With the emergence or resurgence of a number of cool venues in Tacoma (the Viaduct, Bob’s Java Jive, Vertigo, etc.) I haven’t focused as much attention on Olympia lately. And with the Weekly Volcano’s big, sexy, new, heavily Tacoma format, I’m afraid the good people of Olympia may fear we’ve forgotten them.



We absolutely haven’t.



I spent four years in Olympia. There’s no way in hell I’m going to forget it. S***, I’ve still got a hacky-sack injury that won’t let me forget.



Olympia will always hold a special place in my heart, as will Le Voyeur. While the Brotherhood is my favorite bar in Oly, as far as music venues go, you’ve got to truly admire Le Voyeur’s DIY approach and dedication to bringing in bands from near and far, of all sounds and shapes, to do their thing in the little back room. Though I’ve seen many an empty night in that tiny back room, you always get the feeling with Le Voyeur that it’s not solely about packing as many people as possible into the club and selling out of rum and coke. That’s not the case with most music venues. Whether you enjoy their eclectic booking or not, there’s no questioning Le Voyeur is about the music.



San Diego’s Tropical Depression, an electronic emo two-piece set to play Le Voyeur on Tuesday, Feb. 26, won’t be the most eclectic band to ever hit Le Voyeur, but they’re no slouches in the creativity department, either. Then again, if my dog suddenly took up the double-action peddle harp and started pumping out theme songs from ’70s TV it wouldn’t be the most eclectic thing to ever hit Le Voyeur. That’s the beauty of the place. All I’m saying is Tropical Depression, touring in support of their new EP, Hot Crime Broadcast, have a sound that exists outside the mainstream box.



And that’s a good thing. 



Jordan Thomas and Joe Campesino make up Tropical Depression. They built their band around atmospheric twilight ballads with an electronic pulse. By the sound of things, these two would fit nicely in Olympia’s art-based music scene. I’ve never taken the time to study San Diego’s music scene, but something tells me Olympia’s is a hair different.



Olympia is anything but tropical, but there’s plenty of depression. Considering Thomas and Campesino’s penchant for redefining musical boundaries, these two may want to consider claiming Oly as their “home away from home.”



“The scene (in San Diego) is huge, totally segregated, yet really, really small at the same time. It’s like a tiny little world that is dissected into small pieces,” explains Thomas.

“We sort of don’t fit into it, I suppose, but that’s not really true. We’ve just consciously not associated ourselves with any segment of the community. Our goal is to bring bands together from different areas of the community to put on interesting and diverse shows. I guess it’s because that’s the kind of shows I like going to.”



Tropical Depression will kick off a West Coast tour Feb. 22 in their hometown of San Diego. The show will also be the first time fans will be able to purchase a physical copy of Hot Crime Broadcast, which is reportedly six songs. According to the band, who has “never felt tighter or more confident about what we’re doing,” the new record is “a great representation of where we are as a band.”



“I’m thrilled with the new album. It’s far and away the best we’ve ever done. I’m actually really happy with the way the recordings came out. As a bit of a perfectionist, that can be a pretty daunting task,” says Thomas.



“After releasing our debut full length last year we expect people to see a good jump forward (with Hot Crime Broadcast). The times are almost starting to catch up with the music we’re making. Hopefully they will collide soon. People are starting to get it. We want to continue making our music freely and move this thing forward.



“As multi-instrumentalists we both usually come to the table with ideas and follow the songs wherever they go. We flush it out in a live setting and let it morph naturally into a finished song. After that we structure out a sequence of electronics based on the natural progression of the song. The world of electronics is a beautiful thing. We’ve been writing music together for so long it’s almost sub-conscious. The single best thing about being in a two piece band is direct one-on-one collaboration. Sometimes, in four or five piece bands, there are too many ideas floating around. We get right down to it.”



And get right down to it they will at Le Voyeur on Tuesday. Middle of the week shows can be rough on bands from out of town, and Tuesday in Olympia could provide just such a scenario, but let’s hope not. Thomas proclaims Tropical Depression’s sound is the future of music.  Who doesn’t want to hear the future? This show should be well worth catching, even on a Tuesday.



[Le Voyeur, Tropical Depression, Chow Nasty, The Gomorran Social Aid and Pleasure Club, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 10 p.m., no cover, 404 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, 360.943.

5710]





Vote for me and I’ll set you free via e-mail to mattd@ weeklyvolcano.com.