As long as we’ve been writing Sound on the Sound, we’ve been talking about the songs of Shane Tutmrac. First as the front man of Seattle pop outfit Dolour, again as he took a family journey South with The Traveling Mercies, and most recently as his solo record found him fronting the largest band in his decade plus of making music in Seattle.

As integral a part of our Seattle music experience as Shane has been, we’ve always known he felt a calling to venture beyond the Cascades and the Sound, so it came as no surprise when Shane told us he’d be packing up and moving January 1st, 2010 to Nashville, TN.

Here’s what Shane had to say about his decision to leave Seattle and head South:

On January 1st I am packing up the car and driving across the country to move to Nashville, Tennessee. It’s something I’ve been dreaming and scheming about for years now, and I’ve finally set a date. I was born and raised here in Seattle (a true Seattleite), and although I will surely visit family and friends frequently, I am looking forward to a new home across the country. I am grateful to all the talented musicians I’ve had the opportunity to work with, during my years with Dolour, The Traveling Mercies, and my “solo” band. When writing my latest album (Shouting At A Silent Sky, June 2009) I sort of envisioned it as a ‘Goodbye to Seattle’ album. Songs like “Never Turnin’ Back”, “There’s No Star to Lead Me Home”, and “Death & Texas” captured my growing restlessness.

The South had always been a great mystery to me. The fabled land that brought country music and blues together and breathed life into rock and roll. My first experience with Nashville was in June of ‘08 when I flew down there to play some shows supporting “Hey Lazarus!” (my second album with The Traveling Mercies). I fell in love with this legendary music city. Although it is one of the greatest music meccas in the country, it still carries itself like a small town. I met so many great people, went to so many great clubs, and I saw endless possibilities as a songwriter. It was on that trip that I started writing my most recent album, Shouting At A Silent Sky. Now I feel a strong desire to dig deeper in the heartland, and get to know the South and its music from a first-hand perspective.

If you would like to congregate one last time while I’m still living here you can see me and my band play Wednesday, December 16th at the Electric Tea Garden (the “Artificial Limb” building) in Capitol Hill. It should be a fun filled night, full of song and celebration.

I hope that Seattle will stick by me during this new period of exploration, musically if not geographically, and I will be back to play shows as often as I can.

Surely if any Seattle son can succeed in Nashville, it is Shane. Our affection and support of Shane and his songs will extend the thousands of miles that will soon seperate us. We offer him our sincerest well wishes and nothing but the best of luck.

Dolour’s Final Show at The Crocodile Cafe 2007 ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

For the first time since 2007, Shane Tutmarc will be performing songs from the expansive Dolour catalogue. This Thursday (tomorrow) night at The Tractor Tavern Shane will be performing an entire set of Dolour songs, to support his friend and former Dolour contributor,  guitarist Josh Ottum’s cd release.  The last time Shane took the stage as Dolour was December 2007, in what would be the last week of the (original) Crocodile Cafe.  We were there.

A lot of  things have changed since then. The Crocodile has been reborn and Shane has left the lush lovelorn pop project behind in favor of a musical sojourn through the roots of the American South. His relationship with his Dolour self and songs, is complicated, to say the least. Shane discussed Dolour with me during a two part interview saying, ” I definitely feel like I don’t know that person that wrote the Dolour albums.”

His disconnect and complex relationship is on full display in his announcement of this Thursday’s show:

On October 22nd at the Tractor Tavern, I will be digging deep into my musical past-life for this rare performance of Dolour material.  My good friend and occasional collaborator, Josh Ottum (who played lead guitar on ‘The Years in the Wilderness’) asked if I’d do a low-key set of acoustic Dolour songs.  Being that I’ve avoided this material for so long made me intrigued by his offer.  It didn’t take long for me to see that this could be a chance to rediscover this “lost” music and see if there is something I can learn (or re-learn) from it.  (You may have noticed by now that I have a “complicated” relationship with my old songs.)
But… I agreed to perform a short solo set comprised of exclusively Dolour material to open up the show.  This will be the first time I’ve dusted off this catalog since the “last” show in December 2007 at the old Crocodile Cafe.

