The Blow…Doesn’t

The Blow played last Saturday night to a sold out crowd at the Triple Door, and I’m going to do my best not to use corny puns throughout the course of this review by saying things like, “I was Blown away”, or “They Blowed the place up”… Instead I’d like to focus on something that I have been emphasizing to my peers for a while now about live shows, the delivery and execution. What I was expecting before I saw the show and what I got after were two completely different things but by no means was I disappointed. I’ve been interested in The Blow since the release of Paper Television in 2006 with founding members Khaela Maricicha and beat-master Jona Bechtolt (Yacht). Jona has since left the group to focus on his own project, but Khaela Maricicha astonished me with how simplicity with flawless delivery can execute a stellar performance that kept the whole place captivated and brought down the house.

If you haven’t heard the album it is very well put together with Khaela’s vocals over Jona’s simple and spacious, yet very danceable back-beats. And I think maybe I was expecting an almost DJ’d set with each track being mixed into the other and spun off to break the house into two. Instead with only her, a microphone, and a few bottle’s of water (one of which became a prop), in an almost comedy fashion Khaela carried all of us through her journey’s of love, loss, and want. And I don’t know if it’s her look, her confidence, her wit, or a combination of all three that magnetized the crowd like it did, but I was most amazed at how she seemed to self empower every woman in the place to relate to her. I was really impressed. I guess The Blow plays next on April 25th in Bellingham at Western Washington University, and if you get a chance to check the Portland band out I highly suggest it.

More Seattle Music – Tiny Vipers

Jesy Fortino goes by band name Tiny Vipers, a unique and curious name to match an equally unique and curious sound. Watching Tiny Vipers at Triple Door last night, who is older (24ish) than she appears – but clearly wise beyond her years – was a pretty unique experience. OK, I’m done with the word unique already (almost). But you’d have to see her to get it. Her music, is, well, difficult to classify (aka unique). It’s intense, beautiful, folk, acoustic, moody, deep, dark, thoughtful, deliberate, intense, and soft all the same. Her voice is beautiful and rich, folky and difficult to pinpoint. Which is exactly what she is as an artist – difficult to fully grasp, difficult to pinpoint. Her guitar-picking may sound simple and bare, but it’s really much more deliberate and complex if you properly tune in. She also has perfect ‘pitch’, a very rare talent at that. She’ll properly draw you in, engage you without doubt. Her lyrics are stories(?), they’re hard to decipher, let alone follow, but this is a side factor when it comes to Tiny Vipers. What she has going on is a lot deeper and textured than can be defined by the words she’s singing.

There is no statement Tiny Vipers is trying to make. But there’s something about her music, her presence, that makes a statement all the same. There is no pretense in who she is, she delivers a raw, but soft and gentle, performance. She’s on stage, not there to please anyone – in fact one gets the feeling it wouldn’t matter if she were playing all alone in an empty apartment, or in front of thousands of folks (though one would question if she’d ever wish to go down this path, she seems the kind who would quietly allude to remaining just under the radar, or under no radar at all). She’d still deliver the same performance, wholely consumed in her art, her work, which in many ways makes her the untouchable, powerful and mysterious artist she is.

Triple Door’s acoustics and sound did justice to Fortino’s performance. It was a thoughtful show, a contemplative one from the audience’ perspective, and a very enjoyable and real experience at that.

This kid is raw talent. Check out the EP ‘Hands Across the Void’ (Subpop, 2007) for a glimpse into the deep and complex soul of Tiny Vipers. And to get an idea of Fortino live, pick up the DVD series ‘Burn to Shine’, Seattle WA edition – one of filmmaker Christoff Green and ex-Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty’s documentary series that captures live performances of favorite (in this case, Benjamin Gibbard’s – Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service) local Seattle bands in a unique and intimate setting – a house that is on the verge of being demolished.

