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Monday, Aug. 30th 2010
Capitol Hill Block Party Part One: Friday
By Veronica Salas
Photos by Samantha Mastridge
 As I prepared to leave for the first day of this year’s Capitol Hill Block Party I decided to check the weather: according to MSN during the day it would be sunny and about 82 degrees and during the night the heat would drop down to a chilly 56 degrees. Because I didn’t want to be freezing in the later hours I decided to wear some jeans, you know, something weather versatile… but, sadly, that was a mistake. When I stepped out of my car and began to walk to Will Call I could feel the blazing sun beaming on my shoulders and practically feel the steaming concrete through my Converse. I hadn’t even made it to my first destination and I could feel the beads of sweat dripping down my back. Although it was quite uncomfortable for me, I couldn’t help but notice that the sun was an incredibly important aspect to the Capitol Hill Block Party. It added to the festival atmospherically. Waiting in line to receive my tickets, feeling the sun’s rays brush against my body, seeing them reflect off the metal fixing and hearing the distant melodies drifting away from the stages – it all melted together, into something indescribable and satisfying… something practically spiritual.
Once I received my tickets I snapped out of my 60’s inspired realization and headed straight to Neumos to see the Sara Quin produced band Fences. As they began their set the audience started to filter in slowly. Nearing the end of their first song, more individuals were rapidly seeping into the swaying crowd to an uncomfortable capacity. Each song from the band triggered something slightly emotional inside, not strongly enough to know instinctively what that emotion was, but strong enough to keep an interest. Some songs were intricate and delicate, which brought a bit of a Smiths vibe to the band. A member of the audience, who referred to himself as the “Polish Salt Miner”, described such songs as being performed by “an emotionally neglected Morrissey”, and he was kind of right. Front man Christopher Mansfield had a bit of a beaten down stage presence during these songs, songs such as From Roses...
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Monday, July 26th 2010
Dispatches from Sasquatch: Volume 3
Wrap Up of Days 1 and 2: Regrets, Surprises, and Good Times
By Susie Nazzaro
 Sasquatch was fantastic. After two full days of sun, lying on the grass, looking out at the Columbia River at sunset, festival food, $8 Bud Lite, and dodging drunk young ones who were camping nearby, I can safely say that this festival exceeded my expectations all over the place. Some highlights, low points, new finds, and things I missed but wished I hadn’t:
The Good
The Gorge is an amazing place and I feel privileged that I got to spend an entire weekend there. The festival was excellently organized, save a glitch in communicating changes in the line-up from time to time. But overall, water and facilities were plentiful, the sound was good, and the place was well staffed and well managed.
Other articles have already sung the praises of the hip hop at this festival, but it bears repeating: Shabazz Palaces were excellent, if oddly matched with the mood and venue; Brother Ali and Public Enemy were awesome. Also well-documented elsewhere are the great performances of the Very Best and Vampire Weekend.....
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Friday, July 16th 2010
Dispatches from Sasquatch: Volume 2
Vampire Weekend, The Very Best, and White Kids who Play African Music
By Susie Nazzaro
The first time I heard Vampire Weekend, I was surprised that they sounded the way they did. I expect a band with a name like Vampire Weekend to have some dark, synthy thing going on. I certainly did not expect a group of boys who looked like they had just come back to Yale after a weekend on the Cape with their parents at the yacht club. And, even more, I didn’t expect those kids to pepper their indie dance songs with African-inspired guitar riffs. The first time I put on their record, I was very confused. I was also generally underwhelmed; they were pleasant enough, but they were completely lukewarm and I didn’t understand what all the fuss was about.
I was absolutely pleasantly surprised at their show at Sasquatch. They are very good for a festival atmosphere – easy on the ears and good to dance to. Their stage presence is charming without being overbearing or annoying, and Ezra Koenig’s vocal skill, leaving a note to exclaim in a quick yelp and then picking it up again without losing pitch, bending and playing with pitches without ever losing his place, is really fun to witness live. And of course, we danced. We danced in circles, we did little two-steps to the bright and plucky sounds of their guitars, we sang along and generally had a great time....
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Wednesday, July 14th 2010
She Wants Revenge Interview
By Veronica Salas
 How has it been touring with the Psychedelic Furs?
Justin: Awesome.
How has it been different from touring with other bands such as Placebo?
