Dissonance and hypnosis have rarely met at a more convincing intersection than Point Juncture, WA. It may not be a genuine destination. You won't find it on Google Maps. But you'll hear echoes of it in your dreams -- in reverb and trumpet and vibe-soaked memories and in that dusty back corner of your mind.
You'll recognize it immediately, because it sounds like a brawnier, less class-obsessed and more gender-equal version of Stereolab, or a gutsier and maybe even more stoned version of the Dandy Warhols. Point Juncture, WA is a band that is not afraid to rock or to ramble, and it turns both pursuits into equally interesting road trips.
"Heart to Elk" is PJWA's latest album and a quantum leap forward for it as a musical entity. Where 2005's "Mama Auto Boss" tended to meander (in a charming sort of way), the new record feels more self-assured and in control.
The drone factor is hemmed in by tighter hooks and a more masterful use of sonics. Listeners will be less likely to zone out and more likely to tune in and turn on, because it feels like the band has gotten better at balancing texture and melody. Like Sonic Youth on Prozac.
These songs might take a little longer to sink in than Oasis' radio-friendly pop hits, but they're more likely to provide shelter in the long run. It may still be winter, but spring is around the corner and PJWA have sown the seeds of sonic love. Their appearance on "LiveWire!" and entrance into heavy rotation on Seattle's influential KEXP radio station predict clear and beautiful skies ahead.
MAMA AUTO BOSS [source]
Tamara Turner - CD Baby - Nov 2005
Another gorgeous album from Point Juncture, WA which doesn't come as a surprise but nevertheless, takes the breath away. With a transparent mixture of both acoustic and electronic ocabulary, their textures seem to reflect and cast light in multiple directions when their shimmering melodies come in, with full sparkling clarity. This is an album about color. Washes and floods of color, from wet color to dry color, from bristly to fuzzy. Simply put, it is an ideal disc for the emo rock and dream pop fan who ever thought she could get both in one album, especially with dub and electronica mixed in for even more depth and sonorities. Hands down, a stunning project.
Another gorgeous album from Point Juncture, WA which doesn't come as a surprise but nevertheless, takes the breath away. With a transparent mixture of both acoustic and electronic ocabulary, their textures seem to reflect and cast light in multiple directions when their shimmering melodies come in, with full sparkling clarity. This is an album about color. Washes and floods of color, from wet color to dry color, from bristly to fuzzy. Simply put, it is an ideal disc for the emo rock and dream pop fan who ever thought she could get both in one album, especially with dub and electronica mixed in for even more depth and sonorities. Hands down, a stunning project.
Juxtapony EP [source]
Beat - Aug 2005
On numerous occasions I have been accused of being 'too indie' by my fellow peers and 'colleagues' and while I initially shrug it off I get to wondering if there really is such a phenomena. Am I wasting my time by searching below the critically-accepted indie Mendoza line? Should I listen to the latest Antony & The Johnsons album for the third time in hopes of 'getting it'...or should I pass and let Portland's Point Juncture, WA step up to the plate to pinch hit? To me, both artists, though sounding nothing alike, are equal in status in spring training. I chose the latter and I am happy to report, with no reservations, that Point Juncture, WA came through with a base knock when I had perhaps started to doubt myself. Let's forget the visually pleasant stenciled/sprayed artwork for a moment and cut right to the music. Some artists invest a whole lot of effort and energy into the opening track, opting for the 'bang' first. This may elicit temporary euphoria but more times than not the surge fizzles and you're left with a post-coital letdown. On Juxtapony the band exercises the opposite approach. 'Western Flyer' provides sufficient foreplay for what is to come on the album, a short jazzy prelude with twinkling vibraphone and sleepy trumpet. Yeah, the intro may sound like an orchestra warming up, fine-tuning their instruments for their upcoming performance but it segues nicely into the slow-sizzling 'Siesta Movement'. Amanda S.'s vocals should immediately recall Caithlin De Marrais (Rainer Maria) or Jenny from Rilo Kiley, affecting enough to wow but with just enough bent edges to transcend 'pretty'. Meanwhile the bass thumps and stringy guitar slithers along. And, woo, there's more of that wistful vibraphone as well. The band also display a knack for harmonizing near the end of the song. Well-rounded and very nice. The best track on the album, 'Transient Attack', follows and I'm not kidding when I say this is easily one of the best individual songs I have heard this year. Dirgey organ and vibraphone peek out from behind the stutter-stop drumbeat. One of the male vocalists in the band, Victor Paul Nash, takes the helm here but Amanda, who's also responsible for the above percussion, chimes in throughout. The song climaxes halfway