A rustic sounding folk rock band with as much talent as you can come by in this town, Campfire OK

http://seattlest.com/2011/02/01/campfire_ok_is_strange_like_we_are.php

Listen Up! Campfire OK is 'Strange Like We Are' (& We Like It That Way)Seattlest Music has some new features afoot. One is called Listen Up! and you are about to read its first installment below. On a fairly regular (we hope) basis we will be bringing you a small sonic tasting from bands and artists that we love by streaming their singles straight from our posts. That way you don't have to scour the 'net attempting to hear samples of the fantastic bands we've been raving about both at shows and in our album/band reviews.


We're excited about this new venture along with its sister series Look Up! (of which the post below is sort of a mixture of both song and video) where we share videos that are particularly amazing whether they be live or artistic featuring those same fantastic bands. If there's someone you'd like to hear or see, then drop us a line at music@seattlest.com. We're always excited to hear from our readers and find out what you want to listen to. We're looking forward to this new direction and hope you are too.

photo by Kyle JohnsonIf you haven't noticed, the Seattle music scene has taken quite an upturn in the last year or two. As a matter of fact, you've probably noticed a huge upswing in amazing musicians. More than a little of that success is due to the tight-knit community that has always circulated through this town of ours. It's evident in the fans and the artists that grace the tiny and not-so-tiny venues spread throughout the town like so many stars in the sky. A really good example of the family-like atmosphere in music assembled itself in the form of Campfire OK.

A rustic sounding folk rock band with as much talent as you can come by in this town, Campfire OK includes standouts Mychael on lead vocals, Melodie on vocals and piano, and Bryan on vocals and guitar. It's rare that a group of musicians can walk into a restaurant one day and sound as amazing as if they'd gone into a studio and recorded a thought out and well-rounded song, but that's exactly what they did recently at Oddfellows. You can see it for yourself below in a masterfully recorded video by Christian Sorensen Hansen.


Campfire Ok at Oddfellows from Christian Sorensen Hansen on Vimeo.


Campfire Ok at Oddfellows from Christian Sorensen Hansen on Vimeo.

You would think by now that they would have a full-length recorded, edited and on the shelves with the practiced sound we have come to know and love. Alas, this is not true, or at least it wasn't true until this Friday today. They're having a cd release party at Columbia City Theater on Saturday to celebrate and we could not be more excited. You can hear a few songs from the upcoming album "Strange Like We Are" on their site or just click play below to get a little taste of what you've been missing. You'll wonder where this music has been all your life and wonder what you'd ever do without it. There's still a few tickets available for their show and we recommend you grab them now because it's sure to sell out.

Strange Like We Are by Campfire OK

Joining Campfire on Friday will be Koko & The Sweetmeats and one of its own members in solo form, Bryan John Appleby. We're anticipating a full-length from him about as much as we're dying to get our hands on the Campfire release. He has an amazing voice like rolling water flowing over rocks in a stream or wind blowing through tall grass on a spring day; sweet and refreshing with an occasional biting sorrow. Having heard him perform at The Collective's first Best of the New showcase and then again at Conor Byrne's open mic night, we're completely hooked. This video speaks for itself.


Cliffs Along The Sea from Christian Sorensen Hansen on Vimeo.


Cliffs Along The Sea by Brian John Appleby from Christian Sorensen Hansen on Vimeo.

Paper Tongues head straight to the top, dawg!

http://media.www.ecollegetimes.com/media/storage/paper991/news/2010/07/29/Music/Paper.Tongues.Head.Straight.To.The.Top.Dawg-3923950.shtml


Paper Tongues head straight to the top, dawg!

Christina Caldwell

Media Credit: Andrew Macpherson

If you interrupt a music megastar's meal by letting him or her know about your band, odds are you'll be blown off and escorted out by security. Assumedly, that would be the case with a huge star like "American Idol's" Randy Jackson. But somehow that approach worked for Paper Tongues frontman Aswan North.

Fast-forward three years; Randy Jackson is now the band's manager and mentor, landing them gigs opening for Muse, Flyleaf, Switchfoot and others. We talked to guitarist Joey Signa about the band's sudden rise to fame and the bumps along the way.