Justin: Placebo are, um, friends and even though they are not like our contemporaries they are like closer in age, like I met Brian and Stefan when they put out their first record and so we’ve been friends for a number of years. So… it’s different because it’s like touring with friends… even though they have 6 or 7 albums out and they are like a world wide band. Whereas, touring with these guys… we grew up listening to their records and they are heroes of ours. So it is very different.
Have you guys learned anything new?
Adam: I wouldn’t say we’ve learned anything new. I think every time we’ve toured its [been] a different experience and so, you know, I think you just learn new things watching different bands. You [may] see something you’ve never tried before, or something you don’t want to do… I don’t know. It’s just different with every band. I’m not sure exactly, specifically, what we have leaned this tour, but I know when it’s all said and done and we look back, we’ll probably look back and realize something that we have learned.
So, I heard you guys played some new songs tonight, and you guys have been playing new songs throughout the tour. What does the future hold for She Wants Revenge? Is there anything different that you guys would like to try? Anything new you guys are trying?
Justin: Ugh, I think we just want to put out a record. I think we just want to challenge ourselves to make the best record that we’ve ever made...
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Monday, July 12th 2010
Dispatches from Sasquatch: Volume 1
The Hip Hop Section: Shabazz Palaces, Brother Ali, and Public Enemy
By Susie Nazzaro
Shabazz Palaces opened Sasquatch – the first on the big stage that looks out into the hollow of the Columbia River Gorge. I suppose they were trying to draw the crowd to the first show of the first day, and given the amount of hype that Shabazz Palaces has received in Seattle, it made sense that they’d be a huge draw. What was so interesting about their place in the lineup was both the setting of the huge stage and the fact that Brother Ali, a traditional “Can somebody say Hell Yeah!” pump-up-the-crowd rapper immediately followed them, which had the unintended effect of throwing Shabazz Palaces into stark contrast with more traditional rappers and showcased exactly why they are so innovative and interesting.
Shabazz Palaces were pretty much flawless, blasting their bare and unrelenting hip hop from the lofty perch of the main stage. But it didn’t seem like anyone there really understood what they were seeing. The majority of the audience consisted of kids who were either just in from a long drive or had been camping the night before; Sasquatch, to them, is just a big party....
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Tuesday, June 28th 2010
She Wants Revenge at the Showbox Sodo
By Veronica Salas
 For starters, I would like to share that I am a huge She Wants Revenge fan and that the night of April 19, 2010 I was completely and continuously euphoric. Not only did I get to see an amazing band but I also got to interview the duo themselves, Adam Bravin and Justin Warfield.
Although I am young in years and I did not experience the British music movement called Post-Punk, and I did not live in the worlds of Darkwave and Alternative Dance in their prime, I can still safely say that She Wants Revenge really does the genres justice, more so than a lot of other bands during those time periods.
When I arrived at the venue I was so set on getting an interview with She Wants Revenge that I searched inside and around the venue to speak with someone who could hook me up. I even asked Tim Butler of the Psychedelic Furs, he responded by mumbling something and wandering back into his tour bus. After circling the venue once more I came across somebody who looked pretty official with an all access pass hanging from his pocket. I asked him and he told me to meet him by the buses after their set. So I went back inside and awaited She Wants Revenge to begin the show....
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Wednesday, June 23rd 2010
The Magnetic Fields Review From Town Hall
By Susie Nazzaro
 Seeing the Magnetic Fields at Town Hall is one my favorite Seattle experiences, one that is thoroughly enjoyable long before the Magnetic Fields take to the stage. Town Hall is one of the few venues that begins and ends shows at a civilized hour and has seats (seats!), which allows for a more diverse group in the way of generation. So you’ve got your usual in- or just-out-of-college 20-somethings, but those 20-somethings can get a glimpse into their future that I doubt is possible at Neumo’s or Chop Suey. They can see their own demographic in its 30s, heading to the show from scheduled dinners with their group of married friends, or in their 40s, leading their small children through the crowd and to their seats, or in their 60s, those older gracefully stylish couples, who you know have impeccably decorated living rooms and killer record collections, who hung out with Ornette Coleman in the 60s and whose college-age kids study creative writing at some New England liberal arts college. Going to Town Hall and looking around at the crowd that goes to see the Magnetic Fields is like getting to see one cohort at each of the stages of life, and it is a remarkably reassuring experience.
But really why we’re all gathered here is Stephen Merritt and the Magnetic Fields. When they took to the stage, the first of two sold out Seattle shows, it was obvious that they were already tired. There was an affect of boredom about the entire thing that, being the Magnetic Fields shtick, one comes to expect at their shows....
