The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper: Line Out: Very Great

Blondie Is Coming to Seattle! (With X!)

Megan Seling — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:50:29 -0700

Blondie and X are playing Marymoor Park on September 17th. Tickets go on sale June 21st, with a pre-sale starting TOMORROW, June 19th. Get more info here.

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Today's Music News: Lil Wayne Plans Retirement, Sex with Socks, and So Much More

Kyle Fleck — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:04:33 -0700

Lil Wayne Calling It Quits?: After releasing Tha Carter 5, Lil Wayne told Jimmy Kimmel he plans to retire and spend more time with his children. Does anyone actually believe when musicians say things like this anymore, particularly musicians as absurdly prolific as Wayne?

Sir Paul Invades Colbert: And plays a whole bunch of Beatles and Wings songs. He is a charming lad, that one.

Justin Bieber Is Finally Going to Space: On Christmas, with his manager and, oh I don't know, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Russell Brand. NBD for the Biebs. Just another day in the life.

Beth Gibbon Goes Solo: The Portishead frontwoman has a new album coming out, to be released via Domino Records.

"I Have Sex Real Good with Socks On": Quoth Big Boi in an entertaining GQ interview. Apparently "it's a secret that all men who slingin' heavy pipe know about." Wasn't Rachel's ex-fiance on Friends worried that she broke up with him because he wore his socks during sex?

Rose Windows Will Make You Feel Epic: The Windows' debut album The Sun Dogs comes out on June 25. Early word is very positive. Whet your appetite until then with "Native Dreams."

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HUNX Goes Hardcore! Street Punk! Darby Crash! Bad Skin!

Kelly O — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:54:22 -0700

HUNX AND HIS PUNX have returned with Street Punk—a new album filled with the catchiest and most hateful punk songs heard in eons. Street Punk is an unrelenting tour de force, echoing early 80s hardcore, 90s grrl sounds, Darby Crash on helium, and the female answer to The Misfits.

WHAAAAAT?!? I've listened to this song 3 times in a row. Darby Crash on helium? Aaah! Whole album released 7/23 on Hardly Art.

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John Grant: The Greatest Motherfucker You're Ever Gonna Meet

Kathy Fennessy — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:36:33 -0700

Bella Union-Partisan

John Grant
Pale Green Ghosts
(Bella Union-Partisan Records)

I am the greatest motherfucker you're ever gonna meet / from the top of my head down to the tips of the toes on my feet / So, go ahead and love me while it's still a crime / but don't forget you could be laughing 65% more of the time.
—John Grant, "GMF"

Recorded in Reykjavík with GusGus's Biggi Veira, former Czars front man and Midlake sideman John Grant's Pale Green Ghosts is one of the year's most surprising records—it's also one of the best.

I could tell from the first few electronic pulses that I would like it, but in truth, I'd already read a few things about the album—the Other Music summary, the Pitchfork review—so I had some idea as to what to expect: a gut-wrenchingly confessional song cycle with none of the reedy singing that makes so many coffeehouse troubadours so un-listenable.

And that's because this isn't a folk record and Grant's rich baritone voice is hardly reedy. Nor does he over-enunciate every word, a musical-theater trope drives me around the bend. No, this is dance music. And fuck-you music. But the beats never overwhelm the lyrics, and he barely raises his beautiful voice, which just makes his statements sting all the more, i.e. "You think I hate myself, but it's you I hate." That's right: his sophomore release recounts a breakup. It's also his first full-length since revealing his HIV+ status. Suffice to say: anger fuels this art.

At times, Grant reminds me of everyone from Scott Walker and David Bowie to the Hidden Cameras—even a little Elton John—but summarizing his music by way of influences obscures the intense originality that shines through (though the closing track, "Glacier," evokes Bowie's piano-drenched "Lady Grinning Soul" in a rather wonderful way). Other references are more explicit, since he specifically cites Ernest Borgnine, Woody Allen, Jane Eyre, and "Richard Burton's corpse."

His backup singer is also a powerful presence in her own right. Sometimes she echoes what he says, sometimes she responds to it, and the equally iconoclastic Sinéad O'Connor, who's turned into an internet punching bag of late, has never sounded better (for my money, her presence on this record marks one of the most surprising things about it). Interestingly, the five tracks on which she appears arrive at the album's midpoint—its white-hot molten core, you might say.

Aside from the voice, the lyrics, and the Eno-inspired washes of synth, Grant incorporates bass, drums, piano, saxophone, and strings. I'm sure there are guitars in the mix, but they defer to every other instrument, which is refreshing, simply because confessional songwriting and balefully plucked guitar can get old.