College Times: You guys ran into Randy Jackson of 'American Idol' during a chance encounter. Can you tell me that story? How did it lead to him becoming your manager? Also, how many times, on average, does Randy Jackson say "dawg" in a five minute conversation?

Signa: Aswan met him at a hotel in LA while Randy was eating lunch. Essentially, Aswan interrupted his meal and gave him our MySpace and phone number and asked (well, more so told him) to give a listen. Two hours later, he calls. We meet up with him at the studio and just start hanging. And since then, he has been our coach and manager and is becoming like an uncle. He is just like he is on TV. [He's] one of the most approachable ... people in the industry. [He's] a genius bass player and business man and really down to earth. His language is a little bit more "branded" for TV, but it definitely came from somewhere.

You've opened for some pretty huge names, including Muse, Switchfoot and Flyleaf. You guys are professionals now, but at any point during your career have you been star struck? Not just with the bands you've opened for, but with people you've been able to meet?

Yes! I was like a child at the Jimmy Fallon show! First of all, as you know, The Roots are the house band. So [when] I saw Questlove in the hallway, I froze up. I shook his hand while he was on the phone and said, "I just wanted to say hi." That was it. It was pretty embarrassing because I had to interrupt his phone call to tell him that. Also, "30 Rock" is one of my favorite shows ever and Jack McBrayer, who plays my favorite character, Kenneth, was a guest on the show. I immediately found him [after the show] and got a picture with him and put in on my Facebook. I was smiling for hours.

You guys blend many different styles that, on the surface, seem like they wouldn't go together. How would you describe your sound, besides the standard "rock and roll meets hip-hop, meets soul, meets funk"?

Our music, to us, is about passion and feeling. Whatever that sounds like is what we make. We use what we know to make what we feel, and that has gotten us to this sound, that even for me is hard to describe. The best way I can describe it is listening to what your soul is saying, and connecting that to our sound.

I'm curious about the songwriting dynamic among the group. With seven members, there must be a lot of ideas floating around. How do you arrange them into one coherent piece?

We never shut anyone down. We let whoever is working work until they feel they have arrived or exhausted themselves. Then we go through everything piece by piece and pick out what we all feel works. We have the honor of working with some amazing producers that really help in this area. But [we], as a band, give each other space to put down what they are feeling.

What would you consider the highlight of the band's career thus far?

For me, it's the shows where we can feel the crowd at its most intense moments. It could be a tiny venue with 200 people, but it feels as if we're in front of thousands because of the energy floating around. I also loved playing at the Jimmy Fallon show. So much fun!

Probably some of the most interesting stories I've heard from bands are about their worst live gigs ever. What's yours?

For me, as far as intense wreckage goes, it was playing at the George Lopez show. No one other than the live audience would ever know. We recorded "Trinity" for his website and the first time we played it, my guitar wasn't working. We finished the song and I had to stop the whole production and admit that I had no clue what was going on. Then in front of the entire audience, including George, I had to sort it out. Everyone was waiting for me to fix my gear and I had no clue what was happening! It was so scary. It was our first time on TV and all the cameramen and directors and producers were rushing me and it was freaking me out. I trashed my pedal board on my hands and knees while George moved on to recording some liners until something worked. Finally we re-recorded it with my emotions in shambles.

MP3 der Woche – Campfire OK

MP3 der Woche – Campfire OK

http://www.nicorola.de/aktuelle-beitrage/musik/mp3/mp3-der-woche/mp3-der-woche-campfire-ok


31.01.2011 Ein Kommentar nicorola

Diesen Song der Folk-Band aus Seattle hatte ich bereits vor ein paar Wochen in einer Mixahula-Ausgabe, aber irgendwie ist der Song bei mir hängen geblieben und demnach zu gut, um mitten in einem Mix zu versauern. Die Art und Weise, wie hier das Banjo eingesetzt wird, hat eher was von raffiniertem Pop als von Folk. Erinnern mich zumindest bei diesem Song ein wenig an The Meligrove Band.

Campfire OK – “Strange Like We Are”

The septet from Charlotte's sound is hard to define

Tongues and Trees in Pomona


http://supergoodmusic.blogspot.com/2010/07/tongues-and-trees-in-pomona-tonight.html

Two buzz bands storm the far east of Los Angeles when Neon Trees and Paper Tongues stop in Pomona at The Glass House tonight.

