Craft Spells at Room 205 Live at MFNW
In this week’s episode of Room 205, we present Craft Spells performing “Love Well Spent” at last month’s Room 205 Live showcase at MusicFest NW. After filming more than 30 episodes and 90 videos in a tiny 15×20-foot rehearsal space, we wanted to have a go at collaborating in front of a live audience. We put our heads together with friend and longtime MFNW producer Trevor Solomon to curate “Room 205 Live” held at venerable downtown venue Ted’s, (formerly Berbati’s Pan). The night featured some of our favorite Room 205 visitors, including Craft Spells, Crystal Antlers, Tropic of Cancer, Chelsea Wolfe and Blouse.
Craft Spells began as the bedroom project of Justin Vallesteros. Holed up in his Stockton, CA home, rolling tape while winter beat the bushes outside, Vellesteros crafted a decidedly 80s strain of sentimental indie-pop; chiming guitars, atmospheric synths, and delicate drum-machines. Vallesteros now resides in Seattle and fronts a full band comprised of friends and serious shredders. They make records. They tour Europe. And they write very, very good songs. As we said in their previous Room 205 episode, if you love Felt, The Smiths, Echo & The Bunnymen, and the beautiful monotone drone of Ian Curtis, then Craft Spells might soon be your favorite nuevo-new romantics.
From The Morning Heat by Craft Spells
Check out the final installment of our Room 205 episode with Craft Spells.
Craft Spells Perform “From The Morning Heat” in Room 205
With wild-eyed excitement, we present the final installment of our Room 205 episode with Craft Spells. For this fantastically punchy live performance of “From The Morning Heat,” director Monika Lenczewska and set designer Tamarra Younis used a combination of gravity-defying floating orbs, abstract light projections, and folk art paintings on plated-glass to symbolically convey Craft Spells’ nostalgic ode to the morning after.
Special thanks goes to Craft Spells for making this episode of Room 205 possible. Without their elegant tunes and boundless energy we couldn’t have done it. Thanks also to director Monika Lenczewska, set designer Tamarra Younis, dp Marcin Nadolny, visual artist Yelena Zhelezov, and audio engineer Jon Gilbert. In every sense of the word, this episode of Room 205 was truly an inspired collaborative effort.
Toward the end of 2009, in a bedroom in Stockton, CA, a 21-year-old Justin Vallesteros began layering simple synth and guitar lines to create the sound that would become Craft Spells. What began as an experiment soon became a vibrant world of elegant guitar chords laced over looped rhythms, heavenly synth melodies, and pulsating bass. When Vallesteros recorded his first track “Party Talk,” an outpouring of online enthusiasm led him to return to his native Seattle and flesh out a full band for the debut LP Idle Labor, released on Captured Tracks in Spring 2011. If you love Felt, The Smiths, Echo & The Bunnymen, and the beautiful monotone drone of Ian Curtis, Craft Spells might soon be your favorite nuevo-new romantics.
Party Talk by Craft Spells
Justin Vallesteros’ maudlin ode that started it all takes on a new life in Room 205 with abstract light projections and handmade puppets by visual artist Yelena Zhelezov.
Craft Spells Perform “Party Talk” in Room 205
With pure joy, we premiere the second installment of Room 205 with Craft Spells. For this propulsive and elegant performance of “Party Talk“, director Monika Lenczewska and set designer Tamarra Younis worked with the handmade folk puppets and abstract light projections of celebrated Belarusian visual artist Yelena Zhelezov to convey songwriter Justin Vallesteros’ ode to random hook-ups vs. love everlasting. Yes folks, this is the maudlin heart breaker that started it all.
Be sure to look out for the final Craft Spells performance, “From The Morning Heat,” to launch October 24th.
The Fog Rose High by Craft Spells
Enter the shimmering world of Craft Spells in their Room 205 performance of “The Fog Rose High”.
Room 205 Welcomes Craft Spells
We are so excited to debut our newest Room 205 episode with Craft Spells. Toward the end of 2009, in a bedroom in Stockton, CA, a 21-year-old Justin Vallesteros began layering simple synth and guitar lines to create the sound that would become Craft Spells. What began as an experiment soon became a vibrant world of elegant guitar chords laced over looped rhythms, heavenly synth melodies, and pulsating bass. When Vallesteros recorded his first track “Party Talk,” an outpouring of online enthusiasm led him to return to his native Seattle and flesh out a full band for the debut LP Idle Labor, released on Captured Tracks in Spring 2011. If you love Felt, The Smiths, Echo & The Bunnymen, and the beautiful monotone drone of Ian Curtis… Craft Spells might soon be your favorite nuevo-new romantics.
For this episode, Polish-born director Monika Lenczewska, Belarusian visual artist Yelena Zhelezov and Manchester-bred set designer Tamarra Younis have joined forces to create a shimmering dream world of golden gauze, floating spheres and abstract colored light projections all set to the sounds of “The Fog Rose High.” Enjoy.
Be sure to look out for the next Craft Spells performances from Room 205 launching on the 17th and 24th.
