Jeff and Keeg - "The Gold Tape" [1999]

A longtime favorite for the kids of the late 90s Everett scene, Jeff and Keeg was the short-lived duo of Keegan Douglas and Jeff Scott, formed after Keeg's band Luner Lander broke up. I believe this was their only release, a 4-song tape, spray-painted gold (I hear there were some silver ones, too). Straightforward guitar-based pop songs about girls, with Brian Wilson-inspired falsetto vocals and the occasional Phil Spector drum beat. I went to the Old Fire House one night with a friend, and Keeg, who I didn't know but who knew my friend, was walking around with a grocery bag of the the new tape, handing them out. I saw he and Jeff play a few times, the set consisting of these four songs played by just the two of them, Keeg on guitar and Jeff on bass, both with matching blue Fenders, holding them in shifting coordinated positions with the song, as if the garage was American Bandstand in 1964. A cassette in a boombox filled out the band with keyboard and drums.

A short while later, Jeff and Keeg recruited a couple other guys, and were Jeff and Keeg and John and Jim, then simply The New Avenues. See here for my post on them, which features a redone version of the tape's classic closer, "No November", a song which I've heard multiple girls swear is about them. Whatever the truth may be, it's a great little pop song, and I'm very happy to share this tape with you. Enjoy.

Download the 4-song tape with artwork scans here.

Dolour: Pre-album works

Dolour were a pop band who put out a few albums from 2001 to 2007, before leader Shane Tutmarc moved to Nashville to explore his twangier side. They formed in 1997, and put out one 7-inch in 1998, "The Shivering", which is so emo it includes repeated instances of the phrase "it feels like", and explains why a band known for shiny, uptempo pop has a name which means "sorrow". Before 2001, they also released some CD-R EP's wherein they found their pop center. To me, this version of the band, with Lacey Brown on drums and Joe Gregory on bass, was where they seemed most like a collaborative band. I remember some controversy when the second album came out, the cover just a closeup of Shane's face. The general consensus seemed to be that he was making it clear that Dolour = Shane Tutmarc. Despite the controversy, what was clear was the man knew how to write a good pop song. His current band is Shane Tutmarc and the Travelling Mercies, and Lacey Brown still plays music in Seattle. You can find her output at her website.

Download The Shivering 7", Boy Racer Loves Heart Breaker EP and SF Demos EP here.