Seattle Subsonic - March, 2009
Mirah and Lovers @ the Vera Project
Despite having released several records in the past decade-plus (anywhere from 4 to 10 depending on your definition), K Records’ resident governess Mirah first tugged at my heartstrings with her 2004 release, C’mon Miracle. A South American-inspired folk-rock composition with a flock of striking, sanguine and spiritual moments (“Jerusalem”, “The Light”, “Don’t Die In Me”), it would soundly cement her status in the limelight. That producer Phil Elverum‘s fabled analog recording wizardry was part of the process should give you an indication of the record’s natural, evergreen excellence.
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Now back with another proper studio album, its name—and concept—combines the Latin roots for hope (“spera”) and difficulty (“aspera”): (a)spera. Expect the same heartfelt sincerity from these new tunes, which you can sample below, that she’s exuded from the beginning. Mirah’s Seattle show will be Thursday April 2nd at the Vera Project.
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[audio:http://www.seattlesubsonic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/mirah-generosity.mp3]
[audio:http://www.seattlesubsonic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/07-gone-are-the-days.mp3]
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Along for the journey is Portland-based Lovers, who, upon first listen, reminded me
of Starfucker, the Rose City’s blurry space-pop luminaries (reference Lovers’ “Igloos for Ojos”, an anthemic ride of electro-pop bliss). Comprised of singer/songwriter Carolyn Berk, percussion and projection artist Kerby Ferris, and guitarist Emily Kingan (who you might recall from her alter ego, Earl Saint Ives, or, as I originally forgot to mention, for her instrumental and photographic work on C’mon Miracle), the band has described their reinvented sound as “modern, sexy” and “often danceable”. I ask you: who CAN’T get down with that? Lovers are currently touring in anticipation of their 3rd album, the awesomely titled I Am The West, due out April 28th. You can preorder the record and listen to some tunes on their website.
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All Ages / $15 / Buy advance tickets at Ticketweb.
See Mirah and Lovers @ the Vera Project
Despite having released several records in the past decade-plus (anywhere from 4 to 10 depending on your definition), K Records’ resident governess Mirah first tugged at my heartstrings with her 2004 release, C’mon Miracle. A South American-inspired folk-rock composition with a flock of striking, sanguine and spiritual moments (“Jerusalem”, “The Light”, “Don’t Die In Me”), it would soundly cement her status in the limelight. That producer Phil Elverum‘s fabled analog recording wizardry was part of the process should give you an indication of the record’s natural, evergreen excellence.
.
Now back with another proper studio album, its name—and concept—combines the Latin roots for hope (“spera”) and difficulty (“aspera”): (a)spera. Expect the same heartfelt sincerity from these new tunes, which you can sample below, that she’s exuded from the beginning. Mirah’s Seattle show will be Thursday April 2nd at the Vera Project.
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Along for the journey is Portland-based Lovers, who, upon first listen, reminded me of Starfucker, the Rose City’s blurry space-pop luminaries (reference Lovers’ “Igloos for Ojos”, an anthemic ride of electro-pop bliss). Comprised of singer/songwriter Carolyn Berk, percussion and projection artist Kerby Ferris, and guitarist Emily Kingan (who you might recall from her alter ego, Earl Saint Ives, or, as I originally forgot to mention, for her instrumental and photographic work on C’mon Miracle), the band has described their reinvented sound as “modern, sexy” and “often danceable”. I ask you: who CAN’T get down with that? Lovers are currently touring in anticipation of their 3rd album, the awesomely titled I Am The West, due out April 28th. You can preorder the record and listen to some tunes on their website.
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All Ages / $15 / Buy advance tickets at Ticketweb.
Listen to Obits Debut
Speaking of Sub Pop (don’t I always?), one of my—and the label’s—most anticipated records this year is the debut from Obits, I Blame You. If you aren’t familiar, former Hot Snakes and Drive Like Jehu frontman Rick Froberg is at it again, and this time he’s strapped on his gleaming guitar with three mates from Brooklyn. Spinner’s Listening Party has a bunch of curiosity albums up right now that you can stream for free, not the least of which is this *classic* boot-stompin’, dance-punk guitar record. You can also currently check out the new Röyksopp, the new Decemberists, Red Red Meat, the Ten reissue, and a bunch of old Radiohead records (?) reissues.
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Pristine and propulsive, I Blame You is not only boot-stompin’, but fist-pumpin’ rawk that recalls and highlights pioneering punk waves from decades ago—Television, Gang of Four, the Clash and the Sonics all immediately come to mind. There’s also a bit of mid-century urban Americana rolled in, the kind that’ll make you grease your hair back, slip on the shades, roll the cigs into your shirt sleeve and cause some fuckin’ mayhem. Check out that album cover for chrissakes! Rollicking motorcycle anthems, mutinous manifestos, taut, simmering rhythms, plus enough switchbacks to keep you guessing. Froberg’s familiar and factious strain, one of the hallmarks of his previous outfits, is as prevalent as the frisky Fenders (the other hallmark). This is dude-rock at its core, at its archetypal apex, at its best.