While the haunting title refers to the Colorado trees Grant would pass on his way to the only gay dance bar in town, Pale Green Ghosts is also a very funny album—at least to those who share his dark, self-lacerating sense of humor, and anyone who can joke about their battles with alcoholism, depression, and one-night stands is all right by me. At the very least: it's the opposite of denial.

It's been awhile since I've heard a dance record with this much heart. Or a singer-songwriter record with this much soul. And although it will surely piss off those who believe that profanity is the realm of the stupid and the ignorant, the smart, sophisticated Grant also swears like a motherfucker. And makes it feel like a kiss.

Pale Green Ghosts is out now on Partisan. Grant plays Barboza on June 20.

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The Glorious 21st-Century Life of Cyndi Lauper

David Schmader — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 17:11:36 -0700

Cyndi Lauper burst onto MTV in 1983, became an immediate pop superstar, did some confusing things with pro wrestlers, and eventually settled into the life of a mid-level music professional, making new records, performing for good-sized crowds, but never replicating the chart success or cultural import of her first years. (See also: Cowboy Junkies, k.d. lang, the Indigo Girls.)

However, unlike k.d. lang, the Indigo Girls, or that sleepy lady from Cowboy Junkies, Cyndi Lauper decided to try her hand at writing a Broadway musical, and this year, Kinky Boots earned more Tony nominations than any other show, including Best Musical and Best Original Score for Lauper. (The Tony Awards ceremony goes down this Sunday, when Lauper will be competing against Tim Minchin for the Best Original Score award, which is a wonderful thing to type. Good luck to them both.)

Whatever happens at Sunday's Tonys, the mere fact of Kinky Boots' glorious reception has already worked a small miracle: transforming Cyndi Lauper's forthcoming tour—celebrating the 30th anniversary of Lauper's classic debut She's So Unusual, which will be played in its entirety—from a nostalgia trip into a victory lap. Helping everything greatly: the eternal brilliance of She's So Unusual, which fades near the end after trotting out 5 or 6 astoundingly great songs. A modern-pop spin on the Dusty in Memphis-ish model of girl-singer records, She's So Unusual cherry-picked great tunes from the pop songbook for reinterpretation by Lauper. (Have you heard the original "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"?) Impressively, Lauper's "Time After Time" (sob!) holds its own against a punk classic by the Brains and one of the richest songs ever written by Prince.

On Sunday, June 16, at the Pantages Theater in Tacoma, Cyndi Lauper will be performing She's So Unusual in its entirety. It is going to be awesome. Full info here.

After the jump, please enjoy the performance that made the world fall instantaneously in love with Cyndi Lauper (and her mom).

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Today's Music News: Today's Disease News, Danny Brown Thinks Cereal's Overrated, New Albums from Riff Raff and David Lynch

Kyle Fleck — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:37:08 -0700

Jonathan Poneman Diagnosed with Parkinson's: The Sub Pop cofounder went public with his diagnosis this morning, explaining how grappling with the disease has given him a new perspective on his life. Many well wishes to Poneman and those close to him.

And Sharon Jones is Undergoing "Immediate Surgery" for Cancer: Canceling her tour and postponing release of her latest album. Luckily, the stage-one cancer on her bile duct (whoa! I didn't know that was a thing) is "operable and curable." Good luck to you in surgery, Ms. Jones!

Soulja Boy Takes on The Bachelorette: And makes a pretty amazing music video after recruiting the show's stars to be extras. Inane!

David Lynch to Release Second Album: Because people went crazy for Crazy Clown Time, apparently. Definitely curious to hear his collaboration with Lykke Li.

Everything That's Right with Music Today: Skrillex and Riff Raff have an album coming out together, Riff told MTV Australia.

Danny Brown Has the Best Laugh in the World: Check out Detroit rapper Danny Brown explain why he thinks cereal's overrated. Agreed! I don't eat soggy things either.

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Today's Music News: Keith Urban Stands Alone at American Idol, James Murphy Has Opinions, and Bananas

Kyle Fleck — Fri, 31 May 2013 12:11:08 -0700

Mariah and Minaj Ditch the Idol: Both superstars announced via Twitter that they were leaving the show yesterday, after a season of underwhelming ratings and passive-aggressive beefing which led Mariah Carey to hire extra security "because she felt unsafe" around Nicki Minaj.

The Tao of James Murphy: LCD Soundsystem mastermind James Murphy sat down for a chat with The Guardian and, regarding his music career, unleashed this nugget of wisdom: "To want me to do something that you want me to do is to miss the fucking point." Then he spun a wicked DJ set, as is his wont.

