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Monday, May 20, 2013

Stranger Things: New NighTrain Video For "Huntress"

Posted by on Mon, May 20, 2013 at 5:16 PM

The ladies of NighTrain have made a video that combines sweet post-punk guitars, the cover of Billy Joel's The Stranger (it's those masks!) and the witchiness of The Craft for their new single "Huntress."

For anyone who didn't know the band's charming back story, the four-piece originally formed for a play about a punk band called "Hot Grits," and learned to play instruments, write songs, and play a few underground shows around Seattle to prepare for their roles in the production. Afterward, they had bonded with each other AND won so many over hearts in the music community that they ended up staying together and forming NighTrain.

It's been so fun watching them develop their sound over the last few years...fans such as myself can also donate to their Indiegogo campaign to help fund the self-release their new album and upcoming Southern US tour here.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Space: The Disco Frontier

Posted by on Tue, May 7, 2013 at 12:56 PM

It's discovering disco jams like "Magic Fly" that makes me wanna like the disco.

Space were a French group from Marseille and during their three years they made three albums: Magic Fly, Deliverance and Just Blue. I'm impressed. I like some art/damage in my '70s electro/deezko, but then Space don't come across as a bunch of coked-up, sweaty, hairy American assholes tryna do the "Hustle."

"Magic Fly," however, doesn't trump the first AND STILL the BEST space spase jam ever - "Spase People."

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(The Gals of) Redbook

Posted by on Tue, May 7, 2013 at 12:44 PM

Courtesy of (the gals of) Redbook
  • Courtesy of (the gals of) Redbook

If you happened to have missed the handful of shows that (the gals of) Redbook played last year, you may not know that they're a super-group consisting of key members of Pony Time, Stickers and burlesque troupe The Heavenly Spies. Much like the magazine Redbook, the band covers all the hard-hitting issues of today's modern women (Phylicia Rashad, getting in the mood, blood flow, etc.) Currently the band is on an indefinite musical hiatus to focus on their primary projects, but recently released a tape with ten delightfully post-punk tracks that are also available to stream on bandcamp.

Today's Music News: Lauryn Hill Heads to the Big House, MCA Gets a Park, and Breaking News: Chris Brown Never Not an Asshole

Posted by on Tue, May 7, 2013 at 12:24 PM

Lauryn Hill Sentenced to Three Months for Tax Evasion: That was the verdict following a lengthy court battle.

Fight For Your Right to Frolic: Beastie Boy Adam "MCA" Yauch had a Brooklyn park dedicated to him on Saturday, marking the first anniversary of his death. At the ceremony, fellow member Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz reminded everyone: "Beastie Boys is for the children."

Those "Half-Japanese Girls" Are in for a Treat, I Guess?: Rivers Cuomo has recorded an album "almost entirely in the Japanese language," and it's out now for digital download.

GQ Honors Stylish French Robots: Daft Punk appear in the May issue to discuss their upcoming album Random Access Memories, and briefly contemplate Superman and Scream 2.

Nicki Minaj to the Rescue: Apparently Carly Rae Jepsen's newest needed a quick hit of the Queen Bee in hopes of achieving the chart domination expected from the woman who brought us "Call Me Maybe."

"Heartbroken Chris Brown Always Thought Rihanna Was Woman He’d Beat To Death.": As usual, the Onion comes correct.

Low Played a Real Nice Set on KEXP: And now the whole deal is online! Here's one of the songs they played, "Plastic Cup," off their new record The Invisible Way:

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Gems: Double Drums, Double Synths, Must See

Posted by on Sat, Apr 20, 2013 at 2:46 PM

Gems is a band you need to see. And hear. They are two drummers, and two synth players. I'll say that again—double drum, double synths. Yes. It gets icy, tribal, Tronned, and vortexed. The two drummers, Adrian Van Batenburg and Jacob Evans (the Bearded Wonder) aren’t just playing together, they’re meshing well played, well thought out, and well executed schemes. And they face each other, like a beat made, split screen Rorschach-kaleidoscope mirror. Evans turns at times to engage full electro on Roland SPDS pads and kick pedal. They are seriously excellent drummers, employing dynamics, knowing when and where to go with speed and heft, and when to lay down in a valley. DOUBLE DRUMS doing it well: twin turbines, unbeatable.

