Seattle Subsonic - Album Reviews
I am in Love With Janelle Monae
I confess.
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Janelle Monae had me before she even belted out a single note. Her costume, her hair, her demeanor, everything about here was stunning. An amazing talent. A little ball of energy…and then out came that VOICE. Holy Jeebus.
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Her first 2 songs, which blend seamlessly into one another, are truly something to witness live. (They are good on the cd, but really don’t compare to the mellower tracks on the second half, where she gets to show off her range.) I saw her Friday night in Portland, OR at the Doug Fir Lounge. She rushes out onstage in full doo-wop Motown regalia, with pompadour hair and black and white saddle shoes, like a football team out of the tunnel. Her backup band is also dressed to the nines in what can only be described as: the Temptations meet Outkast. She dances, two steps and hits every note so perfectly that I was just blown away with in the first 2 minutes. The audience couldn’t help but clap and dance along with her. If that wasn’t enough she proceed to come down into the crowd and dance like there was no tomorrow, and even muster up a crowd surf in that intimate venue. WOW. I am sprung.
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Then she blessed the crowd with an absolutely amazing ballad entitled ‘Smile.’ With the guitar as her only 
backing track, Janelle let out one of the most inpressive vocal displays I’ve heard in a long time and came with such emotion you couldn’t help but get goosebumps. What a talent she is. It’s kinda ridiculous. After that the audience was mesmerized, and she closed with my personal favorite song, Sincerely Jane. A very soulful song, with a destinct motown feel, about misguided youth. Again, the vibe she gives out when performing isn’t something you see everyday. The whole crowd was in the palm of her hand.
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Monae has been in the music biz for a while getting guestspots and it paid off when she landed a record deal through her Wondaland Arts Society label. She came up in Atlanda and worked with Outkast on their ‘Idlewild’ album and Big Boi’s ‘Got Purp Vol. 1′ collective. You can see these influences right off the bat. Ms. Monae is essentially a female version of “3 Stacks” himself, Andre 3000. Very original style and infectious personality all wrapped up neatly in an aura of unlimited talent. She is currently signed to Bad Boy and the album was executive produced by Diddy himself. Props to the Did-ster for letting her personality shine thorugh on the record and not forcing her into the poppy mold.
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Here is a video of Janelle Monae performing Sincerely Jane.
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Her cd ‘Metropolis’ is available in stores and she will be back in Seattle in October. DO NOT MISS IT.
“No, YOU Listen!” - Strange Symmetry by Past Lives
I’m so sick of the term ‘post-punk’. It used to mean something. It began as an inextricable link to the murky machinations of the era that followed punk’s golden age three decades ago. It was a gloomy, intellectual answer to the brazen, self-righteous dignities of London’s underground hardcore scene. Manchester, Factory Records, Ian Curtis—they all bleed with the aftermath of the punk music apex. Somewhere along the way, it was corrupted into a term used to describe anything that sounded like Joy Division. That seems dubious and unfair to both that untouchable band and the ones that came after it.
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I prefer the terms dark, choppy, and fluid—like an angry sea—to describe bands that might remind me of the brooding and catchy bands from the early 80s (i.e. the Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Birthday Party, Gang of Four). I prefer to describe Seattle’s Past Lives this way. By now you’ve heard the story of this quartet’s genesis, birthing themselves from the amicable termination of one of this decade’s most beloved glam-punk cult bands, the Blood Brothers. There are plenty of music lovers (mostly over the age of twenty-five) who don’t identify with the blistering “screamo” the band ensnared its fans with. But behind the abrasive vocals and offbeat imagery was a collection of talented musicians who crafted at least three successful albums with haunting bass lines, tantalizing synths, and tongue-wagging guitar licks.
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That Past Lives, made up of three-fifths of that late band, incorporate some of the same elements into their debut EP, Strange Symmetry, is unsurprising. What is surprising, however, is how this offshoot has managed to sculpt and shape their incumbent talents into a more sophisticated and settled sound. That’s not to say they’ve mellowed—because they haven’t—it just means they’ve matured. Take lead track “Beyond Gone”, for example, whose chilling guitar and synthetic steel drum backbone introduce Jordan Blilie’s handsome croon (”no curtain call” he yields) and paces Mark Gajadhar’s clickity-clack drumbeat. It sets a sinister tone that is quickly blasted away with the subsequent title track. The uncommon denominator in the Brothers’ bloodline, Devin Welch, detonates a heavy dual guitar chug along with Morgan Henderson that, quite simply, makes this the standout song on the extended player. Blilie adds his familiar urgent yelp and raucousness ensues. Producer Dann Gallucci (Modest Mouse, the Murder City Devils) has his fingerprints all over this one.