This Shit is Bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S: The Velvet Underground and the Andy Warhol Foundation have reached a settlement regarding the use of Warhol's iconic banana (uh...) as an advertisement for iPad products. Weird to use a banana to advertise an Apple, when you think about it.

Today in Potentially Overhyped 2013: The New Yorker wondered if "music had to be good to be good" when Daft Punk's new album dropped. The new Arrested Development season has gotten a relatively subdued reaction. And now my beloved Boards of Canada have been viral marketing the shit out of their new album, culminating in a listening party in the UK this Monday, raising expectations to a possibly absurd degree. I'd be happy if it's better than The Campfire Headphase, but I do not expect it to be the Second Coming.

Xenia Rubios Slays With "Psycho Killer": This made my Friday morning.

Xenia Rubinos covers Talking Heads

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Support Olympia's Queer Rock Camp!

Emily Nokes — Thu, 30 May 2013 12:32:07 -0700

Queer Rock Camp Media

Olympia's Queer Rock Camp is a week-long music and empowerment summer camp for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, and allied youth ages 12–21. To keep this necessary program alive and well, Queer Rock Camp needs your help so that they can continue to: Keep sliding-scale tuition starting at $0 so that ANYONE can attend, ensure two meals per day for campers and volunteers, provide safe housing and transportation for campers, and provide enough instruments and equipment to form several kick-ass bands.

Queer Rock Camp empowers youth and builds community through music. We support the fluidity of gender and sexuality, and see music as a way to amplify resilience and self-expression.

This is obviously a VERY RAD cause, totally deserving of your bucks! And if you don't have the bucks, you can donate your time, or simply attend and show your support for these amazing folks. Click HERE to donate and learn more.

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Today's Music News: Damon Albarn Wrote an Opera, New QOTSA Album, and Inappropriate Touching

Kyle Fleck — Tue, 28 May 2013 12:19:05 -0700

"The Animosity of the Nineties is Gone": Says Damon Albarn, who recently played with Oasis' Noel Gallagher in Britpop's Nas/Jay-Z moment. He's also got his first solo record coming out, an opera he wrote is coming to the States and Blur has several festival dates this summer. Busy man!

Anthony Bourdain Hearts Queens of the Stone Age: And wrote a nice, funny little bio for the band in anticipation of their new album ...Like Clockwork. Meanwhile, the band has put the album on iTunes for streaming.

Drake's Dad Causes a Stir: By (maybe?) posting the tracklist to Drake's new album Nothing Was the Same on Instagram, then promptly deleting it. Either way, the album looks to feature production by Clams Casino and James Blake, and guest spots from Frank Ocean, Justin Timberlake and A$AP Rocky.

Today in "No Touching! No Touching!": A concert-goer in Copenhagen "confused his front-row ticket with permission to ... slap [Beyonce] on the ass," and Beyonce was understandably not amused. The fan who got surprise access to Miguel's nether-regions after he launched them into her face at the Billboard Music Awards took it a little better, saying after the show, "I adorn him."

And Here's Dave and the Dalmatians: My favorite local Croatian a cappella group (!!!) played Folklife again this year and as usual, brought the ruckus.

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The Chihuly Stage is Pretty Okay: Tilson at Two

Emily Nokes — Sat, 25 May 2013 22:35:29 -0700

A quick highlight from earlier while I'm sitting here with the 'net! One of the first/best things was when Tilson XOXO played the Cthulhu stage at 2:05 IN THE AFTERNOON. It was wonderful. Tilson's all-star sunshine band featured THREE drummers (two of whom were Faustine Hudson of Whale Bones and Vox Mod of Vox Mod), a keyboardist (Jacob James of the Lashes), and a multi-instrumentalist/guitarist (he had a fine handelbar mustache).

Emily Nokes
Tilson XOXO

There was so much Jackson 5 feel-good pop, matching outfits (!!), and the triple drumming was perfectly executed, despite the fact that this was their first time all playing together. The sun was blazing and some already-smashed Sharpie casualty was waving his drawn-on arms in my face, but it was still one of the best things today!

Catch Tilson in Seattletown at Neumos on June 8 w/ Brett Amaker & the Rodeo and the Young Evils

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Today's Music News: Festival Woes, Roth Goes Tarantino, and More

Kyle Fleck — Fri, 24 May 2013 11:50:40 -0700

Festivus for the Rest of Us?: Abby Johnston at Salon ponders the lack of female-led bands at festivals this summer, while FACT worries that British music fests are becoming "unaffordable, corporate, and middle-aged."

David Lee Roth Wrote a Short Film: In which he plays a shirtless assassin who enjoys strawberry milk. Sample line: "In the name of the Moon, I shall right wrongs and defeat all evil." Makes sense.

