The story of Tender Forever: Once upon a time there was a young immigrant lost on the streets of Seattle with only $20 to her name. She'd grown up covering sixties pop classics in Bourdeaux, and traveled here with just a sense of adventure. Wandering aimlessly, she then ran into a fellow named Calvin Johnson. Through his K Records she found a place to work on mingling her deeply passionate vocals with mostly electronic music.

Melanie Valera was born in Maurr, France, relocated to Olympia, and is now living in Portland, OR. This celebrated "piano, guitar, keyboards, and saucepan" playing singer-songwriter has stopped the dance groove for her next album, No Snare.

Tender Forever has been known for the great one woman groove attack on tracks like a cover of Justin Timberlake's "My Love" on a 2007 French compilation and also did a brilliantly brittle sonic extrapolation of Mirah's "Make It Hot" on K's remix anthology Joyride. But it was over the course of her breathtaking first two albums, The Soft and The Hardcore (2005) and Wider (2007), that she astonished media like Playgirl who described her as "sweet like Cat Power with lyrics that will make you feel like one tough bitch."

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When I heard Wallpaper for the first time, I immediately thought of a cross between The Kinks and Weezer (at least Weezer before Rivers Cuomo's likely lobotomy). The Auburn trio has a 1960s Brit rock sound with plenty of hooks while singing about minutiae like watching television. I was taken with their song "Pop Rocket" that sounds so simple: it's just guitar, bass and drums; verse, chorus, verse - but that's the point of pop music. It's hooks claw into you right away and the next thing you know, their album, On the Chewing Gum Ground, is in heavy rotation in your head.

Wallpaper is two brothers, Derek and Spencer Kelley and their friend Steven Potter. They form a power trio (bass, guitar, drums) and each play each instrument and each sing. Yet, it sounds surprisingly cohesive. They were reportedly signed to K Records after impressing Calvin Johnson after while sharing a bill with him.

Here's a video of Wallpaper playing "Pop Rocket" at the Comet:

Wallpaper plays in the EMP Sky Church at 6:15pm on Monday, September 7.

If the title of Desolation Wilderness’ second full-length is taken as ironic, it would be giving them credit for a sense of humor that the album does not convey. What New Universe does give the listener is the feeling of a lonely and meaningful nap in a hammock on a generic beach with waves crashing and sun setting. This universe is not new, however. This universe is much the same as the one that Desolation Wilderness let us get lost in on their last album, White Light Strobing.

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Touring for their debut album, Rotting Slowly, released on K records this May; The Curious Mystery blends a multitude of textures. Some of their songs reveal a velvet lining, but most of the time they offer up a coarse belly for you to scratch. And much like a poorly groomed pup, their sound is at once alluring and yet full of fleas. Go ahead, get bit and get the itch.

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I received Olympia band, Desolation Wilderness’ debut album White Light Strobing about a month ago and since then it has not left my 3 disc CD player. Other albums have come and gone but White Light Strobing seems to stay. This is why I couldn’t be more excited to recommend their show tonight, Thursday June 4th at the Jewel Box Theater in Belltown. 

Desolation Wilderness makes pretty music, it feels light and airy and makes you want to chill out or drive around some scenic back roads listening to it. Signed by K Records, Desolation Wilderness recorded their album in the famed Dub Narcotic Studio and have been touring since last fall. They make dreamy poppy slow drawn music that might very well be accessible to anyone and everyone. The band uses guitars, drums, glockenspiels, vibraphones, synthesizers and other instruments. 

It should make for an interesting show or at least a laid back night out with some fabulous live music. If your not already going to Jens Lekman, do yourself a favor and check out Desolation Wilderness. Show starts at 10pm, Bill Horist and Mood Organ open the show.         
 

Very few singers have a voice that approaches Mirah Yom Tov Zietlyn’s. She has a gorgeous, delicate voice that is intimate.

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On Thursday night, Mirah and Spectratone International will once again be performing Share this Space, this time it is at the Henry Art Gallery here in Seattle.

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Carrie Brownstein had uncovered our additional Spells songs that did not make it on to The Age of Backwards and she has posted them on her NPR blog.

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Tonight Karl Blau Opens For Mt. Eerie At The Vera!

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"Hey, whatever happened to the sweet young chick
Who fell for the babe with a strap on prick?"

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