Freeze and Fur Coat

By weeklyvolcano on September 6, 2008

MATT DRISCOLL: DEAR RECORDS AT THE POT >>>

Freezefurcoat I don’t pretend to have the perfectly crafted hair or ass tight dungarees to fully comprehend or appreciate it, but what I do understand is enough. There’s some really fucking good indie music coming out of Tacoma these days, and the bulk of it is coming out of two camps â€" both of them “record labels.” I’ve gushed about Team Unicorn, and their lineup that includes Mama Loves Daddy, the Elephants, the Drug Purse, Friskey and others â€" plenty of times in the Weekly Volcano. Those who’ve read my work know how I feel about Team Unicorn. Their movement is exciting and their family is the cream of Tacoma’s crop.

But there’s another camp, Dear Records, that people should absolutely familiarize themselves with. Seemingly younger, and â€" if it’s possible â€" even more artistically daring â€" Dear Records is an underground indie tour de force here in T-Town.

Tonight, one of the most intriguing acts Dear Records has to tout â€" Freeze and Fur Coat â€" will play Bob’s Java Jive along with Trans Union, Colin Reynolds and Sammy Swell. While Freeze and Fur Coat may well be the most sonically melancholy band on this eclectic bill, they also just might be the band you should watch most closely.

“It came about out of necessity,” says Freeze and Fur Coat’s Brandon Hughes of Dear Records, which he also helped to create. “We really didn’t expect it to take flight.”

“I hate being melancholy. And I don’t really like being sad for that matter,” Hughes continues. “Nothing ever seems to happen when I get that way. I’m never in a creative place when I’m feeling sorry for myself. I have a bleak outlook on the things that I write about, though. There’s no point in moping, but there’s plenty to feel bad about. The music usually reflects that. But I wouldn’t say that it’s sad or melancholy, just bleak.”

Whether you call it melancholy, sad or bleak â€" one thing is certain. Freeze and Fur Coat’s sound deserves your attention.

[Bob’s Java Jive, 8 p.m., $5, 2102 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253.475.9843]

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