While Shane’s relationship with the songs may be complicated, the joy of a Dolour tune is its instant familiarity and warmth, like putting on your favorite sweatshirt still warm from the dryer. Dolour’s catalog is deep with pop gems like few bands are writing in Seattle today. We’re eager to hear old favorites like “I Smell a Lawsuit,” “Suburbiac” and “You Can’t Make New Old Friends.” We were there at that last show and we will definitely be at the Tractor this Thursday. Whether you’re an old Dolour fan or band member or you’ve never heard Dolour before, we recommend you’re there too. It’s a great peek back into the Seattle sound of the early ’00s and with two local bands celebrating their CD release that night, a good look into the future too.

When: Thursday, October 22nd (9pm)
Where: The Tractor Tavern
Who: The Republic, Ivan & Alyosha (CD Release), Josh Ottum (CD Release), Shane Tutmarc (special Dolour set)

Shane is opening the night, so if you want to catch Dolour (you do), be sure to get there early!

Shane Tutmarc ::: photo by Abbey

We love Shane Tutmarc. We love everything he does. Really. We loved him in Dolour, we loved him with The Traveling Mercies, we loved him as the short lived Dark Circles, we love him when we run into him working at Easy Street or spy him walking the streets of Seattle looking every inch the class act that he is.

Sound on the Sound actually first met Shane at Easy Street Records when Josh was unknowingly purchasing one of Shane’s own records. Imagine the delight of both of them when Josh walked up to the counter with a Dolour record–Shane got to sell someone his own record out of the 10’s of thousands at the store and Josh had a chance to meet a singer song-writer he fell for on listen one. It was delightful happenstance or fate… and we’ve been lucky enough to be fans and friends of Shane’s ever since.

So, it is with great pleasure that we share with you one of Seattle’s most talented singers and song writers favorite albums of 2008, written especially for Sound on the Sound.

Shane Tutmarc’s Top 5 Albums of 2008

1. Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan – Sunday at Devil Dirt

This may be the closest we’ll get to a modern Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra, with Lanegan’s rich baritone perfectly countering Campbell’s high angelic voice. Although, Campbell is a bit quieter on this record, letting Lanegan take most of the spotlight, she really shines in her production and song choices. At first glace (or listen) you’d assume Lanegan was calling most of the shots, but one look at the liner notes and you’ll see that Campbell is the real mastermind behind this collaboration. After the first album (2006’s Ballad of the Broken Seas) there were many rumors of a falling out, so this sequel came as a surprise. I picked up a UK import last spring, not knowing it was to be released this fall domestically with bonus tracks! With or without the bonus tracks though, this album is a modern classic, and I’m sure it will remain in heavy rotation into the new year.

2.  More Dirty Laundry – The SOUL of BLACK Country

This was the perfect compilation for me this year. Over the last couple years my collection of country music and black gospel has grown considerably… trying to find new ways of combining these seemingly opposite styles with my family group, the Traveling Mercies. So this comp, which features soulful renditions of classic and rare country tunes, sung by many of the greats (Ike & Tina, James Brown, Sammy Davis Jr, Clyde McPhatter) was right up my alley. I would suggest this comp to anyone who likes a little soul stirring with their tears and beers.

3.  Elliott Brood – Mountain Meadows

I don’t know really anything about Elliot Brood. I’m not sure if it’s a person or a band, I’m not sure if this record has been released in the US or only in Canada (where I believe EB is from). But I can tell you this record grew and grew on me since I was tipped off about this album. A good friend of mine suggested it to me saying, “I know you like interesting singers, you gotta check this out”. The singer sounds like a combination of Kurt Cobain and Bob Dylan (perfect, right?) and the music sounds bombastic, folky, homemade, and occasionally even theatrical. I’m suspecting we’ll be hearing much more from this unique musical personality in no time.

4.  Damien Jurado – Caught in the Trees

I’ve been a fan of Damien since I was 15 years old. I had all his early Sub Pop singles, and followed his music closely for years. Over the last couple years, I’ve lost track as singles, EPs and LPs have been released one after the other, in a pace I truly envy. But this album got me right back on track with him. The songs have a great balance of darkness, energy, and Damien’s patented melodic sense. While it doesn’t re-invent the wheel, it may be the perfect Damien Jurado record. The lyrics contain all the pathos of Ghost of David and his more recent work, but with more urgency and intimacy. Listening to the album as a whole offers even more rewards. Hidden within these 13 songs is a storyline that builds and develops throughout the course of the album, while still leaving much to the listener’s imagination.

