Tomten
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Tomten

Seattle, Washington, United States | SELF

Seattle, Washington, United States | SELF
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"KEXP Album Review: Tomten - Wednesday's Children"

This young Seattle band’s second album is an impressive set of well-crafted indie-pop steeped in the music of ‘60s girl groups and British bands, particularly the Kinks, with a variety of impeccably arranged songs featuring reverbed guitars, organ, gorgeous harmonies and catchy pop melodies. 12/2/2011 -Don Yates
- KEXP


"Reviews: It's November 2011, and Seattle Sounds Like . . ."

"Ta Ta Dana," Tomten (11/5, self-released, facebook.com/tomten): Tomten's newest single employs heavily reverbed guitars and the band's trademark electric organ to create a stately song of cold, winter, and melancholy; the brief B-side, "Thwarting the Young," takes a complete 180 with a frisky, jaunty pop melody. EKT - Seattle Weekly


"Tomten rocks our socks at New Day!"

One music competition has launched the careers of some of the hottest acts to come out of Seattle.
Last weekend, four local underage bands played their hearts out in EMP's annual battle of the bands, called Sound Off! - New Day Northwest


"Tomten (Seattle, US) ásmt Just Another Snake Cult, Ofvitarnir og Loji"

Systralag Reykjavíkur og Seattle kynna með stolti!
á Faktorý v/Smiðjustíg (efri hæð), 24. ágúst kl. 22:00 – stundvíslega!!
Hús opnar kl. 21:00 – Frítt inn.
Baroque-poppsveitin Tomten er stödd hér á landi fyrir tilstuðlan Systralags Reykjavíkur og Seattle og í tilefni þess að í ár eru 25 ár síðan borgirnar gerðust vinaborgir. Hljómsveitin kom hingað ásamt hóp annarra listamanna frá Seattle til þess að taka þátt í viðburðum á nýafstaðinni Menningarnótt. Einnig komu hingað indíanar frá Quileute-þjóðflokknum sem sýndu þjóðdansa við sinn hljóðfæraleik og Bob Culbertson sem er einn mikilmetnasti Chapman Stick hljóðfæraleikari heimsins svo eitthvað sé nefnt. Tomten er frá Seattle í Bandaríkjunum er skipuð þeim Brian Noyeswatkins, Lena Simon, Gregg Belisle-Chi og Jake Brady og spilar sveitin melódískt baroque-popp með vægum skynvilluyfirbragði. Áhrifavaldar eru flestir frá sjöunda áratugnum auk nokkurra nýrri og á má heyra áhrif hljómsveita og tónlistarmanna á borð við The Zombies, Harry Nilsson, The Kinks, The Cure, The Beatles o.fl.. svífa yfir vötnum Hljómsveitin sendi frá sér samnefnda níu laga skífu seint á síðasta ári og má hlýða á hana í heild sinni hé - Rjominn - Music Blog - Reykjavik, Iceland


"The Stranger's 2011 Bumbershoot Guide"

TOMTEN

(Sat, noon, EMP Level 3) Tomten is the funnest, most elastic young band in Seattle right now. They play their organ-tinged rock (think early Rolling Stones smashed into the Zombies, with delightfully cattywampus vocals) and vibrate all around the stage in a prance that is almost, but not quite, a parody of rock-star cool. They know how to put a show together (that's why I asked them to play my most recent band-and-author showcase, Verse Chapter Verse, at the beginning of this summer), and one day soon, they'll be at the top of festival bills. Go see them in the intimate venues while you can. PC - The Stranger


"Come See China Mieville and Tomten on May 28th"

t's been a while since we had a Verse Chapter Verse, hasn't it? The last two VChVs, with Cory Doctorow and Pillow Army and Gary Shteyngart and Orkestar Zirkonium, were both a lot of fun. We've been waiting for just the right author and just the right band to come along so we can put together the best show possible. And I think we've finally got a killer lineup ready for you.
In case you're new to this: Verse Chapter Verse is The Stranger's combination reading/music series. The featured band plays three or four songs. The author reads a little bit, then I ask a few questions, then you in the audience ask a few questions. Then the band comes back out to play four or five songs while the author signs your books. They're always great fun—a literary night out with booze and dancing.
So, the next event will feature China Miéville. Miéville is the author of Perdido Street Station, The City and the City, The Iron Council, Un Lun Dun, Kraken, and more. He'll be in town to celebrate his new novel, Embassytown. I interviewed him a couple years ago for The City and the City, which is a Philip K. Dickesque thriller set in a mysteriously divided metropolis. He's funny, smart, and enthusiastic—a perfect interview subject.

