Update Pictures: Inside the Crocodile, dust flies. People drill. Nails are all over the place. It's been blown up. People work in secrecy. Statements are soon. But the Croc will reopen. Renovation is happening. Jim Anderson is consulting the redesign. Jim will return. The room will be back. No word on whether the post will stay.

This is not official. No statement has been made. However, the liquor license for the Crocodile Cafe has been applied for, and that’s a fact.

An unnamed source said something to the approximation of, “The Croc has been sold and will reopen as a music venue sometime in December. Jim Anderson will be the club's sound engineer. A full schedule will be up and running by January.”

The walls to the club are papered, but there is activity inside. Jim Anderson was spotted moving and loading sound equipment into and out of the club, with the secrecy of a Ninja.

Details coming soon.

When the Crocodile Café abruptly closed down in December, the news left a lot of local musicians and fans wondering what would happen to the music community. Some expected it to be a devastating blow, others speculated nothing would change. The debate resulted in hundreds of comments on Line Out (which can be read here and here).

As announced earlier today, the club will re-open by the end of the year. Great news, but the music community has been just fine without the Crocodile Café.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved that club, and I miss that club. Over the years, I probably saw more shows there than any other venue. But while its presence was missed, I don’t think its absence was damaging.

The Crocodile was a great, local-musician-friendly venue. Smaller or less-experienced bands often had a shot at getting a weeknight show at the Crocodile, which is more difficult at a venue like Neumos or the Showbox where bigger rooms demand bands with bigger draws. It was an important part of the music scene (more proof here). But it really was the booking and the people that made the Crocodile great, and those folks are sill a part of the scene.

Former Crocodile booker Pete Greenburg now works at Chop Suey along with the Croc's former assistant booker Eli Anderson. And they're still focusing on working with local bands (this month alone there are shows with Strong Killings, Razrez, Husbands Love Your Wives, Champagne Champagne, Mad Rad, Grand Hallway, Elder Mason, and on and on). Just as it did when the Paradox, Atlas, RKCNDY, I-Spy, and countless others closed their doors, the Seattle music community recovered from the loss of the Crocodile. Local bands still booked shows, music fans still went to those shows--business went on as usual.

So while I'm glad the space will re-open (and am very excited to see what they do with it), I'm not convinced it'll change much.

Even with the new Croc, I'll still miss the old Croc.

Really? Reeeally?: Alice In Chains prepare new album

Father figure: 50 Cent gets visitation rights with son

I heart Heart: Wilson sisters not down with Palin

SST, DGC, etc.: Sonic Youth sign to Matador

Metal church: Colombian church caters to heavy metal crowd

Maybe I have to give Thursday another chance: Singer Geoff Rickley drops some knowledge

Gotta love the British music press pt. 1: Unsurprising study matching personality traits to musical preferences

Gotta love the British music press pt. 2: Henry Rollins and Charles Manson were pen pals

Cuz everyone else is blogging about it: Concert attendee bum rushes Noel Gallagher

You’re not punk, and I’m telling everyone: Singer of Leftover Crack arrested

iJerk: iPod-powered vibrator

Blow job queen at the Peach Pit: Liz Phair teams up with new 90210

KISS mistakes pt. 1: Gene Simmons sued for fraud and slander

KISS mistakes pt. 2: Ketchup?

Running strong after 20+ years: New Napalm Death album

Not quite There Will Be Blood: Slash to score Mexican film

Sorry, Lars: New Metallica leaks

Fingers crossed for Neutral Milk Hotel: Elephant 6 announces collective tour

Pigs pt. 1: Fuck Yeah Fest founders vs. Hollywood Bowl security

Pigs pt. 2: Rage Against The Machine vs. the RNC

The bitch is back: Lily Allen and Elton John feud in public

Los Crudos reunion!: Latino Fest announces line-up

Best thing I’ve read in the last week: Speaking bluntly on downloading

Two lips and one tongue: Original artwork for Rolling Stones sold to London museum

