The band Full Color Dream just came together a year and a half ago, but they’ve been working hard at playing shows and recording ever since. I remember being surprised last year when, not long after their first album, “Blooey,” came out, they announced a whole other album in the pipeline on social media. The time has finally come for that album, “Grouse,” to see the light of day.
Now Full Color Dream is going big with several weeks of touring around the Northwest. The tour kicks off with their album release show on Friday, June 14 at the Shakedown.
Full Color Dream’s sound draws on a blend of grunge, alternative rock and pop. The band has an unusual dynamic wherein the guitar and voice will double each other, intertwine or harmonize in unpredictable ways. Guitars are loud and distorted but not quite heavy, with a distinctively slippery style of melodic riffing.
Lead singer Cullen Webster has one of those great voices with just the right amount of grit, and the vocal melodies are memorable without being cloying. Webster and bassist Royce Nickerson Jr. are the remaining founding members, with guitarist Ian Stephens joining just in time for the new album. Drummer Kevin Smead played on the album, but Gabe Massey has taken over drumming for the band since then.
The new album has eight songs, recorded with engineer Calla Avery at Earwig Studios in Seattle. They’ve also partnered with Washingtones Records to release the LP in the eco-friendly PET format.
Once the band gets done with the tour, they may take it easy for a bit in terms of local shows — so if you want to celebrate with them, the June 14 show is your best shot. Support on the bill includes LipStitch, who already put out one of the other top local albums of the year, so it should be a memorable night.
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Mount Vernon-based rapper Dank Zavala is also having a productive year. After an excellent EP in April, he just put out a cleverly structured three-song single. The first song is 1:11 long, the next is 2:22 and the third is 3:33. That sort of trickery wouldn’t mean anything if he didn’t have the tunes to back it up — but fortunately, he does.
Kissing Thieves, on the other hand, are one of those projects that pops up with a new single a few times a year. Their latest, “Sunset”, is a strong entry in their growing catalog. Where some of their other work builds to big crescendos, this song keeps it simple with sparse guitar and strings framing a haunting narrative about moving on from hard times. As always, Stefanie Field’s unbelievably powerful lead vocals are the centerpiece.
It’s definitely time to start making summer music plans. The City of Ferndale announced its annual Summer of Fun. Music highlights include SpaceBand playing at the food truck festival on June 14, and Baby Cakes and Lemon Creek playing Pioneer Park on July 19 and Aug. 17 respectively.
Bellingham’s Downtown Sounds also announced its lineup of headliners, and there are a bunch of return musicians who can be guaranteed to keep summer Wednesdays jumping. This is also the 20th anniversary, so it had to go big. That kicks off with Cytrus on July 10, and also includes Acorn Project on July 17, Daniel Pak on July 24 and the Soul Rebels on July 31 before wrapping up with the Pimps of Joytime on Aug. 7.
Jesse Stanton's music column, The Beat Goes On, appears weekly. Reach him at jsbhammusic@gmail.com; @JSBhamMusic. Check with individual venues to make sure events are still taking place as scheduled. Live music events in Whatcom County: http://www.cascadiadaily.com/category/living/arts-and-entertainment/music/music-calendar
