Author Archive
Sasquatch Launch Party At The Croc: w/ Fresh Espresso, Atlas Sound, and Surfer Blood
Just saw this on the Crocodile’s facebook page. Sounds pretty cool and it looks like you can pick up free passes at both Easy Street locations. Or by listening to The End; which…why would you do that, again? The 2009 records from both Atlas Sound (about who I’m genuinely surprised at his inclusion here) and Fresh Espresso made my Favorites lists of last year. They good. More recently, I’ve been pleasantly pleased with Surfer Blood’s Astro Coast. It’s high-energy Floridian power-rock with brit-pop and pop-punk tendencies that recalls both Weezer and the Smiths in careful doses, but with enough weird and woozy moments to keep it interesting.
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Goes down on a Monday, February 15th, with tickets available on the 12th. Press release from Live Nation after the jump/cut/fold/whatever.
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Morning Quickie: Stream Tapestry of Webs & New See Me River Info
I keep coming back to the well on these guys because they’re awesome. You can stream Past Lives‘ new one, Tapestry of Webs, in its entirety over at the brand-spankin’-new pastliveslife.com. More musing on that here and here. Best songs I hadn’t heard yet? “Vanishing Twin” and “Hospital White”. Record release show is February 20th at Black Lodge, with TOLSATD and Naomi Punk.
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Also, bad-ass local grim-folkers See Me River provided a small nugget regarding their upcoming LP, The One That Got A Wake (ha! word play!). From myspace:
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We finished our new record “The One That Got a Wake” towards the end of last year. It’s a really awesome album that we’re all really proud of. It should be out shortly.
Intelligence Fans: Trainwreck! At The Orient Express Starts Tomorrow!
It wasn’t too long ago when I first stepped foot into the Orient Express down in SODO near the Spokane Street Bridge. I gazed upon the huge fish tanks with a childlike wonder. I roamed the tiny halls with a childlike curiosity. Then I drank shots of tequila like an old fashioned a-dult. Formerly Andy’s Diner, the place is now a kitschy Chinese restaurant and lounge constructed (most awesomely) from several old train cars and home to a myriad of banquet, bar, restaurant and, yes, karaoke rooms. In short, it’s a one stop shop for dive bar fun.
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Well, as luck would have it—and oh does it have it—there’s a new night there and one of my favorite bands, the Intelligence, has its grubby little paws all over it. Lars Finberg and his woman Susanna Welbourne formed a band, named it Puberty, and invited some dudes from the Old Haunts, the Shins, and the Cops to play with ‘em as the house band. Curtis James, Drew Church and Dave Hernandez play in a newish band called Little Cuts and will be joining Finberg and Welbourne in what looks to be a debaucherously wacky time. The Facebook page says Mike Jaworski (Virgin Islands, the Cops, Mt. Fuji Records) is in the mix, too. Yowza.
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A DJ, drag queen, and signature drink will all play host to the catatonically zany tunes of Puberty. If you like the Intelligence, you’ll no doubt enjoy this offshoot. You can listen to some demos on that aforementioned FB page (I wouldn’t worry about their sluggish nature, the band will surely rip the roof off the place). The inaugural “Trainwreck!” goes down tomorrow night (2/4) at 10 pm, and looks to be setting up shop for the next two first Thursdays as well. Press release (copped from Line Out) after the jump/cut/fold/whatever.
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Hot Chip Fans…
…You can currently stream the new record from these tech-soul savants on their myspace. It goes by the name of One Life Stand. I’m still digesting it, but there are (expectedly) some pretty filthy cuts. I think there might be a few you might not dig, too (you know, sometimes they get lost down that syrupy, slo-gaze rabbit trail). But for Hot Chip fans, this offering sees the band just as jittery and just as smooth as previously thought. Made In The Dark was pretty fuckin’ good, though, right? That’s gotta be worth something.
Street Lights For A Ribcage
So, I’ve had Street Lights For A Ribcage pretty much on repeat for the past ten days. This, as you may know, is the first LP from local robot-rockers Sleepy Eyes of Death, released in 2007. It’s turned out to be one of those records that I bought a while ago and is just now dominating my cognizance. Funny how that works. In short, it’s highly recommended.
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In long, it’s a fantastically dense sci-fi record of cyborgian proportions, filled with caustic synthesizers, shimmering vistas and thundering drum crackles. There are scant vocals, and only of the vocoder variety. One gets the sense that this could be the “singer/songwriter” album of a gentle yet erratic T-1000 in a post-human war-torn compuscape. In fact, there’s an alluring (for fans of artificial intelligence, anyway) string of thematic imagery that combines both the organic and the synthetic in bombastically beautiful ways. In the album’s title, in the song titles (i.e. “Tired Channels”, “Capsule-Collapse”, and “Static For Blood”), and even in the arrestingly varied moods found throughout.