The Helio Sequence Pounds It Out

Watching Benjamin Weikel drum, it’s easy to see why The Great Curmudgeon Himself—Mr. Isaac Brock—recruited him to fill in on drums during the recording of Good News for People Who Love Bad News. In fact, it’s almost difficult to see why they parted ways, seeing as how that record was an undeniable success (for most fans, anyway). Of course, Brock’s band is a giant cavalcade of revolving characters, a former-cult group now relegated to major label stardom, and I’m sure original drummer Jeremiah Green totally called “seat-backs!” Plus, ya know, living-legend Johnny Marr wanted a piece of the action. So there was that. But Weikel had his own burgeoning side project he was neglecting, what with the incessant touring and all, and his experience with Modest Mouse is probably the main reason that it’s nearly four years past since the last Helio Sequence record, Love and Distance, was released. Well, it would seem everything turned out okay for the Portland-based drummer and his soft-singing cohort, Brandon Summers, who should find considerably more success with their latest release: Keep Your Eyes Ahead.

I’ve been hooked like worm on their new record from the second I heard the title track on the radio several weeks ago, and I made it my goddess-given duty to head over to Neumos this past Saturday (3/8) and check out their live set. I had seen them once before a few years ago at the Capitol Hill Block Party (CHBP, ya’ll!), but this was an entirely different experience. Not only does Summers have an astonishingly different voice after suffering through some vocal chord trouble—another reason for their hiatus—but Weikel has become one of the most exciting live drummers in recent memory. Brian Chase of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs comes to mind, or Kevin O’Connor of Talkdemonic; I’m sure we all could point out a few others. His drumming borders on maniacal, the rise and fall of his colossal sticks continuously crashing into his toms and cymbals, his head bobbing up and down with a fanatical ferocity. God, I hate to say this (Benjamin Weikel, please forgive me if you ever stumble upon this review), but he was almost a vague recollection of Guy Smiley—from Sesame Street. He just had this huge semi-grin on his face whenever he was in the middle of one of his several wild smack downs. Guy Smiley was never this triumphant, though. And with all this talk of “colossal” and “ferocity”, please don’t mistake him for Tommy Lee or something—this isn’t butt-rock and the beats he plays are dynamic, controlled, and unique. Although I suppose an upside-down, revolving drum sphere would’ve been cool.

The band started off the concert with the first three cuts from Keep Your Eyes Ahead, and my lady commented that the songs sounded live just as they did on record—a good thing. That was an astute observation, for the most part, but what stood out to me was the torrential thunder of Weikel’s drumming, much more prominent on stage than on the album. It actually almost drowned out both his laptop and his partner, but Summers did a fine job of making his musical presence felt with poignant and precise guitar playing. Of course, he is the voice of the band, and the changes he’s gone through are definitely noticeable—vocally, he actually resembles Bob Dylan quite a bit. Maybe that’s the reason there are more than a few songs on the new record that sound like true folk music; acoustic guitar, weighty, lovelorn lyrics and all. Or not, who knows, but in my opinion the formula works.

The set was an admirable mix of new and old songs, but honestly, tunes like “Hallelujah”, “The Captive Mind”, and “Keep Your Eyes Ahead” were the cream of the crop, sounding full and polished in the friendly confines of a sold-out Neumos. If you’re at all curious about this band, I would certainly urge you to check them out—they’ll be playing a few more US dates, mainly here in the West, and then it’s off to Europe for a jolly good time!

Lifesavas – No Show in Fremont

In a weird deja vu kinda scene, I approached Nectar last night and was immediately wary for the lack of nightlife. No show. The ‘Savas cancelled – apparently three days ago – so I have no sweet “this free show was the best show I’ve ever seen!” or “this live band format was WAY better than the spectacle that is the Lyrics Born tour of the last few years” kinda feedback for ya’ll.

There will be a make up show Saturday featuring some of the opening acts (NOT THE LIFESAVAS), and it will be held at Jose Rizal Park on First Hill at 1pm.

No Fever This Time, But Plenty of Rock

So, in my mind, probably the best thing about the much-maligned/praised (depending on your sphere of influence) KEXP is their role in showcasing new local talent. Audioasis, the station’s weekly Pac-NW-only show, is really the program they should be playing every night from 6-9 pm, given the depth, breadth, and variety of music being made locally here in our fair green corner of the country. I, of course, contribute to a locally-themed music blog, and am admittedly biased towards a suggestion of this nature. And it’s not without its narcissism. For one, I’d be able to listen more frequently, as Saturday nights are not—however romantic it may sound—often spent in front of the old Philco radio. And for two, there would be…let’s see…SEVEN times the airplay and exposure for the myriad bands that deserve it. This, most likely, will never happen, but it was in my mind when K. leDoux and our female cohorts decided to make our way to an early show at the High Dive this past Saturday (3/1). There Audioasis was set to broadcast one of the bright, chaotic spots of the Seattle scene: Feral Children.

