafts and killer indie music? Those days are over! 3) This is Only the Beginning—this is Step 1 of a 10,000-step plan to take over The Universe. You’ll be able to say you knew us when we were still somewhat harmless, and maybe you’ll be looked upon with favor around Step 9,865…that one is tricky.

Q: When is all this going to happen?!
A: We’ll probably spend June preparing and moving, with a plan to be fully functional by July 1. Though it really shouldn’t take that long, so if it happens sooner than that, bonus.

Q: What about live music?
A: What about it?

Q: Will there still be shows I can go to?
A: Of course! In the first month or two, it may take some time to work out exactly what is possible within the space. Rest assured, though, with a little time, we will iron out the kinks and we will again have you rocking the days and nights away with live performances that are too cool for words.

Q: So what do I need to do?
A: Well…nothing, I suppose. If you are now or have ever been a supporter or well-wisher of TRx or Happy D., feel free to stop in some time and show some love. Otherwise, just come on in when we re-open as a two-headed monster and stroke our collective ego by talking about how awesome you think it is that two of the coolest places in DTR have joined forces. But don’t say it all sarcastically—we’re only interested in hearing it if you at least act like you really mean it. Most importantly, just be aware that the change is coming, keep an eye out for the details and updates, and have a little patience with us as we transition into your one-stop-shop for indie, DIY, and rocknroll.

WE ARE STOKED!!!!

ROOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You're Resident Dino,

-TRx

Big News? What big news...?

(...as if I have to say it, Fonzie = Cool)

Big things... :)

ROaR!!!!

-TRx

Hello, our name is TRx. What's yours?

I thought a re-introduction might be in order, since it has been a while since I have blogged here.

It's been a relatively crazy 2010 so far, right? You probably know what I'm talking about. Around here, we've hosted about 15 in-stores so far--one of them being the incomparably awesome and punk-rock Exene Cervenka, we've expanded our selection to nearly double the titles we had in 2009--we're constantly scouring the PNW indie-verse for your new favorite bands, and we collaborated with others in DTR for the biggest, awesomest, rocking-est indie festival this town had ever seen--it pretty much killed.

So, now what?

What could we do that be bigger than all that? What could we do that would be so massive it would be like two stars in the sky colliding and creating a whole new galaxy of cool? Is it possible that we could out-rock even ourselves, after the near-5 month run we've put together so far this year? Is it even conceivable?

The answer, friends, is "Yes."

Things are coming. They are big things. They are gigantic, monumental things that will change they way you think about DTR forever. If you are now or have ever been a fan of radness, gnarlitude, sensational-tasticness, hearts, unicorns, babies, rocknroll, or indie...

Well...

...we have some very good news.

--TRx