RIP: Adam Nodelman of Crash Worship and Sunburned Hand of the Man

Trouble with member #11: Dillinger Escape Plan isn’t breaking up…yet

Update on the death of the record industry: iTunes vs. full albums

Better than doing another Victoria’s Secret ad: Bob Dylan releases his own line of harmonicas

Melvins, Mastodon, Torche: ATP ‘s Nightmare Before Christmas announces line-up

Velvet Underground, The Replacements, Green Day: Glen Campbell records cover album

Clap Your Hands Say Yawn: Black Kids might be over

Keepin’ it real: Cuban punk charged with “social dangerousness”

Lofty endeavors: Rufus Wainwright experiences opera obstacles

Just be glad any even cares anymore: Blogger arrested for leaking new Guns N Roses album

More Led Zep reunion rumors: Jason Bonham, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones working on material

Hard times on Death Row: Suge Knight arrested for assault and possession

RIP: The Replacements’ Steve Foley passes

Oregon stoner metal fans rejoice!: YOB reunites

Wasn’t the broken glass: Iggy Pop injured onstage

The year punk broke: Sonic Youth return to the indie world

President of Nigeria: R Kelly named in fraud case

Don’t pull people from the voting booths, assholes: New Fall Out Boy album drops on Election Day

Nausea-inducing: Denny’s starts their rock band menu

50% awesome: New band features members of Thursday, Made Out Of Babies, Converge, and Glassjaw

Oz bans the Dogg: Australian officials don’t want Snoop in their country

Dumb ass Yank: Daddy Yankee backs McCain

Let’s not forget that she lost the popular vote: Jennifer Hudson to sing National Anthem at DNC

RIP: Dr. Dre’s son found dead

Time to refill your Prozac subscription: New Antony and the Johnsons EP!

History lesson: Final Warning reunion!

Since it's more news-worthy than it is music, you have to go to Slog to see the Blue Scholars report back from the Denver, where they're performing during the Democratic National Convention.

And excerpt of their first installment:

Benjamin, a kind young fellow organizing with the Recreate 68 folks, drops us off at Lincoln Avenue facing the Capitol. He's running off the fumes of a two-hour sleep, which makes three of us. Atop the building's steps, dead prez breaks into their first song, a remix over that Black Rob joint ("War" instead of "Whoa"). 1,500 people look on.

Ward Churchill and Kathleen Cleaver are chillin' in the shade on the building's left side. When I meet Ward, he asks if John is with us. John who, I ask? He says John Sinclair, as in John Sinclair and his Blues Scholars, a jazz outfit fronted by the former MC-5 manager and ex-Chairman of the White Panther Party. A cutie from Out The Box TV interviews Ward, ending the segment by looking into the camera and yelling "DNC, bitch!" Ward glances over, confounded.

RIP: Goodbye, Jerry Finn

Near RIP: Barenaked Ladies’ singer survives plane crash

Da baddest bitch, you gotta ‘mit dat: Da Brat goes to prison

Old farts pt. 1: Madonna sticks it to McCain

I’d love to see this incorporated to their Bumbershoot set: Weakerthans’ singer collaborates with Inuit throat singer

Old farts pt. 2: …And Justice For All turns twenty today

The Rendezvous Jewel Box Theater has always been a bit of an anomaly among Seattle’s live music venues. Perhaps owing to its size, or perhaps its long-running emphasis on other realms of performance art, it’s a bit off the radar. Few national touring acts grace its stage. Their shows are less frequent than most other local venues. It’s quite a shame actually. In a city with a fair number of venues occupying the 200-700 capacity range, we could sure use a smaller active showspace. Yet the Rendezvous’ live music calendar is generally light, and typically geared towards the avant-garde and the obscure.

