Artist Review: Children of Kids

 

Seattle's Children of Kids are a trio composed of Madeline Franks, Madison Levine, and Richie Nelson, and in some ways they're more a project than a band. That's really the only way to describe them, because the 2011 migration of Franks and Levine from Chicago to join Nelson in Seattle led to more than just the continuation of their band, it also resulted in the creation of CTPAK Records. Since the label's formation, the three (with the help of others) have drawn on their grassroots approach to musicianship to create a collaborative label that offers production, engineering, mixing and mastering to a growing group of artists. However, if the online excitement about CTPAK showcases and releases has left you wondering whether the band that began it all deserves your attention, then I want to assure you that is does. 

Source: Katarina Countiss via Katablog, Thanks, Katarina!

To date they have only released one full-length album and two EPs, but in that time the group has morphed from a duo of just Levine and Franks on 2010’s IIIΔIII, into a quartet with the addition of Callum Plews and Richie Nelson for 2011’s Prism, and finally into their current Seattle manifestation as a trio. Their last EP, titled “Pony Tales”, was released in July of 2012 and it features some of their most beautiful work yet.

Despite these changes, every incarnation of Children of Kids has produced interesting results as they dabbled to varying degrees with formulas utilizing dream-folk, post-twee, and experimental electronica. The dreamy acoustic guitar work, and soaring, reverb-laden vocals on IIIΔIII standouts like “Bloodstar” remind me of the early work of Liz Harris’ Grouper project, but with a distinct folk flavor that makes it all their own.

Prisms seems like the true starting point for their current formation. It retains the measured, but never lazy pace established on the previous release, but also cultivates an underlying feeling of playful wonder through its upbeat tempo. To be sure, the duo’s presence is retained, but new features like piano, bubbling electronics, noise, and even house-inspired beats on some tracks make for soulful additions.   

The Pony Tales EP is an extension of everything that they began on Prisms, but it’s clear that the individual members have become more confident—this is particularly apparent in the vocals and electronic work.

The group has been playing pretty regularly around the Seattle area for some time now, and while they don’t have any new shows listed at present, stay tuned for new dates in the Upcoming Shows section. All of their work is available on bandcamp and a new record, tentatively titled The Purpose, is slated to be out soon. 

Artist Review: The Numbs' "People"

While I apparently missed out on the tenure of U, an industrial collage act composed of Jeff Johnson and Travis Coster, I don’t think I can fully mourn the loss because both artists have gone on to do such awesome work. Coster has been keeping busy as part of the now nationally acclaimed prog-grunge band Naomi Punk, who has just had their first record "The Feeling” (originally on Couple Skate) re-released on Brookyln-based Captured Tracks, while Johnson has been performing instrumental music under the moniker The Numbs. Last year's “People” is Johnson’s first full-length under that name and while the blog-o-sphere paid a lot of attention to the single “Freaks Easy”, I feel like it fell asleep on the rest of the record, which is a crime.  

 So here’s the subjective part: what does it sound like? I guess the popular term is “junk funk” owing in equal parts to the quasi-danceable beats and copy/paste style assimilation of warbling pops, hisses, and whistles. However, while technically accurate, this description still somehow falls short, perhaps because collage work like this is by definition greater than the sum of its parts. I feel like the real strength here lies in Johnson’s ability to effectively craft such an evocative full-length from seeming unrelated pieces—like assembling a complete puzzle from the remains of 50 different throwaways.

The Numbs playing Cairo Seattle for the "People" release show--don't remember the date. 

The result? Ari Spool at Impose described “Freaks Easy” as the perfect soundtrack to a Bill Nye the Science Guy experiment montage, but I keep imagining “People” as the soundtrack to some great maniacal cartoon saga with pieces like “Schaff did it” representing the opening shots, others like “I don’t understand” conveying tragedy, and anthems like “000’0006” and “Brain Case” playing triumphantly behind a victorious protagonist. That interpretation may not resonate with everyone, but the point is that Johnson imparts both function and form to these strange and comical sounds through his skillful arrangements. In fact, its the way in which he manages to do this that most distinguishes him from one of his biggest influences, Black Dice. Regarding BD, Bjorn Copeland himself says, "In the band, there's a weird aesthetic that we nurture that's playful but has a kind of, I don't want to say nihilistic, but a critical point of view". In contrast, Johnson produces music that is hand-dipped in some ill-defined, detached passion that exists outside of this world all together.

 You can still purchase the “People” cassette through the wonderful local label Couples Skate, and don’t forget to see The Numbs in and around our city (note: Numb is a different band)

 Also, if anyone has a copy of any of U’s material beyond what’s available on bandcamp I would really like a copy.