Daniel Rapport and Gary Palmer man the synths: Moog Little Phatty, Dave Smith Prophet 08, Roland Juno 106, Casio SK-8. They dial up delayed frigidity, and lagoons of low end. All live, all ice. Rapport is also a very killer guitar player, who has seen time playing with that guy Macklemore.

Gems album Tall Mountain is just out, for the ears and heads. Produced by Gems and Matthew Emerson Brown. Sounds are finely crafted, finely tuned. You can find the Gems vinyl at the following locations: Everyday Music Capitol Hill, Sonic Boom Ballard, Easy Street West Seattle.

Gems play May 2nd at The Comet, and the Ball of Wax Showcase at Folklife May 25th.

** And they play tonight, house party style—4/20 if you want. Highly recommended. RSVP “420 me” to dyslexichiphop (at) gmail (dot) com for the address.

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Friday, April 19, 2013

Bad Powers Will Be Thrashin' it LIVE Tomorrow Night @ the Comet!

Posted by on Fri, Apr 19, 2013 at 2:06 PM

I know Mr. Cook has a "suggest" in this week's Up & Coming section for tomorrow night's Bad Powers show, but for what's it's worth, I gotta SECOND that notion! Y'all NEED to go see Bad Powers! I'm hella stoked 'cause I LERVED their debut album of heavy, Bad Powers; so, yeah, I can't wait! Also, this is their first West Coast tour, first ever Seattle show, AND part of the Choicefest Weekender.

Bad Powers will be playing with Lozen, Tacos!, and Elk Rider - tomorrow, Saturday, April 20th @ the Comet.

PS: Bad Powers also have a KEXP in-studio tomorrow night (Sunday morning really) during during the fabulous Seek & Destroy.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Hornet Leg This Weekend!

Posted by on Tue, Apr 16, 2013 at 2:14 PM

Portland's Hornet Leg was started by Chris Sutton (Dub Narcotic Sound System, C.O.C.O., Gossip) several years ago and has sounded like several different bands along the way—solo-acoustic, dance, garage, pop, noise, etc.

I like the most recent lineup, which features Robert Comitz (from Nucular Aminals) on drums and Bob Desaulniers (from Psychic Feline) on bass.

Today I've been partial to their 2009 album Ribbon of Fear on K Records, which also varies wildly—twang-tinged lofi, fuzzing minimal punk, weirdo art blues, and vocals that sometimes remind me of an atonal John Linnell. Their other album (with this lineup) Still Life is also solid (and more spooky)—you can take a listen on their Bandcamp.

Hornet Leg are on tour with label mates the Shivas are are playing 4/19 at the Josephine and 4/20 at Black Lodge.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Bad Powers' Brutal Album Bad Powers

Posted by on Tue, Apr 2, 2013 at 2:48 PM

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Lordy, y'all! This Bad Powers record Bad Powers, is BRUTAL! Uh, YEAH, I know this record came out LAST YEAR (in, like, September), but I'm just getting to writing about it 'cause they're finally touring the West Coast and will be playing THIS MONTH on the third night of Tom Tom Magazine & Ladies' Choice Presents CHOICEFEST II at the Comet, Saturday, April 20th.

Bad Powers, is a bi-coastal group—front woman Ms. Megan Tweed lives in Seattle an is also currently in the Family Curse; the other members Brendan Tobin, Cooper, and Matthew Eganlive live in NYC and are all ex-Made Out Of Babies. A lot seems to have been made over Made Out Of Babies splitting when singer, Julie Christmas, went solo. Thing is, for all the "journalist" chatter, MOoB didn't just REPLACE Christmas, they became a different band and I'm glad they had the smarts to CHANGE THEIR FUCKING NAME and not just continue on tryna pull some switcheroo bullshit ala the Dick York/Dick Sargent as Darrin from TV's Bewitched!