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Monday, June 21st 2010
CocoRosie @ Showbox Market Friday
By Dirty Sanchez
 I actually first heard CocoRosie off of a KEXP Music that Matters podcast. It happened to be that song “Lemonade” and it just struck me immediately. There was this Bjork quality to the voice and its mix of happiness and melancholy was just perfect. For real, I got right into that song for a minute. So I checked out CocoRosie and was even more amazed. These sisters have quite a back-story that goes something like this: They were born in the states and bounced around alot, I think they both dropped out of high school but it was obvious they were more art minded than anything. So one moved to Paris and the other eventually followed and while in Paris they formed CocoRosie (which is their childhood nicknames combined). The sisters are Bianca and Sierra, and they create some amazing music together.
.
These ladies are totally innovative and new. They create sounds using children’s toys, like imagine those toys that make noise just to make noise, and they use them instrumentally. It totally works. Sierra sings, she studied to be an opera singer while in Paris, and plays a multitude of instruments (including the harp) and Bianca, who also sings, plays the experimental instruments, such as the children’s toys (plus a plethora of other instruments)...
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Tuesday, June 8th 2010
Sasquatch! Sunday: The Crowd, Odds and Ends
By LB
 The Crowd: I could put up an entirely separate post on the elated delirium that everyone seemed to exude, but I’ll try to keep it short. Walking around, it was clear that most people were hella hammered and high, no doubt attributable to the surprisingly lenient security check upon entrance. I could’ve put a fifth of tequila in my belt and no one would’ve noticed. Other than that, the fact that it was just a really fucking great concert was reason enough to be lit. Feathers, neon warpaint and headbands (i.e. flagrant native culture appropriation) easily won the fashion theme of the weekend, along with superhero/animal costumes (the Green Man was popular). Blame Animal Collective and MGMT. And despite it being sold out, I never really felt suffocated or claustrophobic, as the Gorge is an incredibly huge venue. It did, as a friend pointed out, seem somewhat like a drunken Caucasian refugee free-for-all, as concert-goers paid little attention to normal codes of conduct. You know, other than being just super happy. Crowd surfing seemed to be the trick du jour, and THEY ALL SUCKED AT IT.
Martina Topley Bird: Background music for our beer stop near the Yeti Stage. Ego-less piano-driven jazz, soul, and dub. She’s famous for working with Massive Attack’s Tricky and being unflinchingly annoyed with the volume of Local Native’s concurrent set over at the Bigfoot Stage...
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Tuesday, May 25th 2010
Earth, Wolves in the Throne Room, April 23 at Neumo’s
By Susie Nazzaro
 I’m not sure how I feel about black metal. I tend not to let the actions of a couple of people influence how I feel about an entire genre, so those in Norway who have taken things way too far in the past and murdered, burned churches, and committed suicide, and as a result have become most of what is broadly known about the genre, aren’t the cause of my ambivalence. Primarily, I think it is that I find the genre absurdly earnest and simultaneously uncreative and formulaic. Sure, call me a pot calling a kettle names; you might say that the slow, doomy, blues-drenched, rolled-in-honey riffs of my favorite records are formulaic, and to a certain point I won’t disagree with you. Blues has a formula, and doom metal simply down tuned the blues and moved it slower. But there is no lack of creativity or growth out of the genre. Earth, who played this show, have taken doom and turned into a kind of dark Americana, a doom metal/country hybrid that is perfect for an America going through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Om has taken slow to an entire new slowness to an almost Zen-like chanting, while SunnO))) has experimented with rhythm and microtones to create surreal landscapes of dark and hollow ambient sound.
I don’t see that kind of creativity or innovation coming out of black metal, which seems to me to be same thing over and over and over no matter how you slice it and which band is playing it. There’ll be shrieking vocals and tremolo picking, creating a fog of high-pitched guitar that rarely moves and is more there to evoke a feeling than it is to move a melody forward. And it’s all just so earnest, you know? The genre has no sense of humor, no ability to reflect upon itself and see how silly it is. Maybe that’s why it doesn’t seem to grow at all, because it lacks critical self-reflection.