The band this time around is Tomten, a local up-and-coming rock and roll outfit that calls back to the Rolling Stones and the Zombies while moving forward with a jittery kind of gonzo energy. I think their organ-heavy music will mesh with Miéville's self-described weird fiction in fantastic, science-fictional ways.
- The Stranger


"Tomten"

Tomten won Sound Off! earlier this year, but perhaps more impressive than their victory was the way they stood out from the competition. While the other groups in the annual underage battle of the bands ran the gamut from dance-pop to hip-hop to the requisite Northwest-indebted indie rock, it was Tomten’s fuzzed-out, psychedelic ’60s sound that won over the judges. And while genre revival is hardly a novel concept, few young bands pull it off so convincingly and with such confidence and bravado: listen to the sprightly organ intro on “The Pleasure Is All Yours” from their self-titled debut album and you’ll get the idea. It also doesn’t hurt that singer/organist Brian Noyeswatkins sounds like the lovechild of Ray Davies and Jim Morrison, crafting pop hooks that, while rooted in the past, are indicative of a bright future. With Fox and the Law, The Turpentines, Ambulance. ANDREW GOSPE
Fri., May 13, 7:30 p.m., 2011 - Seattle Weekly


"Double shot of TOMTEN"

"Hey young rock and rollers, are you looking for cool summer jams to lower your core temperature from the blood boiling heat?

Look no further. Seattle's own TOMTEN are the musical equivalent of catching snowflakes on your tongue. If they were a delicious summertime ice cream confection, they would be one scoop Fats Waller and one scoop The Zombies drizzled with the Flaming Lips and perhaps a little Beach Boys (in the harmonic sense) sprinkled on top.

If that doesn't make you run screaming after their proverbial truck, then perhaps the fact that they use the organ extensively and cite Curtis Mayfield and Tiny Tim (WHO DOES THAT?) as influences of theirs might entice you further. They are a magnificent pastiche of everything that makes 60s-era pop so delightful and so memorable and brings an indie-pop sensibility to it, without completely destroying the intended effect by becoming too precious or distorting it into something unrecognizable. It's bike riding, daisy chain making, lemonade in the shade sipping summer perfection.

Does this sound like an Otter Pop to your ears? (Perhaps Sir Isaac Lime, or Louie Bloo Raspberry?) If so, you have two chances to hear them this weekend! They will be playing at Mars Bar on 7/10 at 8:00PM with Gashcat and at The Skylark Cafe in West Seattle on 7/11 at 7:00PM with Night Owl and Abraham. Go forth. Check them out. Fall in love." - Three Imaginary Girls


"Imaginary Interview: Tomten talk about headlining the High Dive {4/28}, the Vera Project {5/13} & more"

For those out of the loop, Tomten is a Seattle band that enchanted the judges this year at the EMP Sound Off! finals. So much so, they aced the "Wild Card" vote and won. (OK, yeah, I was one of those smitten judges, hence the following interview.) They have a sweet nine song debut available at local record shops, and with a lot of shows coming up, you're going to be hearing a lot more of them. They're booked to headline the High Dive this week on Thursday, April 28, then the all-ages Vera on May 13. Both shows are more than worthy of your night-out dollar.

Also coming up is the beloved literary/music event Verse Chapter Verse, this time held at Chop Suey on Saturday, May 28 (7pm). This installment will be with cult science-fiction author China Mieville, who will be interviewed live by The Stranger. Paul Constant, a VCV promoter and fellow Stranger scribe, descibes Tomten as, "...a local up-and-coming rock and roll outfit that calls back to the Rolling Stones and the Zombies while moving forward with a jittery kind of gonzo energy. I think their organ-heavy music will mesh with Mieville's self-described weird fiction in fantastic, science fictional ways."

Below is our hot-fresh interview with singer/songwriter/guitarist/organ grinder Brian Noyeswatkins, initiated when I ran into him at the Elliott Bay Bookstore Cafe as he was planning to quit his job at Value Village and grabbing a coffee. He had a bad cold, but that didn't prevent us from lining up this exchange and bonding over Big Star and other sublime frequenices.

TIG: Please give us the nitty gritty (as um - my folks used to say) on the immediate shows coming up! One at the High Dive and a big line up at the Vera, right? Tell us tell us tell us. (Also: Costumes? Raffle prizes? Cover versions?)

Brian Noyeswatkins: YES! Our next show is at the High Dive this coming Thursday April 28th with our Sound Off! friendlies, Kithkin and Sorry Youth Advisory Board, starting at 9pm, for $6 (Sadly, 21+). We are also very elated to have a Vera show on Friday, the 13th of May, with Fox and The Law, The Turpentines, and Ambulance. 7:30pm, $8. ALL AGES! I am excited to play our first all-ages show since Sound Off! We’re hoping it’ll be a big show. Plus, if you come dressed as Jason Voorhees, we’ll make fun of you and let you in for free (maybe). First five? We’ll see. As far as covers go, I had a sneaky idea to do “Kodachrome” by Paul Simon, so we can stick to the photography theme seeing as the only other cover we’ve done was The Kinks’ “Picture Book.” But we’ll probably flake on that scheme.