through, with dreamy harmonized vocals and sorrowful guitar inducing goose-bumps and chills. This variety of ethereal dreampop brings personal favorites, Aarktica, to mind as well as the terribly underappreciated Broken Social Scene offshoot, Raising The Fawn. It also appears the band has a subtle sense of humor, quietly utilizing a Chuck Norris quote ('the best defense is not to offend') amidst a tale of an uneasy friendship. I'm glad I'm not the only one who remembers that commercial. Excellent! While nothing else on the album is as otherworldly as the above-mentioned songs, there is also nothing that will offend (ho ho). The toned-down 'Comments In Jars' finds Amanda, more or less, cooing sweetly along to a drum machine. The band packs up the pretty and busts out some noise on the rugged, but playful 'Superer'. This could be a long-lost Rainer Maria or Jim Yoshii Pile-Up track (a good thing). The sparse piano-driven finale, 'Oh, Pioneers' winds things down appropriately, even if it's on a rather gloomy note. (BTW, are those chirping birds I hear? If so, why are they not credited!?) With Juxtapony Point Juncture, WA has proven, beyond a doubt, they have the chops to win a place on the starting roster and they know how to present themselves well (smashing artwork). It appears the band is planning on releasing a full-length later in the year. Here's to hoping more people become 'too indie' and pay a bit of attention to it when it arrives. I know I'll be in attendance.
On numerous occasions I have been accused of being 'too indie' by my fellow peers and 'colleagues' and while I initially shrug it off I get to wondering if there really is such a phenomena. Am I wasting my time by searching below the critically-accepted indie Mendoza line? Should I listen to the latest Antony & The Johnsons album for the third time in hopes of 'getting it'...or should I pass and let Portland's Point Juncture, WA step up to the plate to pinch hit? To me, both artists, though sounding nothing alike, are equal in status in spring training. I chose the latter and I am happy to report, with no reservations, that Point Juncture, WA came through with a base knock when I had perhaps started to doubt myself. Let's forget the visually pleasant stenciled/sprayed artwork for a moment and cut right to the music. Some artists invest a whole lot of effort and energy into the opening track, opting for the 'bang' first. This may elicit temporary euphoria but more times than not the surge fizzles and you're left with a post-coital letdown. On Juxtapony the band exercises the opposite approach. 'Western Flyer' provides sufficient foreplay for what is to come on the album, a short jazzy prelude with twinkling vibraphone and sleepy trumpet. Yeah, the intro may sound like an orchestra warming up, fine-tuning their instruments for their upcoming performance but it segues nicely into the slow-sizzling 'Siesta Movement'. Amanda S.'s vocals should immediately recall Caithlin De Marrais (Rainer Maria) or Jenny from Rilo Kiley, affecting enough to wow but with just enough bent edges to transcend 'pretty'. Meanwhile the bass thumps and stringy guitar slithers along. And, woo, there's more of that wistful vibraphone as well. The band also display a knack for harmonizing near the end of the song. Well-rounded and very nice. The best track on the album, 'Transient Attack', follows and I'm not kidding when I say this is easily one of the best individual songs I have heard this year. Dirgey organ and vibraphone peek out from behind the stutter-stop drumbeat. One of the male vocalists in the band, Victor Paul Nash, takes the helm here but Amanda, who's also responsible for the above percussion, chimes in throughout. The song climaxes halfway through, with dreamy harmonized vocals and sorrowful guitar inducing goose-bumps and chills. This variety of ethereal dreampop brings personal favorites, Aarktica, to mind as well as the terribly underappreciated Broken Social Scene offshoot, Raising The Fawn. It also appears the band has a subtle sense of humor, quietly utilizing a Chuck Norris quote ('the best defense is not to offend') amidst a tale of an uneasy friendship. I'm glad I'm not the only one who remembers that commercial. Excellent! While nothing else on the album is as otherworldly as the above-mentioned songs, there is also nothing that will offend (ho ho). The toned-down 'Comments In Jars' finds Amanda, more or less, cooing sweetly along to a drum machine. The band packs up the pretty and busts out some noise on the rugged, but playful 'Superer'. This could be a long-lost Rainer Maria or Jim Yoshii Pile-Up track (a good thing). The sparse piano-driven finale, 'Oh, Pioneers' winds things down appropriately, even if it's on a rather gloomy note. (BTW, are those chirping birds I hear? If so, why are they not credited!?) With Juxtapony Point Juncture, WA has proven, beyond a doubt, they have the chops to win a place on the starting roster and they know how to present themselves well (smashing artwork). It appears the band is planning on releasing a full-length later in the year. Here's to hoping more people become 'too indie' and pay a bit of attention to it when it arrives. I know I'll be in attendance.