Both have been extremely active this summer on the Bang The Gong Tour, but Paper Tongues has been a beast on the road. The 7 piece band makes their stop amidst an 18 month tour as they parade the same talents that got the 7 member group signed by Randy Jackson. With talk show appearances recently on Jimmy Fallon and George Lopez, buzz on MTV, stops at major festivals like Bonnaroo and movement on the billboard charts with the song "Trinity" from their March 30, 2010 self titled release Paper Tongues, eastern Los Angeles is catching this band at the right time.

Paper Tongues

Paper Tongues hail from the other side of the country, but the band and their music still reflect the same American melting pot that LA bands do. The septet from Charlotte's sound is hard to define as it embraces elements from hip-hop, funk, soul and all the way to rock all at once. This might be expected when you have members of the band from all walks of life and cultures, from vocalist Aswan North to pianist Cody Blackler, but their blend is different than what you might have heard before. Tonight, 2009's "Ride To California" might be a fan favorite, but the band offers something for everyone, no matter where they are from.

Neon Trees, on the other hand, is a bit more of a niche group. They are part of the new breed of indie-rock and their sound, best exhibited on the charting and catchy "Animal," reflects their exposure to some of the bands they have opened for, like The Killers. The rest of their 2010 release Habits (which actually came out 2 weeks before Paper Tongues) carves them out as a new talent on the indie scene. Songs with toe tapping rhythm and easily repeatable lyrics, like "Sins of My Youth" and "Calling My Name," suggest this band is not going anywhere.

Unlike PT, Neon Trees are also close to their roots here in California. Not only are some of the band members originally from California (Temecula), but their name is a homage to the neon glow surrounding Cali's esteemed In-N-Out.

Campfire Ok at Columbia City Theater. Feb, 5th 2011.

W. H. Walker lives up to the hype

http://www.babysue.com/2011-Feb-LMNOP-Reviews.html#anchor111909
W. H. Walker - Suds! (Independently released CD-R EP, Pop)

Whoever wrote the info on the little promo sticker for this disc gets ten bonus points. The text describing this band's music immediately caught our attention: "The future of doo-wop boogie pop, lassoing the soul of 1950s and the hooks of 1970s & dragging those years through the dregs of punk into 2010." Those crazy smart folks at XO Publicity...talk about stroking our curiosity...!?! The great news is that the music created by the folks in W. H. Walker lives up to the hype. We would add a line to the description stating that there are a few subtle threads of glam running through these tunes as well. This short disc clocks in at just under 24 minutes...but even though its short the tunes pack a major punch. Killer hard pop cuts include "As The Night Goes," "Watch Your Step," and "Second Hand Store. Top pick.

Paper Tongues head straight to the top, dawg!

http://media.www.ecollegetimes.com/media/storage/paper991/news/2010/07/29/Music/Paper.Tongues.Head.Straight.To.The.Top.Dawg-3923950.shtml


Paper Tongues head straight to the top, dawg!

Christina Caldwell

Media Credit: Andrew Macpherson

If you interrupt a music megastar's meal by letting him or her know about your band, odds are you'll be blown off and escorted out by security. Assumedly, that would be the case with a huge star like "American Idol's" Randy Jackson. But somehow that approach worked for Paper Tongues frontman Aswan North.



Fast-forward three years; Randy Jackson is now the band's manager and mentor, landing them gigs opening for Muse, Flyleaf, Switchfoot and others. We talked to guitarist Joey Signa about the band's sudden rise to fame and the bumps along the way.



College Times: You guys ran into Randy Jackson of 'American Idol' during a chance encounter. Can you tell me that story? How did it lead to him becoming your manager? Also, how many times, on average, does Randy Jackson say "dawg" in a five minute conversation?



Signa: Aswan met him at a hotel in LA while Randy was eating lunch. Essentially, Aswan interrupted his meal and gave him our MySpace and phone number and asked (well, more so told him) to give a listen. Two hours later, he calls. We meet up with him at the studio and just start hanging. And since then, he has been our coach and manager and is becoming like an uncle. He is just like he is on TV. [He's] one of the most approachable ... people in the industry. [He's] a genius bass player and business man and really down to earth. His language is a little bit more "branded" for TV, but it definitely came from somewhere.



