In regard to this post and this one, I'd like to clarify/reiterate:

The decision to stop throwing shows was strictly made by members of Holy Mountain.

Contrary to information I received, the WSLCB did not visit Holy Mountain. However, according to Lo-Fi Performance Gallery owner and fellow building tenant Scott Behrens, the Fire Department did visit the venue and noted some problems. He said, "We are getting it ironed out [with the Department of Planning and Development]. We should be through it all soon.” He added, “I know [Holy Mountain’s organizers] don't sell anything anymore."

I regret the errors.

Flexions speak with Dave Segal about their live act and more:

"I don't think there are any expectations that we're going to destroy and completely re-create music," Welch admits, also laughing. "We play around with the presentation and the expectation about what is live music versus recorded music or DJed music. We play to backing tracks that are precomposed, and it's not just a drum machine, there are actually recorded elements in the backing tracks: extra guitar tracks, keyboards, backing vocals. For some people who are more closed-minded, that's bothersome. It amazes me that people don't like bands that have guitars but don't have a real drummer. People seem to get real uptight about that. It astonishes me. So I like playing around with that expectation of what a rock show should be."

Fucking in the Streets reviews Art Brut's live show:

The band began their set last Saturday at Neumos with "Alcoholics Unanimous," after which Argos noted that, though Art Brut avoids irony whenever possible, it felt a little ironic playing that song in Seattle, Washington, due to the WSLCB's onerous, antiquated (and frankly embarrassing) liquor laws—he likened trying to get a drink to running a relay. They played "Rusted Guns of Milan," and Argos took to the bridge with a monologue about camping out at Glastonbury with a girl, waking up to the sounds of Elastica performing, which should have been sexy, but then failing to perform himself (I may be misremembering this, but I think the band broke into an Elastica riff at this point—I suppose it could have been a Wire riff, too). They followed that one with a song about getting it on more successfully, "What a Rush," with Argos explaining that since they've been playing the two together, he's come to think of them as "bad cock/good cock."

Dave Segal on reissued releases by Sixto Rodriguez:

Coming from Reality (just reissued by LITA) is a lighter record than Fact, but it contains several gems. "Climb Up on My Music" is a striking opener, an understated psychedelic talking blues—think Santana meets José Feliciano—that likens his music to a conduit to freedom. "Can't Get Away" soars blissfully into string-laden, tropical grooviness, like a collab between Jorge Ben and Rotary Connection. Lilting orchestral-pop nuggets like "I'll Slip Away," "Cause," and "Sandrevan Lullaby - Lifestyles" point Rodriguez in a fruitful new direction, although a syrupiness sometimes prevails. Sentimentality ill fits Rodriguez; he excels when spurred by bile and injustice and backed by Coffey's caustic, wah-wah-ed licks. Much better is "Heikki's Suburbia Bus Tour," a chunky counterpart to Fact's scorching "Only Good for Conversation."

Kelly O asks Airpocalypse about playing air guitar:

Tell me what you're training for.
El Corazón is ground zero for the Seattle regional air-guitar competition. The survivor gets the privilege of competing in the nationals, where one of our nation's greatest will be chosen to represent the USA at the world finals in Oulu, Finland.

Are you worried about competition here in Seattle?
Absolutely. The ranks of great air guitarists grow with each passing day, and every competition brings a finer crop of new recruits. Seattle has several seasoned air guitarists at the moment, some of whom I have battled onstage.

Up & Coming has the week's noteworthy concerts and shows to check out, like Monday's show with Deastro:

Deastro (22-year-old Randolph Chabot) is Ghostly International's entrant in the Animal Collective emulation sweepstakes. It's probably not as calculated as all that, but there's no denying that Deastro's ebullient, slightly quirky pop—it's not so much left field as it is shallow center—resembles bits of Merriweather Post Pavilion. Tastefully bathed in reverb, his voice assumes an angelic cleanliness amid equally pristine textures that recall Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's subtly glowing productions. A cover of Steve Reich's Different Trains speaks of Deastro's good taste and ability to bolster minimalist composition with thick dollops of electronic sweetness. And "Vermillion Plaza" thrillingly takes urgent Giorgio Moroder dance tropes to the underage concert circuit. Deastro's Moondagger album is PG stuff, but undeniably engaging.

Larry Mizell Jr talks up Khingz in My Philosophy:

Now let's chat about Khingz. Since he's been on the scene—and that's been a long time now—he's made his hallmark not just his fierce lyrics and lightning-struck delivery, but his individual vision, his refusal to be boxed in. From utterly decimating MC battles to grassroots activism to decrying colonialism and homophobia on his now eight-year-old debut album, Mi Vida Negra, the cat most know as Khalil has always forgone being hard in favor of being complicated. His last decent chunk of work, Abyssinian Creole's Sexy Beast, was a study in the contrasts between him and his brother Gabriel Teodros, with Khingz providing the brassy, boastful counterpoint to Gabe's righteous affirmations.

Ctrl_Alt_Dlt explains his musical interests to Data Breaker:

A guitar and saxophone student from fifth grade on, Aldrich discovered techno in 1999 and began DJing the next year. "I... explored a lot of different sounds until I finally came to the conclusion that techno is what I wanted to explore," he explains. "Detroit was so technocentric and I was exposed to so much great music in those early years, it really set the foundation for where I am at with EDM today.

"I cut my teeth here in Seattle in terms of actually becoming a DJ and really refined my sound," he continues. "I feel like in the last year I have really come to understand where techno is going and the sound that I am looking for."

Casey Catherwood praises New Zealand's Cut Off Your Hands in Underage:

It's great for a band to be hometown heroes, but a loyal local fan base can only take you so far. Skuzzy New Zealand indie poppers Cut Off Your Hands are wildly popular in their hometown of Auckland, and they're looking to bring their chilling, haunted house pop to new shores. The band, along with acts like the Ruby Suns and the Brunettes, is only the most recent product of a scene that has been exporting a surprisingly high yield of awesome bands since the 1980s (most notably, recently revived punk unit the Clean). COYH's debut album, You and I, released last year, is an epic batch of dark, tender pop in the vein of labelmates Les SavyFav, only less wacky.

Michaelangelo Matos covers the week's newest tracks in It's a Hit:

"Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" by Florence and the Machine (Iamsound)
Do you totally fucking love the Big '80s? Then this is for you—it's like the offspring of an ill-advised tryst between Jim Steinman and Kate Bush, set at a mountainside chalet with a suspiciously hunky servant and a blushing maid. What's weird is that I pretty much hate the Big '80s but find myself drawn to this. Go figure.

Christopher DeLaurenti on jazz legend Stan Kenton in The Score:

Unlike Duke Ellington, hailed by Kenton as "the giant among us all," Kenton was a composer of modest ability. Rather than strive to be a great writer, Kenton dedicated himself to nurturing a crew of composer-arrangers. He not only hired Pete Rugolo, Gene Roland, and Bill Holman, Kenton also took chances by devoting entire albums to Holman, Dee Barton, and the inscrutable Graettinger, whose apocalyptic "Thermopylae" will sandblast your speakers with banshee screams.

Also check out Party Crasher and Poster of the Week! Remember to check our online music calendar for a complete listing of bands, DJs and live music.