Our First Mix!: Seattle DIY Pop

Record Store Day at Sonic Boom in Ballard (4/20/13). We REALLY like this place. They consign a ton of local releases at fair prices and even stock select titles in special sections. More here.

Well here we are at last! It's our first, free, downloadable NGD mix!!! There are lots of really awesome scenes in our city, but for our first venture we decided to focus on our ample DIY Pop community. There are 21 songs here (we got permission to use all of them) from 21 different bands running the gamut between indie pop/twee, alt pop, and garage; all of them book in Seattle and none of them are jerks, so buy their music and attend their shows/book them at your venue. Everything on this mix was released in 2013, so this is just about as fresh as it gets! Oh yeah, HUGE shout out to all the labels that have released the material on this comp!

Don't forget to "like" us on FB and follow us on Twitter for more from NGD!



Click song title for more music; click artist's name for FB page!

1    "Boobs On TV", by Mitts

       from: E-Motions LP (self-released)
Five really really nice guys from all over the country with a penchant for quirky alt pop music. See our interview piece with Jack Swart and check out their sister project, Koda Sequoia, for more goodness

2    "Seacliff", by Imaginary Pants

       from: Channels/Seacliff 7"(Rok Lok Records)
Jon and Rose are both great songwriters separately, but together they are unstoppable. Huge shout out to Mike at Rok Lok. P.S. see our previous SWL post about this very song!

3    "Half Right", by Zebra Hunt

       from: Beaches EP (self-released)
Bass, Drums, Guitar. Despite their simple set-up, this trio packs a lot of punch with their brand of incredibly tight, jangly pop music. They also have a new 7" out on Spanish label Tenorio Cotobade.

4    "Feeling This", by iji

       from: Soft Approach LP (Lost Sound Tapes / Seashoes)
Zach Burba's iji project has been a Seattle institution for more than 5 years. Always warm and intimate, iji's musings continue to be an open door for the DIY-curious in our city. Also check out the new iji compilation on Lost Sound Tapes featuring two records, a tour 7", and a handful of bonus tracks from other comps -- all of which have long since been out of print.

5    "Devil Golems", by Pitschouse

       from: Pitschouse EP (Snorin’ Desert)
WE LOVE PITSCHOUSE. This whole record is wonderful! Check our SWL post and interview with the band.

6    "Pillow Thoughts", by Tender Hips

       from: City EP, (self-released)
I am seriously pro-Tender Hips. This Walla Walla-derived threesome is equal parts youthful anxiety and sweat-soaked, unbridled energy. Also, see our SWL post.

7    "Being Unkind", by Big Eyes

       from: Almost Famous LP, (Grave Mistake Records)
Big Eyes are a Seattle by way of Brooklyn twee/surf-flavored punk act that plays pretty regularly in Seattle. Almost Famous is not just their sophomore EP, it's a statement.

8    "Teenage Caveman (Beat Happening Cover)", by Blooper

       from: Long Distance EP bonus track (Manic Pop! Records)
This is a gutsy cover to undertake so near the land of K records and the old Beat Happening stomping grounds, but Blooper really kills it. Check out the EP proper for more great original tunes.

9    "Firewood", by Seacats

       from: The 7" Burger (Fin Records)

This song cracks me up. "I'm so sorry I don't spend my time chopping firewood/I'm so sorry I don't take pride in the size of my truck" could be an anthem for the other half of Seattle men. The ones who don't characterize themselves in their online dating profiles as mountain men. Plus, it's catchy as hell. New album out on October 15th!

10  "Katie's Farm", by Swamp Meat

       from: Elephant Graveyard EP, (Half-Shell Records)

Crashing guitars and echo-y, psych-y vocals, this laid back song is easy on the ears. Check out our SWL post about "Ball of Dirt" from last year's Tomorrow EP.

11  "Daydreamer", by Love in Mind

       from: We Love It! LP preview
Love in Mind is a DIY super-group of sorts and this BC preview has got more than a couple of people pining for their impending full-length.