You've opened for some pretty huge names, including Muse, Switchfoot and Flyleaf. You guys are professionals now, but at any point during your career have you been star struck? Not just with the bands you've opened for, but with people you've been able to meet?



Yes! I was like a child at the Jimmy Fallon show! First of all, as you know, The Roots are the house band. So [when] I saw Questlove in the hallway, I froze up. I shook his hand while he was on the phone and said, "I just wanted to say hi." That was it. It was pretty embarrassing because I had to interrupt his phone call to tell him that. Also, "30 Rock" is one of my favorite shows ever and Jack McBrayer, who plays my favorite character, Kenneth, was a guest on the show. I immediately found him [after the show] and got a picture with him and put in on my Facebook. I was smiling for hours.



You guys blend many different styles that, on the surface, seem like they wouldn't go together. How would you describe your sound, besides the standard "rock and roll meets hip-hop, meets soul, meets funk"?



Our music, to us, is about passion and feeling. Whatever that sounds like is what we make. We use what we know to make what we feel, and that has gotten us to this sound, that even for me is hard to describe. The best way I can describe it is listening to what your soul is saying, and connecting that to our sound.



I'm curious about the songwriting dynamic among the group. With seven members, there must be a lot of ideas floating around. How do you arrange them into one coherent piece?



We never shut anyone down. We let whoever is working work until they feel they have arrived or exhausted themselves. Then we go through everything piece by piece and pick out what we all feel works. We have the honor of working with some amazing producers that really help in this area. But [we], as a band, give each other space to put down what they are feeling.



What would you consider the highlight of the band's career thus far?



For me, it's the shows where we can feel the crowd at its most intense moments. It could be a tiny venue with 200 people, but it feels as if we're in front of thousands because of the energy floating around. I also loved playing at the Jimmy Fallon show. So much fun!



Probably some of the most interesting stories I've heard from bands are about their worst live gigs ever. What's yours?



For me, as far as intense wreckage goes, it was playing at the George Lopez show. No one other than the live audience would ever know. We recorded "Trinity" for his website and the first time we played it, my guitar wasn't working. We finished the song and I had to stop the whole production and admit that I had no clue what was going on. Then in front of the entire audience, including George, I had to sort it out. Everyone was waiting for me to fix my gear and I had no clue what was happening! It was so scary. It was our first time on TV and all the cameramen and directors and producers were rushing me and it was freaking me out. I trashed my pedal board on my hands and knees while George moved on to recording some liners until something worked. Finally we re-recorded it with my emotions in shambles.

Citizens Thank Little Caesars

CD Review: Campfire OK — Strange Like We Are (Atlanta Music Guide)

CD Review: Campfire OK — Strange Like We Are


January 31, 2011 CD Reviews No Comments

Campfire OK

Strange Like We Are

Ana-Them
http://www.atlantamusicguide.com/2011/01/31/cd-review-campfire-ok-strange-like-we-are/


By Ellen Eldridge



A warm feeling, like that of sitting at a campfire surrounded by chilling winds (and, possibly, wolves) comes across when the syncopated drums and vocals close in on the peaceful piano intro for Campfire OK’s debut Strange Like We Are. The imagery in the titles of the first three tracks alone cries out to a sense of eccentricity, like a hike in the woods on a broken leg. “We Lay In Caves” ends with a chaotic mesh of horns which give way to the drums starting “Hard Times,” the album’s second track which is punctuated with the twangy pull of a banjo’s strings. The third and title-track of the debut rises from a far-off call, like something one strains to make out across a forest. The gliding vocals recall Ten Story Relapse and a similar emotive of The Very Foundation, but not as frantic.



Campfire OK possesses the necessary factors to elicit a rousing catharsis while still driving chords played on synthesizers, as in “I Would Like Everything,” with the repeated line, “So, your relapse is more what I call a cry for attention.” This track may even speak to some audiences or grab attention more quickly than the singles that start the album. Lyrically, this upfront line allows for a narrow width of interpretation and fits well into many situations where addiction to anything from street drugs to love can make a listener feel a connection to the song. Well done.



