The Raconteurs at Neumos

Honestly, I wasn’t that impressed with the Raconteurs’ first effort, Broken Boy Soldiers (I blame second-songwriter Brendan Benson); but a chance to see Jack White at Neumos? Yes, please.

Pre-Sale begins Thursday 3/20 at 10am:
Presale Link
Password = Consolers

w/ Birds of Avalon (currently touring with Black Mountain) 

$27.50 ADV
ALL AGES/BAR W/ ID

Special Note: There will be a two ticket limit. Photo ID will be required to match the credit card of purchase. Once tickets are collected you must enter the venue, no exceptions.

Hot Chip at Showbox Market

Cheeky Brits make their way stateside to tell us all how it is, and laugh in our face while doing it.  What a deal!

HOT CHIP
Free Blood

$15.00 ADV / $18.00 DOS & at the door
Doors at 8pm – All Ages

Caribou at Chop Suey

I really dug Caribou’s last album Andorra: an atmospheric blend of electronica, folk, and Brian Wilson-inspired pop. Never seen him live, however. <shrug> I’d go…

w/ Fuck Buttons

$12 adv
8pm doors
21+

Heavy Hearts CD Release w/ Holy Name Dropouts at High Dive

Continuing their press tour, the Heavy Hearts pull out all the stops and recruit their high-falutin’ buddies in PartMan PartHorse to help roll out the red carpet. Sure to be a chaotic, entertaining and bass-filled show, look for the HH’s new release A Killer of Snakes at the merch table—finally!

$7 Free
9pm
21+

Update: Partman Parthorse is no longer on the bill. Lame!

The Valley w Ice Age Cobra at High Dive

Hardhat rockers unite! Pretty riffin’ lineup at the High Dive, as a couple more underappreciated bands keep on truckin’.

The Valley
Iceage Cobra
The DTs

Charge: $7
Time: 9pm

Handsome Furs and the Teenagers at Neumos

Handsome Furs, the project of Wolf Parade guitarist/vocalist Dan Boecker and his wifey, received mixed reviews on their debut release, Plague Park. But the artistry and talent of Boeckner alone make this show a must-see.

THE TEENAGERS
HANDSOME FURS
plus guests

$12 ADV
8PM DOORS
ALL AGES/BAR W/ ID

Pleasureboaters at King Cobra

Doesn’t look like King Cobra has it’s own website yet, but who cares! Apparently it’s clean and doesn’t smell like a dog kennel—kudos to that! One of the most underappreciated hard-core bands in Seattle, Pleasureboaters, plays the unsullied C-hill venue April 18th, following a US tour. Go see them rip your ears to shreds with shreiking vocals, monster bass lines, and delightful cacophony.

w/ The Pharmacy
Tacocat
Strong Killings

Blitzen Trapper and Fleet Foxes at Neumos

I’m not fully sold on Blitzen Trapper, but I am sold on Fleet Foxes. Since they’re labelmates and Portland compatriots, I’m willing to give BT another listen. Let’s go to Neumos on the 18th and listen to some soft rock, shall we?

BLITZEN TRAPPER
FLEET FOXES
THE QUIET ONES
$10 ADV
8PM DOORS
ALL AGES BALCONY
(Limited AA Capacity)
21+ Floor w/ ID

Old Haunts, Feral Children, Coconut Coolouts at Vera Project

Man, if there was ever a time to check out an all ages show at the Vera Project, this would be it. Nestled in Queen Anne, the non-profit organization puts on lots of great shows every month.

The one on April 12th, however, is an excellent show. If you’re not familiar with Olympia’s Old Haunts, how about a little star power to whet yer whistle? Tobi Vail, the former drummer of Bikini Kill, now smacks toms with this swamp-rock outfit. You’ve heard us fawn repeatedly over Feral Children, and Coconut Coolouts know how to throw a pizza party, that’s for sure. Be there or most definitely be square.

The Old Haunts (feat. Tobi Vail of Bikini Kill)
Feral Children
Coconut Coolouts
Triclops!
7:30 PM, $8 ($7 w/ club card), All Ages

Heavy Hearts do Audioasis

The Heavy Hearts rock. Their dual vox rox. Their dual bass rox. Their new LP, A Killer of Snakes is gonna rock (April 15th on Selector Sound), and as soon as they send it to me, I’m gonna rock. Looks like this is just an in-studio and not a live show. Details will be added as appropriate.  AS APPROPRIATE.

