Spoon, Why The Store Fuss?

I think (know) I’m nitpicking here, but dude, do we really need an 11-field form to fill out to buy $2.97 worth of music?

And that’s only step 1 of three.

Yea it’s Spoon’s first studio tracks since 1997’s outstanding Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga album. Yes, it’s called Got Nuffin. Yes it’s cheap. But that’s the point: for a $30 purchase I’ll go ahead and create an account, input my billing/shipping info, locate that stupid security code on the back of my credit card, confirm my new account via email blah blah blah. But for less than 3 bucks?

I have a better idea. Use PayPal… they have Buy Now buttons. You see them all over the web. You click it, and unless you’re one of the 10 people in Siberia who has no PayPal account, you’re done. Here’s how. Spoon, please tell your devs to make it easy for us.

Nitpick over. Now maybe I’ll complete this thing and get to listinin’.

STG Presents Sunny Day Real Estate

PRESS RELEASE

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

For Immediate Release

Contact: Jason Ross

Phone: 206.467.5510

SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE

Friday, October 16, 2009

Paramount Theatre | 8:00pm | All Ages

General Admission Flat Floor, Reserved Seating in Balcony

SEATTLE – Seattle Theatre Group (STG) presents Sunny Day Real Estate on Friday, October 16, 2009 at 8:00pm at the Paramount Theatre.

Following a more than 10 year hiatus, all four original members of pioneering Seattle rock band Sunny Day Real Estate will regroup for a 20-date US tour starting Sept. 17th, 2009. In addition, Sub Pop Records will re-issue both Diary and the band’s second full-length album, commonly known as LP2 (or “The Pink Album” for its entirely pink cover). Both re-mastered albums will include rare bonus tracks as well as newly written liner notes and will be released on both CD and LP Sept. 15, 2009, just prior to the start of the tour. Tour dates are below.

Originally formed in Seattle in 1992, Sunny Day Real Estate featured Nate Mendel (bass), William Goldsmith (drums), Dan Hoerner (guitar,vocals) and Jeremy Enigk (vocals, guitar). Diary, the band’s first full-length album, was released in 1994 on Sub Pop, going on to become the seventh-best selling record in the label’s history with more than 231,000 copies scanned in the US alone. Diary was recorded at Chicago’s Idful Studios with producer Brad Wood and released to critical acclaim. Following the completion of a US Tour to support the debut release, the group headed back into the studio with Wood to record the follow-up.

But during the recording sessions, internal tensions splintered Sunny Day Real Estate, resulting in a sudden break-up and the finished album being turned in to Sub Pop without a title or artwork. LP2 was released in November 1995, by which time both Goldsmith and Mendel had joined Foo Fighters and Enigk had begun a solo career. Without Mendel, Sunny Day Real Estate reunited in 1997 and released two more studio albums (the 1998 Sub Pop release How It Feels to Be Something On and in 2000 The Rising Tide on Time Bomb) before disbanding again in 2001. Sunny Day Real Estate’s influence has grown exponentially since the band’s initial split.

“I wasn’t around for the second version of the band that recorded  the 3rd and 4th albums, so I’ve always had a feeling of unfinished business there,” Mendel explains.  “We had all these outsized ideas back then, ‘Everyone’s going to learn a new instrument,’ and ‘Let’s do a rock opera,’ but before we could get anywhere with them, the band broke up. We left behind all these weird and beautiful songs, though, and they’ve stuck with me all this time. I’m really happy that we get a chance to play them together again.”

Both Diary and LP2 will be available everywhere including SubPop.com  Sunnydayrealestate.fm.

Tickets: $28.00, not including applicable fees. Tickets are on sale Saturday, June 27th at 10am at Tickets.com, in person at the Paramount or Moore Theatres box offices, 24-hour kiosks located outside The Paramount  Moore Theatres, charge by phone at 877-STG-4TIX, or online at STGPresents.org.