Last time I saw Feral Children’s percussion-heavy, angst-ridden noise rock was on the Showbox stage for KEXP’s Yule Benefit (yes, this band has benefited from the station-inflicted ‘HRS’—Heavy Rotation Syndrome, but don’t let that deter you, it’s warranted), where they opened for nüe-hippy outfit Yeasayer. Their set was good, it was passionate, and they were the most popular act on the bill (judging from the crowds); but their cohesiveness was a bit off. It seems the group has used their recent Best coast tour and recent signing to local label Sarathan Records to hone their reckless, dual-drumming approach and impulsive vocal tradeoffs, because they sounded tight and on point. The musical bedlam that has become their signature, however, was thankfully in tact.

Their set consisted of seven songs—five off last year’s Second To The Last Frontier and a couple older tunes from an EP released in 2006: Eternity Emergency. STTLF is a great record because it sounds spastic and noisy at the same time as it sounds atmospheric and moody. Each member brings something defiantly unique to the stage, and this is where the live music flourishes. There is the primary vocalist and resident beat-keeper Jeff Keenan, who uses a tom-kit while standing (read: bouncing) to offset his often wordless, falsetto choruses. Bassist-cum-vocalist Jim Cotton pounds out spiky, disjointed bass lines to complement his own hollering. There’s guitarist Josh Gamble, who seems bent on exacting revenge upon his own guitar. On more than one occasion, I had to crane my neck, only to find him hunched over on his knees seemingly performing surgery for maximum racket. Drummer Bill Cole plays his kit with an ardent staccato clamor, feeding energy to the rest of the players by driving it into his snare. But it’s the keyboards that ultimately stand out for me. Sergey Posrednikov adds a texture to Feral Children’s music that ranges from electronica to new wave to piano-rock, creating both a backdrop and a focal point to their petulant and shadowy catalog. In short, it’s totally awesome.

However, these roles are not succinctly defined, as Keenan played guitar at one point, Cotton shed his bass guitar for a time, and Gamble did his best to hammer away on the keg-drum for a song. At one point, Keenan remarked that the last time they played the High Dive, he had a fever. No, not for more cowbell, you dummy, but a real fever. Turns out this time, his fever was for the rock ‘n roll.

I think I dig this band because they have a relatively unique sound, they do their own thing and they seem infectiously passionate about their music. Hell, their set put me in a great freakin’ mood for the rest of the night, so that’s really all the convincing I, or you, should need. They’ll be in Austin for SXSW in a few weeks, and at the Cha Cha Lounge (huh?) April 13th. Catch ‘em while you can.

P.S. You can listen to the broadcast here—but only for the next 2 weeks!

Quite the Fancy Gig

Friends tend to play music with friends. It’s an obvious connection that makes sense for most everyone involved, not only in terms of exposure, but also in terms of the more coveted camaraderie. In a music scene as vibrant and eclectic as Seattle’s—don’t let the pessimists tell you otherwise—we’ve seen this time and time again. Bands are formed, friends are made, bands are broken; new bands find success, former bandmates invite each other to play shows with their new bands, lesser-known musician friends are brought along for the ride, and so on and so forth. It’s a viciously great cycle for artists and their fans. And, to boot, there are a wide range of examples of this (I’m sure we can all come up with one of our own) not only in Seattle but in the entire music world, and the lineage that boasts Carissa’s Wierd/Band of Horses/Sera Cahoone/S/Grand Archives as its essence is certainly an impressive one.

This past Wednesday night (2/20), the swanky downtown venue Triple Door hosted a bill showcasing two of Sub Pop’s most promising young bands, Grand Archives and Sera Cahoone, and one notable solo effort from Jenn Ghetto, who performs as ‘S’. Given that’s the first letter in my name, I think it’s a pretty radical moniker. Technically, this was a CD release celebration for The Grand Archives, but it might as well have been just the same for Sera Cahoone (and her backing band), whose sophomore effort, Only As The Day Is Long, will be dropped March 18th. Plenty of new songs were strummed during her set, and Mat Brooke and company played their new record in its entirety.