Tomten is a fairy tale about a "little bastard Santa" character, right? Why would you name your band after such a thing?

BN: I wanted a band name that was one word. No “The ‘Bear, Bee, Whale, Sea, My – Something, Deer,’ bullshit.” I like that it has this folklore behind it, but I also don’t want to necessarily conjure up images of that wintertime scoundrel. It’s good that few Americans know what it’s referring to, and I enjoy hearing the flubs. (Totem, TOM-TEN, Tomtem, Totmen). Three cheers for dyslexia!

How’d the recent gig at the Columbia City Theater go? Is it true your parents flew out from your hometown in California for it?

BN: A splendid time was had. I heard someone describe Columbia City Theater as the venue you would be proud to take your mother out to. Their timing was good as well, they hadn’t seen us yet and were able to see two shows. We also played Washington Ensemble Theater’s Gala at Washington Hall that weekend which was one of my favorite nights that I don’t particularly remember. It was cute seeing them dance.

Has there been a surge in audience numbers since you won the "wild card" Sound Off! finalist prize?

BN: Hmmm, I wouldn’t say “surge," but maybe a light splash of increase; a teasing spray from the water pistol. BUT in many ways the shows are getting better and better, and that’s always nice to see. We’re getting more offers for shows than before and better venues and a potential trip to Reykjavik!!!!!!! (Shh...details on that soon.)

How the hell did you get involved with Sound Off! and what will be your eventual personal glory from participating down the line? (Recording a new album with the prizes, etc.?)

BN: I applied in 2009 when Lena and I were still a duo and sent in some less than mediocre demos and we didn’t make it in, but I went to the 2010 shows and found it to be a wonderful program, no matter the outcome, every band that competes in it gets a great amount of exposure, even if being in the EMP makes you feel a bit like you’re waiting to get your picture taken with Kenan and Kel and then dropped down a chute into some “goo”. Thanks Frank Gehry!

We have 2 days at Orbit to begin recording the next album, I want to take more time with this record, but hopefully have it ready by the end of the year or early 2012.

We know from your song "Ciderhound" that you enjoy a glass of that tasty beverage! Who else is in your band (full names), what they tend to play, and what are THEIR own tasty beverages?

BN: Lena Simon: Bass, vocals. Gregg Belisle-Chi: lead guitar, vocals. Jake Brady: drums. (I forgot to ask them their favorite tasty beverages so I’ll make up the worst thing possible...(censored), Keystone Light; Mr. Pibb; Tapatio; Drano.)

Tell me about your whole origin story! The Cornish thing. Also: Why didn't you want to be an actor instead (per your original plan when you came to Seattle to go to Cornish)?

BN: Lena and I were sitting on the floor of a Cornish practice room playing some stupid Magnus chord organ duet we’d written about Scones and Auld Lang Syne. Gregg then poked his head in and showed me that I suck at guitar by playing one himself. Things started from there. I left Cornish cause Acting is for sissies.

Are you going to be working with the producer you did last year's album with?

BN: ANDY MEYER! We actually haven’t sat down with him yet to talk about this new record but hopefully he will be on board. Andy is an exceptional engineer. He shares the love of analog and turned me on to Joe Meek. He also likes getting one really slick microphone and taking it out to a remote cabin in the woods to record an album. He is the Space Echo Lord High Executioner as well. These are a few of the many reasons why we love him. Our good friend Jason Gray recorded the debut and Andy took over mixing and mastering. It was mainly thin because we were trying to mix ourselves and didn’t really have a clear idea. Jason did a terrific job recording the album and he also recorded the “Anyone’s Guess” Single.

You write most of the songs for Tomten, but are they written by yourself and then brought to the band? Or do you work them out together? A little of both? (Please 'splain.)

BN: I write all the lyrics and my organ or rhythm guitar parts. I’ll bring whatever shape the song is in then to the band and we’ll all arrange it together and they’ll come up with their own parts. I’ve found it to be pretty efficient. I’m by far the worst musician in the band technically, so I’m very lucky to have them. I would never go up to Gregg and say “look champ, I wrote this butt rock guitar riff for you and you’re gonna play it.” He writes his own butt rock guitar riffs.

I love the sarcasm and satire of "Robber Barons" and "The Pleasure Is All Yours" on the debut. Can you tell me what they're about? I have my own interpretation but would love to hear the meaning from the horse's mouth (sorry for calling you a horse, man).