Okay, I kinda hesitate to say this, but... this is a '90s sounding record, like, early '90s underground action, natch. In the best ways. It's heavy, NOT metal, slightly out of control, catchy—the riffs get stuck in my head, and it actually makes me nostalgic. To some degree it kinda fits into the '90s underground narrative which was aborted when (ahem) grunge met with pop acceptance/compliance. There are knowing nods to Drive Like Jehu/Steel Pole Bathtub/Jesus Lizard (less the East Bay Ray guitar), and a working knowledge of '80s HC groups like Crucifix, however, they are smart enough to actually reinvent, versus simply regurgitate. The songs are well written/composed, melodic, math rock-ish, very prog, but there's also a heavy humid and hazy, creepy, lingering atmosphere; I get slightly uncomfortable when I have this album playing on my hi-fi. Really, I do, it's tense. And Ms. Tweed, well, she's the better front woman. On record she proves to have more spirit and range than Christmas and, live, she's a fucking tornado. Ms. Tweed's closest parallel, I figure, would be the infamous Laura Carter—the ungovernable force who fronted Jack-O Nuts and the BBQ Killers. Uh-huh. So, yeah, Bad Powers? FUCK YEAH!

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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Whatever Happened to Neanderfuck?: Mudhoney on Six Local Bands That Couldn't Last as Long as Mudhoney

Posted by on Thu, Mar 28, 2013 at 12:26 PM

Smelly Fred of Pub Nosh
  • Emily Nokes
  • Smelly Fred of Pub Nosh
Can you believe that Mudhoney have been spewing sweat, spit, and guitar riffs for 25 fucking years? It's true! They're celebrating the occasion with a new album, Vanishing Point, and a record-release show with Unnatural Helpers and Universe People—obviously, it's going to rule.

But the music industry is a ruthless land, and you don't last a quarter of a century without witnessing a lot of ugliness along the way. Bands come and go, sometimes for the better, oftentimes for the worse, and Mudhoney have seen it all.

If the world were fair, all the great bands would manage to survive as long as Mudhoney have, but alas, sometimes the good die young. I asked the boys to tell me about a few bands they wish would have been able to stay the course into their 25th year—they responded with six forgotten Northwest greats that flew under the radar, never achieving the fame they probably deserved. Here's what they said:

Zoot Pickle and the Grudge (1988—1991): The nonstop, gender-bending, funk-fun blast from Renton. Crazy costumes, strange stage secretions? Sunk by the weight of costly operations and artistic differences.

Neanderfuck (1992—1998): The most primitive garage-punk thug band from the Northwest. They made RPA and Extreme Hate look like doily-knitting dilettantes.

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Mudhoney's record release show is Saturday, March 30, at Neumos with Unnatural Helpers and Universe People. They're also playing a free, all-ages in-store at Easy Street West Seattle on Monday, April 1.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Fuzz = Ty Segall + Charles Moothart = This Friday @ Black Lodge

Posted by on Tue, Mar 26, 2013 at 2:17 PM

Cat's outta the bag! Thanks to NPR Music, Ty Segall's "secret" new band has been outed as "Fuzz." Fuzz plays this Friday in Seattle, with Night Beats, Unnatural Helpers, and Wimps. Whatta lineup!

Segall had been teasing the new project on his label's website, Trouble In Mind Records, saying the identity of the group was a mystery.

Well, mystery no more. Check out "This Time I Got a Reason"—the A-side to a 7" (already sold out) after the jump...

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Sick! Health Problems Spew Raw Punk on A Glut of Plastic

Posted by on Tue, Mar 26, 2013 at 8:22 AM

ATTN: PUNX OF SEATTLE AND EVERYWHERE. If you don't know about Health Problems yet, now would be a good time to get wise. As of yesterday, their EP A Glut of Plastic is out on their Bandcamp, and physical tapes will also be available April 11 via the band. They recorded the EP in Olympia under the guidance of "Captain Trips Ballsington" (aka Dave Harvey, formerly of Sex Vid and Behead the Prophet NLSL). According to vocalist Ian Kurtis Crist, Harvey "records all analog reel-to-reel style and only records bands in a live format. No digital or track by track bullshit." And it sounds like there was no digital bullshit! Just noisy punk, raw and live as it should be. Keep an ear or eye peeled for their upcoming full-length, Counterproductive, recorded in the same three fucking hours as the EP.

This band has been together less than a year, BTW! Back in December, I had a chat with them about David Yow and octo-monkeys and also raved hard on their live performances in the Underage column. Basically, I am so excited for their future I feel like I'm gonna need a proud parent bumper sticker soon.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Top Four Fictional Bands Ever

Posted by on Fri, Mar 22, 2013 at 3:40 PM

If these bands were real, would the Carrie Nations be doing the Super Bowl Halftime show? Would the Misfits be getting into drug-addled twitter wars with Jem and the Holograms? I don't know the answers to these questions, but I've narrowed down the best fictional bands ever into a handy top four list:

4.) The Stains from Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains!
The Stains are charismatically led by Corrine "Third Degree" Burns, who declares that "every citizen should be given an electric guitar on her 16th birthday." There was a rumor that Kurt Cobain had planned for Nirvana to cover a Stains song, but Epoxies are the only band I know about who actually did one.