Maybe She's a Tea Partier: R&B icon Mary J. Blige is facing some pretty serious IRS scrutiny, apparently owing about $3.4 million in back taxes. Between this and Lauryn Hill's recent troubles, it's starting to feel like some sort of conspiracy targeting our favorite ’90s hiphop divas.

American Stabbing: For your feel-good Friday story, a Pennsylvania couple are facing assault charges after they got incredibly drunk and stabbed one another following an argument about who should win the American Idol finale. First world problems, I guess.

The National's Matt Berninger Wonders How Hip You Can Be at 42: In a pretty funny, awkward interview with Stephen Colbert. And then the National played some great music.

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,Video Archive

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Rainy Dawg Radio's Birthday Celebration is Tomorrow

Emily Nokes — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:18:19 -0700

Tomorrow is the Rainy Dawg Birthday Festival! Rainy Dawg Radio, a non-profit radio station run by students at the University of Washington, will be celebrating it's 10th year with a local-band showcase featuring Natasha Kmeto, Keyboard Kid, Futurewife, Key Nyata, Jarv Dee, Naomi Punk, and Pony Time!

The fest will also feature record labels, clothing brands, vendors, and artists. And I've been hearing rumors of a birthday cake.

Sylvan Grove Theater on the UW campus // 5-10pm // Check the invite for more details!

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RocketNumberNine's Productive, Sci-Fi Post-Post-Punk Will Make You Move

Kathy Fennessy — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:12:23 -0700

Smalltown Supersound
Photo by Sam Moon

RocketNumberNine
MeYouWeYou
(Smalltown Supersound)

An album that makes me want to dance, to get to work, and to read the novels of Philip K. Dick—not necessarily at the same time—can only be a good thing.

Based on the singles London-based brother duo Tom and Ben Page have released to date, "Rotunda" and the Four Tet-approved "Matthew and Toby," I expected to like their debut, and I do. I really do. And it reinforces my conviction that there's a post-post-punk scene going on in London that's about to blow up, and RocketNumberNine is part of it.

By "blow up," I don't mean to suggest that any these acts, like the Mercury Prize-nominated Polar Bear, are going to storm Billboard's dance charts—they're too off-kilter and spiky for that—but I predict that their popularity will only increase (and if Toronto's Odonis Odonis were from London, I would add them to this list).

Smalltown Supersound
Photo by Sam Moon

Many of these musicians, especially the players in Melt Yourself Down, have backgrounds in regional and international jazz, and it shows. That characteristic provides a link with post-punk progenitors such as Pigbag and Rip Rig + Panic.

It's music designed to make you move, but it isn't cold or robotic—not that there isn't a time and place for that—but loose and funky. And it's not like the Page brothers aren't also working with machines, but the percussive bits (triangles, drums, etc.) have a decidedly human feel. It also sounds like they're running a melodica through a Vocoder on "Lope," so they're experimental, too.

Smalltown Supersound
Suitably post-punkadelic cover art

Other than the garbled samples on "Symposium" and "Deadly Buzz," which recalls DJ Shadow by way of Love and Rockets—specifically their strobe-tastic "Ball of Confusion" cover—there are no vocals on MeYouWeYou, and nor are they necessary (they're also so scrambled that I couldn't identify a single word).

Words would probably get in the way of the grooves, and there are few things I enjoy less than a smooth, sinuous dance track with a stiff, ill-fitting vocal. In retrospect, RocketNumberNine would've been the ideal outfit to score Richard Linklater's Rotoscope take on Philip K. Dick's A Scanner Darkly, because of the "scramble suit" that Keanu Reeves wears throughout the film (Thom Yorke, who provided music for the movie, once asked RN9 to open for Radiohead).

I'm always on the hunt for get-to-work music, and RocketNumberNine has issued the finest example I've heard so far this year, though my number #1 GTW album is Mulatu Astatke and the Heliocentrics' Inspiration Information (and not so coincidentally, a few of the MYD players have worked with Mr. Astatke).

MeYouWeYou is out now on Smalltown Supersound (July 30 release date).

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Support the Massive Monkees Studio: Keep the Beacon Lit

Kelly O — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:55:04 -0700

There's only two days left in the fundraising campaign to help the Massive Monkees lock down a long-term lease on The Beacon—their temporary studio located in Seattle's International District. These amazing folks aren't just teaching adults and after-school crews of little kids how to breakdance—they're creating community, and turning people into better and more confident humans.

Check out this short video, and please consider donating a dollar or three. Only two days left! Donate, and read so much more right here.

