I’m not sure what triggers other people’s memories, but mine are strongly linked to my olfactory glands. And songs. What with all the damp green of November in Seattle, it’s been easy to get stuck in a rut of listening to the albums that I attached to this time last year. It’s all well and good, sinking into this semi-induced, semi-unavoidable reverie but it’s really not helping my inclination towards seasonal depression. So I’ve started attaching new songs to the new moments of my new year in Seattle.
When this posts, it will be two days from my yearlong anniversary living in the emerald city. One year later and I’m just as unemployed as when I first moved here and I’m still living with a stranger, except now they sublet from me. Reflecting on this, I’ve allowed myself an indulgent amount of time to dust off the first albums I bought when I moved. However, I realized, being bombarded with the scents of leaf-plastered sidewalks makes it the perfect time to create some new memories in this city I now call home. Here are some upcoming releases that enhance the magnitude of sitting on a park bench in a dense fog or perfectly accompany puzzle time in front of the fireplace.
Capgun Coup - Maudlin
Out on the 3rd on Team Love, the whole album was recorded live in Omaha’s Hotel Frank to capture the feel of their performances. Sometimes droning or folky, sometimes youthfully aggressive, their album is an amalgam of widely ranging songs — the ideal playlist for too many days spent indoors. Cure/encourage your cabin fever with some whiskey and “Ari Are We” off Capgun Coup’s sophomore album.
Lissie - Why You Running
This is an album for those of us who haven’t found anyone to shack up with on the cold nights to come. A haunting heartbreak that is subtly powerful and empowering, the five songs on this EP feature Lissie Maurus’ vocals teetering between the blue soulfulness of her hometown by the mighty Mississippi and the playfulness of her brief stint living in L.A. Throughout the album breathy moans and sustained warbles stand against the bleak backgrounds of woeful slide guitar and echoing handclaps. I dedicate the cover of Hank Williams’ “Wedding Bells” to my sister.
Papercuts - “White Are the Waves” 7″ single
A new song by fuzz loving Jason Quever graces us November 10th. With reverb-ridden bass drum, you can almost hear Quevers dreamy voice lulling and charming the heavy percussion with its sweet melody. The B-side features a Neighbors (Vetiver’s Andy Cabic and producer Thom Monahan) remix of “A Dictators Lament” that isn’t what you may expect. Highlighting the symbol crashes and cleaning them up, the organ that dominates this song off You Can Have What You Want is subsumed by a dancey back beat. This is a release to play in your car when driving to the corner store for beer because it’s too cold to walk the two blocks.
David Bazan - “HAPPY XMAS (War is Over)” (Saturday, November 7 at Neumos)
I’m sure by now we’ve all heard David Bazan’s impressive new record or maybe you own one of the other five installments of his Christmas series. I feel like I don’t have to hype how good this year’s issue, with covers of John and Yoko’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” and Wayne Coyne’s “Say It Isn’t Greensleeves (A Change At Christmas),” will be. Pertinent to atheists who still like presents and God-lovers alike, this limited release of 1,000 copies in blue w/ white haze (200 copies), gold (400copies) and clear (400 copies) vinyl came out on November 3rd. Hurry to get your copy if you’re one of those people who counts down the days between Halloween and Christ’s birthday.
Tape Deck Mountain - Ghost
This, the San Franciscan’s debut LP, comes out on November 17th bringing with it a handful of songs at once sweet, dark, and shoegazey. From song to song they switch from the lo-fi sounds of a Mount Eerie album and the sweeping high production of one of their cited influences, The Smashing Pumpkins. As heavy and hazey as My Bloody Valentine, I recommend “80/20″ as a song that is every bit as dense as the air inside a bus whose windows are covered in condensation.
See you in your raincoat,
Chelsea Werner
*Three Imaginary Girls*
In high ipod rotation:
Nirvana
The Fresh and Onlys
Capgun Coup
Three Imaginary Girls is a Seattle-based website that showcases the great music of the Northwest and beyond to music lovers worldwide. We post a Seattle live show calendar to help you fill your day-planner with loads of great shows, as well as record reviews, live show reviews, and an imagi-blog to entertain you throughout the day.)