BN: I wrote “Robber Barons” because I love/hate those old cut-throat venture capitalists and I love Monopoly, so I wanted to have a song that tied in the rise of a tycoon moving up in the world by name dropping the progression of properties on the Monopoly board in value. Just some fun “Cheeky Pop!”

I got the idea for “The Pleasure Is All Yours” after I watched the 1944 film Gaslight with Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer. Gaslighting is my favorite form of psychological abuse and if you do it right you can have someone in a padded cell in no time. Yippee!

But also as you said, I hate bullies too.

You grew up loving the Kinks! What came next? And then when you started a band -- any others bands make sense as inspirations And does growing up in Steinbeck's California have an influence on your songwriting at all, or is it all an internal thing?

BN: Well, The Beatles (actually) came first. I got Rubber Soul for Christmas when I was in 4th grade and it will always be my favorite Beatles record. I didn’t really get obsessed with the Kinks until I was 14 or so, but after I had listened to all the Kinks albums (yes, even Phobia *sigh*) it was The Velvet Underground, The Zombies, The Cure, Papercuts, The Buzzcocks, Patsy Cline, Donovan, Bing Crosby, Curtis Mayfield, ELO, et al.

What other authors do you like?

BN: Italo Calvino, Anthony Burgess, George Orwell–especially Keep The Aspidistra Flying, P.G. Wodehouse, Cormac McCarthy, Roald Dahl (love his “adult” book “My Uncle Oswald”).

Three favorite keyboardists and why.

BN: 1) Fats Waller–“Your feet’s too big, don’t want you cause your feet’s too big, can’t use you cause your feet’s to big, I REALLY HATE YOU CAUSE YOUR FEETS TOO BIG!!!!!!!” Also amazing organ rendition of “She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain.”

2) John Cale: All because of the albums “Vintage Violence,” “Paris 1919,” and “Fear.” He can be an enchanting gentleman and a vicious spazz and I love that!

3) Alan Price: When you have three hours to sit and watch Linsdsay Anderson’s 1973 film O’ Lucky Man! you must! Alan Price did the entire soundtrack and acts as the Greek chorus to the film. Such cool and satisfyingly simple songs, this album alone makes him one of my favorite keyboardists I also love his extensive use of RMI Electric Pianos.

I know you said three, but there are so many: Ray Charles, Billy Preston, Nicky Hopkins, it goes on and on and onnnnnnnnnnn.

Three Tomten songs you think should be in hourly rotation on KEXP and why.

BN: 1) “All On A Winter’s Day”: One of the songs I was happiest with on the album, we need to play it more live. 2) “Robber Barons”: Quick and bouncy. Good length for radio. 3) “Sonny Don’t”: Andy did a great job making the mix of this spooky. I’d be happy if it got some plays.

Oh yeah God, I love “Sonny Don’t”! Great suggestion. Also: Three bands Tomten should open for and why.

BN: 1) Papercuts: I’ve wanted to open for them since high school, Jason Quever has written some of the most beautiful recent music and somehow isn’t that big. 2) Beach House: Dreamy and organ-heavy I would be grinning from head to toe if we were given that honor. 3) Sparks: In my dreams!

Who is Jake Thackray and why should we know about him? (And thanks for turning me on to his work when we chatted before!)

BN: Jake Thackray is this very droll English Chansonnier-type. He loved people like Georges Brassens, and Jacques Brel. Imagine that but with a slightly lighter kind of satire in his work. Songs like “Lah Di Dah,” “Personal Column,” “Scalywag,” and “The Last Will and Testament of Jake Thackray” are absolute gems. He is a brilliant songwriter and a huge influence for me.

Who else is an influence on your songwriting?

BN: Vashti Bunyan, Robyn Hitchcock, Nilsson, Randy Newman, Alex Chilton, Chris Bell. Mmmmmmmmm.

What should we look for from Tomten in 2011 in terms of shows and records?

BN: All aboard for Funtime! The Stranger’s Verse Chapter Verse with China Mieville, Portland, and many Seattle summer shows, hopefully a few more all ages ones, we may take a short break at some point late summer to begin work on the new album which will dwarf the first one! Woo-hoo! BUMBERSHOOT! and if it is confirmed this amazing opportunity to travel to Iceland to play Reykjavik’s Cultural Night!!!!! Cross your fingers! - Three Imaginary Girls


"Come get your corduroys charmed off by Tomten at Columbia City Theater {3/31}"

As was reported earlier on this sparkling site, I was one of the judges at this year's Sound Off! battle of the bands at EMP last month. I could write a book about the weird tension at events like these, pitched between melodramatic mainstream rock bands (and their pressuring fans) -- and those of us who like the weird, the wild, and the wonderful: like Tomten, the "wild card" draw. They are a foursome who are playing with M. Bison and Annabel Lee Thursday night at the majestic Columbia City Theater, starting at 9 PM. Don't miss them -- they will tickle your tea and pour pure joy into a jewel-speckled cup, bowing as they hand it to you.