Portland Based Emma Hill and Her Gentalmen Callers at the Skylark June 20th 9:00pm

Emma Hill and Her Gentlemen Callers

Emma Hill is an Alaskan Singer/Songwriter based out of Portland, OR. She is on tour this summer with a full band in support of her new album “Clumsy Seduction”. She has the following Washington dates scheduled
June 19, 8 p.m., Olympia, Wash., La Voyeur
June 20, 8 p.m., Seattle, Skylark Cafe and Club
June 21, 8 p.m., Spokane, Wash., Rocket Market

The best part is that none of the shows have covers.

Emma’s sound is a mix of folk and Americana. She is most often compared to Jenny Lewis and Neko Case but honestly has a sound all her own.
Listen to the song “One Glass To Many”

She just got a write up in the Olympian
A siren from the wilds of Alaska

Check out more about her on her web page
www.emmahillmusic.com
or myspace
www.myspace.com/emmamariehill

KEXP BBQ is Free This Year

… just heard from John from KEXP. But I can’t find a date on kexp.org. Whatever. We’ll get that. It’s free. Enjoy.

Here’s more courtesy Josh @ Seattle Metblogs:

• Mural Amphitheatre – Seattle Center
• August 8
• Cymbals Eat Guitars and japandroids already slated

http://seattle.metblogs.com/2009/06/18/in-other-blogs-the-best-free-summer-concert-series-within-city-limits/
http://www.seattlesubsonic.com/2009/06/18/free-kexp-seattle-center-shows-announced/

Just Announced! The Flaming Lips 8/21 & Gaslight Anthem 9/23

STG Presents (Seattle Theatre Group) has announced two news shows that go on sale this weekend:

The Flaming Lips
Special Guest: Stardeath and White Stars
Friday, August 21st, 2009 – 7:00pm
Marymoor Park
$37.50
On Sale: SAT, June 20 @ 10am at all Ticketmaster outlets, charge by phone 800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. For more information visit www.STGPresents.org

Gaslight Anthem
Special Guests: Murder by Death, The Loved Ones & Frank Turner
September 23, 2009 – 8:00pm
Showbox at the Market
$18.00 ADV, $20.00 DOS
On Sale: SAT, June 20 @ 10am at all Ticketmaster outlets, charge by phone 800-745-3000, Showbox box office or online at www.ticketmaster.com. For more information please visit www.STGPresents.org

Making A Lot Of Noise For The Needy

Seattle’s annual Noise for the Needy music festival kicked off yesterday with two great local bills including Slender Means, Coulter, Skeletons With Flesh On Them, Fences and New Faces. The festival is made up of local and national acts and features shows at venues all over town including Neumos, The Comet, Chop Suey, The Sunset, The Tractor Tavern, The High Dive and more with all the proceeds benefiting Transitional Resources. Basically, you the people get to experience great music AND help those in need. Everyone wins!

Tonight offers do-gooders/concert goers three great shows to choose from and luckily all based in Ballard so you CAN double your karma points by hitting all three:

The Tractor: Throw Me The Statue, “Awesome,” and Velella Velella.
The Sunset: Adam Stephens and the Finite Plan (from Two Gallants), Widower, Jack Wilson & The Wife Stealers, and Shane Tutmarc
Conor Byrne: Half Light, Trentalage, Cataldo, and the Cosmic Panther Land Band

Friday’s action is centered in Belltown with two great shows at the Underground Events Center (The Whore Moans, Speaker Speaker, Wallpaper and more) and the powerhouse line up at The Croc with Grand Archives, See Me River, and The Curious Mystery.

Saturday, most of the action is on Capitol Hill but good shows to note are Furniture Girls, Hotels, Born Anchors and Anomie Belle at The High Dive and tons of great guest DJs for the Emerald City Soul Club at Victory Lounge. If you choose to hang out on the Hill on Saturday, be prepared for some tough choices.