One could classify Campfire OK as Americana, with its blend of vocal harmonies and silky piano driven by drums. The pop melodies across Strange Like We Are keep the songs going while the lyrics and tone seem to want to sink or give up. The psychology behind the way that the melodies contradict the rhythms may tap into the truth of how and why music keeps us going when we feel like slouching deep into the couch cushions. The toe-tapping keeps you moving as the lyrics mask a deeper sense of sadness. To a casual or superficial listener, this release could pass as pop, but more educated audiences that take the time to indulge will enjoy a satisfying secret.



Simple piano chords propel the lines, “I’m not surprised I’m not taken aback by you,” in “Magic Tricks,” and then the song swells into a concoction of writhing horn instruments, which relent to the next track. “Brass,” which starts ever so quietly and softly, shows the dynamic of Campfire OK and marks the band as one with serious potential. The addition of brass and folk instruments, including banjo, and multiple backing vocals make Strange Like We Are a luscious treat for fans of groups like As Tall As Lions, The Very Foundation, Ten Story Relapse, and Fleet Foxes.

A Hard Edge Meets a Soft Core: The Burning Hotels

A Hard Edge Meets a Soft Core: The Burning Hotels


http://borangutan.com/band-reviews/hard-edge-meets-soft-core-burning-hotels/

Author: Schwaz

Having enjoyed the success of their debut album, "Novels", the impressive

new band The Burning Hotels recently took the stage at Sauce. The

dark-clad, masculine foursome proved true to the nature of their name with

the intensity of their set.



Band members Chance Morgan, Matt Mooty, Marley Whistler, Wyatt Adams may

indeed be All-American Texas boys, but their musical style indicates

influences from far and distant places. With their heavy bass guitar and

epic powerful vocals they struck the audience with a post-punk meets 1970's

enthusiasm, that literally left the crowd transfixed. Chance Morgan's

scratching and haunting vocals brings to mind memories of Muse's early

successes, with a wistfulness easily associated with Coldplay.



Their solid, hard rock sound is chillingly reminiscent to that of Interpol,

and the overall experience of The Burning Hotels can be compared to a

complex combination between a hard metallic edge and a soft core. The band

presented a dynamic interplay between opposing music styles, alongside two

guitarists sharing vocals. This is the kind of band we want to continually

see in Minnesota, but rarely do. Definitely worth checking out.



To Whom It May Concern - The Burning Hotels

Links

http://theburninghotels.net/
http://www.myspace.com/theburninghotels

Strongly rooted in the raw acoustic roots of the Smithsonian Folkways Anthology

http://www.seattleweekly.com/2011-02-02/calendar/campfire-ok/#


Campfire OK

Local collective Campfire OK is one of those beautiful, restless entities that don't stay in one place for too long but still manage to write concise, focused songs. Strongly rooted in the raw acoustic roots of the Smithsonian Folkways Anthology series, the band pushes the boundaries of the revival band stigma, incorporating subtle modern elements (synth swells and delay pedals) effortlessly atop the weathered antique frames of their songs. While the energy of their live show shifts alongside their ever-changing band roster, their debut LP, Strange Like We Are, is stocked full of pristine, elegant dirges that start simply and end up evolving into overwhelming walls of sound, capable of taking over even the most jaded and suspicious listeners. With Koko & The Sweetmeats, Bryan John Appleby. GREGORY FRANKLIN

Sat., Feb. 5, 9 p.m., 2011

February 5th at the Columbia City Theater, Campfire OK is releasing their new album

Campfire OK - Rainy Dawg Radio


On February 5th at the Columbia City Theater, Campfire OK is releasing their new album. Also there: Koko and The Sweetmeats and Bryan John Appleby, ...

www.rainydawg.org/?tag=hausu

"Suds! All over me! Suds! I want to be clean!"

http://thevinylanachronist.blogspot.com/

"Suds! All over me! Suds! I want to be clean!"

Okay, now that this song is totally stuck in my head and won't come out, I guess it's time to tell you about coolest party album of the year--W. H. Walker's Suds!. This six-song EP, which is culled from a forthcoming split 7" LP with Clorox Girls, hasn't a moody, reflective moment on it. This self-described "doo-wop boogie pop" is all about (Suds!) raw exuberance, a lo-fi party vibe and an overall sound that jumps cleanly between The Who circa 1965 and perhaps The Jam circa 1979.



