Seattle Subsonic - April, 2011
My Goodness!!!! w/ Elba, and Fox and the Law
My Goodness plays blistering blues rock, and is a force to be reckoned with in this town. A duo, who may initially have gotten their idea’s from.. oh I don’t know The Black Keys? But they prove to keep a distinctly unique and passionate delivery all of their own. They are great fun and inspire moshing, or at least some form of body movement. Definately a much needed kick to the head for all this mellow folk rock harmonizing that the local kids have been swilling at us these days. And man these guys can play! Joel and Ethan have got serious chops! Ain’t nothing simple about these blues riffs. The songs are like perfectly timed bombs, and the energy in the live show has fortunately been captured on their self titled record (released on Sarathan Records).All I can say is Hell’s Yeah!!
The Tractor was packed for a Wednesday night and openers Elba, took the stage with their brand of timeless pop/rock gems. They put on an impressive show. Elba is one of those bands who craft songs to mesmerize and stay with you for a bit. They are an act to watch out for.
In keeping with Blues, and Rock’n’ Roll, The Fox and the Law (pictured left) was absolutely fitting to warm the stageup for My Goodness. These guys have all the super tight cohesion, and spiraling jangly swagger to make your mother throw her panties!….or something. I’m looking forward to hearing more from this explosive young four piece!
Like Lightning at the Skylark, Once, Disappear
I’d spent the day mostly alone over at Alki walking down the beach and up the beach, getting the middle finger from a little kid, making my way to the bar where the cute blond bartender worked on other days. I wrote and wrote for a while. What else does one do when the solitary days stretch themselves out and the daylight wanes? Watch TV? Go to the girly shows? Saturday evening mass? Not me. After I’d written all I could for a day, I went out to see a band.
They were playing at the Skylark Saturday night. My contact at the bar recommended them so I was taking her word for it that something magical would happen. “I’m on the list,” I said at the door. I gave my name. The list was short though, and I could see it as the guy looked it over. My name was not there.
“You’re not on here,” he said, “but I remember you from last night so it’s cool.” And he let me in. Every once in a while someone does something unexpected that reaffirms my belief in people. He had no reason to let me in. I was on the list the previous night, but why should he trust that I should be two nights in a row? He did though. It was the first time I smiled all day.
“Thanks, man.”
Like Lightning was going on then, the first of three acts, but the one I was there to see. There was a woman behind a keyboard playing and singing. The guitar and bass came in simply. “Every day felt like a dark horse…” the woman sang. Indeed, some of them do, and that song ended, and I had a few beers and the bartender smiled and said, “Hey, there! You’re back again.” I was. I was. Live music. Beers. Smiling bartenders with the voice of recognition. Nice. The music went on with a building repeated chord progression, just A to F# and the vocals over and over, “I’ll never be the same.”
I never fail to be amazed when musicians can take only a couple simple chords and one phrase and through the act of repetition build it into something so much more than the sum of its parts. It was only two chords and a phrase, but it was music. The more it repeated, the less repetitive it got. There’s a talent in that art. “I’ll never be the same.” Neither will I. Art will do that. A painting. A poem. A D chord cranked through an amp. They all change the heart and mind and soul when done right.
Her voice reminded me of someone, and it bothered me through the set. It was a good reminder, a compliment, but I couldn’t place it as the music and the beers went on until there came a tune that Read the rest of this entry »
Helplessness Blues Is Streaming On NPR
Most of the free world already knows this, but I felt it my god-given right to point it out. Hey, I can be smug if I need to be. Head over to NPR if you, like me, need a Fleet Foxes fix before the May 3rd release date of Helplessness Blues.