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NighTraiN Video Premiere at Chop Suey!

Emily Nokes — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:03:16 -0700

Sorry it's already 5pm and I'm just telling you this, but you have a few hours to take a sponge bath and buy Nicole "Ja Ja Juicy" of NighTraiN a birthday gift and get to Chop Suey! The lovely locomotive-punks will be premiering their brand-new video for single "Huntress" tonight, plus Portland band band band And And And and Sun Angle (also from PDX) will be playing.

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The Fantastic Psychedelic Journey of Mr. Derek See

Mike Nipper — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:32:29 -0700

She Came This Way by Derek See

Okay, "She Came This Way" is not exactly a long JOURNEY...like, it ain't a concept piece about a neverending fairytale or stoking revolution, BUT it is a single side's journey through some sweet sunlit sike. It's a dosed sugar cube of Love, lysergic-era Beatles, the Buffalo Springfield, without irony and ZERO nods to the contemporary sike strains.

"She Came This Way" is one of Bay Area guitarsonist Derek See's solo jams. His main playing gig is producing, recording, and playing guitar with the Bang Girl Revue. If you ain't heard 'em, the Bang Girl Revue lay down some serious girl-group sounds. See also has an unfuckwithble record collection, which, thankfully, he proudly plays out, and he maintains a GENIUS blog, Derek's Daily 45. The man has taste and skill, AND he's also the Stooges' touring guitar tech!! Lord knows where he finds the time to record his killer solo action. GODDAMN! Oh, full disclosure: He's also a pal of mine.

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Sic Alps' Top-of-the-Pop-Tart Jam "Biz Bag" Is Rocking My World

Kathy Fennessy — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:41:24 -0700

K.C. Fennessy

"Biz Bag" appears on the Bay Area band's upcoming EP, She's on Top, which I originally typed as "Who's the Boss" (blame Tony Danza...or Alyssa "Wen® Hair" Milano...or Judith Light..or Reagan-era sitcoms in general).

Why it's called "Biz Bag," I couldn't say, but it rocks in a big, bad, beautiful way—and I'm still kicking myself for missing their Seattle show last fall. I even took a picture of the poster, because I was so excited, but then deadlines got the best of me.

Here's an excerpt from Drag City's breathless press release:

This morning, Pitchfork premiered "Biz Bag," one of the completely bonk, top-of-the-pop-tart jams from the freshly pressed-and-forthcoming (May 21st!) "She’s On Top" 12" EP by Sic Alps. "She's On Top," a concise gem-drop! Pure rock 'n' roll directives of an unusually clean (for Sic Alps!) variety pour forever from das grooves and we're not gonna lie—this ain't no waxident, it's a classicident! One solid blast threatens to obliterate both end of yer parties* with vitality and charm, a peakingly [sic] planned romp into the twilight hours that float beyond the late-nite hours. Taste this first listen, and you'll eat exactly what we mean.

* I read that as "panties." (I suspect that DC main man Rian Murphy wrote this thing.)

Not sure what's going on with the cover art either, but I like it. The lady is lovely, but I sense that something is "off" with this picture—and I'm not talking about the incongruous layout and typography—but the fact that she looks like one of the Manson gals. And I apologize if she's a friend or relative of the band, but some of those Manson followers, like Bobby Beausoleil, were pretty easy on the eyes. Can anyone identify her?* (If so, she's clearly not Squeaky Fromme, the only female Family member I recognize due to her presidential assassination attempt.)

Postscript: Out of curiosity, I contacted Drag City's publicist, who explained that Mike Donovan found the photo fascinating—I knew I'd seen it before!—so he secured the rights to use it. Says publicist Kellie Morgan, "There was a band in the '60s called the Diggers—and a member of the band, Chuck Gould, took the photo of this woman, Zoe Leader." So, I was right about the Cali counterculture thing—and wrong about the serial killer component. In hopes of finding out more about Leader, I scoured the internet, but the only citation led to a dead link. There's a Lion King voice-over artist who shares that name, and most hits reference her in some way.

* I did an image search, and she doesn't resemble any of Manson's assorted lady friends.

Drag City releases the three-song EP on May 21. Order it online here. I sampled the other tracks, "She's on Top" and "Carrie Jean," and they rock just as hard.

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Helms Alee Covering Heart's "Magic Man" Is the Best Thing to Happen to Music All Week

Megan Seling — Fri, 10 May 2013 10:53:58 -0700

HOLY SHIT, HELMS ALEE.