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“Eyes Spliced Open” has a wonderful change of pace 3 minutes in where the manic drumming and suffocating sheets of laser suddenly cease, as if to recharge, or shake hands with their inevitable demise. I often envision the final scene of “Terminator” during this song, feeling as though I should be in an abandoned steel mill, thick steam pouring out of loose valves, precariously perched on rickety catwalks. This outro is indicative of a pensiveness that pervades SEOD’s modus operandi and shows up in other places, in other forms. This thoughtfulness, melded with such a brisk and futuristic record, should be cause for applause.
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Fun Fact: Did you know Sera Cahoone played drums on “Cells Divide”? Man, she just keeps getting cooler and cooler.
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THEESatisfaction Leads Ladies Night At Neumos
Don’t see too many of these types of shows advertised, so in the name of all that is good and equal, you’re gonna damn well hear about it!
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Ladies Night goes down at Neumos February 9th, and decidedly leans to the hip-hop side of things (what doesn’t these days?). I haven’t seen any of these cats live yet (check that: I did catch Canary Sing on the Seattle Channel once; Art Zone with Nancy Guppy, ya’ll!), but word on the street is that the spaceified art-house jazz-rap THEESatisfaction utilizes tends to rock whatever structure is currently housing them. Snow Motion might be a bit asymmetrical for the typical consumer, but good portions of it flow quite nicely and I’m always down for some weird shit anyhow. Sample a couple of its tracks below.
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Lisa Dank seems to be out for stardom, I do know that much about her. She’s a glam-conscious 21st Century product (see: “Social Networking”) with some saucy beats and sexed-up electro flava. The costumes are plenty and the pop is blatant; gentlemen, the Lady Gaga epoch is officially upon us. You can taste what the ladies in Canary Sing are pushin’ here.
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And, no, Kool & the Gang won’t be making an appearance. I know, I know, it’s heartbreaking. Please watch this to mend your heart. Damn, those guys were good.
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THEESatisfaction – “Cabin Fever”
Macklemore vs. Mad Rad
Photos by Blush Photo
In theory, last Thursday’s show was all about Mad Rad’s return to Capitol Hill. The bad boys back on the beat. The party-rappers keepin’ it clean on the scene instead of bein’ mean. Macklemore, while exhibiting his own solid footing of late with a magnificent EP (Vs.) cut with beatmaker Ryan Lewis, was simply a tantalizing opening act. A warm up to the big up.
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Turns out Macklemore had something else in mind. And not maliciously or vigilantly, of course; the homegrown hero was simply going to go out, put on a euphoric performance in front of a packed crowd, and let fate run its course. That is to say, Macklemore absolutely slayed. And that’s not to imply Mad Rad tanked; quite the opposite. I just thought Macklemore’s set was stronger. His songs were heavier, fleshier and given to more purpose. His cadence was unmistakable. Could be that I was wowed by never having seen him before, or it could be that he’s a native Capitol Hiller, like myself, and his self-aware, reminiscent style resonated clearly on this faux-reunion night. Look, I’m a fan of Mad Rad—”My Product”, “Superdope” and “Crack the Blunt” are some of the illest cuts to come out of Seattle the past few years—but their feasting ways and high wattage displays are a whole other ballgame. I’m not sure I was sold on some of the guys’ new tunes.
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But one of the ideal aspects of Seattle’s incredible palette of hip-hop and rap, amidst aesthetic differences, is the seemingly high level of kinship amongst the plethora of boxers in the local ring. These guys are preposterously fraternal; sure they’d like to duke it out a bit, but playfully, with gloves and a smile. Macklemore almost immediately brought out his step cousin to assist in “Crew Cuts”, talkin’ ’bout haircuts, Sam Goody, tether ball and Labyrinth. Chris Mansfield, aka Fences, played his guitar for 3 or 4 songs, beginning with “Otherside”, the Red Hot Chili Peppers-sampled story of the MC’s recent drug addiction. Pearl Dragon and Sir Thomas Gray of Champagne Champagne joined them for the Arcade Fire-sampled “Kings” and unflinchingly brought the house down (especially with that organ from “My Body Is A Cage”…oh man). Cripes, Mack even put on a wig and fur coat for the bouncy “Life is Cinema”.
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“The Town” is an homage’s homage and provided my favorite line of the night: “the skyline is etched in my veins / you can never put that out no matter how hard it rains.” He closed with “Irish Celebration”, another ode to his past in which Lewis uses Beirut’s “Scenic World” to set the scene. A huge Irish flag got run around the stage like it was the 12th Man at Qwest Field and the live trumpeter and violinist—first time I’d seen that at a hip hop show—were especially on point. In the end, Mad Rad eventually re-elevated the party, and even brought Rik Rude out for a couple Fresh Espresso jams (man, Smoov REALLY loves that vocoder). I think I was just surprised by how good Macklemore was.