This is likely to change. Some of the Rendezvous’ most notable shows of the past several years have been hosted by Ladies Choice Presents. The production company’s head honcho, Adam Bass, is no stranger to this site. And no stranger to Seattle’s local underground noise/metal/experimental scene. So it’s exciting to learn that Adam was recently hired as the booker at the Rendezvous. While the theater still focuses on filling up its event calendar by renting out the space to outside promoters, Adam’s hire suggests that their programming emphasis may be shifting towards more live music.

I hope this personnel change draws a little more attention to the Rendezvous. In many ways, it’s the ideal venue for smaller shows. It feels full with 25 people in attendance; the audience has the option to sit or stand; the shows recoup rather easily; and the separation between the bar and the actual venue allows the regulars to get their drink on without having to pay the cover. With a fresh and savvy booker at the helm, I expect a bright future for the Rendezvous.

20th Century pioneer: Brian Wilson reveals track listing for new album

21st Century pioneer: Squarepusher reveals new album

No one gets out of here alive: The Doors settle lawsuit

Guaranteed to resent his parents: Gwen Stefani names her new son

Karma: Dead Kennedys announce hiatus

Japan vs. Jersey: Thursday and Envy announce split LP

Sugar rush: New Coldplay album in the works

Catering to the collector nerds: The Decemberists announce new vinyl

Free music is bad: Varying verdicts on the penalties of piracy

Free music is good: Sheryl Crow gives free music to new voters

Harmful to children pt. 1: Gary Glitter’s international journey

Harmful to children pt. 2: Teenage killer inspired by Slipknot?

Never thought I’d read that headline: Ricky Martin fathers twins

Internet vs. the music biz pt. 1: Warner consultant proposes blanket license for digital music

Internet vs. the music biz pt. 2: Bradford Cox fucked up

Asshole alert: Lennon’s murderer speaks

More tempting than SXSW: Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Fest

Couldn’t they get Kerry King in a jockstrap? For me?: Metal Dudes offers first metal male modeling site

Neil Young: "Hey hey, my my, vinyl records will never die"

How many times have we read this story (the latest version appears in the LA Times as “Vinyl Records Make a Return”; off day at the headline-writing desk) in the last few years? Many, my friends, many. And yet I can’t get enough of it, I never fail to get all tingly and misty-eyed, no matter how often the tale’s spun.

Pronounced dead in the 1980s by the record moguls who made their fortunes with it in order to usher in the era of COMPACT DISCS! PERFECT SOUND FOREVER!, vinyl keeps on returning to favor among young music freaks while analog-forever advocates who never gave up on the format continue to keep eBay hoppin' and used-record shops solvent. In an ironic/schadenfreude-y twist in the vinyl saga, even corporate behemoths like Capitol/EMI are jumping on the groovy bandwagon. Coming soon to a YouTube near you: vinyl rekkids dancing on CDs’ graves.

From Melinda Newman’s LAT story:

"I have family friends whose 10-year-olds are asking for turntables," said Tom "Grover" Biery, Warner Bros. Records' executive vice president of promotion and the Burbank-based label's vinyl guru…

Biery's light bulb moment came three years ago when Neil Young came to Warner Bros. to play his greatest hits album for the staff. "At the end of it," Biery recalled, "he did a whole speech about how sound matters and someone needs to stand up for sound."

How novel: a record label caring about sound.

Okay, who’s going to pony up $60 for Geffen’s 10-year-anniversary, 180-gram vinyl reissue of Beck’s Odelay?

So good: New Destiny’s Child album?

Passing the torch: Neil Young touring with Wilco and Death Cab

RIAA killed the web radio star pt. 1: No more Pandora

RIAA killed the web radio start pt. 2: Muxtape gets shut down

Fat Mike gets political: NOFX play Punk In Drublic at DNC

RIP pt. 1: Rhythm & Blues creator dies at 91

Boner repellant: Malaysian Muslims deem Avril Lavigne too sexy

In case you missed it the first time: Radiohead and Coldplay vinyl reissues delayed

Hoping both file for bankruptcy: 30 Seconds To Mars sued by record label

Back from the grave: Rocket From The Crypt releases rarities

RIP pt. 2: Ronnie Drew of The Dubliners passes at age 73

New Earache Records signing Oceano recently had several photographs deleted from their MySpace page for being "too violent." You can view five of those controversial pics here. (You can view one of those scandalous shots after the cut.)

