Weekend in Music @ the Comet

I not really a denizen or supporter of the Capitol Hill hip scene, but this weekend the Comet is hosting two great shows which I highly recommend checking out.

Friday, March 2 – Sugar Skulls, Spirit of Radio, and more

Sugar Skulls are three girls who play violin, bass, and keyboards with a mad good dude on drums that bash out quirky prog styled music which really has no direct comparison.  Spirit of Radio is a duo featuring Luke LaPlante (Sean, Scary Bear) and Jared (ex-Akimbo) on just drums & bass keeping it real and giving nod to Rush (at least in name)

 Saturday, March 3 – Green Milk from the Planet Orange, Akimbo, more

 Statements such as “If you don’t go see Green Milk you’re not a fan of music” are quite strong, but in this case also true.  One of the most energetic shows you’ll ever see in your life.  Akimbo are solid Seattle metal.  One of Kinski’s side projects is also playing.

 I get to see the Seattle Symphony perform Beethoven on Friday — and that’s pretty sweet as well. 

 Cool CDs y’all should buy:

Gentle Giant “Octopus”

Yes “Tales from Topographic Oceans”

Mott the Hoople “Mad Shadows
Grails “Burden of Hope”

This Saturday

I’d go to this (Man Plus, Optimus Rhyme, Smoosh, Shorthand for Epic, Tim Seely, and Gabriel Teodros @ High Dive) if it wasn’t for this (Black Crabs are opening for Deke Dickerson @ Tractor [late show]).

Philosophical Question: What is “northwest”?

There are several oulets that cover the local and northwest music scene (blogs, publications, radio). But what music should or should not be covered by these outlets? What makes a band a “northwest band”?

For me, it’s still strange to see a list of top selling local albums that includes the Shins. When Oh, Inverted World came out, the band was based in Albuquerque, NM. But when they relocated to Portland, OR, they were immediately accepted as local. In the February 22-28 issue of The Stranger, Wincing the Night Away is listed as the number one selling northwest album and Oh, Inverted World is number 4. When Kristin Hersh’s Sunny Border Blue was released, she was living near North Bend and that album received airplay on KEXP’s local music show, Audioasis. When her next album, The Grotto, came out she was living in Palm Springs, CA and it was not considered a local release. Now she is living in Portland, OR and her latest album, Learn to Sing Like a Star is once again accepted as northwest (but it doesn’t seem to be as accepted as Sunny Border Blue). And if Kristin Hersh is considered local, where does that put her bands 50 Foot Wave and Throwing Muses? I personally don’t want to hear the Dave Matthews Band on Audioasis or the Young and the Restless, but since Mr. Matthews lives in Wallingford (at least he did, does he still?) should he be considered local?

Two Ends of a Spectrum

Exactly seven days apart, I saw MTV-friendly Tenacious D at the Paramount, and a small noise/experimental show at the Lobo Saloon. To say they were dissimilar would be like saying tidal waves are moisture filled.

Guess which one this is?

This is The Best Song In The World

No exaggeration.

You Should See Them

Upskirts upcoming shows:

Upcoming Shows

Mar 7 2007 8:00P	The Funhouse	Seattle, Washington
Mar 16 2007 7:00P	(All Ages!) Seattle Drum School (Lab)	Seattle, Washington
Mar 17 2007 8:00P	Skylark	Seattle

Re-bar

Went to the Re-bar last night for Harsh, the Re-bar’s experimental music & noise night (third Thursdays). It was actually pretty cool.

The club is dark, the dj’s are very underground, the crowd is nothing if not simply on the far fringe of music fandom. The music is different.

I’ll review the noise artist we saw in an upcoming entry. I have his email address and need to do an email interview. Until then, check out the cool release poster:

The Police Tour — it’s Official

And they’re coming to Seattle on their second tour date.

Yahoo! story.