It’s also no secret that this *local* band is very, very, very good and will be the focal point of two sold out shows at the Moore Theater next week. Anyone going? I scored tickets for Monday’s show (only after, which, Tuesday’s show sold out; ha ha! us procrastinators get first dibs, suckers!), and it’s safe to say that I’m overly/extremely/excellently eager to attend. I follow very few of the rootsy, beard-rock bands this city seems to have fallen in love with, but Fleet Foxes are in a class of their own as far as I’m concerned. And not just because of the unique depth and breadth of their music, but also because of the undeniable sincerity and humble candor songwriter Robin Pecknold exhibits regularly. He just seems incredibly down-to-earth and friendly. Look up an interview or two with him and you’ll see what I mean (he also has a pretty active Twitter account, apparently).
Some tenacious YouTuber captured most of their recent Columbia City Theater show from the front row. You can basically watch the whole thing here. Embedded below is “Grown Ocean”, Helplessness Blues‘ final—and one of it’s best—tracks.
My Goodness tonight @ The Tractor w/ Fox and the Law, & Elba
Great bill tonight at the Tractor. Come out, while you can still catch My Goodness for only $5. This bad ass duo is most likely tear the place down. Elba opens at 8:30pm, with Fox and the Law on after , so come out early it’s most likely going to be packed! Get tickets
C-Leb and the Kettle Black "Can't Get That Low"
Seems like our old friend and local musician C-Leb has gone and redefined himself once again, and this time when you look him up in your Funk and Wagnalls it just says
C•Leb – noun
1) AWESOME
This iteration brings on the epitome of da’blues in a way-back throat destroying kinda way. Nothin but a sliding 6 string, harmonica and drum probably stolen from some sleeping hippie and repurposed in an unbelievably great way.
Enough talking about it. HERE!:
New Tom Vek!
Finally. GAWD.
Mannequin BBQ, Dirty Harry, and People Eating People at the Skylark Cafe
I got back from San Francisco late Thursday night and after a week of solitude in the city and wine tasting in Napa, I was in need of some live music, overdue for a dose in fact as it’d been over a week since I’d been to a show, over a week since I’d seen Ólöf Arnalds, and though it was beautiful, that was a quiet show, and in the process of writing about it, I’d listened to her CD for the entirety of my trip. Back in Seattle, I needed music that grooved, rhythms that created pockets over which vocal and solo could dance. I was tired though, too much wine all week perhaps, so I didn’t want to drive far. That meant the Skylark Cafe over here in West Seattle.
The Skylark is fast becoming my regular haunt for a little bit of the unknown and unexpected in the music of this city. Plus the sound man knows what he’s doing. That always helps. Friday evening then, I hopped in the car and headed over to see what musical offerings were on tap. There were three: Mannequin BBQ, People Eating People, and The Stevedore.
I got situated at the end of the bar, ordered a Mannys Pale Ale and hoped for a musical treat as Mannequin BBQ took the stage. Their website says, “Three Hot Chicks and Some Microphones.” I had to agree they looked good, and I wondered how things would play out as there were only three women but on stage there was a guitar, a bass, drums, a keyboard, and an accordion. The first song was accordion, drums, and keys and started with the accordion wheezing a bit, two vocals, and spare beat. And it was the highlight of their set. After that things just got confusing.
Over the course of their set, the woman who started on accordion went to the bass and then drums and then keys and then drums and the keys again, I think. I lost score after a while. The other band members did the same. I wasn’t sure who really played what. They shouted “Fire drill!” at intervals between songs and all of them would switch instruments. It would have been very cool, but for one thing, none of them were bass players, and the rhythms were lacking. There was no pocket. They were trying to do too much. It seemed they could all play piano well as there were some cool parts on that instrument and a few good solos, but their efforts at drums (and they all took turns there) were hesitant, their bass sounds shy.
At one point, one of them, I can’t remember which one or where she started the night, wound up behind the drums with a guitar in her hands trying to strum chords and keep a rhythm at the same time. It didn’t work. I wrote in my notes, “Just because you can play all those instruments doesn’t mean you should.” Sure, they can all play piano, but for live shows I hope they choose one amongst them to be the bass player, one to be the drummer, and then concentrate on improving such. While I was in San Francisco, I caught a Dirty Harry movie on TV in the hotel room, and Harry at one point chided a superior officer by saying, “A good man knows his limits.” A good musician too.
