How a borrowed tape machine made (and inspired) the new EP from PKD

Plus, an audio archive of Pine Marten's final show and Moonjacks' singer competes in Motel 6 songwriting contest (how you can help)

For its latest release, PKD put it all in the title.

“Borrowed a reel-to-reel” is 11 voice-and-guitar songs, recorded in analog, on a AKAI GX-4000D tape machine borrowed from a neighbor.

The songs are raw and simple folky tunes, done in one-take, with no overdubs.

“I was so inspired by exploring the warm, analogue tape sounds,” says Patrick Durkee, who’s been releasing music as PKD for a decade plus. “After recording, I experimented with playing the tape machine as an instrument itself.”

So, the songs are also imbued with warbles, pitch shifts and tape noise. At times there’s a subtle psychedelia to the whole thing, Durkee says. “The lyrics employ natural imagery to explore the transient and mysterious nature of existence.”

“Borrowed a reel-to-reel” is available via Bandcamp.

Here’s a video of the songs being played back through said borrowed reel-to-reel, which is meta AF, but maybe the only appropriate way to listen to them.

From the archives: Pine Marten, Final Show 11/30/2003

Pine Marten is one of those Fresno adjacent bands that had some success performing in and around Los Angeles in the early 2000s as part of The Ship Collective.

It featured Fresnans Brian Thornell and Mark Wooten, along with Joe Lester (who now plays with the Silversun Pickups) and lasted about three years before playing its final show Nov. 30 at Sea Level Records, Echo Park.

That show was recorded and, thanks to Thornell, uploaded to Youtube for archival purposes. “It turned out pretty good I think and is a cool document of time and place,” Thornell wrote in a collection of thoughts on that final show.

“The early 2000’s music scene in L.A. was pretty great and we had a tight knit little music community,” he wrote. “We all regularly attended each other's shows, had backyard barbecues and got into all the types of things that you do in your 20’s.”

As proof, Brian Aubert from Silversun Pickups did an impromptu sit in on guitar and backup vocals for several songs during that final show, “despite never rehearsing with the band,” Thornell wrote.

“He knew all our songs back to front.”

You can listen to the show on Youtube, and read Thornell’s thoughts (and some history of the band) here.

Mookjacks frontman finalist in Motel 6 songwriting contest

Motel 6 has this songwriting contest for touring musicians (the kind that would need to stay at a Motel 6, anyway). The idea was to pen a song inspired by travel experiences, which the motel chain will then use in its advertising (I assume).

The winning songwriter gets $6,000 and 20 nights (which would be a tour’s worth) of free stay. A real win, win, kind of thing.

It’s mentioned here because Moonjack’s frontman Gabriel Ureno is a finalist in the competition, with a song called “Light On,” which both name drops the motel chain and references its marketing catchphrase.

Looks like the winner will be chosen by online votes, which run through Oct. 25.

You can go here and vote once a day, if you are so inclined.

That’s it for this week. Remember you can now hear me on the Homegrown Show Sundays at 8 p.m. on New Rock 104.1 FM. Tonight I’ll be talking with Hillblocksview about their new single, upcoming show with Alesana and more. Follow my other writing at The Fresno Bee. If you have anything you think I need to be looking at or listening to, feel free to let me know: jtehee@gmail.com