5.  James Jackson Toth – Waiting in Vain

Wow, this list really makes me look like all I listen to is singer-songwriter dudes! As much as I’m always seeking out many different styles of music, it just seems I kept coming back to these guys the most. I enjoyed many female artists this year – everyone from Erykah Badu to Cat Power to even a little Womanizer love for Britney – but this was a year that the guys got me with their classic approaches to writing about the “big” topics – love, lust, god, and death. This record fit perfectly into that vibe. Over the last couple years Toth had already caught my attention, under the more experimental moniker Wooden Wand, but this was the first record that really hit the spot for me. Very creative lyrics + unique voice + classic folk/country stylings + Steve Fisk production = and one of the best albums of the year.

P.S. if the snow melts by then, you can check out Shane next Saturday at The High Dive:

Artist: Shane Tutmarc and the Traveling Mercies
Hails from: Seattle
Sounds Like: Seattle’s most talented family (sorry Pecknold’s) taking on the Delta Blues & American Roots music.
Latest Release: Hey, Lazarus!
If you love these people’s blues at Bumbershoot, you’ll fall for The Mercies too: Neko Case, The Black Keys

Before the Fleet Foxes became Pitchfork darlings and The Moondoggies got signed to Hardly Art, there was already a seasoned Seattle performer mining the best of the rootsy-bluesy past to write some brilliant new songs. Shane Tutmarc and The Traveling Mercies have the Delta running in their veins, despite being raised on Seattle rain.

There are few finer front-men in Seattle than Shane Tutmarc. Seeing him on stage in a dapper suit, strapping on his hollow body guitar, singing the blues and crooning love songs into an old school microphone–you get the feeling he missed being a huge teen heart-throb of Elvis proportions if only he’d been making music 50 years ago. And that’s not just for the handsome similarities, Shane’s been proving himself as one of Seattle’s most talented song-writers for close to a decade. A Traveling Mercies show will take you back, in the best way — to the roots of rock’n'roll, with some dirty blues and country twang thrown in.

Shane and his brother Brandon spent the whole summer in the (deep) South, playing and recording in towns and bars where American music was born. We imagine their days in Memphis, nights in Austin, and storied visit to Graceland has spawned many great new songs and we can’t wait to hear a few. Monday’s set will be extra special because the boys will again be joined by their cousin, “Cousin Ryan” on drums for the show. Ryan’s gone off to NYC for school, but is coming back to play a special set on the skins–the reuniting of the Tutmarc Family Band. We guarantee, it’ll be the best family reunion you’ve ever attended–with no awkward aunts or 2nd cousins or anything!

Shane Tutmarc and The Traveling Mercies play Monday September 1st at the EMP Sky Church at 3:00-4:00pm

Last Thursday, the Crocodile Cafe was host to a night of near perfect Seattle pop. The stand-outs of the evening were sets from two talented Seattle bands, Dolour (Shane Tutmarc) and Palmer, AK (Eric Howk of The Lashes) which seemed to consist of one more impossibly lovely pop song after the next.  The bands celebrated book-end milestones, it was Palmer AK’s first show and it was Dolour’s last.

There wasn’t a single song in either set,  that wasn’t lovingly sung along with. And with eleven former Dolour members in the audience (Eric Howk included) - it almost seemed as if the solo Shane Tutmarc, had an all-star backing band. For a Seattle concert, there was  a suspicious amount of smiling going on…especially after Palmer, AK took the stage. Looking around the audience, it would seem everyone was as enamored as I of Eric and Shane, two of Seattle’s most talented wordsmiths and their perfectly crafted pop songs.

Tomorrow night’s show at The Crocodile is the last Dolour show in the foreseeable future, according to lead singer Shane Tutmarc. Shane will be continuing to pursue music with his newest vessel, The Traveling Mercies.

The Three Imaginary Girls Fifth Anniversary party on Friday at the Crocodile was a blast. We met up with some fellow Seattle bloggers, caught some bands we’ve been meaning to see, and generally enjoyed a beatiful Seattle summer evening. Here’s a bit of what happened in pictures.

Abbey get’s her hair done courtesy of Vain

The Western States Motel

The Three Imaginary Girls (Liz, Char and Dana with her Amy Winehouse doo [r-to-l])

Dolour

The Shaky Hands

Boat

Andrew Bird, Dolour
WWU Union Multipurpose Room, Bellingham
May 6, 2007

Sunday we made the hour and a half trek from Seattle to Bellingham, home of Western Washington University and a small but thriving local music scene (more on that later). The Decemberists played on campus the day before, but waiting in line for the door, Andrew Bird was the act on everyone’s lips. The reason we decided to make the trip instead of seeing Bird at the Showbox was opener Dolour, better known as Shane Tutmarc, who had gathered a few friends to back him for his first show in 2 years.

