Our PNW Music – Details, episodes & analysis

If you didn’t already know, we have a legendary singer songwriter that lives part time in Skagit County. Randy Weeks’ (formerly of the cow punk band The Lonesome Stangers) most popular hit is a song called “Can’t Let Go”. It was most notably covered by Lucinda Williams on her 1998 Grammy Winning album “Car Wheels On A Gravel Road”. Not only was it the stand out hit of the album, but Ms. Williams was also nominated that same year for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance on Mr. Weeks song.

If that isn’t a big enough deal, this song, which is decades old, was covered by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss! “Can’t Let Go” is not only covered by legendary musicians, but also by thousands of artists all over the country whose genres run the gamut between Rock, Country, Folk, Blues and everything in between. My favorite local band that covers this amazing song is The Enthusiasts out of Anacortes.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/music.randyweeks

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRs-MNE5ypdboNkAEMQEElA

Website: https://www.randyweeks.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6mIaQ7ul3GWc1xln6aLLiW?si=jNjRAzlLTiCZ9KbBvJ59IQ

On this episode of Our PNW Music, we talk with Brett Benton and Jesse James of the BRETT BENTON TRIO.

Brett Benton, originally from Tuscaloosa AL, is an extraordinarily talented young guitarist who has dedicated his art to preserving the early Delta Country Hill Blues music style, which originated in Mississippi in the early 20th century and was popularized by artists such as Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, R.L. Burnside and Lead Belly. 

Jesse James, who is also an extremely gifted guitarist, originally hails from outside of Lake Chelan. When Jesse isn’t playing bass guitar for Brett, he’s playing lead guitar as the front man for his own band, Jesse James and The Mob.

Listen while both Brett and Jesse give us a history lesson on the Delta Country Hill Blues style, and tell us what initially drew them to music and more importantly, what enticed them about this genre that played a pivotal role in the shaping of Rock & Roll.

BRETT BENTON
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/brettbentonblues/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/brettbenton_?utm_medium=copy_link

Website: http://www.brettbentonmusic.com/

YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCaeLgJJBhFkvha3nx0K3sYw

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7g6Yz9VZkkZXNHN4DiZHQm?si=xwoig9QjSimyFF2QxNFXTg&dl_branch=1

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/brett-benton/1335709893

JESSE JAMES

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessejamesmob/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/jessejamesmob?utm_medium=copy_link

Website: https://www.jessejamesmob.com/

YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCg0UCot-8b1NazUeEC7PhTQ
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3YwCfCqR03EmfoSczwDtDl?si=sDJyXkmfQ6GYFaXXK976DQ&dl_branch=1

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/jesse-james-and-the-mob/1381506682

Chris and Mary of Released From Quiet are on to talk about their six holiday song EP they put out this year!

From their website:

Released From Quiet is the Singer Songwriter IndieRock Duo from Bellevue, WA. - Chris Kendziorski (guitar/vocals), Mary Yeager (cajon/vocal/ukulele). Songs of the road, out of this world love, and introspection weave their way into RFQ songs.  Sung with gravely angst & groovy rhythms, this duo is sure to kick up a variety of emotions that remind us to live this life we love and love this life we live.

Chris was born and raised in southern Japan.  Living as a civilian near Sasebo U.S. Naval Base.  His Dad a math teacher.  After graduating high school, Chris moved to the states and attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.  Feeling too far away from his home in Japan, Chris moved to Hawaii and Oregon before finding a place that finally felt like a new home in the Pacific Northwest.

Mary began her journey in the sticks of Alaska. Her first venture out of the Last Frontier was in a VW bug along with 6 siblings, her Mom and a cat - on a road trip down the unpaved Al-Can (Alaska-Canada) Highway to Seattle, Washington. Her travels have found her living on islands at sea level all the way up to 10,200 ft. elevation in Colorado. Once she found herself back in the Pacific Northwest, USA she began to focus on her drumming and songwriting.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Releasedfromquiet/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/released_from_quiet/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ReleasedFromQuiet

Website: https://releasedfromquiet.com/home

Now Defunkt is a newly formed band mostly based in the Bellingham area. We chat with Scott Macklin about how they all got together and dive into some of the songs we play from their album.

From their website:

Right before the lockdown, Steve McMahon and James Hunter helped to bring Scott Macklin's song to life. They also received help from his son Case who recorded and mixed the track and from their respective daughters Anastasia, Amaris and Nikko who filmed the video at Joshua Tree.

Then came the quarantine. Thinking that he could now check the box “write and record a song” off of his bucket list, Steve decided to flip Scott for real and wanted to do more. The exchange played out like a scene from the Usual Suspects…

Is there a problem? One job. That was the deal. One job? One job!

That's a good one, Scott. Stop being such a tough guy McMahon! It took one day with McMahon nagging him, and they went back to work.