Live on KEXP’s Audioasis – 8pm

Racontuers coming to Seattle – Neumos, Apr 21

For those of you who kinda want to see the White Stripes and kinda want to see Brendan Benson, I give you The Raconteurs

The newest album, and second release, Consolers Of The Lonely is due out next Tuesday, March 25th, almost a full month before they begin to tour. This is a nice change for the people as this way you’ll actually have the music in your hands when they come through town. This way, instead of being dumbfounded by new songs you’ve never heard, you’ll already have your favorites. This is the complete opposite of how album releases usually work and it has been speculated that this will a) get the music to you ASAP (oh, sure, thanks) and b) prevent the 100’s of 1000’s “leaks” of the album that are inevitable in the weeks and months between when a band begins to promote an album and when it actually becomes available. (more likely).
It seems that they are starting the tour to support their album here in the Pac NW with a show in Vancouver, Mon Apr 20th at the Commodore Ballroom. Following the Seattle show at Neumo’s on Tuesday, they head to the Wonder Balroom in Portland for a show Wed Apr 22.

Tickets for the Neumo’s show go on sale Saturday March 22nd at 10am through Ticketswest.com and 3pm in the Neumos’ box office, now located inside Moe Bar.

Special Note to Scalpers!! There will be a two ticket limit. Photo ID will be required to match the credit card of purchase. Once tickets are collected you must enter the venue.

Cat Power at Showbox SoDo

That’s South of the Dome, to you lay-folks.  Chan Marshall gets her fans all giddy while believing she might actually perform! Here’s to enigmatic singer-songwriters! Weeeee!

$26.50 ADV / $30.00 DOS & at the door — Ticketbastard; that never gets old.

Doors at 8:30pm – All Ages

The Shackeltons at Neumos

Loveless-Records-via-Chambersburg, PA’s Shackeltons bludgeon Neumos during a US tour.

Also, they’ll do a KEXP in-studio (of course) at noon on the 10th, and an Easy Street QA in-store on the 11th. If you’re a fan and miss all three, you’re an idiot.

Also playing:

THE HANDS
NEW FACES – (Kevin’s take)
BORN ANCHORS

$8 ADV, 8PM DOORS, 21+

Voyager One CD Release at Neumos

Seattle’s premier space rock astromusicians, Voyager One, are releasing their 3rd LP for Loveless Records (and 7th recording overall) and kicking it off over at Neumos. Head Like a Kite deserves a mention here, too.

CD Release show!

w/ Head Like A Kite
The Upsidedown (Portland)
Kindness Kind

Lake of Falcons w/ the Lights at The Booty Cave

The band with the best name in the game just keeps on shreddin’. Lake of Falcons and The Lights do their fans a favor and play a secret location! 

@ The Booty Cave.  LoF sez: “Send us a note for the location!”

w/ The Lights, Moderstate

ALL AGES
Cost : $5

Update: Time: 9ish; Location: Between the LoFi and The Victory on Eastlake

The Cops and Caves at Chop Suey

Do it.

Update: The Girls have been added to this bill. The Cops sez: “This will be the last time we’re playing in Seattle for several months, so don’t miss it!”

The Cops
The Girls
Caves
$8 adv
9pm doors // 21+
* The Saturday Knights have dropped off the bill

Only As Long As The Day – Another Beautiful Release from Sera Cahoone

Sera Cahoone has produced a lot of buzz in this city and outside, and for good reason – she’s a marvel. An artist you’re bound to carry forward as a classic favorite. Her music is timeless, and will be as appreciated twenty years down the road as it is today. Hers is sweet melody and melancholy, folk and country intertwined. The kind of music that is lovely and quaint, and at times bittersweet. There’s a hint of sorrow that looms throughout many of her songs, and if she weren’t backed by such a gregarious and upbeat group of musicians on stage – who all jive so very well together – one would draw a certain loneliness from her music.