His new album will be self-released in the States and is due out in June, so the band had a few new ones in store for the almost entirely college age crowd. Dolour has a pretty deep catalog of songs and I haven’t acquired all of the albums, so most of it seemed new to me, but it all sounded just as good as on the album I do have and the few new songs I have heard via myspace. “New Old Friends” and “Lyin’, Hidin’, Cryin” (which is YouTubed at the bottom of this post) were my highlights, and can’t wait to hear the finished album.

I have to admit that Andrew Bird is new to me this year and I am dissapointed I hadn’t heard of him before. His album The Mysterious Production of Eggs is a gem and I have been obsessed with the song “Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left” for some time now. His new album Armchair Apocrypha is equally beautiful and more exploratory. In the past his show consisted of simply him, his instruments and a loop machine, a situation which has been known to cause long setup times for songs, but this time around he brought a bassist and a drummer. (Mad props to the drummer who managed to play the bass drum and high-hat while also working the synth, I haven’t seen that before. )

Lining the back of the stage were some large Specimen Tube Amps, one of which rotated throughout the set, creating a wind distortion sound unlike anything I’ve heard before. Sound experimentation with looping was definitely a theme to be repeated througout the night with a farm sounds toy, a glockenspiel and a screwdriver entering the mix at various intervals.

Bird strikes me as enigmatic, and this performance only reinforced that view. He isn’t trying to create songs that have obvious storylines, and that can put people off, but the sheer skill and creativity he has with his violin and loop machine converge to create some astoundingly beautiful songs. He didn’t talk much with the crowd initially, but he relaxed at bit and by the end was doing a bit of back and forth with the young crowd, if in a reserved and slightly awkward manner (as all enigmatic frontmen should).

The set reached it’s peak with back to back performances of “A Nervous Tic Motion…” followed by “Heretics.” Having been told before the show not to expect the first of the two songs, we were ecstatic. Also notable was Bird may be able to claim the title of “Best Whistler in the World.” At times one wonders whether he was hiding a flute in his mouth, he was that versatile. Next time Andrew Bird hits town, I will be in the audience, no question.

Dolour video below the fold.

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This week our show of the week ventures out of Seattle about an hour north to Bellingham, home of Western Washington University. Andrew Bird is playing in Seattle tonight with Apostle of Hustle, but tommorow (Sunday), he’s scheduled at the Student Union multipurpose room (read cafeteria) with Dolour, AKA Shane Tutmarc and friends, who will be playing their first show in quite sometime.

Andrew Bird’s 2007 album Armchair Apocrypha is a quiet masterpeice, and another great album among a catalog of unique and beautiful songwriting. I didn’t wisen up to him until recently so I am eagerly anticapting seeing him. Dolour, as we have mentioned before, is finishing their latest album for release this summer and haven’t played in a while and have a bunch of new stuff, so I have no idea what to expect, especially since Dolour will feature members of Seattle dance rock troupe United State of Electronica (U.S.E), who I just don’t get. I think it will be fun though despite not being able to drink.

City Council seems “receptive” to nightclub advocate’s concerns. Head over to Slog to get the news on what went down at yesterday’s city council meeting regarding the newly proposed rules. The final graf sums it up thusly:

Some in the nightlife industry have expressed concern that even after all her meetings (this morning’s committee meeting was the third of eight on the subject), Clark won’t substantially change the mayor’s proposal. This morning, however, she seemed extremely receptive to what nightlife representatives had to say. “One of the things I keep hearing is that Seattle doesn’t have a way to deal with the one or two problem clubs that keep arising,” Clark said. “Maybe we need to change some of the existing laws to make them more enforceable.”

There is an intesting conversation going on in the comments as well.

Doulour snags opening spot for Andrew Bird at WWU. Shane Tutmarc and friends have scheduled their first show in a long time, and they’ll be at the Western Washington Viking Union opening for violin man Andrew Bird on May 6. Shane has also put up a couple of new songs on his myspace that were used for an anti-war compilation called One Voice For Home. It also looks like the new Dolour album will be coming out “late June.” Shane has apparently been busy.

Thunderbird Motel Post new songs… on their myspace. This up and coming rock act has been hard at work recording some songs, and their first ones look solid. I can’t wait to get a listen to a few more.