Looks like this is turning out to be not a one job / song deal. So they started trading lyrics and sonic idea files from their own places of quarantine and began cooking up tunes. They bugged other friends to contribute tracks. Big thanks to César Castro, Sandino Gonzales Flores, Gabriel Ochoa, Eduardo Sierra, Joe Seamons, Mamelani Forté and Natasha Jaffe. Low and behold there are enough songs to put out an album.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowdefunkt/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/nowdefunkt?igshid=2ybvqbmziib9

YouTube mix: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSlAVND2YJmej_TDnK0NFlnI3P9eVwyHJ

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2BMz0H7H7bYkGfzifJUdsd

Website: http://www.nowdefunkt.com

In this episode of Our PNW Music, we talk to Andrew Sweeting, or Dr. Sweets to his music fans. 

The youngest of six children, Andrew is originally from Federal Way but moved to Bellingham 7 years ago. Born into a musical family, Andrew’s first instrument was piano. Following his brothers’ footsteps, he picked up the saxophone and trumpet and joined the jazz band in school. 

The last several years, Andrew has diversified his artistic portfolio to include his animation and video production. Attached are links to some of the videos he has animated produced.

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/DrSweetsMusic/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/drsweetsmusic?igshid=1owekw1h3qbkf

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJwDqtxqiqG8qUazvf0-3yw

Flow Page: https://www.flow.page/drsweets?fbclid=IwAR1z57fwmLEJYZ4lMFHsRYOGWWzlYjDIqSgSZAJUewJXAVrDiRw324qt2Kw

On this episode of Our PNW Music, we sit down with Dennis Dorgan.  You may remember Dennis as a young phenom lead guitarist, up on stage slaying solos with Jack Mattingly & Whiskey Fever. Dennis has been busy in 2020; establishing his own band (New Brother), creating music and writing his own style of poignant lyrics and melodies. 

Coming from a poverty-stricken childhood with depression issues that ran throughout his family, Dennis has a perspective that not all of our local artists possess. The openness of his music, albeit raw and unpolished, pulls the listener into a world that not all of us are familiar with. He opens a window into his soul, and in doing so, grants the listener access to his psyche. We are honored that he chose our platform to talk about where he’s come from, new ventures and debut his artistry.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewBrotherBand/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/newbrotherband?igshid=isx0hqzh1yjs

In this episode of Our PNW Music, we talk with Zach Michaud, a self professed troubadour. 

Originally from Canandaigua NY, a suburb of Rochester, Zach originally made his way to Seattle to hop on a fishing boat, but instead ended up busking on the city streets and stayed here in the PNW.

You might call his genre “dark folk”, however, this thought-provoking singer-songwriter coined it  as “Hot Freshly Baked Folk & Blues”. For a compelling musician like Zach, that’s about as close as it gets to summing up his edgy style.

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/zachmichaudmusic

Instagram: https://instagram.com/zachmichaudmusic?igshid=8r42521qm75w

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWwC5fYMjQTf4reLxQ-Kekg

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2IcCm36typ8gVm92hQwNwI

Website: http://www.zachmichaud.com/#about

In this episode of Our PNW Music, we chat with Chuck Dingée (The Walrus) and Sharon Mayson (Pacific Twang) of Free Harmony; a duo formed in 2017. 

Based out of Bellingham, a city in northwest Washington, Free Harmony started off as a classic folk cover band which transitioned into writing their own original music within a year of inception.  Although Free Harmony started off as a duo, they have added musicians and now can be seen as a quartet or quintet when playing live.  

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/freeharmonyband/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/freeharmonyband?igshid=1eiono0hr3jx7

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6C_FPPSaeQOZnJ1uks_GQQ

Website: https://freeharmonyband.com/

In this episode of Our PNW Music podcast, we sit down with Anacortes’ Ebb, Slack & Flood, the funkiest band in the northwest. ES&F’s influences include blues, soul, reggae and psychedelic genres, however they have been know to throw a hip hop song in now and again. This is a band where you will see crowds dance from the first note until the time they start tearing down their set.

Tom Savage (vocals, lead guitar), Giovanni De La Rosa (bass, vocals), Chris Nickerson (percussion, vocals) and Jared Somerville (saxophone, percussion, vocals) tells us about their musical backgrounds, the formation of the band and how they became the grooviest jam in the Pacific Northwest. You’ll want to make sure to bookmark their social media sites so you’ll be notified when they start playing live shows again. This band definitely will leave you rollicking in the groove.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/esfpnw/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/ebbslackflood?igshid=7nhl9fdz699f

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-fAQuuexeGQ5-Fs41y4aDg

Website:  https://www.ebbslackandflood.com/

In this episode of Our PNW Music, we celebrate Skagit County’s Charlie Krengel; who local musicians have hailed as one of the best bass and lead guitarists around. Mr. Krengel has been part of several popular local bands over the years, but recently is best known as a sidekick to solo musicians in performing, as well as being a sounding board when these artists are writing new material. Charlie makes it clear that his role is to help musicians hone their craft and reach their goals. And, in this episode, you’ll be able to hear two of Skagit County’s most popular front men, Wes Jones (Lazy Acres) and Cory Vincent (Josey Wails and Cory Vincent Group), talk about how much they appreciate everything Charlie has done. 

Charlie Krengel is heading off to California, where he will use his services to help other musicians achieve their goals; whether that be writing, recording or performing. You may not see Charlie Krengel’s name in the spotlight, but you can darn well be sure that the artists he’s working with will owe a piece of that spotlight to a Charlie.