I recently saw Cahoone and band perform a stunning show opening for equally fantastic Grand Archives at Triple Door. Tomorrow, she’ll perform at Easy Street Records to promote the release of her new album, Only As Long As the Day, her sophomore release, though first release on Subpop (I still haven’t figured out how her first album managed to slip through the cracks and go self-released). The Triple Door performance was powerful, though I hold dear the fact we Seattleites have an opportunity to see Cahoone up close, solo(?) in such an intimate and interactive setting tomorrow evening. She’s one of the great local artists/bands redefining Seattle’s sound(s) and contributing to another epic era of Seattle music that’s on the verge of exploding already.

Her new album is rich in various string as well as soft country twang. The banjo and pedal steel are beautiful value-add to an already gorgeous and fluid sound Cahoone resonates on her own. The album sets the listener into a relaxed, though at times unsettled (her lyrics have an ability to set one off guard), state of calm and contemplation. There is depth in her lyrics that unleash self-reflection and sorrow. She is practical and direct with words, and her songwriting provides a glimpse into an introspective and philosophical soul. Her voice is beautiful, gentle, smooth, and as natural as the color green in the Pacific Northwest. Her songs often reach sad story and heartbreak territory, and judging by her lyrics, one gathers she has broken a few hearts along her way.

All in all, her second release provides another (in addition to her first) harmonious coordination of acoustics, melody, and rhythm that produce a fresh and colorful sound. Here is an artist one is bound to gravitate and hold on to. We all know the kind.

Sera Cahoone – Only As Long As The Day is out March 18th. She will be performing at Easy Street Records free at 7pm the same day. Her CD release is on March 29th at the Tractor Tavern.

Sera Cahoone’s abbreviated history:
• Played drums for Seattle band Carissa’s Wierd from 1995 to 2003
• Sera contributed on drums to Band of Horses debut album (which was formed by Ben Bridwell who was also in Carissa’s Wierd)

Sasquatch Devoured by Canadian Cousin

Hot off of the internets:

Coldplay, Jay-Z, NIN Headline First Pemberton Festival

Billboard.com is reporting that Coldplay, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Jay-Z and Nine Inch Nails will headline the first-ever Pemberton Festival, set for July 25-27 in Pemberton, B.C. (Brace yourself: the three-day ticket is $240CDN and they go on sale Friday, 28 March. – ed.)

The festival is produced by Live Nation and Good Boy Productions. Live Nation Canada CEO Shane Bourbonnais will spearhead LN’s efforts on the event. Good Boy Productions is a joint venture between Coldplay manager Dave Holmes and Depeche Mode manager Jonathan Kessler.

Also on the bill are My Morning Jacket, the Tragically Hip, Interpol, Flaming Lips and Death Cab For Cutie, along with newer acts like Vampire Weekend, MGMT and Sia. The plan is to feature two stages, a dance stage and more than 50 bands.

Pemberton, a two hour drive from Vancouver, is a popular destination area due to its close proximity to Whistler ski resort, site for some competitions for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

The event will boast a festival village, camping facilities, an RV Park and shuttle service to and from nearby Whistler, tickets for the Pemberton Festival go on sale through PembertonFestival.com beginning Friday, March 28.

Concert-goers will be able to camp on site or sleep in accommodations ranging from motels to top notch luxury hotels in Whistler.

The confirmed line up as of today (March 13) is:

Coldplay
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Nine Inch Nails
Jay-Z
Flaming Lips
Interpol
Death Cab For Cutie
The Tragically Hip
Serj Tankian
My Morning Jacket
Metric
Sam Roberts Band
Vampire Weekend
Black Mountain
Minus The Bear
Wintersleep
Buck 65
Secret Machines
MGMT
Brazillian Girls
SIA
Fiery Furnaces
Mates of State
The Airborne Toxic Event
Carolina Liar
Grand Ole Party
Monte Negro
Low Vs Diamond
Annie Stela
The Crystal Method
DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist
Junkie XL
David Seaman
Booka Shade
MSTRKRFT
M.A.N.D.Y.
Tommie Sunshine
Chromeo
Deadmau5
3 OH! 3
Kevin Shiu
Timeline
Tony Pantages

I have been to Pemberton, and the idea of this kind of event in a small town with one road in and one road out makes me wince. I imagine a traffic cluster**** on the scale of White River Amphitheater. So I think I will be bringing my bike to get to and from the venue.