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Here’s a pretty interesting quote from Froberg on Obits’ musical MO:
“We’re not into innovation as a band,” says Froberg, who’s already done his fair share of innovating with Drive Like Jehu and Hot Snakes. “I think innovation is overrated and an overestimated quality. Anything that’s going to be original is going to happen without your control. Things that make your band sound like you, are things you wouldn’t be able to change anyway. We just go ahead and play the stuff we like, and we don’t worry about originality per se, because that takes care of itself.”
Amen, brother. I Blame You hit shelves Tuesday, March 24th.
Hardly Art signing Talbot Tagora!
The fuzzed out Seattle art-punk trio Talbot Tagora have just finished their second full-length (and label debut) Lessons from the Woods or a City and Sub Pop’s sister label, Hardly Art, will be releasing it on CD and LP on July 21st.
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Talbot Tagora have been hitting up the local and underground scene and sharing the stage with local heavy hitters like Past Lives and Bow + Arrow and national acts like Tyvek, Abe Vigoda and No Age. They are fierce proponents of local all-ages shows, and have become the focal point of the Seattle DIY/all-ages punk scene. Their music is driven, manic, and impossibly realized for such a young band.
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The band currently has a ton of content—including live videos and a few songs from the new record—up at their myspace page if you want to get an idea of who they are, and what everyone’s revvin their engines about, (sorry, I had to get a car reference shoehorned in here someplace) check their myspace here.
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Song listing from the forthcoming album after the break.
We Want More Moisture!
As I have been buried in non-music projects for the past few weeks, I have been unable to get my tail down to Hale’s Palladium for the much-lauded Moisture Festival. I dispatched a good friend to head down last week to serve as a report for the Subsonic Faithful and a preview for yours truly:
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“Burlesque and my mother…a night at the Moisture Festival.
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Perhaps inviting your mother (and one of her ex-boyfriends) to a burlesque show would seem to some like a mistake. Luckily for me the Moisture Festival burlesque performers gave us just enough tongue-in-cheek to help me get over watching topless ladies while sitting next to a man who brought me to Care Bears Movie the last time I saw him. All of the individual performers were beautiful and sassy, but Lily Verlaine’s Southern belle and Babette LaFav’s shadow display really stole the show. Maybe it was the Primus pumping in the background while naughty shadows went from sexy to psychedelic and back again, or maybe it was Lilly’s way with her ice cube.
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All of the male performers during the show really stood out, not just because they had different goodies to flash but also because they were clever and funny. Nanda, the last group of the night had impressive physical abilities but it was the absurdity of their routine that won me over. Who knew ninjas battling robots could be so risque? The Aerialistas looked incredible and both on and off their ropes, but my favorite aerial routine had to have been Trixie Little and the Evil Hate Monkey, they really live up to everything their name might imply.
.My mother and her friend loved the show as much as my friend and I (maybe even more) and after the initial shock of watching wiggling flesh with my mother wore off it was a great night. Moisture Fest 2010 can’t come soon enough!”
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Brought to you by Barno, and the metric system, the standard of measure in her native Canada.
With this endorsement, I had no choice but to sell part of my soul for a pair of tickets to tonight’s show, which starts in two hours!
The Show Is The Rainbow @ the Sunset
This might be stretching a bit, but maybe you recall a shirtless spectacle I experienced last May, featuring (who else?) PartMan PartHorse and one-man-band 
Nebraskan freakshow The Show Is The Rainbow, aka Darren Keen? No worries if not, but if you’re in the mood for some slightly bizarre performance art and music, look no further than the Sunset Tavern this coming Monday.
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Given the natural instability of TSITR, who knows what Keen will have up his sleeve (filtered NES projection art, robo-punk, dance beats, a penchant for disrobing, a penchant for surfing a crowd of three, a chip on the shoulder); but you can expect a wildly entertaining show. He’ll also be tappin’ bass with Saddle Creek band Beep Beep, the headliner. TSITR: for fans of the Faint, PMPH, Les Savy Fav, Dan Deacon, weirdos, and crazy shit. Grab his new LP, Wet Fist, or peep his myspace for tunes.
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http://www.youtube.com/tsitrainbow
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21+ / $8
Mad Rad, KHV @ Josephine
Here’s an account of the last Mad Rad show I saw. Here’s an account of the last KHV show I saw. Josephine is in Ballard, around the corner from the Tin Hat. Check out their calendar—they ain’t sleepin’ for awhile.
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Giant bald man in tighty-whiteys? Fighting off jet planes for the girl? Sounds about right.
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Come Bid Adieu to Seattle Legends!