12  "Seeing You", by Craig Salt Peters

       from: Three Songs
Craig's been around the PNW scene for a while contributing to various notable projects, but this 3-song BC teaser has us super excited for the 14-song LP that is supposedly in the works.

13  "II", by Heavy Petting

       from: I-V (Stony Mountain Recordings)
The first EP from Heavy Petting has been a long time coming, and with songs like "II" it's clear it was worth the wait. One of our favorite releases for the month of August. 
 

14  "Mag & Kev & Rad", by Pill Wonder

       from: self-released single
Super-woosy, lo-fi, boogie-woogie music. No idea when we'll get a follow up to 2010's Jungle/Surf, but you can bet we'll have an ear out.

15  "Telephone (E.L.O cover)", by Weird Bug

       from: Stuck in Beads EP, (self-released)
This is EVERYTHING that a cover should be. Lilly Morlock and David Plell transform the ELO classic into a jangly, foot stomping duet. An organic and endearing lo-fi gem.

16  "Dream Girl", by Mike Preuss

       from: TBA (Half-Shell Records)
Just recorded and yet to be released on Seattle's Half Shell Records, this bright, but dreamy jammer is like methadone for those of us that have trouble letting the summer go.

17  "Du Och Jag", by Detective Agency

       from: Du Och Jag EP, (self-released)

This song is lovely and dreamy, with an overarching guitar rhythm that tempers the sweetness of the vocals and makes it incredibly catchy. Check out our SLW post for their "Just Like Heaven" cover.

18  "Closer", by Lures

       from: Dizzy EP, (Fin Records)

If this first offering from the band is any indication of what we can expect from their debut full length next year, then we can't wait! Deliberate, incredibly practiced and highly infectious alt rock with a surf pop bent.

19  "Dead Feathers", by Land of Pines

       from: The Long Defeat, (Fin Records)
This alt rock band puts on a really killer live show, but the impassioned vocals and ace melodies on The Long Defeat hold up equally well on your home stereo. One of our favorite releases for 2013.5!

20  "Dreadful", by Tangerine

       from: Pale Summer, (Swoon Records)

What more can we say about Tangerine that we haven't said already? Their new EP was just released a few weeks ago and it's clear they are only getting better.

21  "Boat Tap", by Moose Portrait

       from: Psycho-Pop, (CTPAK Records)
Despite having only a single and the Psycho-Pop EP to their name, Moose Portrait has already managed to generate a really distinct sound by blending mellow, psychedelic instrumentation, and artful, electronic sampling. Also one of our favorites for the month of July (though it appeared in the August post as well).

This Month In Photos: August 2013

Soaking up the last real month of summer, when it's still warm enough to wear shorts and a t-shirt at night. That's what August is about for a lot of PNW folks. It also mean TONS of festivals, mega-shows, and concert series'! This month we headed out to see Chastity Belt and Deep Sea Diver at the KEXP Concerts at the Mural series, and saw the first show of Bummershoot, a DIY festival happening Labor Day weekend (though we didn't make it out to Bumbershoot, the city's signature festival). August was a sweet month for shows; I hope you took advantage!

My first show of the month was a beach-front benefit concert for Lha Charitable Trust. Here's Heels To The Hardwood. August 1.

Enjoying Fremont Art Walk at the new Atlas Space (in with Atlas Clothing and Beats Anne Bohos shop). This event featured Bardo:Basho. August 2.

The fun and FREE Concerts at the Mural series, sponsored by KEXP. Deep Sea Diver (above) and Chastity Belt (below). August 9.

Jet Man Jet Team Tour Kick-Off show at Chop Suey. August 11.

Soft Shadows opened.

Jet Man Jet Team put on a killer set.

Creative musical use of children's toys.

The ever-epic My Bloody Valentine played a sold-out Showbox SoDo August 21.

Best photos I could get after getting smacked for taking photos by staff. Shame, SoDo.

