Since picking up a few choice cassettes from Wild Animal Kingdom at the Underwater People's Showcase, I've been keeping my ears on the small label, run by Olympia's own Dana Jewell. Considering WAKR has released a bevy of beautifully handmade small batch cassette albums, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the new Pill Wonder tape continues the tradition. Pill Wonder played a cheerfully shambolic set at the Market Hotel two weekends back, and Jungle/Surf, the title of the new cassette, is an apt description of their sound. Bubbling with rainforest humidity and play pen playfulness, Pill Wonder's cassette is way more Elephant Six in nature, than, say Animal Collective, who I'm sure people would find a fitting touch point. Rousing in a manner much like that of a Kung Fu Panda in the midst of a noodle fight, tracks like "What We Know" and "Wishing Whale" ooze with gelatonus excitement, as if Wil injected ecto-cooler into his computer mic in order to get right on the Ghost Busters funk tip. As WKR notes Jungle/Surf "took three years to complete and was recorded single-handedly by Wil on his Dell Computer using the Adobe Audition Program downloaded illegally in his mother's bedroom." This cassette is limited to 25, as it will released by our boys at Underwater People's on beautiful 12" vinyl in the next lil bit.
Not one to get bored, Dana also recently started a WAKR Monthly Mix-Tape Club, a series which will highlight specific artists, motifs, and themes, and will be curated by some of the raddest dudes and ladies around. Dana writes, "To join MM-TC, I ask only that you pay for the shipping of the tape from Olympia to anywhere in the continental US for only $1.50 Monthly or for a full year subscription $18.00 so essentially the actual cost of the musix and tapes are free for you!" This is amazing. Luckily for me, I've been asked to curate an addition, and couldn't be happier about it. Sign up asap as I have no idea how limited these will be. And, well, because they are sure to be incredible. It'll be good. Feel good. All good. Etc.
Pill Wonder- What We Know
1 comment:
Arg. Can you drop them a hint that there are people outside the continental U.S. willing to pay the difference in postage?
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