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UV Race and Life Stinks at Barboza

Kathy Fennessy — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:58:10 -0700

K.C. Fennessy
Marcus Rechsteiner: bringing sexy back

To judge by my Twitter feed, more people were at the Crocodile for last night's Secret Chiefs 3 gig than at Barboza for UV Race, and that's too bad. Not for the former, but definitely for the latter, who put on a great show.

There were so few people at the venue, in fact, that the opening act, San Francisco's Life Stinks, went on at 9:20pm rather than 9pm. It was a wise move, since a few more punters had arrived by that time, and it created a smaller gap between acts. Around 11:43pm, Dave Segal tweeted about a 40-minute intermission at the Chiefs concert, so I feel like I got the better deal—at least from a scheduling perspective (and I was home before midnight, which is always welcome on a work night).

Out of respect for the bands and fellow show goers, I decided to turn off my camera flash, since I can usually get decent photographs at Barboza without it, but they didn't turn out very well, in part because the lighting scheme wasn't as bright as usual, most notably during Life Stinks' set. I've posted a few below.

K.C. Fennessy
Chud Kawamura: doing that voodoo that he do

Give it up for a guy who can scream, scream, scream like a banshee. Chud Kawamura started to scream, and he didn't stop until the last song. There was one number where he screamed a little more quietly, but it was still a scream.

Considering that I just saw METZ last week, that makes for two scream fests in a row. That said, I was a little put off at first, but only a little; the more I heard, the more I cottoned to the quintet's garage-core sound. And that shouldn't come as much of a surprise since they've got two drummers, and I'm a sucker for that configuration, which the Dirtbombs have turned into high art. Ronaldo and Vinnie mostly play the same thing in unison, but it just intensifies the rhythm, although I think only Ronaldo played the kick drum (I couldn't see Vinnie
very well).

K.C. Fennessy
UV Race's Al and Georgia

In scrolling through the group's Tumblr, I found that Shannon & the Clams were previously part of this West Coast tour.* I'm sorry Seattle didn't get that triple bill (Portland got Eat Skull instead). Incidentally, if you Google Life Stinks, even if you add the words "band" and "San Francisco," you'll bring up entries for the Mel Brooks' dud of the same name... about which I had otherwise completely forgotten. I doubt it had any influence, especially since song titles include "Creepazoid" and "You're Face Is a Mess." In the world of Life Stinks, life just plain stinks.

* In two weeks, UV Race will be sharing bills with Total Control with whom they have players in common, like drummer Dan Stewart, who was wearing a Life Stinks t-shirt [not pictured].

K.C. Fennessy
UV Race's Alexandra Microwave and Moses

I recognized the UV Race material from Racism, but I'm less familiar with 2011's Homo. It all sounded good, including a cover of the Swell Maps' "Midget Submarines." Though Marcus serves as the Melbourne band's core member, they sing most songs in unison. At other times, guitarist Al "Borat" Snake handled a few verses, but Marcus brought the quips, the moves, and the priceless expressions: when he frowns, you want to cry; when he smiles, it lights up the room. Bonus points for the sax squall that added savory dissonance to his skewed confections.

k
Ronaldo and Marcus share a mic

Though he was fully dressed when the show began, that t-shirt came off the minute Marcus got overheated (Stewart also took off his belt, while Snake took off his snazzy jacket). Based on the front man's comments between songs, I got the distinct impression that he digs Seattle—so I hope the city shows him more love next time around. They deserve it. Great set, great night, great band.

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Kelly O is My New Favorite Artist

Emily Nokes — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:59:05 -0700

APPARENTLY, our very own Kelly O could have had a career in drawing portraits instead of snapping them. Upon learning the news that Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman passed away last Thursday, she posted the sad announcement with a link that went to the best high school rock illustrations ever...

I can't believe I didn't see her illustrated Slayer article when it ran, but HOLY WHOA THOSE DRAWINGS! Kerry King and Tom Araya look pretty babely (as do all those other rock doodles!)—but where is the belated Hanneman?

I say, to commemorate his passing, Kelly O should draw Jeff Hanneman—shading and all—for a proper RIP to one of her favorite bands' guitarists. Do it Kellz! I'll buy you the biggest fro-yo!

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O('Malley) My God: Stream Sunn O)))'s Catalog for Free on Bandcamp

Dave Segal — Fri, 03 May 2013 09:17:02 -0700

Drone-doom juggernaut Sunn O))) have put their entire catalog on Bandcamp for free streaming. Immerse yourself in the oceanic amplitude of AUMness here.