I’d actually never seen a show at the Triple Door, but I guess I came away impressed with the quality and visage of the venue (i.e. sound, décor, ambience); I was not so eager to shell out unjust sums of dinero for tasty but overpriced Thai food. No one should have to pay $15 for Pad Thai, I don’t care how many shrimps it has. I suppose I could’ve skipped the eating and spared you the food review. That being said, the early show (7:30 pm) was a highly entertaining experience that was superbly boosted by Grand Archives’ beaming blend of dreamy, harmonized guitar pop and scenic alt-country, Sera Cahoone’s nostalgic, lo-fi country-western, and S’s opening sequence of heart-on-your-sleeve solo electric guitar songs. Ghetto, former co-leader of CW, seemed a bit uncomfortable being on stage alone, but I sense that is just her nature. Her songs were sparse, heartfelt, and affecting. The best example was “Save You”, where she used live guitar loops to create an enhanced sound to complement her soft, sorrowed lyrics. A beardless (!) Brooke, her friend, even came on for a one-song guitar duet.

I find it odd referring to Sera Cahoone as a “band”, but I suppose that’s what it is, and she probably wrote all the songs anyway. Given that the bands were playing two shows this night, the opening sets weren’t as long as they could’ve been. Nevertheless, Sera managed to play a bevy of new songs, as well as favorites from her self-titled debut (“Couch Song”, “Last Time”). I’d never really been a fan of country music until a few years ago when several local and independent artists changed my perception of the genre dominated by regurgitated top 40 trash. While her friends do quite well in making her visions come true—in particular plucker Jeff Fielder and steel pedaler Jason Kardong—it’s Cahoone’s voice and relaxed persona that draws me in. I literally could listen to her sing all day long. Fielder, who provided the headline for this review, switched often between electrics, a Dobro, and a banjo, and stood out for more than his stature. The new album is surely not to be missed.

The entire bill of this show was attractive, but I undoubtedly came to see Grand Archives, as I’d been anticipating their debut for what seems like a year now, if not more. The quintet did not disappoint. The centerpiece of the band, at least on record, seems to be the faint and rustic reveries of Brooke (he wrote 9 of the 11 songs on the album). His voice and lyrics border on flawless—if you dig that sorta thing. They’re a bit more intelligible through headphones, but that’s only because his bandmates create such a lush sound behind him. The group is rounded out with Ron Lewis on piano and guitar, Curtis Hall on drums, Jeff Montano on bass, and Thomas Wright has acoustic duties. All except Wright share vocal responsibility. A couple of their friends showed up to play horns (French, sax, trombone) on a few cuts, one of the more endearing and energizing qualities of The Grand Archives. Of course, Ghetto, Cahoone, and Kardong all entered the stage at some point or another to lend a helping hand and get their licks.

As I mentioned, they basically played all the tracks off their record, but one highlight was during the encore, when a particularly jammin’ song was interrupted with 60 seconds or so of Gordon Lightfoot’s “Sundown” (ya’ll know the lyric: “Sundown / you better take care / if I find you been creepin’ round my backstair”). The sound was spot on, and was a perfect ending to the show. Now, if I could just find some $7 Pad Thai…

Black Lips at Neumo’s: a different kind of review

The infamous Black Lips, in support of their rockin’ album, “Good Bad Not Evil”, played a Monday night at Neumo’s in early February. The show went kinda like this:

It’s not that they didn’t play their asses off. We just weren’t into it.
(p.s. someone STILL hasn’t sent me that King Kong track…)

David Lynch, meet Molly Shannon, Molly Shannon

Dear Mr. Lynch,

I am writing to introduce you to a new band out of the great Northwest. Their name is Molly Shannon, Molly Shannon (MSMS). From time to time, we have local bands contact us at NW Music Blog to check out and possibly write a review of their latest recordings. MSMS is one such band. Upon visiting their site for the first time, I was a bit taken aback thinking this must be a brainchild of yours Mr. Lynch. The eerie sounds that were emanating from my computer and images flashing of 2 bare chested guys with creepy material-made masks left me wondering “huh?” That’s when I promptly clicked “x” to close the browser. Shortly thereafter I started thinking that there had to be more to it than what I just experienced so I went back to MSMS’s website and I’m glad I did. What I discovered is that Molly Shannon, Molly Shannon has created a very complete and complex, not to mention darkly alluring, record: You think yr the Doctor, I think I’m the Sheriff.

