It’s time for another edition of our First, Last, and Favorite column in which we get to quiz some of our favorite artists on their lives as music listeners from first purchases to current obsessions. Today we get to learn a little more about Seattle trio Warren Dunes!
The band consists of Julia Massey, Jared Cortese, and Dominic Cortese. It’s a family project of sorts as Julia and Jared are married and Jared and Dominic are brothers. All three have long been active is Seattle music though only started making music as Warren Dunes a couple years back. They released their first full-length, Welcome to Warren Dunes, back in 2019 and just released the follow-up record Get Well Soon. (We hosted a record signing for it not long ago!) The group’s sound is a bright indie-rock variant folding in some tropicalia and psych influences. Julia’s strong melodic vocals are usually the centerpiece of the songs with vivid guitar/key interplay providing flavor. Give a listen to the latest single from Get Well Soon:
The band split up their three picks among the three members with an individual Dune handling one each of their First, Last, and Favorite records. Here they are in their own words:
First
Boyz II Men Cooleyhighharmony (Julia)
I’ll never forget the first time I walked up to “Record and Tape Traders” in my hometown of Catonsville, MD. I had ten ones scrunched up in my pocket and I saw that my favorite group, Boyz II Men had their debut album out for $9.99. I snagged a copy of Cooleyhighharmony and proceeded to listen to it everyday, multiple times. I was transfixed by the fact that they had separated their LP into two sections: Adagio and Allegro. I honestly couldn’t tell which side started first and often tried it in opposite directions depending on my mood. I’ll never forget how a few years later the acapella group at my middle school covered “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” and the hot, wet tears flowed.
Last
James Brown 70's Funk Classics (Dominic)
I recently stumbled upon a sample pack of Clyde Stubblefield beats, and at the time, I'm slightly embarrassed to admit I didn't know that much about Clyde or the music he made with James Brown. I was of course blown away by what I heard. The groove, the pocket, the feel, those right hand rhythms! One thing led to another, and I'm happy to announce that I’m currently deep into a James Brown phase, where those songs and beats have become the soundtrack in my head every opportunity they get...and I'm very into it. Of course there are many records out there that feature Cylde and J.B., but this compilation is just one banger after another, and has become the staple play along record of my daily practice routine. GIVE THE DRUMMER SOME!!!
Favorite
Pearl Jam Vs. (Jared)
Growing up in the Chicago area, I think Dom and I both feel a connection with this record that has stayed with us since its release. We were both too young to appreciate their debut Ten when it came out, but with Eddie Vedder’s personal relation to the Midwest, the bands overall appeal to young males who felt they didn’t fit in our societies very narrow definition of masculinity, and VS. incredible popularity (most copies of an album sold in the first week), it really struck a note. It may be hard to see it now, but mixing mosh pits with gender blurring, social justice, and great songwriting was revolutionary at the time. It was a bridge to a much more inclusive and empathetic world for small town kids like us. I still love every one of these songs.