The great news is that most of my fellow judges at Sound Off! couldn't be bullied by histrionics and impolite competition, but were wholly susceptible to the whip-smart charms of Brian Noyeswatkins (vocals, guitar, organ), Gregg Belisle-Chi (guitar, vocals), Lena Simon (bass, vocals -- though regular drummer Jake Brady was absent, and so super amazing Lena handled bass, drums, fetching beers for family, math homework, and all kinds of general amazingness). With all my heart I beg you to go to Columbia City Theater tomorrow night to see that night's winners.

Go, go, go pick up their self-titled indie album, and stick around to see Noyeswatkins pitch woo as if he is in a bed-sit/basement with the audience as if they were his first girlfriend, and he needed both his wit and warm smile to win 'em over. Between the sugary organ chews, the tambourine bashes and lassitude-bent notes, I hear dashes of this and dazzles of that, but seriously, Seattle hasn't had a debut underground pop album this bracing since Dolour's first back in the late '90s. (Not as slick, though, and with oodles more mirth.) The lyrics ignite a caustic optimism and a mocking of gas-lighting hipsters ("The Pleasure is All Yours") and bullies ("Robber Barons") you only get from real bands making music for real music fans (and their record-collecting fellow musicians).

Noyeswatkins is so confidently relaxed with his gifted voice he doesn't try to sound much like anybody, but you buy those classic LPs out of bins at Jive Time and off the wall at Wall of Sound to own the rowdy, randy roots of it. And: "Ciderhound" gets me so fucking thirsty! Like any writer with real potential, Noyeswatkins knows how to "drink to all our debts." This band is like a Seattle slacker Jam, timeless Mod art-pop to the bones! And yes, there are weak moments on the CD, but now they have some Sound Off! dollars (and time) to record, and will hopefully create a real "debut" for the scene to enjoy. - Three Imaginary Girls


"Seattle band Tomten wins EMP's Sound Off!"

With a few high kicks and some quirky British-style pop, Seattle-based band Tomten won over a panel of judges to win the 10th annual Sound Off! competition Saturday night, securing a slot in this year's Bumbershoot lineup.

Set against the backdrop of the Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum's Sky Church, Tomten was the first wild-card finalist to win the underage battle of the bands in the contest's history.

Tomten's peculiarity quickly warmed up the audience, with tracks like "Robber Barons" and "She's Impetuous," an ode, they said, to "everyone you ever wanted to throw in front of a bus."

Frontman Brian Noyeswatkins was a lot of fun, and Tomten's songs had enigmatic beats mixed with baroque synthesizer and expressive vocals, circa the 1960s British invasion. Noyeswatkins won the crowd mid-set with some dancing and high kicks as his bandmates, drummer Lena Simon and guitarist Greg Belisle-Chi, played on. - Seattle Times


"Delicious Q&A with Sound Off! Winners Tomten"

On Saturday, EMP hosted the Finals of their 10th Annual Sound-Off! competition. Over 100 entries were narrowed to 12, and those 12 were whittled down over three semi-finals into the final four–three semi-final winners and one wildcard–to battle it out, cage-style at the Sky Church.

In an awesome turn of events, the wildcard entrant–the vibrantly eclectic Tomten–knocked the collective socks off the judging panel and took top honors. They are the first wild-card finalist to win the underage battle of the bands in the contest’s history.

Brian Noyeswatkins (organ, omnichord, rhythm guitar, lead vocals) sat down via email on Friday, prior to his band’s win, to answer a few questions.

How did you get started playing music?
I started piano lessons at 8 and I had the most wonderful teacher. His name is Edward and he plays organ at the Carmel Mission.

He missed out on the 60's entirely because he was a monk, so he has this cute aloofness to rock and roll, the biggest sweetheart you’ll ever meet! I picked up guitar in middle school, and played stand up bass in orchestra throughout High School. Recently I’ve been into fooling around with “questionable” instruments that my bandmates will never let me use on songs (optigan, omnichord, theremin…) alas!

How long has Tomten been playing together, and how did you find each other?
We’ve been playing in our current lineup since May of 2010, but I first met Lena Simon (bass) and Gregg Belisle-Chi (guitar) in 2008. The three of us spent early 2009 making demos of each others songs and we were kind of this folky Quasimodo who never went out to play. We stopped playing for almost a year until Jake Brady (drums) joined in and we decided I’d primarily write songs, and we’d use electric organ extensively.