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“Reverse the Curse” is a crescendo-building mad march that evokes an image (in my head, anyway) of Blilie high-kicking across the stage à la David Lee Roth, drum major hat atop his head and baton flailing wildly. Yowza. The final track, “Chrome Life” begins with a wonderfully cacophonous guitar squeal behind a wide snare beat. Henderson swells the song with a baritone guitar reminiscent of “Knight Rider” and it quickly escalates to something mysterious and volatile.
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The band’s name, they have said, is about friends reincarnate, past experiences dovetailing into something unique and contemporary. Damn right. It’s songs like those in Strange Symmetry, however, that should propel this band far into the future.
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See these rising rockers Sunday, September 7th at Neumos with Talbot Tagora and Dead Science. You’ll be impressed.
Let It Go Already!
The Let Go is a group comprised of emcees Type and Kublakai, and backed by beatsmith Captain Midnite. Kubi and Type have been around the block performing and putting out albums in the city for a number of years. Kublakai’s official ‘debut’ The Basics is a stellar introduction to the artist, and a great example of where hip hop is going in Seattle. Type’s work has included dropping some solid, yet hilarious, albums entitled Mustache Immaculate and Well Known Secrets, as well as being the official tour mate and hypeman for Grieves over the years. Not to mention the fact that he is often mistaken for the guy in the Vern Fonk commercials (sorry Type, had to).
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I must say this LP is a pretty ambitious project. The theme of the album is moving on, getting over, and pretty much just letting go of all the bad we may have come across in our lives and focusing on the good. The first words sung on the intro pretty much sum it up, “All of the struggles and troubles and pain you could possibly know, just let it go.” Hence the group name and their albums title ‘Tomorrow Handles That.’ Time heals all wounds. Chin up…life really ain’t all that bad people! So how does one make an enjoyable album out of a subject that could easily be a downer? By using assloads of witty wordplay, one-liners, comedy, great guest spots and incredible production from Midnite. That’s how!
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Each song has it’s own story, yet all seem part of the big picture thanks to the production and sing along choruses. The second track ‘Sun don’t shine’ throws you head first into Seattle, its hip hop scene, and all the BS that can come along with it. Midnite builds an epic beat that paints a perfect picture of a rainy Seattle evening as Kublakai spits “I love my city, but the weather is shitty, so we sit inside and be bitter. Sit inside all the winter.” ‘Standing back’ is a great cut about letting go of a relationship because its for the better. ‘Booty fiend‘ is a hilarious take on the drunken Casanova that tries to show itself when us guys have one to many alcoholic beverages. ‘Party Crasher‘, featuring Louis Logic, gives you a play by play on how to fuck up someone’s house party. “As a matter of fact I’m gonna go in your bathroom and do an upper decker in ya toilet tank!” ‘Moodswing’ makes a great case to avoid dwelling on the negative. “Today we cry, and tomorrow we sing. It was the worst day of your life, tomorrow you’re king.” Sleep on it! Then we have, ‘No I don’t,‘ which is my favorite track on the album, and features Josh Martinez, an uber talented rapper/singer from our neighboring city to the south, Portland. This track is all about the pitfalls of trying to hump a girl friend (notice the separation of the words) and why it’s almost always a bad idea, even though it often takes us a while to figure that out. “So if we’re just friends, do you wanna just fuck each other??”
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All the songs on the album are backed by great beats and have really catchy sung choruses that will stick in your head from the first listen. Rep your city and support a quality local hip hop crew…buy this album.
The Let Go are currently on tour with Louis Logic and will be having their record release party at Nectar in Fremont on August 27th. Opening for them will be Animal Farm, the Kid Espi and yours truly on the wheels of steel.
All Lion, No Lamb
Georgetown, Seattle, WA. 5am Thursday.
I have a crappy job that causes my alarm to go off well before sunup most mornings. Because of this, I’m an NPR-in-the-morning kinda commuter. But this week I decided to tune in because I was on the road just before 5am, and JITM wouldn’t be on ’til 6. DJ Chilly was spinning a battery of politically- and spiritually-likeminded songs, starting with “One Armed Scissor” from At the Drive In (RIP), then a familiar-sounding vocalist on a song I’d never heard before. “One Day as a Lion” was the song, by an artist of the same name, he reported, before firing up “Welcome to the Terrordome” by Public Enemy.
A collaboration between Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine and Jon Theodore, formerly of The Mars Volta has resulted in a five-song EP that was released 22 July. It’s on iTunes and available through their site, too. I immediately snapped it up after getting home from work.
It’s a bit of a rough mix, with two of the five songs featuring the same basic instrumentation. But for supporters of Rage, and Texas legends AtDI, it is great that they have “delivered this warning”. The powerful and angry lyrics are here as with Zack’s better-known project, but not rapped exclusively so much as sorta… sung. The guitar wankery of Tom Morello is …. er, not present here either. With their erstwhile bands so strongly and clearly defined, it’s tough to listen with an unbiased ear. (Wasn’t that the case when Audioslave was formed from the remnants of Rage? Who didn’t wonder if Chris Cornell was going to try to fill out their first tour appearances by performing RATM songs? Chris rapping? Yeesh.)
Despite this EP, One Day as a Lion is in limbo right now as Zack is touring with a reunited Rage, but a full-length is in the works for release later this year. So no touring yet, no videos, just a website, MP3s and a limited vinyl pressing.
*New* Video From Jaguar Love - “Highways of Gold”
Seattle (or, actually, maybe Portland) band Jaguar Love has finished a new video for “Highways of Gold”, from their first album Take Me To The Sea on Matador. In my opinion, it’s not the best song on the record, but it IS high-fidelity, supposin’ you’re a fan of this band. I say ’supposin’ cuz A) I’m a back-country hillbilly and B) I’m pretty sure this band is creating some diverse opinions. I’ve heard people say it’s too grating (sometimes; though, what’d you expect from Johnny Whitney?), some people like Cody Votolato’s classic-rock riffage (me), others appreciate J Clark’s jazzy, cross-over drum skills (me). Only time will tell.
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I admit I wasn’t taken with the first few spins, but after hearing it on a few different levels (sober, inebriated and live), I’m more than warming up to it. There are a few hits (”Jaguar Pirates”, “Antoine & Birdskull”), a few misses (”Georgia”, “Bonetrees And A Broken Heart”), and enough weirdo moments to make you reconsider (”Humans Evolve Into Skyscrapers”, “Vagabond Ballroom”). Whitney might remind you of Alvin (yes, that Alvin) at times, but seeing him rock the stage is enough entertainment to fill a boat and take me to the sea. Sorry, couldn’t resist.
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The video is quirky and cartoonish, has a nice lovelorn feel to it, and features a few local musicians of note (Steve Snere from These Arms Are Snakes and Andrea Zollo from Pretty Girls Make Graves and Triumph of Lethargy…). The band is currently touring with the Faint on their Fasciination tour (the Seattle date was cancelled—boooooo), but they’ll stop off at Redmond’s Old Fire House tomorrow night, August 2nd. They’ll play with Talbot Tagora, who have recently entered my ‘watch list’. So I’m watching them. YOU watch out for the kiddies at the show.
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The Upperhand
I confess I’ve been sitting on a particular disc for well over two months now. And I feel quite guilty about it ‘cuz it’s turned out to be one of the most intriguing albums I’ve stumbled upon this year. At long last, I’m hear to spread the word on this lil’ gem of a band, a seemingly unknown local foursome that have literally blown me away over the last few months.
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When the Upperhand reached out to us here at SS back in April, I wasn’t yet a minute into “Oceans in Kansas” on their myspace before I called our editor, Mr. leDoux to jump on a review. Sure, whether it be positive or negative, it can be stupefying to judge a band this quickly. But as I continued to listen, the Upperhand kept incrementally astounding me. The more I absorbed, the more gravitating and fascinating they became. Coming from someone who was already taken upon first listen, the Upperhand has not ceased to grow on me.
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“Oceans in Kansas” and “Day” were the only two tracks I had access to before I received The Sailing and Sinking of the S.S. Ridiculous in the mail. Little did I know these two tracks would be a mere introduction into the breadth and depth of their music. Yes, the album title is fantastically quirky, and if you’re able to access a physical copy of the album (buy it here), the cover art is as creatively outlandish in nature. This, and the fact that they are for the most part unheard of, speaks to how curious the Upperhand are. They have only 8500 or so hits on their myspace page, and this count includes the significant number I’ve inadvertently contributed thus far. I’m still scratching my head, the Upperhand have serious potential to cause a stirring here in Seattle.
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Lead singer Nate Hill’s vocals are brilliantly memorable and one of the main draws to the Upperhand without doubt. The closest comparison that comes to mind is Ryan Adams, inclusive of the interspersing alt-country twang, though all in all more distinctively folk rather than country. Resonating deep from his chest, Hill’s voice also exudes a pleasant nasal quality as well. These attributes, in addition to the peculiarly alluring grumbling of lyrics that pepper his predominantly soothing and fragile vocals, produce a uniquely appealing and versatile sound. This may sound comical, but at times Hill almost sounds like a roaring Oscar the Grouch. Regardless, I’m certainly not doing justice in simply saying his voice is aesthetic and striking. You must take a listen for yourself.
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Having soaked in the beauty of Hill’s voice, the underlying instrumental flow is the next equally remarkable feature unique to the Upperhand. Guided by piano-based melodies, alt-country, blues and jazz undertones creep in to form a mesmerizing and fluid soundscape. Drum, bass and keys repeatedly shift in momentum throughout their tracks, creating a rhythmic ebb and flow throughout. Breaks in song are commonly introduced, and always smoothly transition from one to the next. Eight of the Upperhand’s 9 tracks on The Sinking are lyrical, with the final track, “Aggressive Positions”, purely instrumental (well, save for the Aaaaaaaaaah Shit that pops out of someone’s mouth at the end). Plenty buffer time within each of the lyrical tracks amplify instrumental and jamband elements to the quartet. Their music is a melodic adventure led by acoustic keys, a unique rolling beat, and compelling play on guitar and bass that all come together to produce a textured and refreshing sound.
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And I’m not done - the Upperhand show plenty girth in the quality of their songwriting. Hill is a talented storyteller and whether his tainted tales are true or fictitious, they are powerful, thematic and metaphorical. Delving into the intricacies of adulthood - family, responsibility, human nature, internal struggle, the search for meaning, and the quest for freedom - one can’t help but relate to and feel compassionate for Hill or whoever the main characters are within the Upperhand’s mortal and lyrical journeys.
In “Oceans In Kansas” and “Mariana”, the following excerpts provide a representative sampling of how introspective and narrative Hill’s songwriting is.
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In “Oceans In Kansas”:
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I left my wife and kids back in Kansas
Far away from the ocean’s edge
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I promised I would be back just as soon as I finished
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My descent into the abyss
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…Bags packed, the Mrs. admits that she hopes
I come home empty handed
‘Cuz adventuring is not for fathers,
See my place is here with them, back in Kansas
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…Get this shit out of your system’ she says
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In “Mariana”:
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I don’t know what it was I expected
To find here in the darkness…
Dont’ know what it says about me as a man
Leaving my kids so far away back on the land
I dont want to have to tell you just what it is
Its magnificent and i’m never coming back
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All in all, the Upperhand cover all their bases. I’m still sitting here, baffled at how they hover completely under the radar. Their sound is unequaled and surely cannot get washed away in the over-saturated realm of music dubbed as indie.
See them live at the Rendezvous (also known as the Jewelbox Theater) on Tuesday, August 5th. I missed them play at the World Famous Bob’s Java Jive in Tacoma last month and will surely not make this mistake again.
The Liars Club EP - ‘Go Forth and Wrend Assunder’ (sic)
I make it a point to listen to any new album or EP I buy, and sometimes the ones given to me, at least 10 times before expressing an opinion. The idea is to let the whole outweigh the individual experiential moments and to let a piece of music sink in.
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Some albums take you in a note or two (typically a band you already love), and others grow on you later like a strangely familiar de ja vu or a delayed epiphany. I’ve come to love albums that at first did not grab me. I’ve also loved records or bands and listened them a lot, then I get burned out and they fade away. You can’t always go with your first instinct. But I trust music more than I trust most people, and I give it a wide birth to work its magic.
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The Liars Club E.P. is all of 4 demos, but it’s got enough obvious strengths to rank in the 75th percentile of homespun bands. It’s good, better than many, but it’s not a totally cohesive work. Not that it should be. It’s a four song EP/demo for chrissakes. It’s a bit all over the place, and it covers a lot of ground in just four songs. And that, in a nutshell, is both the strength and weakness of the band, and the songs. There’s a bit of magic here, and there might be more in a live setting.
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To this listener’s ears, there’s elements of Pixies, Queens of the Stone Age, even a tinge of The Cult in their orchestration and delivery. But it’s not that they sound retro or obviously derivative–they just mix in some pieces and parts that echo the energy, delivery and/or aesthetic of those bands. They sound like a rock band. And they sound ready to prove it to you.
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That was my assessment after having only listened to their songs from their MySpace page, on laptop speakers and headphones no less. And I didn’t give their MySpace page a second glance. I’m not going to evaluate the merits of a band or their music based on the layout of their own self-designed web-presence. That may be the way of the average 14 year old these days, but I’m no 14 year old. So I listened my requisite minimum ten times, and then I called TLC’s(apologies) guitarist, Chris Craig, to get the story behind the band.
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Chris tells me singer, K.C., started the band several years ago, and that it’s been through a few iterations since. A full length was released, with various lineups performing throughout the northwest. Around 2006 Chris hooked up with K.C. and the two began writing new material. Alex joined soon after on Bass, and recently Steve took over on drums. Chris expects the band to spend a couple of months working out new material and to begin playing shows in late summer and the fall. The EP was recorded by Jules Hodgson of KMFDM, and produced by Martin Feveyear, of local fame and lately of Blue Scholars, Brandi Carlile and Presidents of the USA. It’s a solid, professional sounding effort, with just enough polish to make sure repeated listenings reveal the music and not the lack of a major label’s backing. Long story short, this is a band with a bit of history, a bit of new blood, and a new lease on life.
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So what about the music? “Wide Open Beaver” launches with a distinctly Nirvana-esque Bleach-era intro, but quickly shifts tempo and sounds more Fu Manchu than Kurt Cobain. “Wedgewood Hop” changes gears, exchanging riffs for mood and a rolling guitar line leading into the verse. This song shows the most variety of parts and some of the better hooks. You get the sense the band’s following probably sings along with this one the most. “Trust Fund” reminds me of Love-era Cult, but K.C.’s vocals are neither reminiscent, nor copping the vibe of Ian Astbury’s hippie headbanging. And that’s a good thing. “Born on a Friday” opens with keyboard and could be the illegitimate offspring of The Raconteurs and Kings of Leon, but in truth it sounds nothing like either of those bands. It just reminds me of them.
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As I said, these four songs cover a fair amount of ground. But none of them lack for the energy that should translate to an energetic live show. And that is, after all, what you ask of a local band when they’re getting it together and performing new music. You want something that catches your ear, maybe a performance worth watching, and hopefully a future to anticipate and participate in. These guys may yet cover all that ground too.
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I haven’t seen them before, let alone 10 times, and it’s only going to take one show to know whether the songs here translate well to a live performance. That’s a chance I’ll take, and I’ll tell you something else–their EP has been in my car’s disc changer for 2 weeks straight. And that hasn’t been the case for the Pixies, QOTSA, and definitely the Cult for quite a while.
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Photo by Aaron Morris
“No, YOU Listen!” — At Mount Zoomer by Wolf Parade
I still remember the first time I heard “Disco Sheets”, randomly one morning in the car on the way to work. After frantically searching through KEXP’s playlist, I discovered Wolf Parade. When Apologies to the Queen Mary came out later that year, I was shocked that the track list didn’t include that bombardier of a song—tells you a little something about the quality of the Montreal band’s debut.
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That Apologies went on to critical and sustained success was a surprise to virtually no one. Not only was it produced by one of the most explosive songwriters of the past decade—Isaac Brock—but the band had, and has, binding ties to another rocket to recently soar out of Montreal: Arcade Fire. I’m not sure if I’m astounded or simply content that the inception of Wolf Parade came about because Spencer Krug just needed somebody to help him out in supporting one of Arcade Fire’s initial tours; or that drummer Arlen Thompson and AF guitarist Tim Kingsbury each did time on the other’s debut record; or that Wolf Parade recorded half of At Mount Zoomer in the very same church-cum-studio as Neon Bible. Truth is, it just makes sense that these two brilliant bands are undeniably linked.
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So where does that leave us today? Eager fans have patiently (read: impatiently!) awaited the second record from this multifarious and sidetracked band while its two principle members have wandered in and out of various side projects. And despite what you may be thinking, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that At Mount Zoomer is superior to Apologies, because it’s probably not. But I will sit here and tell you that it is a damn fine record.
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Where Apologies is rife with spectral and brooding imagery, tinged at times with unabashed optimism, the moods on Zoomer are consistently more upbeat, if not more progressive. Wolf Parade retains what they do best, however, and many of the songs still come off sort of weird and distant, yet all together heartfelt. Dan Boeckner, to be sure, retains his derision for modern amenities when he sings “All this work and / just to tear it down” in “Language City,” easily one of the most affecting and inspiring songs on the album. The lead guitarist later does his best interpretation of the Cars’ 80s romanticism on “Fine Young Cannibal”, a twisty turn of piano-woven balladry. And if Krug tends toward extravagance and complexity, Boeckner has refined and perfected his own songwriting. His lyricism, in particular, is on point during album opener “Soldier’s Grin” when he soulfully declares “And I rode horse-shaped fire / draggin’ stereo wire”.
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The band has stated that Zoomer’s songs were written more collaboratively this time around (I read the word “Marxist” somewhere), but I’m not sure I believe them, quite frankly. Yes, Dante DeCaro’s impact is palpable, along with the knob-twistings of Hadji Bakara; but Krug finds himself ensconced in a truly decadent period of his own composition, à la David Bowie during the Aladdin Sane/Diamond Dogs era. His highly wrought contributions to “An Animal In Your Care”, “Kissing The Beehive” and “California Dreamer”—probably my favorite of Zoomer’s nine tracks—exhibit as much. The great thing about Wolf Parade as a singular unit, however, is its ability to tighten the reins on his sometimes-laborious Sunset Rubdown-type escapades to create a succinctly wonderful piece. “Kissing The Beehive”, you may have heard, is an 11-minute opus that sounds more ridiculous than it actually is. Savor the moment both vocalists share the spotlight on that one.
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In the end, Krug’s voice remains a defining element of Wolf Parade’s sound, along with Boeckner’s “hearts on fire” temperament and Thompson’s above-the-fray drumming. Please don’t make the mistake of chalking this up to self-serious prog-rock. Put on the headphones and discover for yourself.
Vashon’s Venus Verse (VVV!) Offers Free EP Download
To be sure, I have a certain affection for local DIY bands. I love my town, I’ve always pulled for the little dude, and having a medium to exponentially reach others only heightens the sentiment (thanks, Al Gore!). Maybe it’s because I spent a significant portion of my childhood over on Vashon Island, or maybe I’m secretly a sucker for the new wave, but the isle’s Venus Verse has quickly roped me in with their debut self-released 5-song EP, Phazes.
As misterlevitan has once again pointed out, bands and musicians are finding more and more ways to cut out the middle-man (i.e. labels) and exploit the mass of tools readily at their disposal. Venus Verse, for example, has offered Phazes to their fans through the myspace music player. Honestly, I don’t know much about the band other than what’s on their space, but after listening to the EP, I’m more than willing to spread the word.
The threesome—made up of Kevin, Stephanie, and Fausto—draw from (somewhat) equal parts 80s British icons The Cure and Echo & The Bunnymen (”Dreaming Again”, “Loving Arms”), contemporary Swedish pop invaders such as Shout Out Louds and Lykke Li (”Not Quite Juliet”, “Whisper”), as well as trip-hop pioneers Portishead (”Paris”). Some impressive names, indeed, for a small band from the corner of the Evergreen State to be compared to. And while the band still has the fresh sound of wide-eyed shoegazers, the poppy, ambient, even jazzy excursions their songs take off on make for a charming and captivating listen. You’ll find plenty of synths, machine-like drumming, and precise post-punk guitar work, embellished by wistful and tender lyricism. Lead vocals provided by both male and female, too; that’s always a plus in my book.
I did say that you could download from their page, but I’ve done the leg work for you (individual files below). You can also buy the record at the West Seattle Easy Street and the Ballard and Capitol Hill Sonic Booms if that sort of thing tickles your fancy. If you like it, make sure you donate for their second EP (which you’ll receive), to be recorded this summer. Five bucks is all they ask to cover recording costs and they’ll even put you on their guest list!