Tonight at Heartland: Chung Antique (2/24)

  Chung Antique performing "Baking Brad" at Seattle's own Hollow Earth Radio last year 

It's not easy to find good instrumental music. Maybe it's because it's easier to hit an emotive target when it's quite literally spelled out for the listener (insert analogy about how the standard, 3 min and 40 second, auto-tuned love song is like bowling with the bumpers up), or because our cultural love of multi-tasking has atrophied our ability to pay attention to anything more than clever one-liners. Whatever the reason, when an artist is able to connect, to write songs whose arrangements stand strong without any crutches, it's a marvelous thing.

Chung Antique is one of those bands. The threesome, consisting of Mike Bernatovicz (bass), Charlie Zaillian (guitar) and Whitney Bingham (Drums), formed at Evergreen State in 2009. Strangely, after following up their early demos and singles with a proper LP, 2011's GO POETRY!, they seem to have remained quiet for the past year. However, the last thing they did post on their bandcamp site was this wonderful live EP at Olympia's Blue House (stream below). With regard to their sound, they've tagged this release as "progressive" "instrumental" "punk", and I think that's pretty fair. I also hear some math rock and post-rock/post-hardcore influences.

Take a listen, and if you like what you hear you can see them tonight (2/24) at the Heartland Gallery along with Chemical Clock and SSRIS.

Four Show Choices for Tonight (2/23)

Four awesome shows tonight at four awesome spaces. I really wish I could be in multiple places at once...

1. The Narx, Feel Young, So Pitted and Pleasure Beauties at Cairo Seattle

 An interesting mix of punk, "post-grunge" mayhem, and slow burning, cloud-9 lo-fi rock.

2. Secret Colors, the Hive Dwellers, Slashed Tires and Richie Dagger’s Crime at Heartland

Secret Colors' Matt Lawson (also of Stephanie) is always worth paying a ticket to see, especially when coupled with the prolific Calvin Johnson (of Beat Happening and a bunch of other stuff) and co. Slashed Tires and Richie Dagger's Crime are great additions. Sort of a lot of sounds going on here, it'll be interesting to see how it all works out. 

3. Lou-lou Hernadez and Golden Gardens at The Josephine

If I wasn't committed elsewhere this is probably where I would be tonight. Golden Gardens and Lou-Lou Hernandez are definitely an interesting pairing as one (GG) plays ambient, almost Slowdive-esque showgaze, and Lou-Lou plays what I would describe as extraterrestrial dance music.

 

4. Broken Water, Dreamdecay, Monogamy Party, Mega Bog and Negative Press at Black Lodge
 Broken Water play what might be called riot grrrl-gaze with interjections of ambient and psych. This evening they're joined by local noise-rockers Dreamdecay, as well as Monogamy Party, Mega Bog, and Tahoma's Negative Press.

Artist Review: Chastity Belt

 

First, the requisite introduction: Chastity Belt is an awesome Seattle band that formed in 2009 at Whitman College in Walla Walla. The foursome is comprised of Julia Shapiro (guitar, vocals), Annie Truscott (bass), Lydia Lund (guitar), and Gretchen Grimm (drums), and for the past few months now it seems like they've been on a mission to bring their riotous brand of punk vigor to every independent venue in Seattle.

But in a city filled with vegan bakeries and half-shaved heads, guitar-centric punk isn't exactly a rarity, so why am I excited about this particular band? Well, I'll tell you. From their first ep I was struck by the depth of their seeming simple sound, the energy they exude, and the pure fucking moxie with which they do it--belting lines like "This is sex, this is war, this is me fucking you on the dance floor" without even an ounce of insincerity.

As if this weren't enough, they've only gotten better with time, especially following their collaborations with Peter Richards and Andrew Hall of Dude York (also from Whitman) on last year's Dude EP, and their work with sound engineer José Díaz Rohena of World Record. To be sure, their songs have not lost their melodic or humorous lyrical flair, like on "Ponytail", where vocalist Shapiro tells a fictional guy she won't date him because his ponytail makes him look like Thomas Jefferson, but they have definitely matured. Their single "Seattle Party", which was written to capture the "immediate post-graduate feeling" is a great example. It prominently features all of their trademark contrasts: dreamy clean leads over lightly-distorted rhythm guitar, and Shapiro's impassioned howl against steadfast bass and drum lines when she asks "are we having fun?" To me this song has the same feel of some of the later Buzzcock's gems.



On a lighter note, I recently emailed Julia to ask her about her strong feelings about male ponytails.

Q: What exactly is your problem with the male ponytail and under what conditions should he cut it off? In other words, are all ponytail styles equally unacceptable to Chastity Belt?

A: I'm not sure if the other ladies have anything to add, but these are my feelings regarding ponytails: When the male ponytail becomes more than just a bundle of hair, and instead, an extension of his ego, that is when he should cut it off. All ponytail styles of this nature are unacceptable. Buns are okay.

They've released two EPs (2012's Fuck Chastity Belt and Dude) and the single "Seattle Party" so far, and all of it is available on their bandcamp page as a name your price download. You can see them live this Friday (the 21st) at Columbia City Theater, and Saturday (the 22nd) at Black Lodge for the Pony Time record release.