Neumos: Art Brut, & Miike Snow
The Comet: Brent Amaker & the Rodeo,* The Valley, An Invitation to Love, The Beautiful Confusion, The Thoughts
Chop Suey: Point Juncture, WA, The Pica Beats, Black Whales, and Grant Olsen (Arthur & Yu)
Wild Rose: Black Eyes & Neckties, Telepathic Liberation Army, Loving Thunder, and The Beats, Man

*According to the Brent Amaker & the Rodeo myspace page the Rodeo is cooking up some extra hoopla down at The Comet including a costume and photo contest, a dancing girl, cheap whiskey, and more. If you’re planning on catching this show, get advance tickets and don’t forget your cowboy hat as we hear prizes are involved.

If you somehow make it through Saturday night (extra points if you survived the Rodeo) don’t forget to check out Neumos who will host a helluva closer with the Constantines, Crystal Antlers, Hey Marseilles, and I Was A King.

Good luck and thanks for doing your part!

UPCOMING SHOW: Diminished Men & Corespondents @ Cafe Racer, Friday 6/12

It’s gypsy time this Friday.  Corespondents are the bastard sons of gypsy jazz musicians who grew up in junkyards.  Guitarist Olie Eshleman tunes down to C# — that’s Sunn 0))) heavy mo-fo’s — except he uses it to channel classic “eat-shit” bass lines and groovalicious leads.  These intertwine perfectly with Doug Arney’s bouzouki riffage.  “Drummer” Kieran Harrison-Buhlinger has a kit rigged out of something he stomps his foot on for a bass drum, a dubbed out snare, and a single hi-hat stand with a cowbell and a variety of other objects dangling off of it.  Sometimes he turns around to play and instrument called Don Bao that I’d never seen ’till I saw it here and still can’t describe accurately.

The Diminshed Men have not played in months due to other obligations.  Drummer Dave Abramson’s been on the road with Grails in Europe and bassist Simon Henneman has been down in Florida working on his own projects.  Rumor has it that all four of the World Famous Diminished Men will be around on Friday to throw down on their patented blend of psyched out, free jazz, surf madness (now with touches of Can!)

Since it is at the Cafe Racer, the whole damn thing is free.  Be there or real gypsies from Trajan’s Forum will come to your house, distract you with their begging children, and than steal your camera, passport, wallet, and Eifel Tower lighter.

Corespondents and Diminshed Men will be performing at the Cafe Racer (University District),  5828 Roosevelt Way NE, FREE!!!, 9 p.m.

Elba and Another Perfect Crime ALL AGES @ Piecora’s Back Room, Fri 6/12

Elba and Another Perfect Crime will be playing the Back Room at Piecora’s at 10 pm on Friday, June 12th!  The show is All Ages.  Piecora’s is located at 1401 East Madison Street.

SIFF Live Music Events

The Seattle International Film Festival is providing some great live music events this week…

FIrst, we have My Suicide.  In the film Archie Williams is a 17-year old media geek who has suddenly found himself the most talked-about kid in school. He has announced that he’s going to kill himself- on camera- for a class project. His classmates, parents, Sierra- the most beautiful girl in school, and a “Shady Bunch” of shrinks, doctors, pill-pushers, and counselors descend on Archie.  Rocky Vololato provided music for the film’s sound track and he will be performing live before the screenings.  The director is scheduled to attend.  The film is also one of that final appearances by the late David Carradine.

Screenings take place at Pacific Place Cinemas – June 10, 2009 9:30 PM and June 11, 2009 4:30 PM

Next, this Friday June 12th we have a very exciting event at the Triple Door featuring Sub Pop recording artists No Age providing a live soundtrack to Jean-Jacques Annaud’s The Bear.  The 7pm screening is all ages, 9:30pm screening is 21+

Poland, To the Sea, You Yell You Kick and Love is Chemicals at the Comet, Wednesday June 17th

Poland, To the Sea, You Yell You Kick and Love is Chemicals (from San Francisco) will be performing at the Comet Wednesday, June 17th..

Doors: 8pm
Cover: $5
Age Restrictions: 21+
922 E. Pike St,
Seattle, WA 98122

LESBIAN at the Sunset on Friday

This Friday June 5, local psyche-prog doomers LESBIAN support local prog-grunge rockers PATROL for an evening of beautiful and blessed volume.  The opening acts BRONZE FAWN and WILDILDLIFE promise tons of animalistic amp use.  Join them. 