‘They Live!’ Will Be ‘Mash Hall’ After This Next Show
Man, Seattle hip-hop’s really blowin’ up, huh? Around every innernet corner, there’s a superb new posse, a sold out show, or a free EP to download. (As an aside from a dutiful rock fan: contrary to what the hordes of local “beat writers” will tell you, local rock is not dead. Or gone. Or lame. It’s simply being overshadowed. There is nothing wrong with that. Rock is best served underground, anyway.)
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As you know, there are shows aplenty, and posters abound. To the left there is one of the better ones I’ve seen (raarr). It’s got an Out For Stardom stamp, so that means Terry Radjaw (Mad Rad, Fresh Espresso) put it together. Mad skillz, as they say. This show here, I can’t endorse enough. I’ve gushed profusely over Champagne Champagne and am a casual fan of gonzo thrash-punks Wild Orchid Children.
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They Live!, featuring Larry Mizell a.k.a. Gatsby of The Stranger (he also now hosts KEXP’s Street Sounds on Sunday nights) and Bruce Illest a.k.a. djblesone, have been on the scene for a bit now. However, they’ve run into some “copyright” infringement when they found another They Live had already claimed the moniker. (They’re a horror punk group, supposedly; my web-sleuthing turned up empty.) Well, now Gatsby and Bruce are going by Mash Hall, but not before their “final” show as They Live!. Confused? Eh, I know, it’s a lotta superfluous detail; but the cartoony, ol’ skool mashed up tunes they pump out are pretty righteous.
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You can download They LA Soul, for free, here. In advance of January 29th at the High Dive.
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(Audio players are acting up, but click for the .mp3.)
UP EARLY IN EM feat TAY SEAN, SPACEMAN, RONNIE VOICE
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GET YOUR ASS TO MARS feat THEESATISFACTION
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Stream Charlotte Gainsbourg’s IRM
NPR is streaming Charlotte Gainsbourg’s Beck-produced/co-written album over at their First Listen site. It’s really good. Based loosely on health scares the singer/actress endured a few years back following a brain hemorrhage, IRM (MRI in French) is an atmospheric, murky and ebullient pop and electro-folk record that is every bit as good as, say, The Reminder by Feist. But also a little weirder and less defined than that album. Beck’s widescreen, motley sonic musings are unmistakable.
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I’ve seen a few of her movies, but I haven’t really listened to much of her music until now; IRM is technically her third album, following a 1986 duet album with her famous father and 2006’s 5:55. Given her pedigree and the collaborators she’s chosen in both her film and music career, it’s not too surprising that her output has been steadily intriguing. Did you guys see the insanely awesome video for “Heaven Can Wait”? Please watch it, it’s one of the best. EVER.
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The Everybody And Everybody Else
Some Pixies-related news hit the storefront today: Joey Santiago and David Lovering have a new band, the Everybody. Being a fairly large fan of their regular outfit, I checked out the website. There’s some random stuff goin’ on—including a chance for fans to create their own mixes of David and Joey’s new songs—but the most attractive feature, of course, is the new music. They’ve got 9 songs embedded in a player for your perusal. I think you should peruse.
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Why? Because the two least talked about members of one of the most talked about rock bands have put together a surprisingly stellar batch of surfer psych-wave punk tunes. Even if they’re offering them up as ‘Avatar stems’ for their fans to reinvent, reimagine and resell, royalty free. That’s right, and the best ones will be chosen by Joey and David to include as a second complementary album to the real thing. I think Joey’s been saving up all his rad riffs for the past 15 years just for this record, they’re that good. There aren’t many vocals, and I suppose there’s a “rough” quality to the songs, but I don’t think they really need to be reworked at all (I suppose that’s the point). But here’s the deal, aspiring engineers and musicians, for 40 bones you get:
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- The nine song album in Apple Lossless or FLAC format, plus a copy in 320kbps MP3 format
- Two bonus songs in Apple Lossless or FLAC format, plus an MP3 copy
- An iTunes LP digital package including video and mixing faders
- Complete Royalty-Free Stems in WAV format, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License
- The legal right to create new songs and mixes from these stems and sell them (yes, royalty-free!)
- The opportunity to submit your creations from these stems back to Joey and David, for inclusion on The Everybody Else, the second side of a gatefold vinyl album release planned for Spring 2010. David and Joey are The Everybody. The artists who create new work with these stems are Everybody Else.
Or you can just buy the mp3’s for $4 and listen to the shit out of ‘em. I think this is kind of a cool idea, though. What do you guys think?
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P.S. I recently ran across this excellent interview with Santiago, where he answers questions about recording Surfer Rosa. Good stuff.
