As part of The Inlander’s yearly Scholastic Fantastic cover package, I wrote about a Eastern Washington University professor who has helped create a program which converts data into music and is using it for both artistic and scientific purposes. Check it out.
Turning Data into Music Feature From The Inlander
Fiendish Conversation with Cuong Vu
I chatted once again with Seattle jazz trumpeter and University of Washington professor Cuong Vu. We discuss Seattle’s jazz scene, Nirvana, and more. Check it out.
Fiendish Conversation with The Cave Singers’ Pete Quirk
I chatted with The Cave Singers’ frontman about the new album Naomi and his love of Seattle. Check it out.
Syn-Æsthetic – Vox Mod
Machines make electronic music. It’s all combinations of ones and zeros. But that doesn’t mean the sound has to have the distant, calculated coldness of synth pioneers Gary Numan and Kraftwerk, or only appeal to the sweaty, energy drink–swilling hordes that flock to Skrillex. It can be warm and inviting, even when venturing into far-off space. On his latest album Syn-Æsthetic, Vox Mod (aka Scot Porter) delivers electronic music that feels alive instead of inhuman.
Syn-Æsthetic could double as the soundtrack to satellites soaring through the cosmos, with its collection of lush compositions—soft swells and high-pitched electro-chirping. It’s easy to get lost in a trance when listening to tracks like “Prismatic” and “Quenched Consciousness.” While Vox Mod can create stunning sonic universes on his own, the album’s diversity comes from the variety of guest performances by Seattle hip-hop and indie-rock artists. “Iridescent Asteroid Mists” has bite thanks to Palaceer Lazaro’s (aka Ishmael Butler of Shabazz Palaces) gritty raps, while Rude Boutique offers up more introspective hip-hop poetry on “In the Temple Where I Found Self.” Anna Marie’s rhythmic chanting on “Particle” echos like a sci-fi hymn. Eighteen Individual Eyes’ Irene Barbaric transforming the staccato synth and throbbing bass of “Life Forms” into a dance pop jam with her sweet vocals. And the album’s closer, “Ecophony Infinitum,” gets a touch of smooth sensuality thanks to a performance by the album’s co-producer Erik Blood. The most distinctive contribution, however, comes on “Æon + Trevor.” The track includes a reflective spoken-word performance written by Porter from the perspective of Trevor Goodchild, a character from the cult animated sci-fi show Æon Flux, and it’s actually performed by Goodchild’s voiceover actor John Rafter Lee.
Budget cuts at NASA may mean we’re sending fewer people into space, but Syn-Æsthetic offers listeners a much cheaper alternative to get lost in the great beyond.
Review Score: 6.9
*Original version published on SeattleMet.com.*
Can’t Talk Medicine – Pickwick
It’s hard to think of a more radical and welcome change than the one Pickwick made about two and a half years ago. At the time, the group was a fairly mediocre indie folk band in an oversaturated Seattle scene. And the guys in Pickwick knew it. Rather than give up, they stepped back, reevaluated their strengths, and reinvented Pickwick as a soul act. Since then they’ve been wowing audiences around Seattle with killer live sets, and building a substantial fan base despite only having released a few 7-inch records. This month Pickwick finally delivered Can’t Talk Medicine, a debut LP that was worth the wait.
Pickwick’s sound centers around Galen Disston’s dynamite vocals. Simply put, he’s the best singer in the Seattle music scene. His voice soars octaves, from a rich low register to falsetto coos and the occasional energetic guttural wail. Disston slides in smoothly on both slower numbers (“Well, Well”) and barnburners (“Window Sill”). One of my only real quibbles with Can’t Talk Medicine is that it doesn’t fully capture the totality of his range; Disston’s vocals come off ever so slightly reserved on the album when compared to Pickwick’s untamed live shows.
As for instrumentals, it sounds like the band has been playing these songs for years (because, well, it has). Garrett Parker leads with standout bass lines, be it the slick fretboard sliding on “Halls of Columbia” or bouncy plucking on “The Round.” The consistently sharp guitar work of Michael Parker adds a spring to the band’s step, particularly on upbeat numbers like “Hacienda Motel.”
The record takes a slight misstep with the duet cover of Richard Swift’s “Lady Luck,” featuring singer-songwiter Sharon Van Etten. Even though the track has a distinctly Pickwick flavor, showcasing Disston’s highest notes, it still comes off drab compared to the buoyancy of the rest of the album. (When the hyper-talented Van Etten can’t save a song, that’s saying something.)
Pickwick took its time to release its first full length, but thanks to years cutting its teeth on stages around Seattle, the group now has some well-deserved swagger, a “we nailed this” vibe. Like Allen Stone before them, Can’t Talk Medicine positions Pickwick to break out beyond the comfortable confines of the Northwest. Seattle soul is alive and thriving.
Review Score: 7.1
*Original version published on SeattleMet.com.*
A Conversation with Jeff Bridges
I got the opportunity to talk to the Academy Award winning actor about his music, The Dude, and more. Check it out.
Chatting with Weird Al Yankovic
I had the chance to talk briefly with the timeless master of parody Weird Al Yankovic. We discussed his writing process and how YouTube has impact the parody game. Check it out.