Super funny singer-songwriters Katrina Charles (left) and Debbie Miller (right). Conor Byrne. August 22. 

Mitts played an energetic set at the Blue Moon Tavern, August 23.

BUMMERSHOOT: Day 1. Hollow Earth Radio hosted the first epic night of three during the Bummershoot festival. Opening act was the excellent Briana Marela (above right), fresh off a tour and celebrating the funding of her Kickstarter trip to Iceland to record her album. She was followed by Try The Pie singer-songwriter Christine (bottom right), who also plays in Sourpatch and Salt Flat. The night also featured a performance art piece by Viviane James/White Boy Scream (very bottom left), and music by Pleasure Beauties, as well as The Webs.

Artist Interview: Jack Swart from Mitts

 

Left to Right: Spike Miller, Brittian Piper, Jack Swart, Jack McKool, Doug Barber

 

Seriously, how do you not love Mitts? The Seattle-based quintet is living proof that indie-pop charm, alt rock intensity, and oddball, art-punk antics are not mutually exclusive targets. On their second LP, and third proper release, E-Motions, the band delivers 7 new tracks filled with their trademark nasally vocals, left-field tempo changes, and head-scratching song titles like “Sit In Your Mouth” and “Boobs on TV”. It is an undeniably awesome record that I've had real trouble staying away from since it was released last month, so I decided to contact the band and see if they would be willing to talk about it. I caught up with Jack Swart in the middle of their ambitious, 7,000 mile, cross-country tour a few weeks back to talk about the project. (Note: both of Mitts' releases are available on their bandcamp as "name your price" downloads, but give'em a couple of bucks if you can afford it.)

NGD:

What’s the story behind you guys getting together? Also, your work with Jack and Doug as Spillway is really killer too; was there any new lyrical or musical territory you three wanted to explore as Mitts?

JS

Yeah, Jack, Doug, and I moved up to Seattle to pursue music and met Tom McDonald and Ryan Mortensen once we got here. That's how Spillway got started.

Mitts started with Jack and I recording a few songs together ("Eyedeas", "Bicket Face", and "Tube Man") and then we got Doug, Brittian Piper (What What Now and Walter and Perry), and Alex Khunprachansri to play with us, and we recorded Romulan. After Alex moved to Chicago, Spike Miller (Herocop and Walter and Perry) started playing with us and we recorded E-Motions.

As far as writing goes, we try to keep it collaborative. Jack or I end up writing a lot of the songs, Jack more than me. "Kick Your Face" and "Chops" were written as a team but "OhyeahOhyeahOhyeah" and "Boobs On TV" are songs Jack wrote and Doug and I helped record. We haven't actually figured out how to play them live yet.

Mitts is definitely at its root meant to be just a fun pop punk band. There are songs like "Kick Your Face", which has lots of Kung-Fu and video game references. "Animals" (from Romulan) is about animals. We try not to take things too seriously. Some songs might have a deeper significance, but we tend to bury it under images until it's probably indecipherable. Maybe that's weird, I don't know.

Jack Swart (L) and Doug Barber (R) at Blue Moon on 8/23

NGD:

Even so, both Romulan and E-Motions still manage to feel like discrete and incredibly cohesive units. Would you say that there is an overall theme on either record, or does it just come together like that?

JS

Romulan didn't really have much of a theme. The recordings on that album were recorded in batches over a longer period of time, whereas the songs on E-Motions were, except for "Kick Your Face", recorded pretty much in tandem. Also, Spike replacing Alex changed the dynamics pretty significantly. Both of them are great guitarists, but I feel you can definitely notice the the stylistic differences.

NGD:

I understand you guys are in the midst of a pretty ambitious tour at the moment. How's it been going?

