Hello my friends –
A few 2023 observations and some 2024 speculation.
2023 was the first year since I restarted Green Monkey in 2008 that there has not been either a proper new Jeff Kelly release (either solo or as The Green Pajamas, Fur For Fairies or The Goblin Market) OR a Tom Dyer release (solo/True Olympians/Icons/Me Three/Colorplates/New Pagan Gods). This is, of course, not counting the PJs repackage/reimagined This Floating World Is A Dream LP or the little Xmas Songs for Mom thing I dashed off Christmas week. You know, real albums, new stuff. Most years we have had both (Please do note that Jeff did put out a lovely new solo album plus EP last May on his St. Brigad bandcamp site Blue Is The Color Of My Heart plus More Blue Hearts).
Also noteworthy, 2024 marks the 40-year anniversary of The Green Pajamas – Summer of Lust, the quintessential album that was my introduction to Mr. Kelly and which forever changed my world when I bought a copy at Cellophane Square in the U-District. We still sell the CD version on our bandcamp site and if you have never listened to it, well, you should. Right now!
In 2023 we put out the most releases in our history for one year: 23. Wow. So what were they, you are asking as they blur by? The late Jon Strongbow led the pack with 7 releases – one solo, 6 by his band Mystery School. The solo album, A Normal Sort of Guy, had only been released on cassette by Green Monkey back in the 80’s – the six Mystery Schools had only been sold by Jon in-person at the Pike Place Market. Along with his 3 other releases, we now have basically the entire Strongbow music catalog available online. Plus a lot of his books (for the hard core, there were cassettes that Jon released that were edited into the Future History CD comp – several of those cassettes contain songs not available elsewhere – you can read about them at jonstrongbow.com). This gave us a chance to honor our friend and send our love to his family.
Second most on the list was Grady Eddins in his various Von Cube-ish guises, with 5 releases, including Dance Party With Von Cube, which we are releasing today. Grady and usual partner Nick have been recording brilliant guitar and drum stuff for 25 years and squirreling it away. Hiding it under a bushel basket. Not releasing it. Not playing live. In the fall of 2022, we met and I said, why not (once the Olympia album work was complete), and off we went last January. There will probably still be another album or two coming out of the woodwork before we are done.
I started the OlyJazz imprint to rerelease Olympia jazz albums that had never been heard streaming on the internet, with five releases so far. The last of these, the previously unreleased anywhere Through the Lion’s Gate featuring the late pianist Michael Moore and bass clarinetist Arrington de Dionyso, was released for the first time a week before Michael’s death (you can find it on Arrington’s bandcamp page, it is Green Monkey in the rest of the online world). A wonderful interview I conducted with Michael about the same time can be heard right here: https://soundcloud.com/greenmonkeyrecords/ffnw-9-06-23-michael-moore-bryan-willisdaven-tillinghaust-interviews I expect there will be occasional OlyJazz releases this year.
We also had the pleasure to release Richard Peterson’s Covid Suite (finally!), Peter Barnes’s impressive 80’s recordings, Studio Bitch and Mark Brunke’s epic The Murderbrds as well as a couple True Olympian singles. Both Richard and Mark have new material in the works.
The big surprise this year was Band of Jays. Julian Volpe came to us through our friend Steve Turnidge of Ars Divina. He had run into Jay somehow and asked me if I would help out. I said sure and the kudos have been rolling in ever since. I recently asked Julian what drove all this response (it wasn’t me!), and he said it was his Reverb Nation account which he has worked hard!
In case some of you weren’t following carefully, here is a sort of chronology grabbed from Julian’s Facebook feed of what has happened since April.
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April 1 We release his second album Macroblast. Macroblast | Band of Jays (bandcamp.com)
May 30 For the 2nd time in 3 weeks “Perfect Side Of You” has hit the #1 spot on “The Radio Cafe” Top 10 countdown! Band of Jay’s is so grateful for everyone’s votes. Being in the countdown for the past 12 weeks has REALLY helped with downloads and streams.
Aug 24 REVIEW Band of Jays: “You” By George Duchow
Love & Summertime!
What do you want in a song? Do you want it to make you skip down the sidewalk, feeling lighter than gravity? Well, look no further! “You”, from Band of Jays (Julian Volpe) IS that song! With light, airy vocals, an up-tempo beat, and happy-go-lucky “oohs” and harmonies galore, you’ll feel like you’re astralplaning through life with few cares in the world. And what a better way to close out summer than finding a song that just might keep you in that summer frame of mind until next spring! That could be “You”, if you let it be.
Sept 1 Get ready for a musical treat this September 1st with Green Monkey Records digital release of the album “Hooks” by Band of Jays. This album offers a captivating blend of re-mixed and re-mastered tracks from the now retired debut album “Decadent Rituals (BoJ’s first album- td),” seamlessly interwoven with previously unreleased gems from 2021.
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Sept 1 For the 2nd time in 3 weeks “Perfect Side Of You” has hit the #1 spot on “The Radio Cafe” Top 10 countdown! Band of Jay’s is so grateful for everyone’s votes. Being in the countdown for the past 12 weeks has REALLY helped with downloads and streams.
Sept 6 Julian wins best Rock Artist for the Indie Music Channel Awards.
Sept 16 Thank you to everyone who has streamed Macroblast! Band of Jay’s just crossed the 10K threshold On Spotify!
