Bellingham's Music Magazine
Since 1998
Bellingham's Music Magazine
Since 1998
Widely renowned group Orgone graced the stage at the Wild Buffalo on Sunday the 23rd, with local boys Snug Harbor opening up and getting everyone all excited. Not knowing much of anything about Orgone, I was expecting something more like … Continue reading
Without much fanfare or hype, Seattle electronic group Kingdom Crumbs came to the Buff on Friday the 21st. Bolstering the lineup and providing some local draw were Bham favorites The Bad Tenants, along with Nu Era and Kung Foo Grip, … Continue reading
Having recently returned from living in Missoula, MT, Tyson Ballew has released a new full EP of “solo” songs – though they’re slightly more fleshed-out than the label ‘solo’ would suggest, with acoustic guitars, electric guitars, bass, and some keys. … Continue reading
Armed with only a steel-string acoustic guitar, her voice, and a multi-track guitar, Sarah Pasillas fleshes out completed songs in a style that ranges from subdued, dulcet plucking to full-on bashing at the strings and belting her voice out with … Continue reading
Right off the bat, Chris Acker’s Clean Teeth EP gives us a very strong impression – the first song is an extremely thinly-veiled sex metaphor pretty much the whole way through. Obviously intentional, it is a weird way to get … Continue reading
The graphics for this EP feature a lo-fi image of a cat/turtle/thing, which really reflect the musical portion of things. I don’t know the aesthetic or production approach for this group, but I’d venture a guess that there’s a combination … Continue reading
B lack Mesa represents a style of music that isn’t very common in Bellingham. The Post-hardcore/screamo thing takes a lot of polish and creativity in order to deliver something worthwhile, as harping on the themes and emotions typical of the … Continue reading
A highly-anticipated show, Andre Nickatina always brings a crowd to the Wild Buffalo and this night, a lovely Earth Day, was no exception. The opening DJ, spinning beats for the local support, Jaywalk, opened the doors with some classics until … Continue reading
Everyday Jones is a mostly acoustic/pop collaboration between Jason Green and Alissa Jandt, but there is lush instrumentation in the form of drums, orchestral pads, layered vocals, keys, bass, and countless other little overdubs here and there. Season of Hope … Continue reading
The first thing you’ll hear on the latest Boowoops album, Motor On, is a plucky acoustic guitar bouncing around a riff that sounds straight off your front porch. That mood carries throughout the length of Motor On, as the Boowoops … Continue reading
What better way spend the night before President’s Day than by going to a bar and watching some country folk bands? Feeling Patriotic, I anticipated a night of boot-stomping and regret-forgetting. I had come mostly to see Wyatt Parks and … Continue reading
When really successful bands first get started, are they really good? Or, do they just sound really good? In Truth Under Attack, this high-gain, high-energy pop-core that reaches wide audiences and wide appeal and is played in stores like Journey’s … Continue reading
This jazz standards album, featuring Sonja Lee on vocals and a backing quintet, is an effort by some prominent local jazzers playing songs about aggravating male characters. My biggest hang-up ends up being not that I can’t see myself enjoying … Continue reading
Quick: guess how many times Helms Alee has played in Bellingham in the past two years. Did you guess ‘A lot?’ Roughly, yes, that’s about right. These Pacific Northwest living legends have garnered a substantial following thanks to their awesome … Continue reading
Local hardcore/punk show alert! Having reviewed Girl Guts’ latest release and coming away really impressed and excited to see them, I expected excellence from their live show as well. Also, I drummed for the opener for like two days earlier … Continue reading
Black Tommy is an ambitious rapper; his earliest release available to public records (i.e. Bandcamp) is a full-length with a lot of songs longer than five minutes and a challenging fusion of styles blended. On the latest release, the confusingly … Continue reading
Upon initiating the latest release from local soul/jam/blues band Eclecticity, the first thought any sane person will have is “oh my god, an hour and fifteen minutes?!” Given the nature of the band’s music, the listener is in for a … Continue reading
While I typically am put off by song-by-song reviews, this release from PanPan seems the most fitting recipient of such a treatment, due mostly to its flow and consistent voice. The live aspect also lends a performance consideration. Leading track … Continue reading
A chance to see H8R is always a rare treat for those who appreciate his minimalist dream-pop stylings. After releasing the ‘Intimate EP’ he (sometimes with a ‘band,’ typically just drummer Taylor Carroll) he played some shows, but has remained … Continue reading
Rat Riot! has released a new E.P. this month and I’m here to say that, while I hadn’t heard anything about them that inspired me to finally explore the work of this enigmatic band, they’re probably onto something here and … Continue reading
Without any background, diving into this album by local risers Girl Guts caught me flat-footed. Kicking off their 12 Sounds LP is a fireball of a track,‘Perspective.’ Hoarse shouting with strong melody and honest, angsty lyrics carry along some beer-commercial … Continue reading