What does your writing process look like? Does the band write together, or will one member bring in a song?
Oddly, I think of a song title in my head first, and then fumble about trying to write an interesting story around that, it can be very impractical, and I usually get frustrated and yell at my cat. When I’m happy with what I have, I’ll bring in the lyrics, and a skeleton of the instrumentation (at least my organ and guitar parts), and then Gregg, Jake, and Lena will tear it a new hole.

Who are you listening to currently?
I have Papercuts new album Fading Parade revolving nearly everyday. It is a fantastic album. As far as anthems for this week I would say It’s a Man’s World – James Brown, In My Time of Sorrow – Marianne Faithful and I Am The Cosmos – Chris Bell Oooo! and lots of The Clientele.

What has been your experience with the EMP’s Sound-Off Competition? Has it been fun? Daunting? Did you expect to be picked?
Sound Off! has been interesting. We had to change everything, because Jake is 22 and ineligible to perform. Lena has been the drummer while Gregg and I switch off bass, and guitar. It’s been a ball, but I am also looking forward to being ourselves again. All the bands and people involved have been such cherubs and it’s a great thing to see everyone supporting one another.

What’s next for Tomten?
Oh glad tidings, lots of fun shows coming, and a tour in the works for May! We also hope to have enough new material in the summer to at least record the next album, putting it out is a different story, one that I’ll tell when I’m Daddy Warbucks. - Seattle PI - Blue Note


"Seattle band Tomten Wins Sound Off Battle of The Bands"

With a few high kicks and some quirky British-style pop, Seattle-based band Tomten won over a panel of judges to win the 10th annual Sound Off! competition Saturday night, securing a slot in this year's Bumbershoot lineup.

Set against the backdrop of the Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum's Sky Church, Tomten was the first wild-card finalist to win the underage battle of the bands in the contest's history.

Tomten's peculiarity quickly warmed up the audience, with tracks like "Robber Barons" and "She's Impetuous," an ode, they said, to "everyone you ever wanted to throw in front of a bus."

Frontman Brian Noyeswatkins was a lot of fun, and Tomten's songs had enigmatic beats mixed with baroque synthesizer and expressive vocals, circa the 1960s British invasion. Noyeswatkins won the crowd mid-set with some dancing and high kicks as his bandmates, drummer Lena Simon and guitarist Greg Belisle-Chi, played on.

Second place — and a slot at the Northwest Folklife Festival — went to bluegrass band Northern Departure, followed by alternative-pop group Fit for Hounds and The Oh Wells, a folk-pop outfit from Surrey, B.C.

Renton natives Northern Departure were exactly what guitarist Chris Luquette said, "a total firecracker shebang," surprising the younger crowd and pleasing the older generation with their artistry.

High-speed hands raced across banjo, guitar, bass and fiddle throughout the set, leaving no doubt Northern Departure's four members know their instruments.

Seattle band Fit For Hounds had strong support, winning the crowd-favorite award, but finishing third after some lackluster vocals failed to impress the judges. Nevertheless, lead singer Bill Doerrfeld displayed the strong stage presence a rock band needs.

The Oh Wells had clever lyrics and some solid instrumentation, but a poorly constructed set. Their final two songs were slow and forgettable, and the audience's attention wandered.

As well as winning free studio time and sound mixing, a live session on KNDD-FM (107.7), and a song on the next Rock Band release, Tomten will perform at Seattle's Bumbershoot festival later this year.

Overall, the mash-up of musical styles was exactly what Sound Off! is meant to be — an event showcasing some incredible talent under the age of 21. - Seattle Times


"Come Get Your Corduroys Charmed Off You By Tomten at Columbia City Theater"

As was reported earlier on this sparkling site, I was one of the judges at this year's Sound Off! battle of the bands at EMP last month. I could write a book about the weird tension at events like these, pitched between melodramatic mainstream rock bands (and their pressuring fans) -- and those of us who like the weird, the wild, and the wonderful: like Tomten, the "wild card" draw. They are a foursome who are playing with M. Bison and Annabel Lee Thursday night at the majestic Columbia City Theater, starting at 9 PM. Don't miss them -- they will tickle your tea and pour pure joy into a jewel-speckled cup, bowing as they hand it to you.

The great news is that most of my fellow judges at Sound Off! couldn't be bullied by histrionics and impolite competition, but were wholly susceptible to the whip-smart charms of Brian Noyeswatkins (vocals, guitar, organ), Gregg Belisle-Chi (guitar, vocals), Lena Simon (bass, vocals -- though regular drummer Jake Brady was absent, and so super amazing Lena handled bass, drums, fetching beers for family, math homework, and all kinds of general amazingness). With all my heart I beg you to go to Columbia City Theater tomorrow night to see that night's winners.