Sights and Sounds of The Valley

Just a quick and dirty posting. Last night, The Valley popped my Jules Maes cherry. I was doubly eager to check out the show because I had never seen a band there, and ever since I heard “Come Down” on 90.3, I have been chomping at the bit to see and hear the band’s thunderous assault. In between pints down at the 9LB, I caught a bit of Bacchus’ set and they made a fan out of me, too. Heavier, faster-tempo than The Valley, and possibly more sweat. What struck me most about their presence was how good they made the room sound. Thicker-than-Texas toast kinda sound, the way this kind of music should be expressed. When the headliners stepped up, the volume naturally increased but the fidelity remained. Too bad this isn’t the norm *everywhere*, right?� And while some audience members near me bemoaned the crowd’s fixed gaze and lack of any kind of activity (are we supposed to waltz? what the…?) I thought it was a perfect scene – dark, loud and full of people that were stoked to be there. As for the sounds/sights part, video is to be uploaded to YouTube and will be available later this weekend. In the meantime, visit thevalleyrules.com or pick up their latest EP. And catch them at The Comet on Friday, 22 February.

“We, like, heart U, Seattle”: Les Savy Fav Show the Emerald City Some Love

Brooklyn legends—yes LEGENDS—Les Savy Fav made an inconspicuous appearance at Neumo’s this past Friday night (11/30)…oh wait, it wasn’t inconspicuous at all. Not only was the show sold out, but other bands with shows that night (Fleet Foxes, I’m talking to you) were proposing an exodus to the LSF set following their very own. And, of course, front-freak Tim Harrington put on his usual ridiculously entertaining spectacle. I hate to say ‘usual’ because it implies a humdrum quality, but the result is quite the contrary: what he may lack in vocal or lyrical clarity during a live performance, he more than makes up for in animated high jinks, silly, sometimes unintelligible banter, and a flair for dress-up beyond anyone’s good expectations.

Exhibit A (god, I wish I had a picture): As the band opens with “The Equestrian,” Harrington, donned in a cape and striped shirt, snakes his way through the crowd and hops up on stage to reveal a unicorn for a head. A UNICORN.

Beep Repaired Throws Thxgiving Bash, I Show Up

Local label Beep Repaired hosted a Turkey Day concert at the Crocodile this past Wednesday (11/21), featuring four solid Seattle rock bands: Juhu Beach, Lake of Falcons, Unlearn, and the Bismarck. Only two of the four bands are currently signed to BR, but they’re cool like that, and asked a couple of their friends to round out the lineup. Admittedly, I was there mainly to see Lake of Falcons, whose old-school melodic-punk style has intrigued me ever since my sister introduced me to them a few years back while she was still actively affiliated with the BR family. But the whole show ended up being well worth the six bucks I paid to get in. Juhu Beach opened the show, and, having never heard them before, I wasn’t sure what to expect. They answered the bell with flying colors. This four-piece played with a lot of energy, featured some notable song writing, and even threw in a flurry of non-annoying intersong banter. AMAZING!

The Cops Confuse while Pleasureboaters Please

Let me begin by saying this: I like the Cops. I do. I’ve seen them numerous times in various venues and I’ve always left their shows impressed and satisfied. They seem like hardworking locals with a flair for guitar fights and energetic performances. They strike me as the type of guys you might want to slug back a sixer of High Life tallboys with and then go egg your buddy’s parents’ house. Even though you graduated high school in 1992. And it’s still 2007. But that’s neither here nor there; my point being that they’ve carved themselves a particularly small niche in the local landscape with a garage-punk sound predicated on pulsating and mesmerizing guitar riffs, vocalized by Michael “Mikey” Jaworski’s raspy yet passionate lyrics, with just enough primal drumming to make you want to march. In boots, goddammit. Their debut LP, Get Good or Stay Bad, was rightfully lauded for its gritty sound, political undertones, and danceable hooks (a lá Gang of Four or the Clash). But it’s this new release, Free Electricity, which has me a bit worried. After watching them at the Crocodile this past Friday (11/16) for a CD-release show, I’m led to this conclusion: while Jaworski mostly keeps to the same (successful) formula vocally, and bassist Drew Church more than holds his own, the addition of a third guitarist has left their sound a bit, well, muddled.