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Wednesday, May 19th 2010
Capitol Hill Block Party 3-Day Passes On Sale This Friday
By LB
 You might’ve noticed in recent days that the organizers of the Capitol Hill Block Party have added a third day. The urban event takes place in the Pike/Pine corridor July 23rd – 25th, 2010. Apparently (rumor), an additional day was petitioned for so as to accommodate the touring schedule of the Jack White/Alison Mosshart clusterfuck the Dead Weather. Enough signatures and emails were garnered in support of the festival’s expansion and the city approved. Can’t say I was totally on board with the additional day, but now that it’s a reality, I’ll go with it. Haven’t missed one CHBP yet, and I don’t think I’ll start now.
Plenty of folks seem to have slapped on their bitchin’ shoes, but I say if the price and un-block-partiness bother you, then skip it. There’s no dearth of music festivals these days. I will say that opening up ticket sales before any sort of lineup has been announced is quite lame....
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Monday, May 3rd 2010
Liars Live Review at Neumos in Seattle 2010
By Dirty Sanchez
 Dear Angus Andrew: I cannot get the sound of your voice out of my head… there is something majestic and almost addicting about how Andrew sings. It was in my head all Saturday night; my dreams were invaded by his long drawn out twang. I really dig it.
Saturday night I roll into Neumos to trumpets blazing, no really, Fol Chen was mid-song and I was pretty impressed by their ability to incorporate a trumpet. I rolled early in order to figure out the secrecy behind Fol Chen; however I left with more questions about this band than I came in with. Questions such as: Who made the matching outfits they wore? Was Melissa, the keyboardist, of Asian descent? (I really was baffled by this one, but then again, I have pretty bad eyesight). What was the hottie blonde one’s name, and was he wearing the same size shirt as the one who looked a lot like Jason Schwartzman? Actually that part was just adorable, every time he raised the trumpet to his mouth his shirt became an automatic belly shirt. Did they mean for some parallels to the Von Trap children to be drawn? The matching outfits and the way they used their voices instrumentally really gave me flashbacks of Julie Andrews conducting rounds of “Do Re Me…” to curtain clad children. And lastly, but most importantly, how long did it take them to get so good at backing up the 2/3 of the Liars?
Really though, I liked Fol Chen, they get a solid bueno in my book. What they lacked in stage presence they made up for in talent and style. They incorporated a lot of different sounds in their music and I was completely unable to generalize their music with just one genre. I like that. There were a few awkward acapella moments that made me a little uneasy, but other than that I really enjoyed this band. I enjoyed them even more when I saw how they made up for the lack of Aaron Hemphill...
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Tuesday, Apr. 27th 2010
The National’s New Album Is Muy Bueno
By Dirty Sanchez
 I want to give The New York Times a big high-five right about now, for streaming The National’s new album, High Violet, until April 27. The time is ticking on that one, I suggest anyone who is minorly interested in The National to race over and take a listen. So the album is out on May 10, and yea you could wait until then to hear it, but this is free… and man I love free.
I haven’t paid much attention to The National in prior years. I enjoyed The Boxer, and “Fake Empire” made it into my regular rotation (this refers to the shuffle that holds about 150 songs that is permanently attached to my ears). But this new album takes the cake, my attention was immediately caught from the start. The first few songs immediately evoked some thought and emotion, to hear Matt Berninger’s voice croon “I don’t want to get over you” on “Sorrow” gave me the chills. I mean c’mon, the guys voice is like butter, so smooth and goes good over anything.
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Wednesday, Apr. 21st 2010
RJD2’s Tour Wraps Up at Neumos
By Dirty Sanchez
 First off, I am really into RJD2. Well, I am really into RJD2’s self dubbed “moron music,” you know, mainly the goods that came out before The Third Hand.
I first got into him after he dropped 8 Million Stories in 2003 with Blueprint under the moniker Soul Position. A skinny, white guy from Columbus, Ohio producing the beats on this amazing hip hop album was a lot for me to wrap my head around; I was for sure immediately impressed. However, prior to Sunday, I was in the unfortunate position to never have the opportunity to see him live.
All expectations were up in the air prior to going into the show; I had given his latest album The Colossus a few listens but was not immediately impressed. It was definitely a step up from his funky, one man band situation in The Third Hand but I really enjoyed his Things Go Better With RJ and Al’s instrumentals, that was the RJD2 I was into, and my number one downfall is that I am not susceptible to change.
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Monday, Apr. 19th 2010
Pierced Arrows Live Performance Review
By Nik Christofferson
 It’s not often I find myself anywhere near Olympia, unless it involves taking in a show at the Funhouse with a frosty cold one in my hand. Even though our state’s capitol is a quick hour drive, I have always thought of it as just another pass-through city en route to Portland rather than any kind of hot spot or live music destination. This oblivious sentiment has quickly gone the way of the compact disc since venturing down south a couple Fridays ago to catch a killer show with my esteemed music scribe buddy Bob Ham.