3.) The Misfits from Jem and the Holograms
They are more evil then Jem for sure, but their songs are so hard and catchy! Sometimes I kind of think that if Bikini Kill were Jem and the Holograms, Misfits would be Hole.

Continue reading »

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Waxahatchee Weekend!

Posted by on Thu, Mar 21, 2013 at 1:28 PM

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Katie Crutchfield co-founded the Birmingham-based punk groups PS Elliot and Bad Bananas with her twin sister Allison (a la Breeders!) Her bands are have been an essential staple of the punk/DIY scene for years. And now, her current solo project Waxahatchee takes the candid feel of singer/songwriter predecessors like 90's Liz Phair and Cat Power and mixes it with the serrated edge of her punk rock roots.

Her new album Cerulean Salt is being praised by NPR/Spin/Pitchfork/Everyone, and you can pick up a copy at one of the two Seattle shows Waxahatchee this weekend: Tomorrow at the Victory Lounge (433 Eastlake Ave E) or at Porchlight Coffee (1318 E Pike St) on Saturday.


Thursday, March 14, 2013

Smells Like Tween Spirit: Golden Grrrls

Posted by on Thu, Mar 14, 2013 at 6:07 PM

Since it feels like all my friends are in Texas soaking up sun and free beer and getting their pictures taken with Tardar the cat, I am suppressing my SXSW jealousy by wrapping myself in flannel and digging around Slumberland Records' amazing catalog. Right now, I'm obsessing over the twee-rock charm from the new Golden Grrrls album. The Glasgow trio song's are all comprised of back and forth male/female harmonies that remind me a lot of that Heavenly song they let Calvin Johnson do guest vocals on (Pitchfork only gave their album a 6.2 last week, but they also gave Elliot Smith's album Figure 8 a 6.9 back in the day... so I guess we were never really not on the same page, anyways.)

Golden Grrrls open for Veronica Falls and Brilliant Colors at the Tractor on March 21.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Nine50Nine Hollow Bones

Posted by on Wed, Mar 13, 2013 at 2:11 PM

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Okay...it's true, Nine50Nine is a new band, and I like 'em. For what it's worth it is prolly 'cause Nine50Nine's jams is played by a bunch'a old gents: drummer Dave Krusen, guitarists Cameron Brownfield, Alan Hunt, bassist Jeremy Lightfoot, and singer Ty Willman (ahem) ex-Green Apple Quick Step.

Their debut album, Hollow Bones, has been out for a while and I dig it. It's tailor made for the radio, obviously this band is hopeful, but in a way I rarely hear from any "new" group. Um, I can't frame this record in terms of anything contemporary, even tho' it IS so very contemporary; the songs are bouyant, poppy and catchy, sometimes heavy, but it never loses it's balance. I reckon that's 'cause this group is old guys who've been playing in bands for years, so their song writing chops are strong and knowing. The closest I can shade 'em is perhaps Free? Seriously, 'cause if not for the bright contemporary production the tracks on Hollow Bones would be colored a deep "1973." Uh-huh!

Nine50Nine play the High Dive, this Sunday, March 17th, St. Patrick's Day. Doors at 8PM.

Akimbo Go Out With a Headbang on Live to Crush

Posted by on Wed, Mar 13, 2013 at 11:46 AM

Alternative Tentacles will release the final Akimbo album, Live to Crush, on Record Store Day (April 20). The Seattle power trio's swan song comes out on vinyl in a hand-numbered edition of 500 and will also be available digitally through iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, and other outlets.

Live to Crush finds Akimbo—Jon Weisnewski (bass/vocals), Nat Damm (drums), and Aaron Walters (guitar)—sounding as vehement and volcanic as ever. The controlled rage and coiled, bludgeoning noise rock of these nine song will warm the cochlea of Melvins and Jesus Lizard fans. Live to Crush is an honorable and memorable way to cap off a nearly 15-year run.

Check out a video of Akimbo playing live at Neumos and the group's explanation for breaking up after the jump.