Friday June 5th 9pm @ Sunset Tavern in Ballard WA.

myspace.com/lesbianwitch   myspace.com/patrol

ALBUM REVIEW: Hopewell “Good Good Desperation” (Tee Pee, 2009)

I wish I lived in an era where rock & roll sounded like this.  Once there was a time when the kids sat around listening to fucked the nines hard rock and it somehow broke through to the masses.  Hopewell’s newest record, Good Good Desperation, is a blast of straight up, glorious warped, stoned out, progged up, psych rock that’s as good as it gets now — or for the last 20 years.

Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s bands like the Flaming Lips and Jane’s Addiction roamed the planet bashing away proudly at huge riffs, fucked guitars, and primal drums.  Hopewell are not pale copies of these bands — but the aforementioned acts do seem like the last “new” idea these New Yorkers may have heard.  And that is a good thing.  Miles away from the standard guitar noodling and random jamband-on-10 riffage of most new psychedelic bands, Hopewell are concerned with making a great rock record — old school style.   (There’s the other route that classicist styled rock bands are taking into ’70s AOR — a genre which is, well, never okay.   Addressed here through the Eagles diss, “I ain’t got no peaceful easy feeling.”)

Opening with  a flying stack of Beach Boy’s esque vocals that uses a transition from “ah’s” to “ooh’s” to convey the sense of going from a beautiful sunshiney day to contemplating mountaintops with one vocal phrase the album then pushes through ten tracks of epic riffage, guitar joy, and loving production (done by the band themselves) which keeps your head banging, brain spinning, and smile grinning.

Give this one to new summertimes of freeways, sunshine deserts, girls smiles you may or may not kiss, and remember to crank it loud beneath the stars somewhere.

Hopewell is performing at the Comet Tavern on Friday 6/5 with Voyager One, Drug Purse, and This Blinding Light, $8.

’80s Invasion, performing at the High Dive, Friday, June 12th..

Eighties Tribute Night.. ‘80s Invasion plays favorite new wave, dance, synth/electro pop from the era..

Show Time: 9pm
Cover: $7
Age Restrictions: 21+

The High Dive
513 N. 36th St
Seattle, WA. 98103

Act Your Age: True Adolescents SIFF Party!

Act Your Age: True Adolescents SIFF Party featuring The Effort, The Fucking Eagles, Basemint, Black Daisy and Hunter Lea from Mono In VCF at The Comet June 6th 8pm, $7

Furnace Films will host a party open to the public at The Comet Tavern on June 6th to celebrate the screenings of the Seattle-made independent film True Adolescents, starring Mark Duplass and Academy Award winner Melissa Leo, during the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF). 

The party will feature live music from local bands The Effort (featuring members of The Blakes), The Fucking Eagles, Basemint (featuring members of Wallpaper), Black Daisy, and DJ sets by Hunter Lea (of Mono In VCF).  Doors are at 8pm and the cost is $7.

True Adolescents features Seattle music and locales (including The Comet Tavern). The film premiered at the 2009 SXSW Film Festival and has been screened at major film festivals around the country before making its way home to Seattle for SIFF. 

Written and directed by Northwest native and UW alum Craig Johnson, True Adolescents tells the story of an aging Seattle rocker Sam Bryant (Duplass) with no job, no record deal, and no place to live who finds himself in charge of two teens on a camping trip that goes horribly wrong. 

The soundtrack, curated by musical supervisor Sandy Wilson (Light In The Attic Records), features pioneering 60’s garage rockers like The Sonics and 60’s/70’s baroque popsters, The Free Design, along with emerging artists like The Blakes (who play The Effort, Sam’s band in the film), Wallpaper, Mono In VCF, Hazelwood Motel, Black Daisy, Sunset Valley, and The Fucking Eagles — many of whom will play live sets during the party. 

True Adolescents will screen at The Egyptian Theater on Thursday June 4th at 9:30pm and again on Saturday June 6th at 1:30 pm. 

For more information about screenings, please visit SIFF’s website. For more information about True Adolescents please visit http://trueadolescents.com