Review: Tangerine and S Kill It at Former’s Cassette Release Party at Neumos

I had missed S (Jenn Champion) and her band at last year’s Sasquatch! and I was making sure to catch her at the next show in Seattle. I strategically planned to start my year in music with her to get things going in the right direction, since I like her music a lot.

The band is under Hardly Art (Sub Pop’s sister label), and Jenn herself has a music resume a lot of people don’t know about. She started Carissa’s Wierd with Mat Brooke after moving to Seattle, and later Ben Bridwell joined as well. After the band split the latter two went on to form Band of Horses. She released her solo projects under the name S.

She has 4 albums, the latest Cool Choices, was produced by the legendary Chris Walla. The songs are usually recorded in her bedroom with her playing guitar. That is the feeling you get from most of her tracks, that they are bare, soft spoken, and full of emotion.

The night at Neumos started with Draemhouse before S took the stage at 9:45. Her set was only 45 minutes, which I wish lasted longer, but it was still amazing. Hearing a handful of her newest tracks one after another – “Remember Love,” “Brunch,” “Losers,” “Tell Me,” “White House,” and “Like Gangbusters!” – was a great way to kick off the year in music.

After S was finished the bands quickly switched around so Tangerine could go on. The vibe was completely different but they were really good. Their newest release, Sugar Teeth, will be out on February 19th and you can read about it in the interview we recently had with them. The band will be playing at this year’s Sasquatch! Festival, and I can’t wait to enjoy their fresh tunes in the sun.