The venue: Olympia’s historic Capitol Theater or more accurately the theater’s secondary venue-- The Backstage, impressed with its crappy/awesome DIY ambiance and a perfect potent aroma of mildewed hundred year old building, musty theater seats, and unshowered hippy. The entrance alone was impressively tattooed with years of band stickers and a full wall of past set lists; years upon years of shows all at a glance, making it easy to clog up the entrance with curiosity. Behind a curtain laid a descent sized room with a rather large makeshift stage complete with its own flashlight waving staircase bathroom attendant. Only complaint of the evening-- all-ages venue = no beer.
The show: a killer double bill featuring San Francisco’s black metal maestros Ludicra along with the unfettered and legendary NW garage rockers Fred and Toody Cole, also known as Pierced Arrows. With Pierced Arrows having played a Thursday night gig at the Funhouse and Ludicra scheduled for a very rare local turn at the Georgetown DIY venue The Morgue on Saturday, we were really killing two birds with one stone...
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Friday, Apr. 16th 2010
Record Store Day Is April 17th
By LB
 Hi y’all. The 4th Annual Record Store Day is this Saturday and if you value cool, independent music retailers and the musicians they support—like all responsible music fans should—I’d encourage you to make it out and purchase some product. Take in an in-store performance, even. From the website:
“This is the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and hundreds of artists in the United States and in various countries across the globe make special appearances and performances. Festivities include performances, cook-outs, body painting, meet & greets with artists, parades, djs spinning records and on and on.”
GLOBAL, yo. But, as we all know, Seattle has a veritable wealth of choice record stores, more so than most cities (feel lucky!) and they will be participating in full force...
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Wednesday, Apr. 14th 2010
Rogue Wave, Saturday @ Neumo’s
By Fobbs
 Before you go lauding MGMT for cornering their own brand of synthified indie pop, you should understand that Rogue Wave has been fingering the knobs since aught two. This Saturday, they’ll bring the show to Neumo’s in support of their latest release, Permalight.
I’m not too proud to admit that Pandora radio introduced me to this band. I’ve never seen them live but this band covers so much ground that I feel pretty confident recommending them. Just from what I’ve heard, I can anticipate a very diverse show full tasty pop sundries. Just about any music fan (save death metal loyalists) should be able to find something they can sink their teeth into. And just as you’re about to climax on a sound wall of pure synth ecstasy, I think they’ll help you come down with an apt serving of acoustic guitars and shakers.
SUGAR WARNING: This music contains syrupy-sweet melodies that once have found a home on such programs as Friday Night Lights, the OC, Scrubs, and One Tree Hill....
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Thursday, Apr. 8th 2010
The Ruby Suns, Toro Y Moi, U.S.F. Will Play Together Later This Week
By LB
 There’s actually a concert this weekend that I’m more excited about, but this one happens on Thursday, so it comes first. 10 dolla at Chop Suey.
I kind of ignored the first Sub Pop record (Sea Lion) from the Ruby Suns a few years back. It just seemed too sprightly and cartoonish to me. Too much over-the-top world-beat from a white guy (which was the intention, actually). I tend to be skeptical of such musical indulgences so, naturally, I took a pass. As the universe would have it, I’m unable to ignore Fight Softly, the third overall LP from the electro-trop-entranced globetrotter/daydreamer Ryan McPhun. Plus, dude’s from New Zealand, a land held special in my heart for personal reasons.
Fight Softly is a different record than Sea Lion, though, focusing more on elastic synths, positively persistent percussion, a sky-creeping swirl of digital headspins and McPhun’s R&B-style falsetto. I know those descriptors may not distinguish the two records in the minds of some of you, but he’s essentially taken his organic formula and spun it synthetic (it reminds me of a busier, more ambitious Family or a caffeinated, wider-eyed Person Pitch). I don’t know what the live show will entail, exactly, but I expect obtuse projected visuals, a card table full of indecipherable gear and sublime beats built for either boogie or headtrip. And drumsticks, lots of drumsticks....