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Ramones at the Airport

Posted by on Wed, Mar 13, 2013 at 9:15 AM

I stumbled upon this magnificent display yesterday at the Minneapolis - St. Paul International Airport. There's a pretty good Subway restaurant near the D gate.

The T.S.A. Took my Baby Away. - Alicia Craven
  • "The T.S.A. Took my Baby Away." - Alicia Craven

There are probably heaps of Ramones airport puns. What are they?

Derek Erdman: "I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You (to the Hudson Booksellers)"

Jodi Shapiro: "I Can't Make it in Time (I'm in the Security Line)"

Peter D Hopkins: "I Wanna Be Sedated (For This Red-Eye Flight)"

Jodi Shapiro: "You Never Should Have Opened the Cockpit Door"

John R. Nicholson: "Now I Wanna Fly Jet Blue"

Mathew Tapey: "The TSA Took My Luggage Away"

Mathew Tapey: "Too Tough to Fly"

Nathan Helgren: "I'm in a TSA line, its going through a tight wind, $9 for a white wine, the airport bop."

John R. Nicholson: "Beat on the Brat (Who Kicks the Back of my Seat)"

Raymond Salvatore Harmon: "I Wanna be Berated"

Marantha Gaver: "This Ain't Havana (I Must Have Boarded the Wrong Flight)"

Arwen Nicks: "Havana Air Fare"

Drew DeCounter: "Do You Remember Rock N Roll Radio? (Channel 4 on Your Headset)"

Marianne Spellman: "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Flight Tonight)"

Marantha Gaver: "Sheena is a Flight Attendant"

Ryan Duncan: "I Wanna be Upgraded"

Mathew Tapey: "I Wanted Everything (In the Skymall Catalogue)"

Friday, March 8, 2013

Swiss Tissues & English Issues: First-Wave Grrl Punks

Posted by on Fri, Mar 8, 2013 at 4:17 PM

I discovered the Swiss post-punk band LiLiPUT/Kleenex as a teenager, when I faithfully bought their 2001 Kill Rock Stars double CD reissue because it was highly recommended from other lady punks that I admired. All I really knew about them is that they were from Geneva and were originally named after Kleenex (a Swiss Tampon brand,) until lawsuits from the Kleenex Corporation forced them to change their name and they became LiLiPUT.

My best record-buying consultant friend Benjamin Cissner (formerly of Jive Time Records) recently informed me that when they were still called Kleenex, the band originally featured the singer from the Mo-Dettes, who I first fell in love with when I heard their song "White Mice" on the Rough Trade Post Punk compilation that I listened to on repeat for most of 2004. Apparently after re-naming themselves LiLiPUT, their original singer Regula Sing, aka Ramona Carlier went off and formed the another equally amazing but more mysterious UK band, the Mo-Dettes.

Both videos convince me that these bands were clearly the coolest and best dressed ladies of the 1980's. One YouTube commenter even says that, "I want to crawl into this video and live there," and I couldn't agree more. Oh, and Happy International Women's Day!

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Coheed and Cambria at the Pet Shop

Posted by on Tue, Mar 5, 2013 at 2:10 PM

Delirium Trigger Fish
  • Derek Erdman
  • Delirium Trigger Fish

Usually these types of posts feature a person with a band shirt on at a certain place, and then vaguely clever puns are made about the band and the business noted. Unfortunately, I've really dug myself into hole with this one. I don't know a single thing about Coheed and Cambria, except for that unfortunate tale of the bass player robbing pharmacies for Oxycontin before shows. Though I am willing to say that the employees at Mud Bay on Broadway are particularly nice, and this person was more than happy to pose for a picture after admitting that she never reads the Stranger.

Oh, wait! Here's one! "World Of (Really Long Checkout) Lines."

Thursday, February 28, 2013

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Friday, February 22, 2013

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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

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Monday, February 11, 2013

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Saturday, February 9, 2013

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Friday, February 8, 2013

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Wednesday, February 6, 2013

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

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Pylon

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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

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Introducing Daydream Machine

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The Hanson Brothers

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Friday, January 25, 2013

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FF - "Caught in a Dream"

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Thursday, January 24, 2013

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Friday, January 11, 2013

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Tuesday, January 8, 2013

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Monday, January 7, 2013

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Glam-Rock Masterpieces

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