It is sad, my friends, but the time has come for Seattle’s own Dateless, probably the finest pop punk band ever to grace us with their tunes, to call it a career. It should come as no surprise to readers of this blog, as I broke the news a month ago, but it should still lead to sadness. Dateless is that rare combination of pop punk simplicity with dueling male/female vocals, an amazing rhythm section, and intricate guitar solos. From basements in Olympia to huge music festivals in Baltimore, Dateless has spread the gospel of Seattle pop punk across this country, and we are all better off as a music community, no matter than genre, for their existence. No one that I have met has done more to bring music fans together than Chris Crusher and his bandmates!
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For those of you not familiar with the band, here are a few tracks for you to check out:
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Now that your ear drums have been sufficiently pleased, I am here to tell you that you have one final time to check Dateless out. That’s right, Le-Vy, Chris Crusher, and KII will be performing tonight at the Funhouse (down by the Space Needle) along with local favorites Success! (whose new album, of which I got a sneak listen at the rough mix, is amazing) and San Jose, CA’s the Pillowfights (a girl fronted pop-punk band whose new EP is being streamed here). This is a not to miss show. One more performance by Dateless is all we get, so come on down to the Funhouse and celebrate with the whole music community!
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Wednesday, March 25 – 21+ – 9 PM
Dateless
Success!
The Pillowfights (CA)
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@ The Funhouse (206 5th Ave N)
Black Mountain @ Neumos
In the legends it is said……..
That once long ago, Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath had an affair. Black Mountain was born the illigitimate love child of this unholy union.
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It is said……
That Black Mountain can open up rifts in the fabric of space and time, causing unicorns and other forsaken beasts to pop in and out of existence.
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It is said……
That Black mountain eats kittens for breakfast and shits out mountain lions the next morning
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It is said…..
That the last time Black Mountain played in Seattle was in a basement somewhere on Phinney Ridge. It took the full force of the Seattle police squad to bring their instruments to a silence, in turn sending 200 raving lunatic fans off into the night. But Black Mountain was able to escape into the shadows of safety that night, surviving just long enough to play Seattle once again.
One day, your grandchildren will ask you what it was like seeing Black Mountain on stage. Please don’t fail them
.Black Mountain plays Neumos on Friday.
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8:00 at Neumos
21+ $12
Moisture Festival @ Hales is simply: Fun.
The Moisture Festival, in the warehouse behind Hales brewery, is in its sixth year and I recently attended for my second time. Along with buskers (*nod*), the festival easily appears in my top ten list of great things about Seattle (I’m still figuring out the rest of the list).
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I have never laughed harder or felt more satisfied, then at this Comedy/Varietè show. Its not just jugglers, bubble blowers, musicians, and aerialists, but performers at the top of their field, who have impeccable timing and perfect showmanship.
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And Yes, there is music (this is a music blog, right?). The Fremont Philharmonic and Zebra Kings back the entire show in perfect sync with every punch-line and finale. The bands also set the mood with talented opening and closing performances. Within the show you will find musical acts, strange and wonderful, including Seattle’s Jim Page, Hokum w. Jeebs, and Baby Gramps.
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Hales Palladium , could be a great music venue, but for now is the perfect place for this festival. The creative entrance and the indoor sets are a fun Old-world style, which add to the allure and atmosphere.
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If you need more reasons to go, because we love supporting things, here’s some info from the Moisture Festival site,
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“The purpose of the festival is to present live Comedy/Varietè performance in the upper left hand corner of the USA, to give performers a chance to interact with each other, and to educate audiences and performers about the history of Comedy/Varietè from its roots in Europe through American Vaudeville to its present day resurgence.
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The festival is organized by performers – for performers and their audiences. One of the things which makes the festival’s financial structure unique is the “share” system, wherein all the performers receive the same amount of money per show.”
I guess that is why everyone involved performs like they are the main act (because they are)!
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Sadly, there’s not enough to time review all of the amazing acts that I saw during the show. The Moisture Festival also opens with Burlesque shows at a different venue (which I regrettably keep missing) and some related SIFF films. I’ll remember in advance next year.
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O yea. And there’s beer! Delicious, well-priced, Hale’s beer and cheap $1 popcorn. And, for the record, I have heard from other people, who weren’t drinking as much lovely beer as myself, that the show is awesome, also while sober. So…bring your sober kids?
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Hale’s Palladium holds 250 people and sold out in advance the times I’ve gone (and that’s with 4 weeks of multi-day performances.) Also, things get a little more risque at the 10:30 adult show. Go now and get your tickets early! Feel like a kid again. Tickets are cheap, for the couple hours of bliss, and range from $7.50-$20. Tix can be purchased thru Brown Paper Tickets (we all like that).
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The festival has some shows left on March 26,27,28,29 and April 1-5. But some of the shows have sold out already! I’ll probably go again this year (because next year is too far away).