JS

Tour has been great! We're on the road with Koda Sequoia, Spike and Doug's other band with Joshua Costa. They're awesome. We left on July 10th and booked it to the Midwest, hitting up Missoula and Fargo on the way. We're a little more than half way through now. We're leaving from New York today so I guess we're starting a slow trek home. We'll be playing in some smaller towns on the way to Denver, followed by Boise and Portland before we get back to Seattle on August 2nd. Lots of fun.

NGD:

That sounds like a massive undertaking for an independent band, even with your collective experience. How did you book it? Anything different you'd do next time? Any particularly memorable shows?

JS

Well, we booked a lot of the tour through friends and friends of friends, but there were plenty of shots in the dark too. Websites like dodiy.org are pretty handy. Probably for every twenty e-mails we sent out we would get one response, and it was usually no. Yet, people were pretty helpful with pointing us in the right direction.

The biggest regret we have is, oddly, bringing too many pairs of pants. It's so hot! We keep cannibalizing jeans into jorts.

Top: E-Motions, 7/13; Bottom: Romulan, 3/12

Probably the coolest show we've had so far was at Trumbullplex in Detroit. It's one of the oldest DIY spots out there, it's awesome. We played with Tyvek and The Cray Crays, both of whom blow minds. Moorhead was a pretty fun show too. It was a six band basement show that we played with Eidelons from Portland and some other pretty cool bands.

NGD:

That must have been amazing; I love Tyvek! I hope were not gonna lose Mitts, or Koda Sequoia for that matter (who also have a great new record out) to another city anytime soon?

JS

Nope, I don't think we're going anywhere soon. Spike and Josh are both from Detroit though, that's how we got hooked up with the show.

NGD:

So, back to fundamentals: are their any plans for a physical release for E-motions? If so, with whom, and why?

JS

Actually, week have physical copies. I designed them using a template, printed them off, assembled them, etc. Lots of time and trial and error went into it, but I think they turned out well all things considered. It definitely has that special DIY feel. We've also been selling buttons with download codes.

NGD:

Finally, I think people love your music because it is so unique; you guys have an uncanny ability to assimilate twee jangle, punk austerity, experimental sound samples...really whatever you need...in a seamless and engaging way. How do you describe your sound?

JS

Super future.

 

NGD:

Thanks again for talking with us, Jack. Stay safe on the road home!  
JS: Thanks, Tyler!

Mitts at Blue Moon on 8/23

This Month In Releases: July 2013

Hey everyone. These are our favorite local releases for the month of July. The rules, as always, are as follows: all records were released during the month of July by either a local artist or a local record company. They appear in no particular order and singles and 7" were not included. Sorry, no beautiful descriptions this time due to non-blog related responsibilities, but I've included some genre descriptors and sample tracks to help you peruse. Support your local scene and stay well!


LP/EPs: 

Under EP Placeholder (Hush Hush Records)--electronic, night bus, atmospheric beats


Body 11 “Youth” (Medical Records)--new wave, minimal synth, ebm


Dreamsalon “Dreamsalon” (Skrot Up--reissue)--industrial, pop, kraut, experimental


Heatwarmer with the Extended Universe “Dessert Menu EP” (self-released)--post-world, nu jazz,


Eleanor Murray “Bury Me Into The Mtn” (self-released)--indie folk, experimental

Mitts, “E-Motions” (self-released)--indie rock/pop, punk, weirdo pop


Moose Portrait, “Psycho-Pop” (CTPAK Records)--experimental funk, indie pop


Lake "Circular Doorway" (K Records)--lo-fi pop, indie pop/rock



Hunx and his Punx (Hardly Art)--punk/hardcore
http://soundcloud.com/hardlyartrecords/hunx-and-his-punx-too-young-to-be-in-love


Princess “Selling Sulphur” (self-released)--grunge, post-hardcore, punk


Midday Veil "The Current" (Translinguistic Other)--prog rock, psychedelic, experimental, electro


Dragons, “Musical Witchcraft” (Wizards of the Ghost)--alternative rock, lo-fi pop



Compilations: 

OK Wife OK Vol ii. (Lost Sound Tapes)--experimental pop/indie