So Grudge Rock Was Pretty Awesome
I wouldn’t really consider myself much of a game show fan these days, but I’ve certainly seen my share throughout my 30 years. I’ve always liked Jeopardy! and The Price is Right and will still catch those on occasion. I’ll admit to getting swept up in the initial Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? craze a few years back in its “halcyon” days with Regis Philbin. My brain is cluttered with childhood memories watching Let’s Make A Deal starring Monty Hall (where did those all costumed idiots come from, anyway?), $25,000 Pyramid with the ageless Dick Clark, or the Chuck Woolery vehicles of The Love Connection and Scrabble. I never really liked Wheel of Fortune, and I’ll pugnaciously avoid most of the short-life quiz show wannabes that now or did litter the airwaves (hello, Deal or No Deal).
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I do have a special place in my heart for Family Feud, though. I can even give you the lineage of hosts, from memory: Richard Dawson begat Ray Combs, who begat Louie Anderson, who begat Richard Karn (a.k.a. “Al Borland”), who begat today’s host John O’Hurley (a.k.a. “J. Peterman”). God, that’s embarrassing. It came as no surprise, then, that Seattle’s rock show version—Grudge Rock—completely entertained me. What was surprising was that I’d never been to one prior to Saturday (it recently migrated from the Re-Bar to the Crocodile to accommodate a growing fan base). It goes like this: two local bands face off within the typical Family Feud format, only all the questions are music related (Prince and Sting were two very popular answers this night). There are 10 rounds and halfway through, the leading band can either choose to play their set right then, or wait to play at the end of the night, as de factor “headliner”. Whoever ends up winning at the end gets all the door money. At ten bucks a pop, that’s no small shakes. Must’ve been at least a 150 people there.
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It was almost as fun as Seattle Semi-Pro Wrestling at the Re-Bar, which host Jake Stratton also pioneered. He also announces at Rat City Roller Girl matches (HIGHLY recommended, btw) and monstrously growls in local deathmetal band BloodHag. He’s your local go-to contact sport and game show announcer for hire. As for the match, everyman pop-rockers BOAT took on dapper electro-rockers Head Like A Kite. BOAT wore black tees, each with a single letter to spell out their name, and HLAK…well, they wore a lot of flair. Feathery boas, wigs galore, a gas mask, a Darth Vader mask, a sheik headdress, and one full-on panda bear suit. In BOAT’s defense—or offense, if you prefer—they also had a big fat guy cheerleading without his pants. His name was Chicken Parm. HLAK, in addition to the panda, had Tilson of the Saturday Knights. The biggest travesty of the night came when U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday” was NOT one of seven (!) answers to the question, “Name a song with a day of the week in the title”. Blasphemy! I also thought Eddie Vedder was a pretty good pick for a musician-cum-movie soundtrack writer. But the survey didn’t say.
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BOAT was winning at halftime, and they chose to play their set. I hadn’t seen them in a couple years, and it seems as though they’ve turned it up a notch, Weezer/Pavement/Ted Leo-style. Their songs were much quicker and slicker than I remembered. Much of the indie-boy goofiness is still in tact, but with three guitars and two keyboards chugging away, I found myself focusing solely on the instruments. They were good. In the second half, both teams ended up passing off to their opponent quite a bit, but in the end HLAK took home the prize. I do think a couple improvements could be made to Grudge Rock: pare down the rounds from 10 to maybe 7 or 8 (it dragged on a little bit), and utilize the game’s honky-tonk fiddler theme music way more. That shit is funny.
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The crowd had dwindled by the time HLAK’s set started, but those who stuck around—like me—were treated to an excellent outing by Dave Einmo and Trent Moorman. Tilson came on stage for “Director’s Cut” (video below), which can be found on the philanthropic GIVE Seattle compilation, plus one other song. Einmo played telephone captain and jostled ably between his guitar and his console, and Moorman was possessed and robotic on drums. The show-goers seemed a bit tepid, but Einmo did his best to spur them on, jumping onto the floor at one point and pumping out steady, salacious beats to match his taut guitar. Lots more pics here. One more game video here.
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Mad Rad Returns to Neumos, And It’s Free
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You’ll recall an altercation local hip-hypers Mad Rad were part of at Neumos one year and one week ago today: they got in a scuffle with security and were subsequently banned from most venues on Capitol Hill, the center of Seattle’s music universe. Well, through a rad and rabid thirst for stardom, playing shows as *far out* as Kirkland and as *dubious* as the Comet, and a court acquittal to boot, the group returns riding high. All is now apparently well between the esteemed venue and the fervid foursome. They’ll be celebrating this Thursday the 21st with a free show, and Breakfast Mountain (PDX) and Macklemore (whose free downloadable EP VS. is quite good) are coming along for the festivities. Arrive early and stay late.
