Truly?! Really? Yes, Truly.

Truly is reuniting with its original line-up, Robert Roth on guitar and vocals, Hiro Yamamoto (ex-Soundgarden) on bass, and Mark Pickerel (ex-Screaming Trees) on drums, and will be playing two shows this weekend in Seattle!  The first is on Saturday August 30th at King Cobra with Mexican UFO, Patrol, and TV Coahran and the second is Sunday August 31st at El Corazon with Mad Juana, The Press Corps, and the Jet City Fix.

Truly released two critically acclaimed full-length albums, 1995’s Fast Stories from Kid Coma and 1997’s Feeling You Up.  Both albums are a little hard to find, so if you’re lucky, maybe they’ll be available at the shows.

These shows are warm-ups for some European dates.  And from their myspace page… “Robert, Mark, and Hiro are currently in the midst of working on new material with the notion of going back into the studio and record another album. 2008 could very well be a GREAT time for some new music from these Northwest dark horses.” 

Go to the Myspace page and listen to the songs there and maybe you’ll join me in thinking this is a really big deal.

Listen: Seattle Hip-hop Band Steelo

[audio:http://www.rapitalism.com/audio/makeupmymind.mp3]
Make Up My Mind

Steelo’s gotten nationwide airplay, have opened for Pitbull, Sean Kingston, Rich Boy, Mobb Deep, Digital Underground, Baby Bash, Lil Rob and Lloyd Banks, and most importantly, they make appearances in schools.

We call it our Student Empowerment Program and it’s our way of giving back to the community. We started it last year and we plan to make an even greater impact in the 2008-2009 school year.

We encourage the students to turn what they love into their careers and follow their dreams by setting goals and finding positive influences.

More info here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JGcYyDO6xE

Dirty Girls Throw a Fundraiser

Hell hath no fury like a mess of Hot Grits!   If you want further proof of that warped adage you should take yourself down to the Seattle Magic Wheels on September 6th.   A whole bunch of female punky bands will be smudging their sounds with a whole bunch of other sounds in attempt to entertain you and raise funds for ‘Dirty Girl Productions’   All but one band are all girl outfits, and with a broad range of influences; from PJ Harvey inspired Nancy Frieko to the new Seattle band ’Information Service’ who write songs that remind listeners of Alaska (sometimes sunny, often grey and sludgy)  So we’re promised an eclectic show, headlined by the filth and the fury of Hot Grits themselves – who are inclined to burn everyone in their path – How can you resist; such an abundance of energy, enthusiasm and all in a good cause – a relative snip at the suggested donation price of just $10 on the door – no presales.   So to recap:

September 6th 2008 – Seattle Magic Wheels – Doors open at 3pm, show starts at 4pm.   Suggested donations for $10 also get you a Weiner (and you guessed it) some hot grits, along with a heady mix of well intentioned punk and other loveliness, all aimed at raising funds for pioneering work made by black women.

Dave Matthews Band Member Moore Dead at 46

According to CNN, Dave Matthews Band founding member saxophonist LeRoi Moore died Tuesday at age 46.

Moore, 46, died “unexpectedly” at a hospital, publicist Ambrosia Healy said in a statement.

Moore was taken to Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, and had been rehabilitating at his L.A. home after the June 30 accident at his farm outside Charlottesville, Virginia.

Wallingford resident Dave Matthews formed the band in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991.

Silver Summit

Silver Summit are heading to the North West, with 3 upcoming dates, bouncing from Portland to Seattle and back to Portland, before heading down to San Francisco.

Hailing from Brooklyn the band make no apologies for the origins of their sound, indeed they celebrate their mish-mashed heritage and spectrum of influences.   From British folk to American psychedelia, through Middle Eastern rhythmns and tones the mutli-instrumental duo touch on a spectrum of sounds that may leave you slightly disorientated, but no less interested or moved by what you hear.

If the tunes are interesting from their mp3s, this reviewer would love to hear them live and see how it all works – They promise to be great nights.

September 2nd – Portland – Someday Lounge

September 3rd - Seattle – The Mix 

September 4th - Portland – Holocene (MusicfestNW)

berkley heights

Berkley Heights are set to play three nights around Seattle and Olympia, within the next four weeks.   So if you like your tunes ‘unashamedly pop’ - easy access, not too challenging and simple to sing along to, then you may want to get yourself out to hear what’s going on.   Berkley Heights may not rock your world or your flip your outlook upside down, you may not propose to your love with the sounds, but you’ll certainly dance to them at your wedding and you’re likely to come away singing or humming some of the catchiest tunes you’re able to hear on those dates.   The first date is for a smally and happy fee – and if you like what you hear there, you can follow the pop duo on to the other venues and see them for free.

August 25th    High Dive New Music Night presented by Nada Mucho
$6, 8pm, 21

September-18    Skylark Café
free, 9pm, 21

September-20    Le Voyeur (Olympia)
free, 10pm, 21

Amazing (free) Collection of Old Jazz, Country

A little off-topic, but if you love modern music, you probably have at least an appreciation for this: http://78records.cdbpdx.com/

The following is a list titles recorded from my collection of 78 rpm records. All of them are linked to MP3 files and will play what was recorded. No sound enhancement, just what was recorded. Right now, there are 3,739 titles on this page linked to mp3’s. 

Devin the Dude tomorrow at Neumos

Houston artist Devin the Dude plays tomorrow at Neumos with a bunch of artists I’ve never heard of because I don’t follow hiphop. However, like Girl Talk, DtD blew my mind upon exposure to him. Devin’s second, Just Trying to Live, put some of my faith back in hiphop. It is genius.

After the “convienience” fees, tickets are a whopping and painful $27. Inflation?