5 Stars! [source]
CD Baby - Aug 2005
Mixing in a little prog, a little emo, this insanely creative, slightly dissonant mathy rock outfit has a way of drawing you deeper into their emotional landscape with each track. Point Juncture, WA has nailed that three-dimensional mastery where layers upon layers slip between another, breathe in and breathe out with the utmost elegance and meaning. Starting off with dub-inspired beats, bringing in tastefully economic guitar, reverberating vibraphone and poignant keyboards, then tilting the angle with their consistently mind-blowing vocals (both guy and girl), this gang is making Portland, Oregon most proud. All details aside, the overall impression is one of sincere, genuine music-making; these four guys and a girl put their hearts into every sound, every silence and every breath, reminding us that the magic of music happens in the subtleties and the vulnerabilities.
Mixing in a little prog, a little emo, this insanely creative, slightly dissonant mathy rock outfit has a way of drawing you deeper into their emotional landscape with each track. Point Juncture, WA has nailed that three-dimensional mastery where layers upon layers slip between another, breathe in and breathe out with the utmost elegance and meaning. Starting off with dub-inspired beats, bringing in tastefully economic guitar, reverberating vibraphone and poignant keyboards, then tilting the angle with their consistently mind-blowing vocals (both guy and girl), this gang is making Portland, Oregon most proud. All details aside, the overall impression is one of sincere, genuine music-making; these four guys and a girl put their hearts into every sound, every silence and every breath, reminding us that the magic of music happens in the subtleties and the vulnerabilities.
Juxtapony EP [source]
Bryan Bingold - Aug 2005
It's nice and yet frustrating when a band takes things into their own hands and self-releases a professional sounding record. Nice because you can usually buy it cheaper and frustrating because you can only get it through the band. Until the internet. It's only because the band sells this EP on their website, that I decided to write this review. Otherwise it would be pointless. Point Juncture, WA may not be a town that you can ever visit (it doesn't exist), but it is a band that one should keep a look-out for on the show posters that line the telephone poles across this great nation. Point Juncture, WA's magic is found in their simple classification. They're not indie-pop, indie-slock, indie-rock, emo, indie-metal, indie-lite, indie-sludge or anything else. Point Juncture, WA is indie. That's all, just straight indie music. Independent and free from the normal music critics' cliches. They have that scary, indefinable quality that Pavement had when they first released a record. No one knows how describe the music other than it's good. It's damn good and you should get it, get it now before the music machine swallows Point Juncture, WA up and starts spitting out pale imitations and trying to sell those to you. One of Point Juncture, WA's strengths is behind the vocals of Amanda S., Jesse S. and Paul N. When Amanda sings alone on "The Siesta Movement", she brings a ferocity that is lacking from Jesse and Paul's other vocal performances throughout the rest of the record. Which is refreshing to hear a female vocalist have such a force in a predominately male band, without her being the "front-woman." The other strength is the revolution between instruments. Every member is multi-instrumental and the configuration of the band and what they play changes from song to song. Allowing for a great mixture of different styles to come through. This is a band to keep an eye on, if you haven't already been.
It's nice and yet frustrating when a band takes things into their own hands and self-releases a professional sounding record. Nice because you can usually buy it cheaper and frustrating because you can only get it through the band. Until the internet. It's only because the band sells this EP on their website, that I decided to write this review. Otherwise it would be pointless. Point Juncture, WA may not be a town that you can ever visit (it doesn't exist), but it is a band that one should keep a look-out for on the show posters that line the telephone poles across this great nation. Point Juncture, WA's magic is found in their simple classification. They're not indie-pop, indie-slock, indie-rock, emo, indie-metal, indie-lite, indie-sludge or anything else. Point Juncture, WA is indie. That's all, just straight indie music. Independent and free from the normal music critics' cliches. They have that scary, indefinable quality that Pavement had when they first released a record. No one knows how describe the music other than it's good. It's damn good and you should get it, get it now before the music machine swallows Point Juncture, WA up and starts spitting out pale imitations and trying to sell those to you. One of Point Juncture, WA's strengths is behind the vocals of Amanda S., Jesse S. and Paul N. When Amanda sings alone on "The Siesta Movement", she brings a ferocity that is lacking from Jesse and Paul's other vocal performances throughout the rest of the record. Which is refreshing to hear a female vocalist have such a force in a predominately male band, without her being the "front-woman." The other strength is the revolution between instruments. Every member is multi-instrumental and the configuration of the band and what they play changes from song to song. Allowing for a great mixture of different styles to come through. This is a band to keep an eye on, if you haven't already been.