The holocaustic-metal Chicago quintet—self-described as “the angriest band on the planet,” and only a fool would argue with them—are not scheduled to play Seattle in the foreseeable future.

Continue reading "Band Photos Too Graphic for MySpace" »

The Stranger's own Megan Seling, long-time local all-ages booster, podcaster extraordinaire, and regular guest on the End's local music show, the Young and the Restless, will be taking over said show in a matter of weeks. Rationalizing about how this job totally won't make her a soulless corporate shill, Seling says, "I don't have to play Paramore! In fact, I can't play Paramore, since they're not local—it's against the rules."

Congratulations, Megan.

High five, Jack!: Jackson Browne sues McCain for unapproved use of his song in anti-Obama ad

They subsidize your nightclubs and they subsidize your malls: Holy Fuck to blame for cuts in Canadian arts funding?

This can’t possibly be a good thing: Wes Borland joins Marilyn Manson

The Jello Biafra hex strikes again: Klaus Flouride leaves Dead Kennedys

NYC makes me claustrophobic: CMJ announces first batch of performers

The secret is out: Helms Alee’s record release show. Tomorrow!

Fight the power: Rage Against The Machine announce free shows

Touch my body: Gary Glitter deported to UK

Not as good as an indefinite hiatus: My Chemical Romance take a little time off

Not Method, Skulls, or Castles: Crystal Antlers sign to Touch&Go

Asshole alert: Korn singer claims to be the last bastion of talent

Please find another band to talk about: Indie blogs stoop to new low in completely pointless Radiohead news update

Hopefully starring John Travolta: MTV to remake Rocky Horror Picture Show

Move over, Daniel Johnston: Britney announces new record

Major label refugees: Secret Machines announce new record

Who?: You Me and Everyone We Know’s van catches on fire

The man who brought you Green Day, Rancid, Blink 182, Jawbreaker: Producer Jerry Finn taken off life-support

The man who brought you Napalm Death, Godflesh, Jesu: Justin Broadrick releases a bunch of new stuff

One of the guys from Anathallo (a favorite of mine) has teamed up with a dude from the Format to start a band called Fun.

You can hear them via MySpace: www.myspace.com/fun.

Fan tossing: Akon skips court appearance for concert assault

I withdraw any negative comments I ever made about this guy: Dan Deacon announces conceptual tour

Stupid vs. stupid: Judge rules that RIAA’s damages are too high

To be 17 forever: Paramore plan next record

Decreasing expectations: More info on Metallica’s new album

Micha!: Integrity on Vice TV

Just buy vinyl instead: New mp3 store operates on the In Rainbows model

Thanks, Fleet Foxes: J. Tillman’s albums get released digitally

The greatest and the not so greatest: Jay Z announces new album; disses Noel Gallagher

Calvin Johnson would make a hot contestant: Mirah’s album sales boosted by reality show

Jubilee: New side project features members of NIN, QOTSA, and Tool

The Notorious K.I.M.: Dead body found at Lil Kim party

A Seattle institution: Damien Jurado announces new album and tour

Positive body images: Beth Ditto naked

More moping: New Morrissey album postponed

Wish I was Dutch: Neurosis host Beyond The Pale festival in Holland

Thin the herd: At All Costs break up

Broken blood pacts: Past Lives sign with Suicide Squeeze

Target Avenged Sevenfold next time: The Stooges’ gear stolen

Music nerds rejoice: Eno and Byrne offer free single

Suicidal tendencies: Study suggests teens’ music choices reflect psychological state

Fish in a barrel: Cops find weed on Snoop’s bus

Your fifteen minutes are up: Wolfmother rumored to split

Originally posted on Slog by Jonah:

Nine months after the Crocodile Cafe’s unexpected closure, it appears the venue may have a new owner.