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Monday, Apr. 5th 2010
Cock & Swan’s (un)Recognition Album Review
By LB
 Maybe I haven’t been paying attention (which…c’mon), but there seems to be a dearth of good bedroom electronica here in the ol’ Puget Sound region. Am I wrong? I suppose there’s the current curl of the semi-experimental chillwavers, spearheaded locally by the likes of U.S.F., Alaskas, and Big Spider’s Back. But to me, that aesthetic represents a more freak-folkish/glo-fi means to a parallel end (think Strawberry Jam or Psychic Chasms). Cock & Swan, whose avian name—I’ll admit—excites me, just might have something unique and worth recognition on their new record Unrecognize.
Granted, there are bands I’m reminded of upon first and second listens: Portishead, the Notwist, Neulander, Broadcast. Hell, even “Sunset Burns” has a stuttered, 8-bit Truckasauras quality to it. (FWIW, the band likens themselves to Boards of Canada and Mum). But as with every quality outfit, Cock & Swan mostly just sound like themselves. Johnny Goss and Ola Hungerford are the sidekicks behind the sounds and the two make fine use of soporific, squiggly synths, blurry and beguiling vocals, lonely guitar pluckings, patchwork electro touches, and the omnipresent ghostly undercurrent. Also, it’s a bit witchy. In sound, mostly; take a closer look at Hungerford’s winsome poems and they’re really not so spooky....
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Friday, Apr. 2nd 2010
MC5 - Kick Out the Jams (Elektra 1969)
By Matt Abramson
 Detroit is a hell of a rock and blues city. It's totally fitting that the only city in the world to be so degenerate and shitty that there are 20th century ruins would fuel gritty, attitude-heavy music. Fuckin' Ted Nugent was from fuckin' Detroit, and that alone is enough to stop a lot of pussy naysayers in their tracks. The kings of Detroit, however, will always be The Motor City Five - or MC5 as they are widely known. MC5 were so fuckin' loud and gnarly that a recording studio could not hold them and Elektra was forced to record their debut album 'Kick Out the Jams' live. Well, I made up that other part. It was recorded live though, and when you spin the shit you will see why.
It's funny to think of a lot of the shit that rock music has done to rattle the conservative masses. Elvis shakes his ass on television and it caused chaos. People smashed Beatles records because John Lennon compared them to Jesus. Rock continued to push on the establishment into the late 1960's, even though at that time all it took to be revolutionary was smoking pot and growing your hair long MC5 were known for frequent anti-government tirades and strong ties to the White Panther party...
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Wednesday, Mar. 31st 2010
Get Some White Rainbow For Free
By LB
 Anyone else out there a fan of White Rainbow? You gotta be into dense and languid instrumental head-trippers if so. White Rainbow is the stage name of Portland’s Adam Forkner and I ran across his output awhile back perusing the shitty website of the excellent Chicago label Kranky. His pensive and eccentric digi-scapes are akin to early Animal Collective freakishness or Atlas Sound’s taped-up atmospheric sonic patchings (which, as it turns out, are the two primary reasons I latched on). His oddball expositions are strictly off the beaten (Paw) track and I find them intriguingly soothing, to say the least. Song structure is a seldom-used facet for Forkner, unless of course you define structure as anti-structure, in which case we’d have to exchange bong rips to continue this conversation off line. Either way, if you need to shake up the mundane nature of your one-dimensional iPod, I’d suggest delving into some White Rainbow.
And guess what? Forkner’s such a gentleman that he’s cool with a website that’s offered up all five discs of his out-of-print album White Rainbow Box to download for free....
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Monday, Mar. 29th 2010
PersonL @ El Corazón
By dpphoto
 I’m getting to old for this shit. That is going to all ages shows. Other than being one of the “older” people in the room (and seemingly the only big PersonL fan) I sure hadn’t heard of any of the other openers for the night. Not that the opening acts were any good – nor was the headliner for that matter.
The night opened with Deas Vail. A Band that seemed to be a combo of sad rock and piano ballads. If you were a 13-17 year old girl I think you would love this band. They were followed by PersonL (more on their set in a sec) Next up was the unfortunately named “I can make a mess like nobody’s business”. Mostly playing sad Acoustic songs with vocals that were being echoed for no good reason. The headliner was Copeland… I didn’t stay for them. I did However pay the 17$ admission fee for one amazing 3-min set from PersonL...
