Three New Albums to Listen to This Fall
Fresh incarnations and new albums for three beloved Seattle musicians
By Seattle Mag October 23, 2014
This article originally appeared in the October 2014 issue of Seattle magazine.
If you’ve been following the career of David Bazan (center of main photo above) you know he moved from lead singer and songwriter for indie-darling band Pedro the Lion to existential crisis to creating acclaimed solo work. For his newest album, David Bazan + Passenger String Quartet, he bonded with Seattle’s most sought-after experimental neoclassical backing band, led by Andrew Joslyn. Bazan’s beautiful voice recalls Elvis Costello, and is a perfect, scratchy complement to the beautiful strings aching underneath.
Jenn Ghetto
PHOTO CREDIT: CHRISTOPHER WILSON
Jenn Ghetto, former lead singer of dearly departed indie rock band Carissa’s Wierd [sic], is back in the form of the moniker S (under which she’s released several prior solo records). The dreamy new album, Cool Choices—produced by Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla—is a breakup record of the best kind. Gorgeous melodies swim above propulsive guitar and drums, carrying emotionally raw (and sometimes bitingly funny) lyrics that feel both incredibly personal and universal.
Levi Fuller (center)
PHOTO CREDIT: MEGHAN FULLER
Local musician-of-all-trades Levi Fuller (of The Bushwick Book Club music collective, quarterly audio magazine Ball of Wax, Hollow Earth Radio disc jockey, singer-songwriter, etc.) is working with a new backing band, The Library, and has a new record, The Wonders That There Are. The songs are as diverse as Fuller’s many interests—strummy folk ballads buddy up against soaring guitar rock and songs tinged with jangly ’60s psychedelics. It’s a marvelous ride.
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Getting Ghosted
Kim Fu’s latest novel turns a rain-soaked Pacific Northwest winter into the backdrop for a story about grief and loneliness.
In their latest novel, Seattle-based author Kim Fu gets one thing right about the Pacific Northwest: the rain. Set during a particularly bleak winter, The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts tells the story of Eleanor Fan, an online therapist grappling with the recent loss of her mother, Lele. After Lele’s passing, Eleanor inherits money to put…
Go See Diné Artist Eric-Paul Riege’s Largest Show to Date at the Henry Art Gallery
With a mix of mediums, ojo|-|ólǫ́ examines questions surrounding the authenticity and ownership of Indigenous work.
It’s a phrase that’s been drilled into most of us since we were young children: When you’re visiting a gallery, please, do not touch the art. In many cases, it’s with good reason: the pieces on display are fragile, one-of-a-kind, or historic works that cannot be reproduced. It’s such an ingrained approach to the museum-going…
Rearview Mirror: Ballet’s Saddest Story, New Art in the Sculpture Park, and a Home-Grown Wine Label Promoting Social Justice
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
Circular Thinking I am very lucky to live just a 12-minute walk away from Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park. It’s a regular destination for my weekly walks and, aside from the world-class art, has one of the city’s best views of Puget Sound. Earlier this week, I went on a wet, windy walk and discovered…
Studio Sessions: Gabriel Stromberg
For his current show at studio e gallery, Gabriel Stromberg explores the challenges of working with clay.
Gabriel Stromberg has been a name about town for nearly two decades. As one of the cofounders of design firm Civilization (where he was the creative director and lead designer from 2008 to 2022), Stromberg worked on many award-winning projects, helped produce the wildly popular and always packed Design Lecture Series, and co-created and moderated…