Month: April 2013

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Artist profile: Bone Cave Ballet

Bone Cave Ballet promotional photo
Bone Cave Ballet promotional photo

With haunting vocals and penetrating lyrics set against an angular sonic backdrop, Bone Cave Ballet envelops the listener in a musical tide of turbulent, eruptive waters into which an author would write sharks.

The Seattle band began as a reconnection between ex-band mates, when vocalist/guitarist Jacqui Gilroy and fellow Detroit transplant drummer Kelly Mynes decided to rekindle their musical flame. The progressive and emotionally potent song structures are written by Gilroy, and are fleshed out by Mynes, bassist Ezekiel Lords, and guitarist Jeff Blancato to create a sound that fans say they’ve never heard before.

BCB recorded in 2009 at Bear Creek studios in Woodinville, WA, and put out their first official release, The Echo of Entropy. Since touring the West Coast with this release in 2009-2012, and frequent gigging in Seattle, they’ve been writing for their upcoming release, expected in early 2013.

Personnel:

  • Jacqui Gilroy — vocals, guitar
  • Kelly Mynes — drums
  • Ezekiel Lords — bass
  • Jeff Blancato — guitar, backing vocals

Sample:

Links to artist websites:

Links were good as of when the artist performed. Some may no longer work.

Performances:

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Artist profile: Bill Horist

Bill Horist promotional photo
Bill Horist promotional photo

Since moving to Seattle in 1995, Bill Horist has established himself as a noted improviser/composer/performer. In the past decade, he has appeared on over 40 recordings and has performed almost 700 concerts in Canada, Mexico, Europe, Japan and throughout the US. Bill has performed and/or recorded with Bill Frisell, Wayne Horvitz, KK Null, Trey Gunn(King Crimson), Chris Cutler, Kawabata Makoto (Acid Mothers Temple), William Hooker, Trey Spruance (Mr Bungle/Secret Chiefs 3), Eugene Chadbourne, Tatsuya Yoshida (Ruins), Amy Denio, Uchihashi Kazuhisa, Steve Fisk, Anla Courtis (Reynols), Lesli Dalaba, Paul Hoskin, Thomas Dimuzio, Wally Shoup, Jessica Lurie, Mason Jones, Jeff Grienke, and Tucker Martine as well as members of Earth, The Boredoms and Larsen among others.

As a solo artist, Bill’s improvised, prepared guitar work is informed by Hans Reichel, Fred Frith, and Henry Kaiser, but shows a unique style and personality. He has received critical praise internationally from periodicals including The Wire and Alternative Press, and several of his recordings have made critics’ year-end lists. Bill was featured in the March 2007 issues of Guitar Player Magazine and Earshot Jazz Magazine. In 2005 and 2006, he was nominated for “Jazz Artist of the Year” (despite his total inability to play jazz!) and “Guitarist of the Year” respectively by the Seattle Weekly. He was the recipient of the 2006 GAP grant, 2005 Artist Trust Fellowship, the 1997 Jack Straw Artist Assistance Program Grant and has done several presentations and workshops at schools from first grade to college-level, including the University of Calgary, Seattle Art Institute, Martin Luther King Elementary (Seattle), the Experience Music Project and Big Picture School for at-risk youth.

Personnel:

  • Bill Horist — Guitar, prepared and unprepared

Sample:

Links to artist websites:

Links were good as of when the artist performed. Some may no longer work.

Performances:

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Artist profile: Austenitic

Austenitic promotional photo
Austenitic promotional photo

Seattle’s foremost bass/drums duo of insanity. Stopping, starting, twisting, turning, making you shake your head with wonder.

Personnel:

  • Ross Martin — Bass, vocals
  • Kelly Mynes — Drums

Sample:

Links to artist websites:

Links were good as of when the artist performed. Some may no longer work.

Performances:

 

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Artist profile: Alex’s Hand

Alex's Hand promotional photo
Alex’s Hand promotional photo

In an attempt to depart from tradition, Alex’s Hand is more of an ongoing musical process than a rock band. Fusing genres into palpable movements that span the space between chaos and beauty is only a fraction of what one will experience at one of the Hand’s performance spectacles. Acting more as an avant-punk theater circus than anything else, Alex’s Hand is relentlessly pushing their artistic limits as musicians, performers and engineers. While they are students of the experiment, they are able to maintain a refined cohesion within their wacky ambitions and deliver a complex musical package. Having been described as; “Spiky punk funk” (The Stranger), “Equally unsettling and groovy, prime evidence for Alex’s Hand’s penchant for avant-pop experimentation.”(http://seattle.thedelimagazine.com/), and “the soundtrack to your fucked up drug trip.” Seattle Weekly) “…pure Holloween”, “…prehistoric zombie jazz”, “they don’t just bring weird to the table — they slap it down on top, like an over sized pair of dirty boots, and then stare you out until you say something about it.” (Misfit City, UK)

Personnel:

  • Kellen Mills — Bass, vocals
  • Nic Barnes — Drums, vocals
  • Gabe Tachell — Guitars, vocals
  • Richard Williams — Keyboards
  • Max Steiner — Guitars

Sample:

Links to artist websites:

Links were good as of when the artist performed. Some may no longer work.

Performances: