Seattle Subsonic

Seattle Subsonic - Seattle Music Scene

SeattleSubsonic Happy Hour this Thursday!!

So it’s that time again…time to crack some bottles, raffle off some free goodies and chop it up. This month we have Sportn’ Life Records coming through to provide some gear and talk shop. I will be at the helm of the 1s and 2s providing a great soundtrack to get drunk to.

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MOE BAR
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925 E. Pike St.
Seattle, WA 98122
Phone: 206-709-9467

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Thursday, November 20th. 5-8 pm

$2 Wells, $2 domestics and $2 off food.

Grayskul’s “Missing” Featuring Andrea Zollo

Here’s a pretty tight video from Seattle’s Grayskul. The culturally-conscious doom rappers enlisted the help of former Pretty Girls Makes Graves vocalist Andrea Zollo to add in some of her trademark urgency to the sinister, head-bobbin’ West Coast tune. Entitled “Missing”, it centers around a bubbly bass beat and Onry Ozzborn and JFK’s jagged upbringings. How they were able to harness their inherent skillz is a principal theme (along with Zollo going a bit nuts), and it’s shot in an attractive widescreen, semi-sepia format.
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I think it might be a few months old (their new album Bloody Radio came out in early September), but I just came across it today. It definitely warrants a view.
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See the band live at King Cobra tonight, November 13th, with punk band Strong Killings, D Black and Elephant Rider. If you miss it, they’ll also be at the Nectar Lounge December 19th. You can catch Andrea these days playing drums with Spencer Moody in Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive to Death. Word.

Two Free Albums and One Long “Amateur Hour”

(Full disclosure: Type is my pal and I have djed for him as well as produced a track on his upcoming LP)

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With that said, local hip hop hellion and all around hilarious dude Type is releasing his new album in December entitled Amateur Hour. As a promotion he has been kind enough to bless us with a link to download his last two albums, Mustache Immaculate and Well Known Secrets for FREE. Do it. You know you wanna.
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Also, Type has come up with the most engeious Album Release party idea ever. Since his album is entitled “Amateur Hour” he has dedicated a large portion of the night to a local hip hop competition.The contestants will be judged by a panel of 4 respected and knowledgable (read: aren’t afraid to go “N”) local hip hop promoter’s, writers/bloggers, and whatever else it is that they do.

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The contestants are: Billy the Fridge, Waves of the Mind, Taybot, Notion, Wizdom, Lorenzo the First, M SEA, Premonition, Duranged Pitt, Suntonio Bandanaz, Stationary Drifters, and Fresh Ave (AKA - Know Choice, Akrish and DJ Rise). And SeattleSubsonic’s very own dj100proof (that’s me!) will be providing dj services.

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Everything goes down Friday December 5th @ Nectar.

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Oh, Happy Day

Get Your Freak On at the Sunset this Weekend

Debauchery returns to the Sunset Tavern this weekend!! Graffiti Rock this month features the Nite Owls, a group consiting of MCs Barfly of the Saturday Knights and Gatsby of Cancer Rising, and Mr. Hill of Old Dominion on the production.  Opening we have Type, a member of the Let Go, who is a hilarious rapper with plenty of skill, style and substance to keep you thinking and laughing all at once. Also on the bill is Billy The Fridge, a legend in the Seattle hip hop scene. A man that can body all comers with wit and one liners, all while taking quad shots of Tequila to the face.
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Rounding out the night we have myself on the turntables and the host with the most (internet death threats) Johnny Concrete.

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Come drink a tall can of PBR and participate in some good ol fashioned nonsense…oh and listen to some great music too.

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Major Bummer: The Trucks Call It Quits

The local music landscape just got a little bit more boring. The spandex-sportin’, trash-talkin’ gals in the electro-rock freak-show that is the Trucks have decided to call it quits. I, for one, lament this silly decision and will chide the band should I ever run into them on the street (god help them).

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The official “statement” from the band:

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holy crap, what a shocker! who woulda thought four shy girls who didn’t even know how to play their instruments could hop up on the stage and fuck the shit up! we were just some self-entertained girls who wanted to play fancy trannie dress-up and have a collective cow, saw a stage vacancy and ka-bow! in the eventful 5 years since, we learned to (pretty much) play our instruments, though some “critics” may argue. we have been through a lot together, lived, loved, learned, and burned, all in a dirty little church van. we’ve seen the good old USA, played with great bands, made a lot of good friends, and always enjoyed coming home. but the last year has found us all living in different cities, and wandering in different directions. change is in the air, and it feels good. we love our band, and each other, and our fans, but it’s time to hunker down and re-invent. into what? you never know, but i’ll give you some hints. marissa is building a bomb shelter full of comics and xylophones, kristin’s singin’ and cleanin’ and bustin’ her face on the disco dance floor, faitie’s gearing up for the next bout of tizzies, painting her dream animals and writing songs about armageddon, and lindy’s eating beers and getting some hard-core nookie while other bands are bustin the door down to get her. we are super excited about our last few shows, and we’ll be busy the next few months getting our newest songs out, so watch for an EP and some special see-ya surprises. we love you! thank you so much! love the trucks
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One of their, uh, sexy tracks:
Titties - the Trucks

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They’ll have three more shows before officially giving their successful run the ol’ heave-ho:

*Oct 11 2008 @ Chop Suey w/ A Gun That Shoots Knives

*Nov 7 2008 @ Wonder Ballroom in Portland (Siren Music Festival)

*Nov 8 2008 @ the Nightlight in Bellingham

Try to make it out for one of these farewells and then keep an eye out for a “posthumous” EP hitting the shelves.

Looks Like Tacoma is Finally Catching Up With The Times

Well, it looks like Tacoma is now getting in on the action, with a little music festival of their own. I say “little”, but the very first Squeak & Squawk Festival is happening October 16th through the 20th with over 30 bands in four awesome-smelling locations. I might’ve added that part about the smelling. What? Face it, Tacoma smells. You know it, I know it, everybody knows it—it fucking smells. BUT, they also have a really handsome glass museum (Dale Chihuly ring any bells?) right near the water, a festive little marathon complete with 10k option, an up-and-coming downtown district, and a rock venue that’s shaped like a coffee pot. Sounds nice and eclectic to me. Plus the name of the jilted city-that-never-was comes from a Native American word that refers to Mt. Rainier being “Mother of the Waters”, what with all the melting snow and such. As a local, you should know that sort of thing.

 

I’m not sure I’ve been to a show in Tacoma—strike that, I went to Jazzbones once—but this is a mighty attractive bill to try and pass up. As I mentioned, the list is long, but my personal recommendations would be the Dutchess & the Duke, Partman Parthorse, Talbot Tagora, New Faces, and South Sound legend Calvin Johnson. I’m sure there are a couple other names on that list you might be just dying to see.

 

The Portland Cello Project will begin the festivities at noon on the 16th in the lovely Wright Park. If you work in Tacoma, you might just spend your lunch hour feeling classical and modern all at the same time. The concert is curated by The Helm Gallery and The New Frontier (located at 301 E 25th St), where the majority of the shows will be taking place. A slightly hilarious quote from the Helm’s blog about its intentions:

 

“We believe Tacoma is a great place to play music and that our reputation on the outside as a ‘dangerous’ and somewhat ‘worthless’ community is long overdue for change.”

 

 Full schedule with lineups, times and locations after the jump.

 

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Not enough ‘Liars’ in your life, join ‘the Club’

This is a public service announcement for fans of The Liars Club  –   upcoming shows:

-  Tues 9/16 @ The Rendezvous Jewel Box

-  Weds 9/24 @ High Dive 9/24 w/Autolite Strike and Pelvis

- Thurs 10/30 at The Bit Saloon w/9lb Beaver and Sister Hyde.

One can never have enough lyin’ sons-a-bitches in their life!

Crocodile Cafe to Reopen - Yessssss

I admit I haven’t been to Belltown much since the Crocodile closed late last year (although I have frequented Shorty’s quite a bit recently to brush up on my Buckhunter skillz), and it looks like I just might be given another chance. According to the Seattle Times, spokeswoman Kerri Harrop confirmed that the club will be reopen in “late January/early February”. Of 2009.

 

There will be some construction between now and then, with hot-spot-pizza-joint Via Tribunali taking over the bar area in the back, complete with a separate entrance. No word yet on how the club and the restaurant will be joined, other than that the Crocodile will serve it’s delectably aunthetic pizz-a pie-as.

 

Local bar entrepreneur Marcus Charles and his wife (Marcus’ Martini Heaven, the new Bad Juju in Belltown, Neumos at one point, the War Room (I think)) apparently lead an investor group and obtained the Crocodile’s liquor license last month. No booking agent yet, but the same sound dude will be manning the boards.

 

Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Charles, and thank you Mr. Seattle Times Reporter Man. THE CROC LIVES ON!

 

Update: more details from the Seattle Weekly

Silver Summit - now playing in a town near you!

Silver Summit’s self - titled debut is the stuff made of grim and unsettling nightmares. You know, the kind where you feel like you’re drowning in a murky pool, clawing for air just feet below the surface.

Violent, yet oddly transcendent, their sound is a puzzle stacked of opposites. Moody vocals shrouded over bright, prickly guitars. Dense, unmoored drifts of sound dissipate into hand claps and mandolins. It’s a peculiar and often rewarding blend of textures - one that the band describes as “a collision of heaven and earth, fire and water; both bewitching and beautiful.”

The Brooklyn-based psych-folk group is a song-writing partnership between longtime friends and multi-instrumentalists, Sondra Sun-Odeon and David Shawn Bosler. On their current West Coast Tour, the Silver Summit Band will arrive in Portland and Seattle with violins, cellos and added percussion in tow, lending to their already dark and foreboding sound.

For more information, check out the Silver Summit website or head over to their MySpace page for mp3’s.