Notes from the Capitol Hill Block Party

[NWMB reader Jill sent this in for our edification with a sticky note labeled 'better late than never' -- Matt]

Friday

PWRFL Power was fun.  One guy, one guitar, good times.  While I don’t know that I would ever buy an album, I would definitly pay to see him live again.  But I’m a pushover for witty song writing.

Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head was a highlight.  They were one of the bands that I was really looking forward to seeing, and the show didn’t disappoint.  I’m very impressed with the charisma of these kids.  One of the better performances I’ve seen in a while, in addition to the music (which is super fun and danceable).  And I think some of their parents were there – how freakin’ cute is that?  [pix]

Saturday

Chromeo: So, apparently I live in a dark cave in the middle of nowhere.  I had never heard of Chromeo prior to seeing the block party line up, but I love the name.  This is how I pick my music.  Friends had good things to say as well, so I made sure to catch their set.  The music was a little more electronic than what I usually listen to, but still good.  There appeared to be slight choreography, which is never a bad thing, and they seemed to be having a good time on stage.

[Jill would also like you to know, sans sticky note, that Rod Stewart's Every Picture Tells a Story is $2 for the MP3 album download today at Amazon -- Matt]

Decibel Festival @ Neumos

Jahcoozi(Berlin) : Live – Kitty-Yo, A-Records, Tujiko Noriko (France / Japan) : Live – Mego, FatCat Records, Barbara Morgenstern (Berlin) : Live – Monika Enterprise, Balún (Puerto Rico / New York) : Live – Sgulp, Observatory Records, Careen Ajar (Montreal / San Francisco) : Live – Asphodel, Recombinant Media Labs. $17 ADV, 8pm Doors, 21+. Tickets on sale Friday at 10AM.

GIN BETTY, Drunken Guitarists, Bench Grinder, Slacktide Soul @ Neumos

GIN BETTY, Drunken Guitarists, Bench Grinder, Slacktide Soul. $8 ADV, 8pm Doors, 21+

Nancy Frieko, GloryDog, Music Video? @ High Dive

Where: The High Dive
513 N 36th Street, Seattle
When: August 11, 2008 — 8pm
Cover: $6/ 21+

Nancy Frieko www.myspace.com/nancyfrieko
GloryDog  www.myspace.com/glorydogmusic
Music Video? (from Tucson) www.myspace.com/musicvideo

The French Semester NW Dates

[audio:http://cid-5918001ccd8dbc5d.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Open%20Letter%20Mp3s/Your%20Master%20Plan.mp3]
Your Master Plan
[audio:http://cid-5918001ccd8dbc5d.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Song%20Demos/14.mp3]
Fourteen

The French Semester MySpace page

Portland Band The Great Northwest Releases Debut Album

[audio:http://www.thekorarecords.com/sounds/chiefjohn.mp3]
Chief John from The Widespread Reign of The Great Northwest

Brian Coates moves to New York in 2004 where the music/art project that is to become The Great Northwest commences. It grows to involve over 20 people including Portland ex-pats Noah and Nathan Rice (the Christopher Twins), Josh Kalberg, and Dale Winston. After a year in NYC, Brian’s wanderlust leads him west to California. At his friend Armando’s house in Fresno, a musical beacon was sounded. Joe Kaczmarerk, Brent Fellows, Courtney Taylor Taylor, Brent DeBoer, Ray Gordon, Sean “Gothman” Addams, Poopy Simons, Louise Fenton, and a load of new friends converge for a blowout of a party. Brian Richburg, owner of Studio 9 in Fresno makes them a deal for studio time and recording begins. More than an album’s worth of music is made.

Brian, working with Dead Meadow, ends up in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood of our nation’s capital in 2006. Douglas and Mike from Kora meet up with him at a bar in their mutual ‘hood to hear some unmixed MP3s on his laptop, leave awe-struck and sign him straight away to put out an LP. During a summer pitstop in , with longtime bandmate Randall Crush, the songs receive mixing treatment at The Dandy Warhols’ Odditorium with mastering back east by TJ Lipple (Aloha) at Silver Sonya in Arlington, VA.

The 13 track album brims over with lush soundscapes and ambient modulations. Pop melodies and slowcore pacing coalesce seamlessly throughout the record. Lavish and haunting vocals woven with Brian’s savvy wordplay complete the sonically induced mind altering experience. After the mixing session, Coates said tenderly, “there’s guitar, there’s bass, there’s drums, there’s trombone, there’s Leslie speakers, practice amps, Jew’s Harps, drum loops, tambourines, ebows, harmonicas and pie tins. There’s thought… there’s love.”

Joan Baez @ The Moore

The most accomplished interpretive folksinger of the 1960s, Joan Baez has influenced nearly every aspect of popular music in a career still going strong. Baez is possessed of a once-in-a-lifetime soprano, which, since the late ’50s, she has put in the service of folk and pop music as well as a variety of political causes. Starting out in Boston, Baez first gained recognition at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival, then cut her debut album, Joan Baez (October 1960), for Vanguard Records. It was made up of 13 traditional songs, some of them Child ballads, given near-definitive treatment. A moderate success on release, the album took off after the breakthrough of Joan Baez, Vol. 2 (September 1961), and both albums became huge hits, as did Baez’s third album, Joan Baez in Concert, Pt. 1 (September 1962). Each album went gold and stayed in the bestseller charts more than two years.

Show Date:                          Monday, November 24, 2008

Show Time:                         8:00 p.m.

Ticket Price/s:                     $42.00 – $54.00 (not including fees)

Venue:                                  The Moore Theatre

Public On Sale Date:         August 6, 2008 @ 11:00 AM

Opening Act/s:                    TBD 

Web Address:         www.joanbaez.com