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Above: Morgan & the Organ Donors (L to R: James, Sara, Olivia, Tobi) on their way to Oakland.
This weekend Morgan & the Organ Donors slam the Mosswood Meltdown (Oakland, Calif.) with their high-backed, garage-shocking sound of two hands clapping and one guitar gruff. It's a sound captured well on their captivating debut album M.O.D.s [KLP285/PRNL046]. Everyone who hears M.O.D.s has to relace their dance shoes 'cause they're about to fly off from all the hop, skip and jumping over the moon taking place within hearing range. Ya dig? As a side note, Mosswood Meltdown is BIG this year, BIG with K representation - - - Besides Morgan & the Organ Donors, The Rondelles hit the stage with their patented burnt rubber sound and honorary K alum Quinton & Miss Pussycat will slash your tires via telekinesis. Most exciting of all, Bratmobile headlines the second night. Unfortunately Erin Smith is unable to make the scene due to previous familial commitments; she will (temporarily) be replaced on guitar by none other than Rose Melberg - - -a rare and precious site. Ya, Morgan & the Organ Donors will fit right in with this carnival of battered souls. Says lead vocalist and guitar madame Sara Peté, "Weeeeeeeee!" Morgan & the Organ Donors is her first musical venture. "I wasn't in a band (this one) until already in my 30s. I didn't start playing guitar until my late twenties. I had a guitar in high school but no one in my family knew how to tune it. I had a tuning fork, but didn't know what it was for." Nor do I. "[Wild Man] James and I started playing acoustic together and then started playing with Fajr on drums." They've come along way since then. Now, several bass players and drummers later [currently Olivia Ness on the former, Tobi Vail the latter], Morgan & the Organ Donors are practically a full time endeavor. "Olivia joined and things changed a lot because she's a genius about harmonies, writing them and hearing them in her head." You can tell by listening to M.O.D.s - - -"I love the record! We recorded it before the pandemic then as we finished recording everything was in lock down, so we couldn't mix until everyone was vaccinated." Isn't it always that way? "The last song ["Soon I'll Know Better"] is new, we wrote it in the recording studio; most of the rest we've been playing for a while." And very well. Morgan & the Organ Donors will play a few more shows through the end of 2023. "We have a couple exciting shows, opening for Le Tigre in Portland, then Goner Fest in Memphis, Seattle [Slim's] August 4 with Girl Trouble, Bumbershoot [Labor Day weekend]; I'm excited Hunx and his Punx and Girl Trouble are playing the same day as us." Gotta get there!
The Morgan & the Organ Donors album M.O.D.s [KLP285], featuring cover painting of Sara Peté by Olympia artist Celery Jones, is available now from The K Mail Order Dept. |