Not from washington... [source]
Jason Quigley, rock photographer, www.photojq.com - Apr 2005
Not from washington, these geographical fibbers find an audience with dramatic pop. Last April, the members of Point Juncture, WA, played their first show in the basement of their house. They had a different name, one fewer band member, a few minor kinks to work out and an infectious enthusiasm for playing music together. I heard them during those embryonic stages, and when the trumpet and vibraphone meshed with those frenetic guitar and soaring vocal harmonies, I was hooked. Now almost a year later, the kinks are long gone, each live show offers new depth, and the EP Juxtapony has claimed a regular spot in my CD changer. Throw in the handmade album packaging, airbrushed show fliers and the fact that they're five of the nicest folks you could meet-well, it should be obvious that anyone who doesn't like this band must have a cold heart.
Not from washington, these geographical fibbers find an audience with dramatic pop. Last April, the members of Point Juncture, WA, played their first show in the basement of their house. They had a different name, one fewer band member, a few minor kinks to work out and an infectious enthusiasm for playing music together. I heard them during those embryonic stages, and when the trumpet and vibraphone meshed with those frenetic guitar and soaring vocal harmonies, I was hooked. Now almost a year later, the kinks are long gone, each live show offers new depth, and the EP Juxtapony has claimed a regular spot in my CD changer. Throw in the handmade album packaging, airbrushed show fliers and the fact that they're five of the nicest folks you could meet-well, it should be obvious that anyone who doesn't like this band must have a cold heart.
"Damn girl, when you take the trash out!" [source]
Levi Cecil, Music Libaration Project - Feb 2005
You know those classic bands that really matter, not just because they write great music, but because they love each other and it shows in their playing? Those bands who have not a shred of smarmy pretentiousness and love to play music more than anything? Those bands who are dorky and unfashionable and couldn't care less? Point Juncture, WA is one of those bands. Portland needs more of those bands. JUXTAPONY EP is the best CD I've ever received randomly at a party. Usually, I'll give the ubiquitous unsolicited demo the cursory, albeit snotty and biased, listen. Nine times out of ten, the CDs that people give out are filled with boring, derivative tripe, and wear their painfully obvious influences like a bad t-shirt. And so I go on reluctant to listen to anything anyone hands me. Then a band like Point Juncture, WA comes along, slaps me across the face, and kicks me in the crotch. Powerful male/female counterpoint vocals make me think of bands I love like X or Blonde Redhead. The music is big and expansive, with sparse, yet powerful dub-like beats. One guitar, and lots of vibes and keyboards. Nice loopy basslines, too. Very well constructed. Produced by Skyler Norwood up in Camas, WA, JUXTAPONY EP is a great debut from a really solid band. PJWA is already creating quite a stir 'round here so order this CD and/or go see them ASAP. This girl, and four boys are taking the trash out on Portland, sucka.
You know those classic bands that really matter, not just because they write great music, but because they love each other and it shows in their playing? Those bands who have not a shred of smarmy pretentiousness and love to play music more than anything? Those bands who are dorky and unfashionable and couldn't care less? Point Juncture, WA is one of those bands. Portland needs more of those bands. JUXTAPONY EP is the best CD I've ever received randomly at a party. Usually, I'll give the ubiquitous unsolicited demo the cursory, albeit snotty and biased, listen. Nine times out of ten, the CDs that people give out are filled with boring, derivative tripe, and wear their painfully obvious influences like a bad t-shirt. And so I go on reluctant to listen to anything anyone hands me. Then a band like Point Juncture, WA comes along, slaps me across the face, and kicks me in the crotch. Powerful male/female counterpoint vocals make me think of bands I love like X or Blonde Redhead. The music is big and expansive, with sparse, yet powerful dub-like beats. One guitar, and lots of vibes and keyboards. Nice loopy basslines, too. Very well constructed. Produced by Skyler Norwood up in Camas, WA, JUXTAPONY EP is a great debut from a really solid band. PJWA is already creating quite a stir 'round here so order this CD and/or go see them ASAP. This girl, and four boys are taking the trash out on Portland, sucka.