Julia Massey & the Five Finger Discount

Genre: Pop
Secondary Genre: Rock Seattle, Washington USA Contact

Listening to Julia Massey & the Five Finger Discount is recommended for folks who want to launch into outer space through music. Like Mates of State and Pink Floyd, their tunes are better on drugs, and better than drugs.

Artist Information

Biography

Imported from the Mid-Atlantic by way of the rocky mountain state, Julia Massey brings to the city of Seattle an outer-space sized sound that she and her band have branded COSMIC-FOLK-ROCK. The music they’re producing is fun, full of energy, and heart-opening; and that’s just scratching the surface.

Writing, recording, and performing alongside Massey for the last three years are bassist Geoff B. Gibbs and drummer Dominic Cortese. That’s been enough time to hone in on a particular feel, but their critically acclaimed release of 2011, “Is There Room For Me?” is not what you would expect.

This album is, by far, Massey's heaviest and most experimental to date, almost completely transcending her self-proclaimed genre. Characteristic of Massey's previous recordings, “Is There Room For Me?” gives the first impression that it is one lollipop short of children's music, but the listener quickly realizes this music is not for children, but rather brings out the child in you, which is the essence of Massey's genius. "Is There Room For Me?" is innocent, playful, and sometimes sensual; yet, its most redeeming quality is its subtlety. Whether it is Massey's unique vocals, timeless poetry, or the edgy accompaniment from Gibbs and Cortese to Massey's progressions and melodies, this record unveils a new season at every listen.

As the record unfolds, Massey cheerily explores subjects such as the similarities between the top of a mountain and the bottom of an ocean, alien visits, and a skate park she used to observe outside of her living room window. She also touches on more introspective themes such as the last wishes of a dying parent in "Aghadoe" and our place in the universe on the title track. Massey also pays homage to one of her heroes, Emily Dickinson, on a track titled "#712," after a poem of the same name. Dickinson's influence can be seen all over Massey's lyrics throughout the album.

In short, Massey and her band turn what is seemingly a collection of pop songs into a collage of compositions that display a thick stack of thin layers to be effortlessly peeled back by listeners. Unlike Radiohead or other Prog bands whose music takes years to uncover fully, all of Massey's layers float into your psyche like a feather taking your heart and mind on a journey that ends in sunshine. Then, like all great bands, you want more.

Instrumentation

Dominic Cortese - the drums
Geoff B. Gibbs - Bass!

Discography

"brains in bubbles" (2005)
"moons & stars convene" (littlepioneer records, 2007)
"out" (2009)
"i'm not hollow" (2010)
"is there room for me" (2011)

Links

Audio

Lyrics

Video

AGHADOE FINAL CUT.mp4

Is There Room for Me?

Photo Gallery

Press

  • Poetic Memory [+ Show ]

    Julia Massey and her band, The Five Finger Discount, are a fundamentally upbeat bunch. From the f...

  • Seattle Subsonic: Aghadoe [+ Show ]

    One of my local favorites, Julia Massey and the 5 Finger Discount just released a video for “Aghadoe...

  • Refreshingly Endearing [+ Show ]

    Full of inventive, playful arrangements and bolstered by Massey's sweet, refreshingly endearing voca...

  • Happy Birthday, Happy Day of the Dead, Julia Massey, Please Forget Me [+ Show ]

    On Saturday, November 5th, I had two obligations. First, there was a birthday party at the Skylark C...

  • Noise You Need [+ Show ]

    Julia Massey is an accomplished songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Catonsville, Maryland who ...

Setlist

Sets run anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours, depending on how many I have memorized presently, and the venue. Here's a running list of my originals:

Big Moon Baby
The Bullfrog
Out, Into Themselves
Surfing on an Astral Plane
Someday, Our Bodies are Gone
The Comet
Song of the Dying
Tunnels
Good Fish
Emily
Catherine
Joan
The Elk's Ghost
Hidden
The Man Who Could Float
We are Safe
Goner
Soaked Through Matches
Little
Easy
Honeycombs
Bring Your Heart
Salty Schemes
Magic/Dancing in the Kitchen
Catacombs
So To Speak
The Antelope

Basic Requirements

Calendar

DateTimeVenueCity
May 31, 2012 Thursday 9:00 PM Sunset Tavern Seattle, WA, US
Jun 16, 2012 Saturday 9:00 PM Skylark Cafe West Seattle, WA, US