Dennis Driscoll

Northwest vocalist/songwriter Dennis Driscoll combines days gone by — the plain-spoken earthiness of Woody Guthrie, the innocent exuberance of Friend Holly — with today’s — the confessional intimacy of Kitty Power, the quirky difficulty of Neutral Dairy Hotel — to make a whimsical make of folk-pop that transcends easy brands and categorizations. Driscoll, who was simply created in the past due 1970s, was raised in the in the scenic seaside cities of Ilwaco, WA and Astoria, OR, where he started performing and playing his unique material — sketching cartoons, as well — and got a radio display on Astoria’s community train station, KMUN. There he was subjected to lots of the performers (Pete Seeger, Nick Drake, Jad Good, Yo La Tengo, etc.) who impact his unique audio and strategy. In the past due ’90s, Driscoll started playing and documenting in earnest. An appearance at a Knw-Yr-Own display in Olympia, WA in 1998 resulted in his debut discharge, Is It Like?, which was documented over another couple of months in Ilwaco and Astoria with Olympia’s Dub Narcotic Studio room with the Microphones Phil Elvrum. The full-length cassette premiered in July of this calendar year by Anacortes’ Knw-Yr-Own, and highlighted Elvrum, Joseph Bradshaw, Aerick Mackintosh, Rachael Douglas, and Josiah Todd. The label acquired difficulty keeping the tape in share as phrase got out concerning this talented, charismatic musician. A couple of years afterwards (in the wake of his third full-length), Small Pad would reissue the materials on Compact disc with extra monitors. In 1999, Talent Present released his second full-length, the 70-minute, 31-melody Hello Dennis Driscoll. This time around, he and Phan Nguyen taken care of the production responsibilities. The cornucopia of delightfully catchy pop music were documented from August 1998 to June 1999 in Olympia — where Driscoll was today attending university — and highlighted a big cast of regional musical luminaries including Bradshaw, engineer Brooks Martin, and Dub Narcotic Sound System’s Heather Dunn, and Chris Sutton (also half of funk-oriented duo, C.O.C.O). Combined with the anticipated bass/drum/electric guitar lineup, Hello highlighted melodica, trumpet, ukulele, violin, and cello. That same calendar year, Driscoll’s “I LOVE It” was highlighted on Yo Yo Recordings’ Projector compilation. The next calendar year, “Valentine” popped through to Appreciate Tape Love’s Hootenholler compilation cassette. He also performed out with several local performers, including Small Wings (aka Kyle Field) and Laura Veirs. From 2001 to 2002, Driscoll’s music continued showing on a number of individually released compilations: Knw-Yr-Own’s Remote Wing (“Silly Young lady”), Eighty North Information’ Lullaby Lullaby (“Sunday Morning hours,” “Lullaby, Lullaby”), Skill Show’s Olympia (“Magic formula Admirer,” “Maureen Halloween”), Crimson Square Recording’s Invited to Supper (“Fall in Like”), Heavenly Pop Strikes’ Strike Music Just (“Inform Me Why”), Cody Information’ Not Tracks, But Anthems (“Daisy Might”), and Small Pad’s Secret House Party 7″ (“Maureen Farrell”). He also sang for the Microphones’ “I CANNOT Believe YOU TRULY Passed away” (To arrive Second) and continued tour with DNSS and Mecca Regular. Later that yr, Driscoll’s third full-length, the wistful Voices in the Fog, premiered by Olympia’s K Information (and made by the label’s Calvin Johnson, also an associate of DNSS). Much like its predecessor, a number of Olympia stalwarts arrived to provide their support, including Mirah, DJ K.O. from IQU, and DNSS’s Dunn and Sutton. The stunning black-and-white cover illustration was attracted by Driscoll’s friend, comic musician/musician, Dame Darcy (Meatcake). That summer months, Driscoll continued tour around the united states and abroad to get his K debut and, as though he weren’t currently busy enough, attained his bachelor’s level from Evergreen and began a label known as YOU COULD HAVE It All.