Go, go, go pick up their self-titled indie album, and stick around to see Noyeswatkins pitch woo as if he is in a bed-sit/basement with the audience as if they were his first girlfriend, and he needed both his wit and warm smile to win 'em over. Between the sugary organ chews, the tambourine bashes and lassitude-bent notes, I hear dashes of this and dazzles of that, but seriously, Seattle hasn't had a debut underground pop album this bracing since Dolour's first back in the late '90s. (Not as slick, though, and with oodles more mirth.) The lyrics ignite a caustic optimism and a mocking of gas-lighting hipsters ("The Pleasure is All Yours") and bullies ("Robber Barons") you only get from real bands making music for real music fans (and their record-collecting fellow musicians).

Noyeswatkins is so confidently relaxed with his gifted voice he doesn't try to sound much like anybody, but you buy those classic LPs out of bins at Jive Time and off the wall at Wall of Sound to own the rowdy, randy roots of it. And: "Ciderhound" gets me so fucking thirsty! Like any writer with real potential, Noyeswatkins knows how to "drink to all our debts." This band is like a Seattle slacker Jam, timeless Mod art-pop to the bones! And yes, there are weak moments on the CD, but now they have some Sound Off! dollars (and time) to record, and will hopefully create a real "debut" for the scene to enjoy.

This night is going to rule. - Three Imaginary Girls - Chris Estey


"Tomten Sound Off!"

Through the use of jangly guitar, soaring organ and nostalgic lyrics, Seattle's baroque pop group Tomten create infectious and sophisticated compositions that evoke the Village Green era of The Kinks. A man out of time, singer/organist Brian Noyeswatkins leads the group through landscapes of jaunty pop and mellotron-drenched psyche; crafting clever and quirky songs packed with timeless hooks. - EMP/SFM


"Tomten at The Experience Music Project"

Although I came down to the EMP Sound Off round one for Ambulance (previous post), another band crept into my heart that night. Tomten held the audience in their grip with songs boiling over with influences from 60's Brit rock… and yet felt modern enough for the band to not be simplified as a throwback. They also performed an incredible ballad called ‘Sonny Don’t’. Check out this clip from the show. You can listen to their album ‘Tomten’ as well as get a free download of their new single on Bandcamp, or just go ahead and buy their CD from iTunes. - American Virus


"Seismic Rad-Libs: Brian Noyeswatkins of Tomten"



So if you haven’t heard of Seattle band Tomten, then whats the hold up? This Tuesday night Dec.14th they’re playing the Chop Suey for their CD release party and from the looks of the entire bill, it should be grand. Joining them on their bill is probably one of my favorite Seattle female vocalists Shenandoah Davis, so get their at a reasonable time to catch her performance, but kicking things off is Bellingham indie-pop rock band Candysound. So make your way to this show, and check out the great diverse sound of this bill, it’s a great example of talent we have here in the PNW. We asked front-man Brian of Tomten to be our rad-libber, and we certainly got some interesting and entertaining libs no doubt.

Prepare to be: The Bearer of Bad News.

I wont be: Grinning the next time some son of a bitch calls us “Totem”.

The truth is: Sometimes I listen to Procol Harum….and like it. Eek!

Tomten means: Ask your rustic Swedish Grandfather, or Astrid Lindgren so they may paint a rosier picture for you; one of heightened nostalgia for a yester age.

I can’t ever: Be seen in public without my furs… or my glorious entourage of Adonises draped in equally stunning pelts. O’ To Be Young and Jaded!

Christmas is: A Child’s Christmas In Wales.

My biggest obsession is: The Passion of Jacques Brel!

Don’t ever touch: Gila Monsters, Children, Eckhart Tolle reading matter, Jenkem, …….There are many things one should not touch and many ways in which one should not touch them.

I’m capable of: Starting a Phantom Organ Super Group with John Cale, Fats Waller, Alan Price, Rod Argent, Nicky Hopkins, Ray Charles, Robert Fripp, Moondog, Billy Preston, Ron Mael, Van Dyke Parks…even Randy Newman but then I wake up as Cinderella does to the service bells of her step sisters. No Phantom Super Group. Even Phantom Cats don’t exist. The Tantanoola Tiger was nothing but an Assyrian Wolf.

Butt love: Is impossible with a prolapsed rectum.

Religion is: Simple, I know I’m god because when I pray to him I find I’m talking to myself. - Seismic-Sound


"Sound Off! An Underage Battle: Tomten"

Ok, we're going to call BS. There's no way every member of Tomten is under 21. We simply don't believe it. From song structure to arrangements to basic chops, Tomten's tracks seem the product of musicians weathered and traveled. More than that, though, is the emotion they capture so effortlessly: whimsy. See, to do whimsy well, there needs to be an awareness of the past and a knowledge that the present recapitulates it in endless cycles, which then has to be tempered with bemusement. You have to realize that everything repeats itself and find it funny. That's a pretty tall order for people not old enough to drink.