The Iron Soul Of Nothing by SUNN O))) meets NURSE WITH WOUND

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The Best Way To Waste Time Today

Bree McKenna — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:00:25 -0700

The link to this "Women of Punk" on Network Awesome was blowing up my Facebook feed all morning, and I just finally fell prey to its greatness. It includes "30 shows containing almost 400 video clips exploring the role women have played in punk music from the 70's to today, with rare interviews and concerts, videos, documentaries and feature films." If you wanna dork out on old '80s VHS-quality videos of interviews and performances by Kleenex, the Bags, Mo-Dettes, Model Citizens, Blondie, Delta 5, Sonic Youth, Bikini Kill, Pandoras, and a segment called "77 minutes with Kate Bush," then this is for you.

Plus, it has a bunch of bands of the last decade that I hadn't thought of in a minute, like Finally Punk ("WTF, MISSILE??"), Erase Errata, All Girl Summer Fun Band, Mika Miko, New Bloods, and Tracy and the Plastics.

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New From Peach Kelli Pop!

Bree McKenna — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:08:57 -0700

Here is the newest music video from the minimalist bubblegum sensation Peach Kelli Pop (yes, named after that Redd Kross song!) The project is the handiwork of pop mastermind Allie Hanlon, with a rotating backing band of whichever friends are available for her to teach her songs to.

Peach Kelli Pop was born when Allie, an Oakland, California transplant by way of Ottawa, Canada, started writing fun, sugar-fueled punk songs as a side project of her band White Wire. Her second album (just released earlier this year on Burger Records) is chock full of songs that are seemingly woven together from Nikki and the Corvettes records and B&J wine coolers. She just announced announced some dates with UK's Kate Nash, and will be opening for her at the Crocodile on May 15th. If their were just one show I could recommend throwing down a few grape jello shots beforehand, this would be the one.

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Hornet Leg This Weekend!

Emily Nokes — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:14:30 -0700

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.

Still Life by Hornet Leg

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

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Get Trampled By Megafauna Twice This Week

Sean Jewell — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:50:14 -0700

Anna Webber
Megafauna will knock you on your ass.

There is a high likelihood of trampling as Austin power-trio Megafauna stampede through two different Seattle venues this week, while on a west coast tour. You can catch front-woman Dani Neff running from her rhythm section by alternately marching up and down the scales of her Stratocaster like a math rocker, playing Bo Diddley-esque blues, and corralling a herd of influences with Megafauna's brand of tar pit sticky garage alternative.

Megafauna are on what appears to be a permanent west coast tour since Yale-trained entertainment attorney and guitar goddess Neff moved to Austin and started a band in 2008. They just released their album Surreal Estate on vinyl and they’re gracing us with their presence at an El Corazon Lounge show on the 16th, and at the Mix on the 18th.

I implore you: watch the videos below, then get out to the show(s) and observe a beast called rock n roll in the wild.

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Thom Yorke Gives Advice for Teen Girls About Teen Boys

Anna Minard — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:14:04 -0700

Rookie Mag does it again! The newest edition of their Ask a Grown Man video series is Thom Yorke and Nigel Godrich. They give advice to teen girls on asking boys out, how you know if you like someone ("Those little electrical impulses are the best bit," says Yorke), what it means when you want to have sex with someone who isn't your boyfriend, and more.

ENJOY:

(Link here). Dan doesn't have to give up his day job or anything, but this is fucking adorable.

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Colleen Green Makes Pure Pop for Now People

Kathy Fennessy — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:03:13 -0700

Hardly Art
Photo by Eric Penna

Colleen Green
Sock It to Me
(Hardly Art)

On the basis of "Time in the World," which plays like "Lucky Star"-era Madonna gone shoegaze, I expected good things from Colleen Green's full-length debut, and she delivered (and she really should cover "Lucky Star"). That first single sets the template as Green sings in an inviting voice over hot-rod guitars, rickety drum-machine beats, and the odd synthesizer flourish.

Sock It to Me also brings femme-fronted '90s outfits like Lush and the Breeders to mind, but that may have more to do with the way she sings than the music she makes, and I don't recall that's she's cited either of those acts as influences. Instead, she's mentioned the Descendents, who inspired the 2010 cassette Milo Goes to Compton, but punk doesn't come to mind when I listen to this record.

In fact, there's nothing particularly punk about it at all, although I realize some people think of punk as an attitude or a spirit more than a style or a sound, but I mostly hear pop; not in the Top 40 sense, since the producer didn't buff everything to a high polish, but there's a buoyancy here that most punk lacks.

The primary exceptions: "Heavy Shit," which features a faster pace and a Clash-like guitar line, even if her singing remains as smooth and steady as ever, and "Number One," which sounds like a lost Ramones track, circa "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend," so...I still hear more pop than punk, particularly since Dee Dee and the boys took so many cues from the Brill Building brain trust. And there's nothing wrong with that, so I'm sorry "pop" has developed so many negative connotations over the years—Sock It to Me is a great example of the form.