I considered leaving after their set as I was still tired from the trip, but I decided to stick it out. Tired though I was, I’d agreed to write about the show, and I still wanted rhythms, grooves, and pockets. I ordered yet another Mannys and wrote, “People Eating People … cool name” in my notebook. As they were setting up their drums, the PEP drummer whacked the snare a few times, stomped on the kick pedal. The difference was immeasurable. I wrote, “here’s a drummer!” in my notebook and knew they would be better.
And they were… Read the rest of this entry »
Seattle duo Thousands at The Crocodile April 29th
Thousands, a Seattle based acoustic duo, released their debut album, The Sound of Everything, in April and along with a string of East Coast performances will be playing at the Crocodile Friday, April 29th. You can see what The Stranger and The Seattle Weekly said on Thousands PR page, and after a very quick listen to the CD, I’m inclined to agree with the Simon and Garfunkel comparison. Perhaps a male folk duo can’t escape such comparisons though. The song that struck me most was the title track. It’s more a droning number very heavy in reverb and very light on the guitar. It speaks to a willingness of the duo to explore different directions. Hopefully they’ll explore some of those directions in the live setting.
Who: Thousands Website
Where: The Crocodile with Tune Yards and Buke & Gass
When: Friday April 29. 8:00. 21+
Tickets: $12.00 ($14.00 with fees)
Seattle duo Thousands at The Crocodile April 29th
Thousands, a Seattle based acoustic duo, released their debut album, The Sound of Everything, in April and along with a string of East Coast performances will be playing at the Crocodile Friday, April 29th. You can see what The Stranger and The Seattle Weekly said on Thousands PR page, and after a very quick listen to the CD, I’m inclined to agree with the Simon and Garfunkel comparison. Perhaps a male folk duo can’t escape such comparisons though. The song that struck me most was the title track. It’s more a droning number very heavy in reverb and very light on the guitar. It speaks to a willingness of the duo to explore different directions. Hopefully they’ll explore some of those directions in the live setting.
Who: Thousands Website
Where: The Crocodile with Tune Yards and Buke & Gass
When: Friday April 29. 8:00. 21+
Tickets: $12.00 ($14.00 with fees)
The Head and the Heart, April 30, Trusting to Bartenders
“You ever heard of The Head and the Heart?” the bartender at the Porterhouse asked back in mid-March. I replied to her surprise that I had not. “Don’t you write about music?” I do, I do. As such, I suppose I should have known about the band. It seems they’re quite the thing lately getting signed to Sub Pop and touring over country and over seas and releasing a record on that label. “I just bought their new record on CD and vinyl,” she continued, “I don’t have a record player, but I like to support local music, and these guys are just too good.” Got to like her attitude. When she finds something she likes, she supports it any way she can. “They’re playing April 30th at The Moore.”
“I’ll check them out. Maybe, I’ll go to the show and write about it.”
“Good luck. I think it’s sold out. They sold out the 29th at the Showbox too.”
“I’ll email the band then.”
So I did email the band, got through to the press contact and got on the list. I still haven’t heard them because I want to let the music do live what it will. They sold out two consecutive nights at the Showbox and The Moore so they must have something going on. There must be some kind of magic to attract such support. It isn’t that though. I’ve seen bands play in tiny venues for no more than the bartender and the cocktail waitress, but still, there was some fire in the music. For my own end, I’m trusting the bartender, you see, and if we can’t trust our bartenders, who can we trust?
Next time I saw her, I said, “I’m going to the show at The Moore. Gonna write about it.”
“Cool. I’ll see you there. You won’t be disappointed.”
Somehow, I know she is right.
—
Who: The Head and the heart Facebook | Website | MySpace
Where: The Moore Theater
When: Saturday April 30.
Tickets: $16 Advance / $18 Day of Show — SOLD OUT
