Matt Bayles
Interview
Matt Bayles, Seattle based producer/engineer whose credits include Minus the Bear, Isis, Sound Garden, Pearl Jam. Matt is one of our favorite producers.
Dark Signals
Sleepy Eyes of Death
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Emerging from the grey Pacific North West is Sleepy Eyes of Death—tromping all over anyone’s belief that all Seattle produces is sweet indie-poppers. Closer to M83’s Before the Dawn Heals Us than anything Death Cab for Cutie dare dream of, Dark Signals is a six-song, twenty-four minute dizzying assault of retro synths, driving drum machines, and copious loops—all floating, screaming, and swirling though intensely crafted layers. Calling it shoegaze is a good start—however that would only scratch the surface as elements of ambient, hardcore, and new wave also leave their fingerprints all over Dark Signals’ oppressively dazzling sound.
(SleepyEyesofDeath.com)
Sit Down and Listen
Canon Canyon
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You’d be forgiven for thinking that Canon Canyon hailed from somewhere more sun baked than Tacoma Washington. However, while the dusty voice of lead man Mike Cooper may evoke dreams of the south, Sit Down and Listen gentle folk is one of universal appeal. The kind of folk that—should you be inclined to go for the pun—might make you want to Sit Down and Listen. (I hate myself.)
Although introspective is a strong descriptor, Canon Canyon deftly skirts the dreaded “e” word—emo. Observations are realistic, emotional responses measured—the kind of reactions precious few of us ever really manage. In album opener “East Bound Train” the speaker laments, “I’m wondering which songs remind you of me.” before sincerely adding, “I wish you the best; I hope you’re doing just fine.” The profound, Bob Dylan-like observation “The friends you used to love turn into people you used to know” anchors album highlight “Travelin’ Souls” which—in the hands of a lesser band—would have amounted to a paean to self-pity. Nothing too feel too bummed about here though—just a mature and fun little folk-rock gem.
(Canon Canyon on MySpace )