Marcus Charles—current owner of the Juju Lounge, and formerly involved with Neumos and Spitfire, among other venues—has applied for a new liquor license for the Crocodile Cafe, which closed in December.

More coming.

Smoked out: Alicia Keys gives tobacco sponsors the boot

Then the cops showed up: Sean Combs’ party ends in gunfire

Radio radio: Second batch of John Peel memoirs to be published

Pay to play: Say Anything offers customized songs for a fee

Something to believe in: C. C. DeVille finds Jesus

Farewell note to this city: Converge update

Good news everybody! NME has decided that American music is worth paying attention to again, and has listed the 25 bands responsible for the paradigm shift. Here's what the magazine's New Bands Editor had to this to say about the American musical insurgence:

"Right now I can barely go a day without coming across a new genius band from the States. While the art scene of Brooklyn or the punks of LA are keeping the underground fascinating, the ceaseless ambitions of Lil Wayne and the Kings Of Leon are making the Chili Pepper and Fiddy Cent clichés of the mainstream redundant. If only it wasn't so bloody hard to get a green card!"

The list:

01 Vampire Weekend
02 Lil Wayne
03 Glass Candy
04 Kings Of Leon
05 MGMT
06 Spank Rock
07 TV On The Radio
08 Boy Crisis
09 Black Kids
10 Holy Ghost Revival
11 The Hold Steady
12 Fleet Foxes
13 Amazing Baby
14 Jay Reatard
15 HEALTH
16 The Cool Kids
17 Black Lips
18 Yo Majesty
19 White Denim
20 Telepathe
21 Iglu and Hartly
22 Chester French
23 Girl Talk
24 TheDeathSet
25 Grace Jones

Great job NME, you must have stumbled across a little known music website called "Pitchfork." It seems a little odd that the editor would mention the LA punk scene and then not include any actual punk bands from LA (HEALTH is not punk). Fleet Foxes are the obvious Northwest choice, but it was a strange surprise to see former Seattle based rockers Holy Ghost Revival on the list, and in the top ten no less. The fact that British people like their band so much makes a little more sense of their relocation to London. I hate seeing Weezy come in second place as "Ambassador of American Cool" to a bunch of boat shoe-wearing Ivy League bluebloods. You can call Wayne the coolest motherfucker in America all you want, he's earned it, but saying he's the second coolest behind some Andrew McCarthy lookin' fratties is just plain wrong, and for some reason feels vaguely racist, even if it's probably not.

Close to The Edge: Petition to retire Bono

Yesterday’s indie hype band: Be Your Own Pet are over

Ones and zeros: Amazon creeps up on iTunes

Tiffany 2.0: Mariah Carey plays concert in mall

What more do you want from me?: Coalesce announce new album

From bad to worse: New Velvet Revolver vocalist

The Ludacris freestyle "Politics as Usual" from the new DJ Drama mixtape Gangsta Grills is a ringing endorsement for Barack Obama, but Big O isn't having anything to do with lyrics like, "Paint the White House black and I'm sure that's got 'em terrified / McCain don't belong in ANY chair unless he's paralyzed," or "Yeah I said it cause Bush is mentally handicapped / Ball up all of his speeches and I throw em like candy wrap / Cause what you talking I hear nothing even relevant / And you the worst of all 43 presidents." Even though Luda is only spitting truth, and we all know Barack knows it, it's pretty much guaranteed these raps are going to be held against him by the right wing, so Barack's gotta denounce them:

"This song is not only outrageously offensive to Sen. Clinton, Rev. Jackson, Sen. McCain and President Bush, it is offensive to all of us who are trying to raise our children with the values we hold dear. While Ludacris is a talented individual he should be ashamed of these lyrics."

