The first composite solid rocket fuel that eventually launched spaceships was made with asphalt, effectively paving the way to the moon. Dashboard Heat, the newest record by Seattle stalwarts Smokey Brights, embodies this funny little fact, using tough truths to slip the surly bonds of earth and, through hardship, touch the stars. Members Kim West (vocals/keys), Ryan Devlin (vocals/guitars), Luke Ragnar (bass/vocals), and Nick Krivchenia (drums) have crafted a ramshackle rocket of a record that touches upon cars, celestial forces, childhood homes, light and hope, darkness and grief. Produced by Andy D. Park in exchange for Ryan painting his recording studio, the album sees the band sonically shooting for the solar system while staying true to their grounded take on songcraft that has made them a mainstay of the Northwest scene.
The group released their first LP, Taste For Blood, in 2014, followed it up with Hot Candy in 2016, I Love You But Damn in 2020, and Levitator in 2023, with a constellation of EPs and singles sprinkled in between. While each successive release has garnered Smokey Brights more acclaim and attention – the Levitator LP and the Broken Too EP were ranked #50 and#81 respectively on KEXP’s Best of 2023 list – perhaps more important are the opportunities that have appeared as if by some musical magic. The group has four songs on the hit indie game Pacific Drive and recently recorded the soundtrack for the NPR podcast Let the Kids Dance! Along the way, they’ve racked up thousands of miles, both corporeal and cosmic, playing hundreds of shows locally, nationally, and internationally.
Smokey Brights have no intention of slowing down for the release of their fifth LP, Dashboard Heat. Their music video for “All in Who You Know,” directed by frequent collaborator Travis Trautt, features the band fresh off a performance at the Moscow Ren Faire, engaged in an epic quest for a mythical object of dazzling power. Recently, they filmed a stripped-down, sold-out two-night stand at Seattle’s Rabbit Box Theater, debuting the new record in its entirety. Even the physical record of Dashboard Heat is ambitious, stretching the terrene boundaries of vinyl into the celestial. The cover art from Brazilian surrealist illustrator Bruno Cesar features an Easter Egg for every song on the record, while the accompanying lyrical comic book sees Cesar sending the band on a trip through the silver age stars. Smokey Brights will be supporting all this astral ambition with terrestrial touring, hitting both coasts, the Southwest and the Northwest in fall 2025.
The Weather Machine
Ask a fan, and they’ll tell you The Weather Machine is best known for their over-the-top theatrical live sets. The Portland-based rock group started cutting their musical teeth 2013, at a time when the city was coming off a folk-revival wave and craving more indie rock. The Weather Machine flourished in that environment, building their folk story songs into plugged-in rock anthems. It’s brought the band a long way, and by 2016 they had already toured the US and Europe and opened up for acts like The Alabama Shakes and Cold War Kids.
But what exactly does The Weather Machine sound like? The Portland Mercury compares them to The Kinks and Paul McCartney, while an Italian publication preferred Hey Marseilles as a reference. The truth? This band is hard to categorize… which is a big part of the appeal. After releasing a stripped down, reflective debut record, their sophomore full-length album Peach took the group into the realm of power-ballads and anthem-rock. Their latest record, The Pelican, was written as part of lead singer Slater Smith’s side project with Oregon State Parks to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Oregon’s Beach Bill. The songs feature The Weather Machine’s current roster, as well as some of Smith’s favorite musicians from around the region. The dreamy story album plays with extremes, and while it’s on the whole tamer than The Weather Machine’s past work, it seeks to shocks listeners with jarring, exploratory musical interruptions throughout, representing a new phase of experimentation for the band, and a sign of good things to come.
Since emerging on the scene in April ‘13, The Weather Machine has been featured on Buzzfeed, OPB’s Think Out Loud, The Oregonian, the Portland Mercury, Willamette Week, and many more international and US-based publications. The band worked collaboratively with Oregon State Parks and Oregon Film to release their first music video, which debuted on acclaimed actor Rain Wilson’s video blog SoulPancake and was later rereleased online through GoPro Cameras. Its current members are Slater Smith, Luke Hoffman, André Zapata, Noah Bernstein, and Tim Karplus.