Oct 5 REVIEW: BAND OF JAYS – YOU KNOW, SUN SHINE IN, AGAIN, AGAIN
3.9 out of 5 by Jamie Funk
In the sonic realm sculpted by Julian Volpe’s solo studio endeavor, Band of Jays, a tapestry of influences like Jason Falkner, The Posies, R.E.M. and a subtle whisper of Motown converge to give birth to a musical journey that’s both nostalgic and profoundly engaging. Upon my inaugural encounter, the ethereal ballad “You Know” emerged, akin to a reverent ode to The Beatles. The meticulous craftsmanship of this piece is evident, with the rhythm section – the bass and drums – taking center stage amidst a captivating mix. A catchy cadence coupled with an irresistible groove courses through the song, wrapped in sentiments that evoke heartfelt nostalgia. The instrumental interlude adorned with slide guitar and organ accents creates a dazzling focal point.
“Sun Shine In,” arguably the crown jewel of the collection, mirrors its title in sonorous brilliance. It exudes a warmth and jubilant spirit that is simply infectious. The vocals, while strikingly memorable, are tastefully embellished, creating an entrancing aura. The chorus emerges as a veritable earworm, while the strategically placed instrumental breaks, reminiscent of “You Know,” infuse vitality into the composition.
“Again, Again” stands as yet another standout song within Band of Jays’ repertoire. The lushness of this creation is profoundly captivating, thanks to the intricately woven arrangement. The interplay between guitar and bass introduces captivating dynamics that build and cascade throughout the song. Like its predecessors, this track bathes the listener in a radiant and vibrant sonic embrace.
While Band of Jays may not be endeavoring to reinvent the musical wheel, the caliber of their songwriting and production is indisputably top-tier. Their melodic tales, while steeped in familiar influences, are masterfully crafted and possess an undeniable allure. For those seeking a sonic journey that resonates with both heart and soul, a sojourn with Band of Jays is certainly recommended.
Sept 22 “Stella Ellis” video released
Oct 8 Poll for All: Greetings! Band of Jay’s has made it to the Sweet 16 and looking to advance to the Great 8! We need as many votes as possible. If you could take a second to click the link below and vote for yours truly. It only asks for a name, no email address is required. Thank you so much!
Dec 3 New Holiday Release! Yay It’s Christmas | Band of Jays (bandcamp.com)
Dec 6 Thank you to UKI for adding us to their playlist and broadcasts in the UK! Merry Christmas and Happy new year! 
Dec 13 Huge thank you to UK Independent and Radio Indie Alliance. Band of Jay’s is currently #14 in the UK for “Yay It’s Christmas”!
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I would say Julian is up and running! If you haven’t checked him out yet perhaps you wanna!
So, the future. What does 2024 hold in the crystal ball (so far)?
Well, it certainly is not 23 releases.
For me, I have decided to launch Olympia: A True Story – The History Video Series. Our goal is to make at least 10 videos of songs from the album, telling the historical tale of the tune. Perhaps we will get to all 40 Olympia songs eventually, but probably not. My goal is to put them into an education package that could be used in Olympia area schools. I just bought my first (kinda fancy) drone for shooting footage – me and Brother Bill Lucas are gonna get certified as pilots! Bonafides! Let the work begin!
I will probably do a few small Tom Dyer music projects at the same time but my focus will be on the videos for a while. One of those will be to compile and master The Icon’s Live trax. Some of you may recall The Icons was my ‘80’s band with Steve Trettevik. Back when, we released the pretty lo-fi (recorded live to cassette) “Live At The Hall of Fame”, which I have never re-released. The current AI tools available will allow me to significantly upgrade the sound quality – I have digitized that as well as our debut show at the Fabulous Rainbow (with a spritely version of F.O.A.D.) and will get around to it sometime this year.
Next month we will be putting out the self-titled debut album of Grrrizzley – a mighty two-woman Olympia rock machine! We recorded this last summer and it is beautiful yet primitive noise. They play around the area a bunch and you should go see them!
Later in the year we will be releasing True Olympian Jeff Parkhurst’s debut LP, Deep and Dark. Jeff took fifteen years to make this moody masterpiece and I am quite certain you will love it! His wife Randi Parkhust will be making 50 ultra-collectible LP boxes for the first people in line. It will be totally cool and by correlation, you will be cool if you have one. You can see some of Randi’s work in this video: (102) Asking 7 professional artists what inspires the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzb3oda2H_8m + studio tours! – YouTube
I am mixing a new 5-song EP for Boise’s Cabeza which I expect will be out in the next month or two.
I also have the files for an all new denser version of Mark Brunke’s Murder Birds which should see the light of day this year.
Jim of Seattle has played me a bunch of rough trax that he is working on for an all new album this year that I am most excited about, more on that soon.
Ray Mobley is finishing up his masters degree and has finally had time to work on a second album of new music that sounds great – I expect a new album from Ray this year.
The Heaters – Live at the Showbox album that we have been selling online forever (and giving all the dough to Ronald McDonald House) is going to come out on LP. We will tell you more about that as it gets nearer.
I am going to try to finally pull the pieces together this year for the Capping Day anthology I have been threatening to release for the last couple years – this could be the year at last!
That’s all I’ve got for you right now, but it seems like a good start.
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