Douglas Martin: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, tambourine, viola, cardboard box, harmonica, toy piano, quiro, melodica, shakers, pots & pans, vocals, harmonies, and production.
(and whoever Douglas can round up at any given moment.)
Influences
[miscellaneous influences:]
stray words and phrases.
rainy days.
andy warhol.
scrabble.
career criminals and civil disobedience.
desolate city streets.
[musical influences:]
the neptunes.
tv on the radio.
nirvana unplugged.
the microphones.
andre 3000.
the velvet underground.
sonic youth.
jesus and mary chain.
[lyrical influences:]
charles bukowski.
donald goines.
oscar wilde.
shawn carter.
chuck palahniuk.
ralph waldo ellison.
chuck klosterman.
christopher wallace.
Sounds Like
corroded, art-damaged folk-pop.
"fresh cherries from yakima, the solo project of douglas martin, a self-described 'art-punk folkie,' fuses together disparate genres like building blocks that aren't supposed to fit. whether it's a toy piano-led doo-wop song that briefly turns into a carnival house of mirrors ('sailor hats and cigarettes'), a flurry of acoustic noise-punk with vocal harmonies and xylophones buried too deep in the mix (his cover of beirut's 'mt. wroclai (idle days)'), a seven-minute dirge of swirling effects ('japanese pears'), or a quiet, intimate folk song punctuated by blissed-out drone (his excellent cover of polly jean harvey's 'the desperate kingdom of love'), martin's hyperactive imagination has turned him into one of the pacific-northwest's best kept secrets."
"douglas martin is a promising singer/songwriter with a sense of dark humor and knack for detail that recalls charles bukowski (one of his many influences) more than any musician that's influenced him."
"just when you thought the singer/songwriter genre was a dead horse, every few years, another moody introvert comes along and kicks it back to life. enter douglas martin: stage left."
"on the surface, buttons for north caroline, fresh cherries from yakima's debut, is a collection of songs about girls. later on, it becomes evident that these songs about girls-- overly confident visual artists, alt-porn models, serial killers, almost-drunk drivers, and amnesia victims-- are written with more verve, wit, charm and emotion than one kid in his early twenties should be allowed to possess."
"fresh cherries from yakima, the bandonym of seattle-based singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer douglas martin, gleefully perverts most preconceived notions of the 'singer/songwriter,' with narrative fiction laced with dark humor (and occasional, if unexpected, moments of tenderness) and copious use of electronica, found sound, and effects pedals (and, presumably, hallucinogenic drugs)."
"with airy ambiance and gurgling electronics providing a foil for the heartfelt, quasi-literary lyrics and singer/songwriterly disposition that accompany them, fresh cherries from yakima is deftly straddling the line between emo and eno."
"buttons for north caroline is the antithesis of easy listening. it's concerned with exploring the weird fringes of sound. there's a good chance you might not like it. hell, i'm not even sure how much i like it."
sometime during the summer of 2004, a scruffy bookworm drove home from his part-time job, passing by a man selling fruit from the back of a van. he noticed there was a sign that read "fresh cherries from yakima," swaying in the summer breeze. two weeks went by, and finally, after much deliberation, the bookworm decided to buy some cherries.
as the scruffy bookworm pulled up to the back of the van, a nearly-translucent young man in a sailor suit turned around. in exchange for buying some produce, the sailor implored the bookworm to have a seat and listen to a story or two. the scruffy bookworm was so enthralled with the sailor's storytelling, the two would sit in the back of the van with the doors open every day for the duration of that particular summer. the ghost would tell his tales, and his scruffy friend would transcribe the stories and later turn them into folk songs.
soon, the scruffy bookworm had enough songs written to start a band. he asked his sailor friend, who initially declined. after two straight weeks of fending off an invitation into the band, which actually bordered on annoyance, the sailor accepted his friend's offer, but there was a condition. more accurately: a challenge. in order for the sailor to join the band, which was to be named fresh cherries from yakima, the bookworm would have to play him for the name and his services in an old african board game called mancala.
the competition was vigorous, but the winner, by one single bead, was the bookworm. thus, fresh cherries from yakima was born.
if you'd like, you can stream the entirety of buttons for north caroline and the bourbon and bedsheets EPhere and here, respectively. i also keep a hilariously long-winded music blog; you can find that here. go here or here if you'd like to purchase the album as an mp3 download. for any questions about booking, press, etc., inquire within for my e-mail address.
Fresh Cherries from Yakima's Friend Space (Top 16)
I always call Douglas Martin just to say Hello, or Good Day, sometimes I exchange a one liner or two.
I heard the bees chirping by the old sawmill, they said electricity flows through his veins like a torrent never before witnessed by mankind. In passing they mentioned his name, I believe it was Joe Lally, or something like that. I heard he was going to be holed up at some Olympia joint, Le Voyeur I believe, at 2pm on April 26th with some local smokies, Repeaters and Popcorn Advisor I heard. I say we go down and make sure these bandits don't steal our wives and children and escape to Mexico.
I know, right? Arthur in a freak gardening accident, Mickey spontaneously combusted while performing the drum solo from Zeppelin's "Moby Dick". Hopefully we'll hold onto John, though last night we were practicing in the basement of one of the buildings on campus, and just as we were leaving we noticed one of the bathrooms was fucking on fire. When're you going to send me those tracks?
Jeez, it's been ages since we last spoke... What's been going on with you dude? Are you well? It was well before Christmas since we last chatted I think - anything big on the horizon...?
FYI - I'm moving to Toronto in April... I'll have to visit Seattle and catch you live at some point this year man...
seattle. great. one day i will come to visit it, sure. I know some guys from seattle. anyway, i can understand you, in milan is the same: it's cold, damn! i need summer time. ps: i like your music taste ;) keep in touch! r/b
That's interesting. I like taking in as much as possible, no matter the source because it widens my scope and comprehension of the world around me. The more I know, and experience, the more I can understand. So that everything I produce (art, or otherwise) will be the most informed and able to reflect back the fullest experience possible.
I think that the results of insular study can be brilliant and vital, but personally I enjoy branching out as much as possible.
Haha, yeah, I was actually surprised myself while compiling it. I still feel lame for not having more metal or country, though I'm trying to work my way from the past to the present in those genres so I'll really understand what I'm listening to.
What's up lovely? I know, I know.. .I need to fill you in on the move and such.. I've been so busy since I got here!! It's crazy.. I will write a long one soon, promise. xoxo. How are you?
I'm pretty much always writing, but lately I've been going into overdrive for my third album. I'm really excited and I really feel like I'm progressing toward a lot of my creative goals.
So that feeling of upward progression is a consistent morale booster.
Ready to start compiling the inevitable AOTY list? It's touuuugh, I'm currently cramming in like a dozen missed albums right now.
... soooo... I contemplated suicide a few weeks ago, when my computer decided to wipe out my ENTIRE MUSICAL LIBRARY, for some unknown reason. BUT!!! You know what I realized through this tragedy?
There are few things in life better than rediscovering a song you love but somehow forgot about. Lullabys for a Retired Model.... prime example. :]
in other words... thank you for being amazing, and bringing more-than-momentary moments of giddy joy into my sad, sad life, Douglas Martin. hahaha.