W. H. Walker, which isn't a guy but a group, stands for Welcome Home Walker. This Portland-based band rose from the (Suds!) ashes of the Soda Pop Kids, a very different sounding band that broke up in 2007, and they take such musical heroes as Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy and the Rubinoos and turn them into something that's 10% nostalgia and 90% sheer hyper energy.



While the doo-wop influences are (Suds!) obvious, the rawness of W. H. Walker seems to rise from the punk scene that emerged a good fifteen or twenty years later, especially in more manic songs such as "As the Night Goes." Throw in a cover tune from a Venice, California busker ("Watch Your Step") and a genuine soul ballad ("The Untold Death of Grady Jones") and the non-stop rush of sound and beat starts to ebb and flow and show a surprising amount of (Suds!) depth amid the cigarette smoke and the spilled gin.



So, Suds! is a whole lot of fun, a slight dirty EP that smells like the wrong but much more interesting side of town, the one where you have the time of your life before you run home and try to forget what you've done the night before. A bathtub full of Suds! will do the trick, I suspect.

Ezra Holbrook - Save Yourself

Ezra Holbrook - Save Yourself


http://thevinylanachronist.blogspot.com/

After hearing a few cuts from the latest overwrought and banal album from James Blunt, I sincerely wondered to myself if anyone could write a sweet, intelligent and romantic song in this day and age. Idiocracy aside, I just can't accept that intelligence is directly proportional to cynicism, and that a love song has to have a dark edge in order to be acceptable to your garden-variety hipster in the year 2011.



Ezra Holbrook, I believe, has the answer. Ezra was the original drummer for The Decemberists, and his new album Save Yourself combines a stunning trifecta of intelligent lyrics about love, varied and endlessly interesting instrumentation and great sound quality. Ezra's voice is surprisingly accomplished for someone who was previously just known as a drummer for a very good indie band. He mixes the slight breathiness of Sufjan Stevens with the honest, direct phrasing of Paul Simon, and the result is easy, sweet and smooth.



Best of all, he really has something to say about love that isn't maudlin, angular or overly unctuous. He's the master of the simple throwaway line that comes back to haunt you, like the simple yet poetic declaration in the song "Collide-oscope" that "Everything broken is beautiful too." (He comes back later in the same song to confirm that "You might feel broken but all of those pieces belong where they fall.") And for the record, I also sat up and took notice of the line "I would go to sleep unhappy if I could just wake up amazed" from "Do People Bloom?"; it reminded me of "You know I would die if I could come back new" from Wilco's astounding "Ashes of American Flags."



Ezra doesn't cheap out on his band, either. Like I said, it's varied, and I was constantly surprised by the sudden appearance of an accordion, a flute, a string arrangement or even a '70s-style electric piano. The gentle, jazz-tinged sax solo that ends "Another Light Off in the Distance" is definitely a welcome conceit. The sound quality is unusually warm and natural; on a couple of songs I could even hear when acoustic guitars were being strummed with the fingernails rather than picks.



Not every song is a home run--"God Help the Homeless Heart," for example, wears its heart a little too eagerly on its sleeve with its sentimental yet skittish string arrangement. But Save Yourself is a remarkably smart collection of love songs, and may be the perfect make-out record for the day you finally get that quirky, tattooed IT student who works at the local Starbucks to come over to your apartment.

Campfire OK offers free download of Strange Like We Are’s title track

http://popwreckoning.com/2011/01/31/campfire-ok-offers-free-download-of-strange-like-we-ares-title-track/#
Campfire OK offers free download of Strange Like We Are’s title track

Seattle’s Campfire OK is set to release Strange Like We Are and they’re sharing the title track as a free download now. Who doesn’t like free stuff?

Download “Strange Like We Are” from here. It’s a fun indie folk jam with a building melody line that is sure to have you singing along by the end. You can also check out a video of the band performing the song below.

If you like this song, the rest of the album will be available February 1 on various forms. They’ll also play a hometown CD release show on February 5 at the Columbia City Theatre.