The band next plays July 11th at the Comet with Black Night Crash and Dulce Sky.
-UPDATE- The show is on July 10th
Venus Verse - Phazes
Melvins release 288th record. P.S. it’s good!
OK, I know what you’re thinking. Who gives a fuck about these old metal dudes, right? I mean, haven’t they been around for like, 30 years or something? Truth be told, yes, these guys are as old as dirt, but didn’t your parents teach you to respect your elders? After all, if your elders are anything like mine, they get drunk and pull down their pants at family reunions. But I digress…
It’s been a couple of decades since the mighty Melvins packed up and migrated South, leaving behind their greasy, backwater brethren for the sunny locale of Hollywood, California. Before then, they were just another Northwest punk band doing their best to blend Black Flag, the Wipers and KISS into one goofball concoction of rock n’roll sludge. It can be duly noted, that the Melvins have forged an influential and rather perplexing career dedicated to befuddling listeners and record labels alike, plowing ahead well into their 40’s and showing no signs of letting up.
Their newest long player is called Nude With Boots and picks up where 2006’s excellent, (A) Senile Animal left off. Blending the 70’s arena rock stylings Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper and Thin Lizzy with shards of art-damaged punk will make for a satisfying listen to those of you basking in the warm resurgence of guitar-centric, retro rock. Like their last record, Nude With Boots falls in line with the sound of recently absorbed Big Business, melding Jared and Coady’s bottom heavy, no bullshit approach to detuned debauchery. Tying in melody and actual hooks - a somewhat foreign concept for the Melvins in it’s early incarnations - this record offers loads of pummeling drum pyrotechnics and fuzzed out bass leads. Check out the title track, “Billy Fish” and “Suicide in Progress” as spaced out anthems to the holy rock grail. Not to be left out are Buzz’s heavier-than-your-Mom guitar dirges (Dog Island) and a ghostly instrumental (Dies Israea) that some of you may recognize as a re-hashed theme to ‘the Shining’.
Longtime fans will rejoice for the Melvins latest offering, while newer listeners might find this a good jumping off point. You’ll sleep better at night knowing that these lumbering dinosaurs are far from relics of a forgotten time. They’re still very much alive and kicking. Kicking the shit out of your ear drums.
Release date: July 8th, 2008, Ipecac Records
Get off your ass and go ‘Mingle’…
The Saturday Knights, consisting of MC’s Barfly and Tilson, and backed by DJ Suspence, have paid dues in the Seattle music scene. Barfly and Tilson put in work with local hip hop crew Old Dominion for many years and gave us a small taste of what was to come with their self-titled EP a few years back. Since then, their EP garnered lots of spins on KEXP, they were signed to Light in the Attic Records, their live shows became must-see events in the 206, and they built a substantial buzz in anticipation of their full length release.
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With that said, let me get this out of the way…the album is impressive.
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Why do I choose the word impressive, instead of the standard good, great, or awesome you ask? I do so because after a few spins I can really hear the hard work and dedication put they into this LP to make something different. And believe me when I tell you…different is good. As in the best Seattle release of 2008 good. Yeah, I said it.
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It’s a great listen for lots of reasons. For one, it is a huge breath of fresh air in a city that is somewhat over saturated with ‘local hip hop’ (whether you know it or not). But more importantly, I can’t remember any group that incorporated so many musical styles and genres into an action-packed 40 minute album. I can’t even bring myself to classify this as a hip hop album, which is a great thing. Off the top of my head I can pinpoint elements of Punk, Greaser, Surfer and Classic Rock, Heavy Metal, Blues, Euro-Pop, Reggae, Rockabilly, Electronic, and of course Hip Hop. To blend all those different sounds (and more cowbell!!) into one album and pull it off so seamlessly is effing impressive. There’s that word again.
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Not to mention that they bring an arsenal of quotable verses, rewind worthy one-liners and all around great lyricism to these tracks that make for knockout combination I haven’t heard since the rock-happy Beastie Boys albums of the 90’s. Except for one thing…TSK’s lyrics have a lot more to them than the B-Boys ever did. A lot of the lines are subtle, but after a few listens you can’t help but flash the ‘O face.’ Barfly calmly drops gems on 45, “Can’t hang homeboy? I’m fuckin drapery” and Dog Park “She party like a rock star, so delirious / I party like a Dog Star, so Sirius.”