Full lyrics after the jump.

Continue reading "Barack Won't Officially Support Ludacris Calling Bush a Retard" »

Available exclusively ant WalMart: AC/DC schedule world tour for new album

Available exclusively at Hot Topic: Finch announces self-released album

Collaborations pt. 1: Alicia Keys and Jack White team up for James Bond theme

Collaborations pt. 2: Eno and Byrne team up for another record

Getting’ paid by the tear: Silver Jews announce DVD; video contest

Good deeds: New Walkmen album’s online sales go to fighting cancer

Apparently, she had a bad reaction to medication.

Check out the reports from this weekend's Pemberton Festival in Whistler, BC.

CBC:

Complaints about ever-present dust, overflowing toilets, chaotic parking lots and lax security were as pervasive as talk about the music on Sunday, the third and final day of British Columbia’s inaugural Pemberton Festival.

From the very start, Canada’s largest outdoor summer concert in recent memory has not been without its birthing pains.

On Friday, more than 40,000 fans made the bumper-to-bumper trek up B.C.‘s Sea-to-Sky Highway for the three-day rock music extravaganza. By Friday afternoon, the highway approaching the village of Pemberton was backed up, and fans were greeted with lineups, confusion and dust kicked up by crowds in the farmer’s field that has been converted into the festival site.

“Getting here from Whistler was a nightmare,” Adelle Papp told CBC News. “Then we paid $90 for parking, and we just stumbled on it. There was no one directing traffic, nothing.”

The confusion and dust continued into Saturday and Sunday. Organizers have had their hands full directing the 20,000 people who are camping in the fields surrounding the concert site. And fans have been resorting to covering their faces with scarves so as not to inhale the dust.

Although organizers promised tight security measures that would keep alcohol, weapons and drugs out of the camping area, festival-goers said security was lax.

“Security was giving up,” Chris Betts told the Canadian Press. “There were no checks and no one seemed to know who was in charge.”

“It was kind of like going to a war zone,” Colin Horgan said. “It feels like entering a refugee camp: tents, blowing dust and bright lights.”

Vancouver Sun:

The Pemberton Festival’s medical team have been treating about a thousand people a day during the dusty, hot and raucous first days of the party. Some were routed to hospitals in the Vancouver area.

Dr. Samuel Gutman, the festival’s medical director, said the 14-bed main medical tent has seen about 250 cases a day, while the first aid posts and roving response teams have taken care of about 600 to 800 people every day.

“To give you a persective, at Lion’s Gate, which is a main trauma recieving hospital, we’d see 120 a day,” Gutman said Sunday afternoon.

“Friday we did over a hundred IVs. We actually completely exceeded our stock,” he said. “That’s because we had a hot day.”

He said the ubiquitous dust and hay have been particularly agravating for some people.
“With the dust, we’ve seen lots of respiratory illnesses, and lots of hay fever, which makes sense, given the floor is spread with hay,” he said.

Ambulances have transported “a handful” of people to Vancouver-area hospitals, some suffering from substance abuse. But Gutman said they’ve all had positive outcomes.

Nine years in the making: New Dr. Dre album slated for late 2008

Road warriors: Shellac’s fall tour doesn’t include Northwest

Are you sure Hank done it this way?: Country singer Mindy McCready enters ER, rehab

Courtney sees the light: Love struggles with blog addiction

Charmicarmicarmicat: ISIS working on new album and side projects

I feel old: Nevermind’s swimming baby talks with NPR

Give em something to cry about: Russia cracks down on emo

End of an era: Slayer contemplates quitting

Kid Rock joins CrimethInc.: Downloading PSA ripe with satire

Kid Rock joins Fight Club: Singer sentenced for restaurant brawl

Doublewhiskeycokenoice: Dillinger Four working on first album in 6 years

Baltimore loses one of its few assets: DJ K-Swift dies in pool accident