Home / Events / Tomten

Lineup: TomtenSinger/keyboardist Brian Noysewatkins grew up in lovely Carmel, California and you can feel the distant sun on a cool fall day in his songs, and hear the swell of an emotional ocean in the briny waves of baroque bop he creates with his band, Tomten. He met fellow singer/songwriter-bassist Lena Simon on orientation day at a multi-arts college in Seattle, where in fact drummer Jake Brady and vocalist/lead guitarist Gregg Belisle-Chi were enlisted too. The speed of their coming together to share playing on songs together, borrowing gear and rehearsal space from the academy, and causing sweet commotion at the local venues was stolen race car-fast. The songs on their 2012 releases, the Ta Ta Dana EP and album Wednesday's Children feature a keen sense of assured swing with shambolic passion. Fans of dream pop factories like Papercuts, dark maestros like early solo John Cale, or chanteuse-chasers like Gainsbourg will happily sip the band's musical "Brandy like it's candy" (to borrow a line from their delicately lusty, intoxicating "Lofty" on the full length). They do know how to play, but that's not really the point. Tomten has gotten a lot of praise for Brian's finesse on Rhodes, Mellotron, Hammond, and piano; Lena also plays bass in buzzed trance-choral band Pollens; Gregg sweeps their music with gracious, glittering guitars; and Jake nimbly sets all that gorgeousness up. But contrary to some generous but misdirected reports, the sublime pleasures of the group come from their private and passionate investigations for deep cuts on LPs across several decades, with definitely a shared love for all things Big Star, XO and Either/Or, Hunky Dory, Electric Warrior, Vintage Violence, Paris 1919, and yes, The Beatles (there, someone said it). "This young Seattle band's album is an impressive set of well-crafted indie-pop steeped in the music of '60s girl groups and British bands, with a variety of impeccably arranged songs featuring reverb guitars, organ, gorgeous harmonies, and catchy pop melodies." – KEXP