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All the songs are great in their own way, but of course I have a few favorites. Ass Kicker’s Haircut, which sounds like the beat was made for the Heavy Metal Soundtrack (Which I have been bumping a lot lately…thanks South Park), name drops famous ass kickers through the years and kills the theme perfectly… Dog Park is the closest to ‘pop’ they get, but the song is so damn catchy and the sing-songy chorus with endless dog references is classic. “So off the chain” indeed… Motorin’ makes you wish you were racing Greased Lightning with the radio on blast. It has the best beat on the album and Tilson’s tongue-twisting verse is truly something to behold…I Go is the shortest song on the album but packs the most punch (more cowbell!!) and begs to be rewound the first few times you hear it…I could go on and on for every track, but I’ll spare you. Buy the album. In Stores June 24th.
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TSK will be having their cd release party Friday, June 27th at Nectar with the Budos Band.
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They will also be opening up for the RZA at the Showbox on June 24th.
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“No, YOU Listen!” — A Killer Of Snakes by The Heavy Hearts
Have you ever wondered how a blossoming hard rock band from the early 90s, say Mother Love Bone or Alice in Chains, would sound if a punk like Black Francis or Ian MacKaye fronted it? Or a rough-and-tumble Kim Gordon played bass? Or maybe if grunge, the term unfortunately now branded a slur, never spawned a regrettable glut of modern rock wannabes and instead continued to toil and thrive in the musical underground for the past fifteen years? It’s no surprise that the first LP from the Heavy Hearts, A Killer Of Snakes, conjures up these sort of imaginings; the band earned their chops and found their styles playing in the local grunge aftermath over a decade ago. You might even call them post-grunge. Or you might not; just tryin’ to help you out.
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A bit of history: Brian Burnside, the Hearts’ guitarist and main vocalist, teamed up in 1995 with bassist Brian Kraft, who had previously done time in noise-rock outfit Engine Kid, to help form the Bali Girls. Somewhere along the way, bassist no. 2 Denise Maupin, previously of the Delusions, entered the picture and she, Burnside, Kraft, and drummer Lee Taylor formed TripleXaudio around 2002. After that band folded, Kraft, following his departure, was brought back on board, and—voilà—you have the current incarnation of the Heavy Hearts.
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Despite palpable influence from a multitude of legitimate alternative and independent rock icons from the past three decades, the HHs have managed to craft a distinctive, snotty, chugging, blistering, and defiant album that never quite stops its bludgeoning tempo. The Hearts are one of the few bands out there employing two mostly-full-time bassists, and Maupin is a bombshell right in the middle of the fray. And while she is easy on the eyes, the reference is actually to her ability to fuel the band’s onstage persona that detonates the group’s sound. Using a fiery vocal rapport with Burnside and a vicious dual attack with Kraft, lead—and arguably best—track “Attrition” is a fine example of this. Burnside’s almost-jangly guitar drives the melody while Maupin bridges the song with an exemplary solo two-thirds of the way through.
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The album continues with the militant, deftly scaled “Revolution”. Burnside’s inspiration from guitar heroes like Thurston Moore and J. Mascis are proudly put on display (with a second guitar joining in) while the chorus echoes, “I know you know I know you want it!” If there’s one thing this band has gotten down pat, it’s the bratty, insistent vocal repetitions presented in most every song- “Let’s start a revolution! For a retribution!” on “Amongst the Gaggle”; “You live and you learn!” on “TV”; the “K-I-L-L” mantra that closes out “Long Road”. That same song is launched by Kraft’s sinister riff, reminding the listener that in this group, however, the bass is boss.
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Fans familiar with the group will find two tracks from their self-titled EP re-recorded for this release on Selector Sound, “Spit When You Say My Name” and “On The Breaks”; the former employing a striking call-and-response ploy, the latter closing the album with a swirling guitar arpeggio. Recorded in the band’s practice studio, the production does a nice job of standing up the quartet’s aggressive live performances, which, even with countless shows under their belts, are still rather difficult to find any meaningful write-ups about. And while local brethren like Thee Emergency and The Valley continue to garner all the press, it’s the Heavy Hearts that quietly went out and made one of the best rock records of the year.