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Thursday, Mar. 25th 2010
Book of Black Earth live Show Review
By Nik Christofferson
 Prior to the 2010 edition of the SXSX music festival which went down last week, Seattle death and roll titans Book of Black Earth threw a little send off party at Neumos. Joining them on the 5 band bill was a flurry of local talent that included Salo, Heiress, Samothrace, and Snuggle. (The Helm had to cancel)
Up and coming death metal act Salo, laid a thick coat of hedonistic primer on the evening with dueling vocalists, and malevolent death riffs. Rat-tailed screamer Daniel Stokes made the crowd his bitch by leaping to the floor more than once in a primal rage. His attempt at igniting the early arrivals was met with mixed results but certainly not disdain.
Heiress became the most current local act to have their stock rise sky high on account of Neumos exemplary sound system. A band that has impressed in many venues around town, sounded nothing short of huge on the Neumos stage. The band conjured something mighty and John Pettibone’s revered gut wretch was certainly strong, but one can’t wonder what Heiress may up their sleeve while continuing to fill lower billing positions and seemingly using the gigs to have band practice in front of a live audience.
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Tuesday, Mar. 23rd 2010
For Those About to Rock, Hells Belles March 27th at Neumos
By C-leb
 I’m a HUGE AC/DC fan, have been every since I was a kid and saw “Its a Long Way to the Top” video. The Australian band played a huge part in how rock music could be delivered like a hot steak at a strip club and still does. And crazy enough if you haven’t seen the local tribute band Hells Belles knock you down and take your lunch money you absolutely need to. The group hasn’t played a local show since last year and like roller-derby with guitars their getting ready to rough up Neumos to an already sold-out crowd.
These girls absolutely kill it, and it seems thier feminine bad-ass only delivers a new level of respect from the audience that a male-driven group would get washed up on. Running a three month tour around the NW and western states the Belle’s fans are dying to get more of the what the dynamic quintet can deliver. 99.9 KISW has partnered with Neumos to deliver the night along with Black Houses and Vultures 2010....
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Wednesday, Mar. 17th 2010
Seeing The Lights
By LB
 It took over a decade, but the Lights have finally crafted their finest, most purposeful album yet. I loved the Suge Knight Sweetheart EP, was luke warm (unlike most) on Diamonds and Dirt, and haven’t yet been able to yank Failed Graves out of my stereo. Ok, so maybe that doesn’t comprise their entire discography, but for my purpose here today, it’ll suffice. Missoula’s DIY label—and Total Fest curator—Wäntage USA will have the album in stores April 26, but I was lucky enough to snag a copy after the trio’s fantastic show at the Funhouse a few weeks back. Watching the Lights willfully stagger on stage is more satisfying than digesting a record, but with Failed Graves, we finally get to see what the sloppy garage-punk band with the sinister rhythm section is really capable of.
This album is undoubtedly ramshackle, mostly due to Craig Chambers’ charming disregard for rock guitar “conventions” and PJ Rogalski’s adaptable drum skills. But bassist Jeff Albertson does a masterful job corralling it all together with some gritty and terrifically threatening undertones, particularly during combustible tracks “Deathless Distances” and “The Fixer”. I get the feeling that if a slipshod, wild-eyed posse of frontiersmen devised a sound rooted in late 70s punk and its early 80s aftermath, it might sound something like this. Loud, lonely, dirty and determined. Shards of guitar crash and splatter with unhinged abandon. Suddenly, the band’s Eastern Washington/Idaho roots make sense....
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Monday, Mar. 15th 2010
The Fierce and the Dead, Gas, Bass, Traffic
By davemusic
 First thing I noticed this morning when leaving Camano Island to head back Seattle way was that I was low on gas. Damn. There between the odometer and the speedometer, the gas light was on. That wasn’t good. I had a 10:00 meeting with a client down in Redmond, and it was already 8:45. I’d wanted to take a leisurly drive south and listen to the 19 minute experimental opus from the English band The Fierce and The Dead and gather my thoughts about it in order to pen them here. Instead, I’d be fighting time, pushing the gas pedal, checking the rearview for cops. If the music was good, it would distract me from all that. Good music can distract from anything. It demands focus. That’s why I don’t listen to music while programming because I’ll do just that. I’ll listen. And then of course I’ll pick up the guitar or the bass and play along while thinking, “Work? What work?” I popped the CD in and drove on out planning to make a quick stop for gas before I got to the highway.
