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Northwest Music Blog

The Sound of Music in the Northwest

 

Contraband Countryband CD Release Party!!!

Author Jared Nelson   Filed under Upcoming   May 9, 2007  

Saturday, May 12, the Allegro Lounge, 6:30 pm

The Contraband Countryband is a collective project centered around the songs of Jared Nelson (who, yes, is me — but still, the third person). Recorded in a variety of times and spaces from November 2005 to 2006, this is the first “normal” record from 1/2 Ass Universe. The record veers from solo folk, to booming Crazy Horse-plods, elegant psychedelic trumpet bridges, upbeat Wilco-esque pop, campfire sing-alongs, screaming walls of noise, and anthemic rock. Produced by Dave Webb (Girth, Wah Wah Exit Wound) and featuring performances from Peijman Kouretchian (Girth, Secret Chiefs 3), Jordan Michelman (Patience Please), Chris Borgia (the Quit, the Tangents), Dash Pilcher (Sway), and Micheal van Bebber (2004 MACRO Composition/Theory Award and Honorarium).

Popularity: 22%

 
 

Chris Cornell at the Fenix

Author misterlevitan   Filed under NW Show Critic   May 8, 2007  

webcast of doom

At 7pm Tuesday night, I was told that Chris Cornell was playing a show at the Fenix, but all available tickets had been distributed through MySpace and other channels.

I wasn’t about to run down to Pioneer Square to be a mouth-breather fanboy and beg entrance because the Seattle Times’ site said that the show would be webcast on MSN at 10pm.

Fancy that! I can be a fanboy at home and rock out to the aging ex-Soundgarden frontman belt out “Billie Jean” while doing physics homework. (I have to confess I am thrilled that someone other than Kevin Ledoux is doing 80’s cover tunes.)

Popularity: 26%

 
 

Britt Daniel Intimate Accoustic

Author Kevin LeDoux   Filed under NW Show Critic    

Britt Daniel

Last night Britt Daniel, of legendary Spoon fame and responsible for 5 of the best albums of the past decade, played to an intimate crowd of about 150 at the Crocodile Cafe as a benefit for Muscular Dystrophy Research. As Spoon is a band that normally sells out venues like the Bowery Ballroom in NYC within 2 hours, it was a surprise to be standing 3 feet from the action and NOT be slammed against everyone else. The intimacy of this setting made for a rather quiet and self conscious start for Britt. Once the crowd showed it’s obvious adoration for him, the colar and guitar strings began to loosen and there was a steady increase in volume and energy as the songs kept pouring forth.

Popularity: 33%

 
 

Bright Eyes Show Review

Author matt   Filed under NW Show Critic    
Singer/songwriter Ross Beamish talks about the recent Bright Eyes show at the Paramount in Seattle

What songs did they nail?

Clairaudients (Kill or Be Killed) (from the new album Cassadaga), Four Winds (Cassadaga), Hot Knives (Cassadaga). As part of the Bright Eyes encore they played Road to Joy - the last song on last album I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning - and it was a dream come true.

bright_eyes_conor_oberst.jpg

Popularity: 62%

 
 

Queens of the Stone Age preview

Author misterlevitan   Filed under Music   May 7, 2007  

Possible album artwork for new QOTSA record
I got a taste of three new QOTSA tracks from the upcoming LP, Era Vulgaris. Slated for a June 12 release, the new LP is expected to feature an all-star lineup of studio musicians, including guitarist Alain Johannes (Eleven, Chris Cornell band) drummer Joey Castillo (Danzig), Troy Van Leeuwen (A Perfect Circle), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Mark Lanegan (The Screaming Trees, and Mark Lanegan Band), Julian Casablancas (The Strokes) and Trent Reznor (what band is he in?).

Popularity: 38%

 
 

A Report from the Reverend Horton Heat Show

Author matt   Filed under NW Show Critic    

Reverend Horton Heat, Friday (early show) at El Corazón here in Seattle

Terminology from my source included the words “Excellent” and “it was so good we hugged” (two straight males).

Sigh… another RHH show, another case of singer Jim Heath playing his Gretsch while standing on Jimbo Wallace’s upright base.

rev_horton_heat.jpg

Popularity: 22%

 
 

The Hype Machine’s podcast

Author matt   Filed under Music   May 5, 2007  

… is outfuckingstanding. Subcribe to it here.

It’s literally free studio and live music tracks every day by medium and big names in music. No talk.

Oh, It’s not one long indivisible monster file — you get several individual song tracks per day.

I have my iTunes set to download whatever they’re offering daily at 5:11 pm. Why 5:11? I have no idea.

I have ~500MB of music from HM that’s been collecting for a few months, and I’m starting to go thru it and finding some surprisingly good stuff. Here’s a sample:

Popularity: 19%

 
 

!!! - Dance off, Pants off - !!!

Author Kevin LeDoux   Filed under NW Show Critic   May 4, 2007  

!!!

Now either every person in Seattle who has ever danced at a concert (c’mon, you 20 people know who you are) were somehow cosmically shanghaied into gathering at Neumos last night … OR !!! (commonly pronounced “chk chk chk”) actually rocked hard enough to cause a full fledged dance movement. I’d personally like to believe the latter but won’t rule out the cosmic possibilities.

Backing their latest album, Myth Takes, !!! lit up the crowd immediately with the first 2 tracks off of their album, “Myth Takes” and “All My Heroes are Weirdoes”. Granted it was a bit anticlimactic and confusing at first when the lead singers mic didn’t work and there was some finagling involved to get the vocals… BUT, as the night wore on, it became very apparent as to why that mic was mangled. Nic Offer had blown the shit out of it the night before with animalistic yelps and throat ripping screams, an impressive display to say the least, all kept in check with the sultry murmurs truely inspired by Mick Jagger.

…as the night wore on, it became very apparent as to why that mic was mangled. Nic Offer had blown the shit out of it the night before with animalistic yelps and throat ripping screams, an impressive display to say the least, all kept in check with the sultry murmurs truely inspired by Mick Jagger.

Coming through with a sound that was a lot like channeling Pink Floyd through a Disco filter, these guys put on a high energy show that was talented, fuking rocking and most importantly, surprising. Switching up their line-up occasionally to put John Pugh (I think that’s his name) in front made the show for me. He maintained the haunting melodies of “Bend Over Beethoven” and “New Name” then kicked you in the neck by punctuating the peaks of the songs with the most incredible wailings. The killer disco/punk tracks on the album were all turned up a notch for their live event, leaving both performers and crowd exhausted by nights end.
Might be the “cookies” talking, but I’m sold.

Popularity: 38%