Houston - we have a new album!
It's been a little while but damn well worth the wait. We have the first ever album by Tom Dyer and The True Olympians - 12 New Recordings. I picked the album name because I thought it sounded slightly pretentious like it was a Steve Reich album on ECM or something like that. In real life it could have been called the far more descriptive 12 Chunks of Cruddy Rock Delivered Pedal Down, but who would want that, huh? The album features all-new material written 
by yer's truly and recorded by the band in the spring of 2018, ranging from the super-pop of “The Grey” to the brilliantly obtuse sludge of “In The Light.” Some of the songs are pointed like “Hegemony,” “The Ballad of Donald John Trump” and the not-quite sacrilegious “Wibblin’ For Jesus.” (Hey – it’s just the true facts, ma’am.) Some are vague and some are wistful. Probably none of them fall in the “pretty” category. Most of them just go 1-2-3-4 and rock out, as they should. The True Olympians are too old to care what anyone thinks about their music. We just do what we gonna do.
We have a sweet little 
video for “The Ballad of Donald John Trump” made by my nephew Ray Dyer. We are not fans of Mr. Trump and are not likely to be offered cabinet positions.
The True Olympians are Tom Dyer (that's me), vocals and guitar, Joe Cason, keyboards and vocals, Gene Tveden, bass and vocals, and Tom Shoblom, drums and percussion with no vocals at all. As a band, our beginnings go back to high school in Olympia, Washington, where Gene and I played in teen bands together. After high school, I got the hell out of town while Gene stayed in Olympia and played with a number of bands. He was a union man. Joe and Tom S are also natives who have played in pile of Oly bands and who currently play around town when it suites them in The Crescents. This band got its start when I moved back to Olympia a couple years ago and reconnected with Gene. Scott Vanderpool of the Green Pajamas ( and a darn Greener) introduced me to Tom and away we went. At the practice pad, there was a pile of keyboard stuff in the corner – I asked Tom “who?” and Joe was in.
The True Olympians are not a particularly ambitious bunch. Our first masterpiece is done and we plan to play at least one show this
year. Perhaps more, but we ain’t no spring chickens and don’t like to haul gear that much, so we shall see. Regarding the “True Olympian” business, while it is true we all are from Olympia, we are neither nativists nor exclusionary. We understand rather that True Olympianism is a state of pure existence available to any being on this round planet, with enough focus, work and clarity. So you too can be a True Olympian, too. Honest.
We released a digital single (now a video) from the album in May, “The Ballad of Donald John Trump,” my second editorial commentary about Mr. Trump. The hope was to get it out before Trump could do anymore dumb/evil stuff that required writing new verses. The previous single and video, Trump-ville, was released one year ago in June of 2017. I certainly hope it will not be necessary to write a third song on this unpleasant topic next year.
The True Olympians made our debut last December with the wonderful and secular “Christmas In Olympia/Christmas Is Love” single.
In other top-notch news GMR will be releasing the debut album of the REDS Band next month, a traditional folk band from Olympia featuring two sets of teen aged brothers. Dante and Eros Faulk (whose album debut Beirt was released on GMR last year) and River and Sage Scheuerell. It is a toe tappin' fiddle storm!
There will be a 2-disc vinyl release of The Green Pajamas - Strung Behind the Sun shortly by our English friends at Sugarbush Records and as usual we will have copies for sale at GMR. I personally think this is one of their very best so I am very excited by this. I once told Jeff that this record made me like music again at a point in my life I weas too busy to pay much attention to the stuff. If you want it on the original out-of-print CD you can get that from us right now or you can get the download from Jeff at the Green Pajama's Secret Day site.
There are lots of shows coming up.
The Queen Annes are playing Darrell's in Shoreline this Friday August 24 Also, Swedish Finnish will be at Slim's in Georgetown on Friday. The True Olympians make their secret debut this Saturday at a private party. The alway enjoyable OF will be playing at Slim's (still in Georgetown) with Kurt Bloch's Yesmasters on Saturday September 1. REDS Band will have their record release party Friday Sept 7 at 7:30 at Traditions Fair Trade in Olympia. Swedish Finnish will be at the Royal Room in Columbia City Friday, September 23.The Green Pajamas ain't playing anywhere. Ever again. You knew that already.
That is all there is for now. Continue to rock.
td August 2018