DATE: CITY: VENUE: ON SALE DATE:
28-May Vancouver, BC GM Place Saturday, Feb. 17
06-June Seattle, WA Key Arena To Be Announced
09-June Denver, CO Pepsi Center To Be Announced
15-June Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena To Be Announced
16-June Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Festival To Be Announced
18-June Phoenix, AZ US Airways Arena To Be Announced
26-June Dallas, TX American Airlines Center To Be Announced
30-June New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena To Be Announced
02-July St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center To Be Announced
22-July Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre Saturday, Feb. 17
25-July Montreal, PQ Bell Centre Saturday, Feb. 17
28-July Boston, MA Fenway Park Tuesday, Feb. 20
01-Aug New York, NY Madison Square Garden Tuesday, Feb. 20
03-Aug New York, NY Madison Square Garden Tuesday, Feb. 20

Pete Yorn, Aqualung @ Showbox

Pete Yorn played his brand of rock last night Saturday night to a very appreciative, sold-out Showbox crowd. Check his site for abbreviated clips of his songs — they’re not worth linking to at 30 seconds each. WTF?

[Droll writing style reveals foreshadowing -- Ed. ]

Then Radiohead protogé Aqualung played their brand of rock last night Saturday night to a very appreciative, sold-out Showbox crowd.  [foreshadowing again.]

Progressive Rock Rules!!!

Whenever Yes, Rush, or their assorted minions ever came on the radio, I used to get pissed.  I hated the stuff.  I listened to hardcore bands like Husker Du and Black Flag.  I kept real — who needed musical chops, anyway.

 A few years back I went through a bit of ’70s radio rock renaissance — indulging in Edgar Winter’s “They Only Come Out at Night” and Mott the Hoople.  I thought it was a faze — ’cause I never listen to it anymore.

Then Tower was going out of business and the CDs were all 50% off or some jazz, so I picked up The Yes Album – by Yes, took home, popped in the CD tray, and listened.  I was blown away…now I’m a pretty hardcore Yes, King Crimson, and Zappa junkie.  There’s nothing like the “I get up/I get down” melody in “Close to the Edge” with Wakeman’s walls of organ and Jon Anderson and Chris Squire harmonizing to heaven.  (Jon Anderson’s voice is amazing!!!  Dig his guest spot on “Lizard” by King Crimson — the Flaming Lips got it all right there — at least for the last three records).

Prog — go buy some!!!  Musicians trying to challenge themselves into all new regions of playing, composition, imagery…why not listen to it?  Think of something like Husker Du’s “Zen Arcade” — so what if punk musician’s push the boundaries?  Of what? Of punk (albeit the Du never admitted to being a punk band or liked being labelled hardcore).  Yea, they’re pushing themselves…but prog!

Listen to “Starship Trooper” just once and tell me it’s not incredible.

Phantom Lights, New Fangs, A-Frames @ Funhouse

Funhouse on Saturday: Phantom Lights, New Fangs, and the A-Frames. This was the Fangs’ last show, and they went out with a bang. They rocked the fucking house. I guess it will be the first and last time I’ll see you guys play, sigh.

The Phantom Lights rotated instruments every few songs. Nice touch, Lights.

Old-timers Reunite (Do Do Do Da Da Da)

The Decemberists and The Shins and Keane and Band of Horses bum me out. Yech. Too much mopey emo-core when it’s grey and bitter-cold makes me all cranky. ‘Specially when I don’t have money to go ‘boarding with Ledoux.
So how pumped am I to hear that The Police are playing here in May. And Van-f*cking-Halen is playing this summer with Diamond Dave, Alex, Eddie and Wolfgang Van Halen!

“Wonder what the teacher’s gonna look like this year???!?!”

British Invasions and Thoughts of Rena

Maybe I’ve written about the late British Invasion fueled by the likes of Art Brut, The Rakes, Arctic Monkeys.

If I haven’t, well, there’s an invasion on, and I’d like you to please add the Voom Blooms to the guilty parties listed above.

Ugliest Band of the Year?

Man, oh man, I know Isaac Brock isn’t the most handsome lead singer,
but this promo makes me wonder if it’s Halloween.
Will someone please get these guys outdoors?
And spike their drinks with some Vitamin C????