A vibrating guitar note came in as I sped down a back road toward the Shell station. Then there was a bass playing E notes, octaves, low-low-high, bum bum buuuum, bum bum buuuum. I drove faster. I would be cutting it too close given the hour drive in good traffic. If rush hour didn’t cooperate I could end up with one less client. Given that I’ve just struck out on my own in private web development, losing a client would not be a good thing. I know, I know, then why the hell was I leaving so late? Set the alarm, get up early, and get a move on, right? Well, I’d been up late working on the new mix for my own band and answering an email from a certain woman, both very necessary things no matter the hour or the obligations of the following morning. I finished the email just before 2:00 A.M., re-read it, and sent it on its way. I then went to bed thinking about that woman, amazed at how the smile of another person can be permanently lodged there just behind the eyes. By 2:30 I was asleep, and preoccupied as I had been with that smile, the alarm/cellphone right there next to the bed was not set....
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Friday, Mar. 12th 2010
BRMC @ the Showbox MKT
By LB
 I went down to the Showbox last Friday (3/5) with a couple friends to check out Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. The San Francisco band is touring on the heels of their sixth LP, Beat the Devil’s Tattoo, which hits shelves tomorrow. The show was sold out. I’ve been a big fan of BRMC for a long time now—since their first record—and this performance did nothing to change that. I’ll admit that the band is less revelatory to me now than in my younger years but Robert Been and Peter Hayes are nothing if not excellent musicians and songwriters. Critics have long derided their lack of ingenuity—save for Howl, I suppose—but to them I scoff. Their heavy-loaded garage-gaze oscillates among the mysterious, the rebellious, the boot-stompin’, and the stirring. I get thrills watching/listening to them play their instruments every time. Not to be outdone, Been and Hayes played each non-new song with noticeable changes and embellishments that made for little rediscoveries throughout the night. The guys were willing to let the songs linger, too, busting out a few divergent guitar tangents here and there.
One interesting aspect is the addition of new drummer Leah Shapiro (you might recall she toured with the Raveonettes in 2008 for the Lust Lust Lust album). I’d give her an ‘A’ for her skills, especially given how deep the band delved into their back catalog, but she differed from Nick Jago in content. Where Jago was more apt to take an alternate route, Shapiro seemed to keep time in a more straightforward manner. The band pumped out a cool 24 songs (by my count), leaning heavily on Tattoo and B.R.M.C. Songs from Baby 81 included “Berlin”, “Weapon of Choice” and “666 Conducer”. From Howl, “Ain’t No Easy Way”, “Sympathetic Noose” and “Shuffle Your Feet” were also played....
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Monday Mar. 8th 2010
Balkan Beat Box beckons March 17 @ Neumos
By Tom.Blodgett
 The uber-eclectic world band, Balkan Beat Box, has a new album out later this month, Blue Eyed Black Boy; and for those who can’t wait, or have been waiting patiently since 2007, you can experience the new material live March 17th at the Showbox.
Few modern acts are as undefinable, moving, and in constant transformation as Balkan Beat Box (Beirut and Beck also come to mind). Their music is a fusion of traditional Jewish, Gypsy, Arabic, and Balkan music with modern hip hop beats, dub, and electronics. The globally acclaimed first album, self titled (2005) featured Mediterranean influences; and the second album, Nu Med (2007), changed it up with Arabic and Spanish influences. By creating harmony, seamlessly combining the music of different regions, they hope to raise political awareness; promoting peace, unity, and the elimination of political borders...
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Thursday, Mar. 4th 2010
SXSW, That Great Gig in the Sky, Monster Grand, Visqueen at Neumos
By DaveMusic
 I suppose in these parts we all know what SXSW is, the revered and glorious musiclal festival down Texas way, down in Austin where no bands of mine have ever played, though I did go to a wedding there once. No worries on not ever playing there though. I don’t think any bands of mine have ever even applied to SXSW. Perhaps we’ve been lazy. I suppose it’s like what they say about the lotto, can’t win if you don’t play, or rather can’t play if you don’t fill out said application with said application fee. And well, it seems a few of the local musical groups have done just that. And they won! I’m envious. As much as I like recording and studio work, live is the thing, live is where we strike the chords that set nights on fire.
I heard Pink Floyd on the radio today, Money, not their best tune, but thinking as I was about SXSW and playing live I was reminded of another Pink Floyd tune, That Great Gig in the Sky. An old band of mine in Ohio played that at a few gigs. The keyboard player, Stephanie, suggested it during a soundcheck one night before a gig at The South Heidelberg (RIP) so we gave it a shot. It was an instrumental version as neither Stephanie nor our other singer/drummer, Frank, had any chance of hitting those beautiful notes Clare Torry did in the recording....
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