West Cost Tour dates:

9/2 Portland, OR - THE SOMEDAY LOUNGE w/ tba
9/3 Seattle, WA - THE MIX w/ The Battle of Land & Sea + Lauren Banhart
9/4 Portland, OR - HOLOCENE (MusicFestNW)
9/5 Santa Cruz Mtns. - BROOKDALE LODGE (FolkYeah Presents) w/ Witch
9/6 Oakland, CA - WOULDS (or 21 GRAND) w/ The Why Because + VxPxC/Warm Climate
9/7 Sacramento, CA - LUIGI’S FUN GARDEN w/ The Why Because + VxPxC/Warm Climate
9/8 Long Beach, CA - THE PROSPECTOR w/ Gangi + tba

Benefit Show @ the Funhouse TONIGHT!

 

Hey kids, you might remember how the Prids got the shit kicked out of them by a faulty tire a month ago. It was (is) bad. Well, some of their Sea-town friends, Romance, the Arid Sea, and the Blood Red Dancers, are trying to give ‘em a hand by rockin’ your balls off at the Funhouse tonight.

 

Romance sounds a bit like early 80s synth-rock (kinda like the Prids), the Arid Sea has a similarly gloomy outlook, and the Blood Red Dancers might remind you of a lo-fi version of the Doors (right, Kev?). 6 bucks at one of the best venues in town. Be there or be eternally square.

Bumbershoot, Dudes, Bumbershoot

Ok, so let’s calibrate. We all know Bumbershoot is not what it used to be. It’s not a funky little arts festival in a quirky little hippy town with manageable crowds, pick-up hacky-sack, and stoners gorging themselves on samosas and elephant ears (ok, it still might be that last one). It’s a world-renowned, kick-ass, music and arts showcase in a growing, contemporary metropolis.

 

 

I know, I know, you might be distressed by the all big name acts AEG or whatever-the-fuck-booking-agency is doing the lineup now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a super-duper time checking out some of the local and national acts actually worth your oh-so-valuable-time. Thirty years of success can’t be wrong.

 

Also, how many more hyphens do you think I can fit into this here post? - - - [Answer at bottom]

 

Here’s who I’d be pressed up against the stage for were I a silly little music geek. Oh wait…:

 

Main Stage:

Saturday is pretty good, even though it’s kinda honkey-tonk. You’ve got Neko Case and Band Of Horses sandwiching Lucinda Williams (knock it off, perv), followed by the many faces of Beck. Sunday has the Black Keys and that’s about it. Unless you want to relive the Stone Temple Pilots’ glory days like Scott Weiland does. I bet he’s extra skinny now. Monday I’d skip unless I had a crush on Ben Gibbard. Which I don’t.

 

Fisher Green:

Definitely gear up for Brooklyn’s !!! on Saturday. They are DOPE (if you like maniacally dancing crowds, that is). Sunday has the Saturday Knights continuing their onslaught on our sonic senses, followed by the legendary Lee “Scratch” Perry. You can always count on Bumbershoot for some top quality reggae acts. A couple good hip-hop acts on Monday should get your juices flowing: local boys the Physics and Del the Funky Homoerectus—er, sapien.

 

Mural Amphitheatre:

I don’t see much here for Saturday or Sunday, but there’re quite a few singer-songwriters slotted, if you’re into that (which I know you are which is why I wrote that). I know leDoux likes Vince Mira (and I love Johnny Cash), so the li’l dude with the big voice gets a shout out for Monday, when you can also see the Old ’97s and Langhorne Slim.

 

Broad Street:

Lotsa popular up-and-comers on the Rockstar Stage, so hang around if you can. Saturday has pleasant-pop-rockers Throw Me The Statue, Thao with the Get Down Stay Down (from D.C.!), the Walkmen (new record!), and my personal fave, Man Man (like Tom Waits on meth, they say!!) Sunday, I’d recommend some hard-rockin’, hard-workin’ types like Pennsylvania’s the Shackletons and Minneapolis’ Tapes ‘n Tapes. Both are fantastic. Seattle’s Minus the Bear headlines Monday’s lineup.

 

Exhibition Hall:

Saturday = Sweetwater at 3pm. Yes! I could relive my glory days (of high school)! Sunday boasts the Blakes trying to regain their local footing, and These Arms Are Snakes who are sure to have plenty of new material. Monday, you can see Israeli freak-rock trio Monotonix burn their shit to the ground. And some other stuff happens.

 

EMP Sky Church:

I’ve actually never been to this venue for a show, but they’ve got some damn fine bands lined up there this year. The new New Faces, the Girls, the Valley, and Kinski all might melt your face on Saturday. PWRFL Power and Tacoma’s Mono in VCF will lighten the afternoon mood that day. Sunday closes with a nice trifecta of Speaker Speaker, the Hands, and Thee Emergency. And it don’t stop on Monday neither. Greives raps at 1:45, the always-electric Feral Children play at 6pm and Murder City Devil sound-alikes Black Eyes and Neckties at 9pm. Better just spend all weekend here.

 

‘Course, if you want to bypass all my prejudiced picks, you can always just go here and decide for yourself.

 

[Answer: fifteen]