When I first met Ty, he seemed more like a ghost that would appear sporadically around the neighborhood with funny quips about what was going on his life. He has moved between Phoenix (where he originally hails from), Oakland, Bellingham, and of course now Ballard in Seattle. All the time documenting what he has experienced at his blogCMRTYZ, which also serves as an exhibition for the clothing he produces with friend and designer Carlos Ruiz.

Yet for all the times we shared cigarettes and shared chats over coffee, I never really got to know him. In fact I still don’t really know him, but it seems his image has become more of a constant force in our quaint Seattle neighborhood. He spent time working at the local boutique Blackbird and now can be found shredding tees and selling vintage at 20 Twenty. He insists that I listen to King Tuff and I think he is right.

When I listen to King Tuff, I get the idea that behind every simple rock song comes a complex mind. King Tuff’s songs are at first catchy pop, then psychedelic rock, and then moving to somewhere in between. Kyle from KT has changed focus with his new band (now on the Sub Pop roster) Happy Birthday. Happy Birthday is so new that their songs are still being recorded, but be sure to come back to Camp Revival as soon as their material has… well… materialized.

Here is “Lazerbeam” and “Sun Medallion” from their record Was Dead. Out on The Colonel Records.

“Laserbeam”

“Sun Medallion”