Stars at Triple Door today (Playing on 90.3 at 4:30pm)

Late last night, I got a call from a friend with an offer for free admission to yet another KEXP VIP show at the Triple Door.
“Stars is playing,” reported Barney. “Wanna go?”
“Who is Stars? Never heard of ‘em.”
Neither had she.
By 12:30 this afternoon, there was a significant lineup already forming. We got decent seats 2/3 back, sharing a booth with quiet strangers who may have known as little about this band as me and my Canadian friend. DJ Shannon nervously introduced them and they got around to their rocking soon after 1pm.
By the third song, we formulated our assessment of the group: they were band nerds in high school. I’ll call this a double-edged sword. Their musicianship was top-notch and they obviously have been playing together long enough to be this tight. But the flip side is that they kinda take themselves a little too seriously, confining themselves to very small patches of space on stage. It was as if they were in a tightly-packed house party full of invisible people.
This didn’t keep them from performing on various instruments: the male lead monkeyed around with a synth, trumpet and some unidentified mouth organ sorta keyboard thing. The female lead switched between acoustic and electric guitars, in addition to sharing that trumpet and lead vox. (We imagined the lead male was pouting when she did this.) They also felt free enough to babble a bit between songs, introducing them briefly and joking around a bit.
The lead guitarist (“he looks like a too-tall George Harrison!” says Barno) expertly and efficiently commanded a Stratocaster, a Telecaster and a hollow-body six-string during the set, and the bassist had a variety of instruments handed to him by a mysterious arm that waited in the wings. I think the drummer was an extra in “The Secret of my Success” or perhaps “Pretty in Pink” as the Cool Guy at the party who had the Free Drugs. His white-framed wayfarers and pink pants were the bees knees.
I hesitate to jump on this bandwagon, but we agreed that Stars has a Radiohead-esque aura to their music. The also share the same tone as Two Loons for Tea, with a late-80s pop influence. I think I want to hear them in my car to capture the atmosphere of their work, minus their relatively stiff and introverted stage presence.  

Stars headlines an all-ages Showbox performance tonight at 8pm with Miracle Fortress. (Not to be confused with Miracle Baby, one of my favorite underrated sensations of the late 90s.)
Also, KEXP is broadcasting this afternoon’s show at 4:30pm. Check out the archives for the whole show. Apparently one of the songs was about f*cking someone to death.

The Ponys Attract Motorheads, Maintain Focus

Not wanting to miss the Chicago-based Ponys for a second time in seven months, I made sure to ingest a healthy dose of café latté prior to making my way to the Crocodile Tuesday night (11/6). My day job as a desk jockey, you see, requires me to be awake at inhuman hours, so getting to a fucking rock show on a weekday night is a process that sometimes involves the most legal of drugs (don’t worry, I had beer, too). Turns out I should’ve said “No” to legal drugs, because these guitar heroes provided any and all necessary energy I would need to enjoy their distinct brand of garage-psych.

Partman Parthorse Rocks Comet, Infuriates Inept Centaurs

Caution! Inaugural post–read at your own risk…or something…

In eager anticipation for the past few weeks, the lady and I met up with some fellow audiophiles at The Comet Tavern this past Saturday night (11/3) to check out local sex-punks, Partman Parthorse.  Oh sure, they were the third act of a quadruple bill, but who were we kidding?  It was PMPH that truly piqued our interest.  The band’s fractured funk, augmented by the stage theatrics of front-dude Gary Smith, are not necessarily new to Seattleites with a keen ear and a Wednesday night at the Funhouse to kill.  They’ve been on the scene since 2006 (I was only introduced to them several months ago, after being blown away at the Funhouse and subsequently again during a High Dive set), so I will admit that I expected a slightly larger turnout for a balmy Saturday evening with an extra hour.   I suppose this poor showing might have been a function of the venue–while steeped in the tradition of local dive-bar-badassery, as an audience member the Comet leaves a bit to be desired.  Didn’t stop us, though.  Seven pints of High Life and one twisted ankle later, LeDon’t was totally into it.