Sock It to Me is out now on Hardly Art. Stream it at Stereogum and catch Colleen Green with White Fang at Heartland (5306 Roosevelt Way NE) on May 13.

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Today is the Day of Biz Markie

Derek Erdman — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 09:30:35 -0700

I've only had one encounter with Biz Markie. I was working in a busy record store in the late 1990s when the door swung open and a booming voice came from a man who only stuck his head inside. His question filled the entire store, "DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY TRIPLE EXTRA LARGE T-SHIRTS?" I thought for a second and then replied that we didn't. The head disappeared and the door closed. An excited teenager exclaimed, "That was Biz Markie!" I put Goin' Off on the house system and resumed working.

Derek Erdman
The Clown Prince of Hip Hop.

Marcel Theo Hall was born on April 9th, 1964 in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. In the early 80s, Marcel Theo Hall became Biz Markie and earned a reputation as a rapper and beat boxer on Long Island, NY. Biz beat boxed on Roxanne Shante's underground cut "Def Fresh Crew" in 1986, which established him and the rest of the Cold Chillin' Records crew.

The tail end of the 1980s saw the release of two Biz Markie classics, Goin' Off in 1988 and the Biz Never Sleeps in 1989. Most of his singles crossed over onto mainstream radio, cuts like "Nobody Beats The Biz," "The Vapors," and "Pickin' Boogers" were familiar to anybody paying attention to music at that time. Markie hit big in 1989 with the catchy vocal warbler, "Just a Friend."

Biz Markie's 1991 LP I Need a Haircut became part of a landmark copyright ruling in hip hop when a lawsuit was served by Gilbert O'Sullivan over an uncleared sample on the track "Alone Again (Naturally)." O'Sullivan's claim was upheld in a ruling that altered the landscape of hip-hop, finding that all samples must be cleared with the original artist before being used.

Biz Markie has done heaps of things since then, but has mostly settled into a career as an integral part of the quirky children's television show called Yo Gabba Gabba. Happy birthday, Biz Markie!

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Members of TAD Reunite for Sub Pop's Upcoming Silver Jubilee

Megan Seling — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:33:10 -0700

The band TAD just posted this update to their Facebook:

To clarify; Tad Doyle and Gary Thorstensen (two original members of TAD) will be joining Brothers of the Sonic Cloth to play a set of songs from the band TAD's God's Balls, Salt Lick and 8-Way Santa record at the Sub Pop Records 25th Jubilee in Seattle's Georgetown in July 2013. Details to follow. #SP25

THIS WILL BE AWESOME. And this is the first public information I've seen regarding the festival's line-up. Not a bad start.

Keep an eye on silverjubilee.subpop.com for updates.

Now that we know a TAD/Brothers of the Sonic Cloth mash-up is happening, who else are you hoping to see there?

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Waxwing: "It's Good to Be Back"

Megan Seling — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:55:08 -0700

Waxwing, the beloved Northwest-based guitar-driven rock band that I saw possibly more than any other band in the early 2000s, is BACK!

I first noticed hints of their reunion via Facebook. My heart lept out of my chest as soon as I saw "2013" written below the band's familiar logo, but, given the date, I remained cautiously skeptical. Waxwing, is (and always will be) a band that's very dear to me. Their album One for the Ride remains an all-time favorite and it was a comforting soundtrack for some very difficult moments in my life. The last shows Waxwing played were in 2005, for an official farewell. Waxwing fell to the back burner as band members became busy with life and other musical projects—singer Rocky Votolato had a successful solo career, his bandmate and brother Cody Votolato was part of the Blood Brothers, and drummer Rudy Gajadhar was in Gatsby's American Dream—but 2013 is the year of Waxwing's resurrection. And not only do they have at least one upcoming show to speak of (and more to come soon, hopefully), they've also been working on new material since the beginning of the year.

Rocky Votolato kindly answered my overly-enthusiastic questions via Facebook, to confirm that this isn't a long-planned April Fool's joke.

I assume this means you're back together, yes? Temporarily? Forever? Do you know?

Yes—we're back together!

Are there any shows you can mention?

We have one show confirmed at the Vera Project for Saturday Aug 24th. Hopefully many more to come after that.

New music? Maybe? Yes? No?

Definitely new music. We have been writing since early this year and can't wait to record another record. Not sure when that will happen but we're definitely planning on it.

CAN YOU TELL I'M SO EXCITED!?

I'm really glad you're excited, Megan! I really am too and can't wait to see where things go with the band.