Lacing jangling guitar to fabulous full-octaved organ with left-field production, Tomten sounds very little like anything else going on in Seattle right now. Their closest musical siblings are probably The Raggedy Anns. But while both are smartly updating and honoring their idols, you certainly wouldn't confuse one for the other. Tomten is deliberately pursuing their own muse, no one else's.

They'll be taking on Ambulance, Northern Departure, and Young Pacific this Saturday at the first round of the 10th Annual EMP Sound-Off! Competition. It's going to be just like the movies: a bunch of 20 and 30 year-olds pretending to be in high school. We're so on to you Tomten. - Seattlest


"Tomten Jaunts Through The Psych-Pop Rainbow"

For a local band, the album release show is the night when the rock-fun ledger tips over into the black. All the lugging of equipment, all the underwhelming crowds, all those hours in a dingy practice space trying to get the bridge to that one song just right: it's worth it for this show. The room is full of your band's best friends, and you can finally stock your merch table with something more substantial than stickers. It's the kind of thrill that not even a soggy Tuesday night can dampen.

OK, so Tomten has only been playing out regularly in this form since this past May. But on the evidence of their confident performance at the release party for their self-titled debut, they were feeling that hard-won buzz anyway. The crowd gathered under the glowing red eyes of the sequined dragon at Chop Suey was not disappointed.

As soon as frontman Brian Noyes-Watkins stepped up to his Korg synth, it was clear we were in for a skip through the '60s Anglo poppy fields. Not only does he look a little like Ray Davies of the Kinks, his voice has much of Davies' world-weary melancholy, spiked with the arch haughtiness of Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos.

With his Korg set to either swirling faux-Hammond organ or plush faux-Mellotron, Noyes-Watkins led the quartet through just about every color of the psych-pop rainbow. "Robber Barons" bounced with that music-hall jauntiness that Davies did so well. Noyes-Watkins traded his synth for an acoustic guitar on "Ciderhound," a rustic English-folky drinking song. The band's big epic, "All on a Winter's Day," alternated languid verses with big, swirling, swelling choruses, while the high-hat swish of "Civilizing" sent an already hyped crowd into a jerky dance frenzy. Well-considered harmonies from guitarist Gregg Belisle-Chi and bassist Lena Simon added color at the right moments. Noyes-Watkins clearly knows his way around a hook, and Belisle-Chi's arrangements make the songs sound bigger than they should from such a basic four-piece.

Tomten even dared play with the fire of covering the Kinks' "Picture Book" without singeing a hair. If Noyes-Watkins ever runs out of song ideas, he's got a future on the tribute circuit.

It's dangerous for any band to wear their influences so prominently on their sleeves, especially when those inspirations have already been so thoroughly picked over. Standing on the shoulders of giants can make a mere mortal look even smaller. But with a supremely catchy, well-paced set that already sounds like a greatest hits collection, Tomten has the songcraft worthy of their chosen tradition.

The other two acts on the bill played concise sets that held the crowd's attention while they waited for the main event. Candysound, a young trio, offered a straightforward set of reg'lar ol' indie rock: a quiet part here, a loud part there, a frantically strummed octave chord every so often. Their songs did what they needed to do, but the band could use a little more personality. Shenandoah Davis' songs evinced enough invention and distinctiveness to recommend them to anyone who enjoys that kind of thing. - Seattle Weekly Reverb


Discography

Tomten (2010)
Ta Ta Dana/Thwarting The Young (Single) (2011)

Photos

Bio

Tomten is a quartet from Seattle, Washington. They are often described as "Baroque Pop" for their retro organ driven sound. Tomten was formed in 2010 by four Cornish College of the Arts students and started performing regularly in Seattle that summer. In the fall of 2010 they recorded their eponymous debut LP (released Dec. 14, 2010). In March of 2011 Tomten won First Place in the EMP/SFM's Sound Off! Competition which secured them a slot at Seattle's Bumbershoot Festival 2011. Tomten spent the summer of 2011 preparing and recording new material for their 2nd LP "Wednesday's Children" (TBA 2012) and travelled to Iceland in August to perform at Menningarnot in Reykjavik. The "Ta Ta Dana" Single is scheduled for release in November 2011.

"Through the use of jangly guitar, soaring organ and nostalgic lyrics, Seattle's baroque pop group Tomten create infectious and sophisticated compositions that evoke the Village Green era of The Kinks. A man out of time, singer/organist Brian Noyeswatkins leads the group through landscapes of jaunty pop and mellotron-drenched psyche; crafting clever and quirky songs packed with timeless hooks."

-EMP Seattle