In any event, it was Smith’s red underoos and the frenetic tempos of bassist/keyboardist Rachel Ratner that made the mostly female crowd’s hips quiver.  Not to mention the steady percussion of Lisa Smith and the angular stylings of guitarist Marshal Nall.  The real treat, however, came when said underoos were dutifully put on display two songs into the set, after which Smith could only be seen three quarters-naked, holding his monitor aloft as if it were a boombox and he was strollin’ through a SoCal (neighbor) hood.   I’m sure you can probably YouTube it.

I was mildly disappointed that only a few (“Partman Parthorse”, “Bang!”, “High Five Heaven”) of the seven or eight songs they played were from their lone LP, but the new tunes definitely sounded slick and the band was eager to exhibit.  I welcomed them unconditionally.

I would advise anyone itching for a radical sound and a unique spectacle to not look any further.  Just check out their next show, for chrissake:  Thursday, Nov. 8th with Pwrfl Pwr at temporary venue Pony (former space of the Cha Cha Lounge).  You can also catch them at the Wild Rose with The Intelligence Dec. 7th.  Be there or be square.

Blakes @ LoFi Photos

The Blakes played Seattle’s LoFi on Thursday to kick off their tour to support their new self-titled album. They rocked, and I think they’re going to go big, soon. More on the Blakes later this week!

>>> Blakes photos <<<

A Summer-y of Summer Shows and Albums

Though I was in LA for half of June, working all of July, bed-ridden with SARS for six weeks after July 30th and MIA for most of September, I still managed to bear witness to some rock and some roll and a lot of hip hop this summer.
I downloaded the new Common album, “Finding Forever” and despite the rough and dissonant track “Southside”, wholly endorse it top to bottom. You have probably heard “Misunderstood” with the Nina Simone sample on KEXP. This was in heavy rotation in my work van until…
Talib Kweli’s “Eardrum.” Dang, Kanye was busy, what with producing some of this album plus “Forever”. Judging by the credits, it’d be hard to beat this album: Pete Rock, Madlib, will.i.am (now off the hook as Fergalicious is off doing something else) and longtime producer Hi-Tek are responsible for its release. The beats and themes bounce all over on “Eardrum” as much as his flow on “Country Cousins.” (Is that an “Earth, Wind and Fire” sample in there?) Try to put this one down.
By the time I saw Lyrics Born and Rodrigo y Gabriela rock crowds at Bumbershoot, I had probably played Queens of the Stone Age’s “Era Vulgaris” about 30 times. These artists bolstered my faith in the State of Music 2007 as much as the subtext of “Era Vulgaris” tried to question it.
A special thanks to a couple of NWMBers for inviting me along to the Spoon show last month. Like an old locomotive trying to gain momentum, the band had to fight the mass of their last album – too slow and cumbersome for this listener – to get the show going. Once into the second half of the performance, though, they found their groove and sated up the sold-out Showbox crowd.
Surprise surprise at my friend Michael’s wedding reception at the Sunset Tavern: a private show by our beloved Cops. A great preview of the new album followed a short set during the cocktail hour that featured “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” and “Ballroom Blitz”. Hell yeah! Since my last visit to The Cops in late 2005, they have added a guitarist (Brandon of Free Electricity) and replaced founding bassist Brian Wall with Drew Church. They as solid as ever. I am eager to see them again this week with The Blakes at the Croc.
A fellow NWMB editor invited me out to see Two Gallants at the Croc earlier this month. The harmonics and minor-chord whiny-ness of Modest Mouse plus the two-piece frenetics of Hella. They totally underwhelmed me but it afforded me the opportunity to check out Blitzen Trapper, newly signed to hit maker Sub Pop. My idea that night: Radiohead mates with The Eagles and has a rockin’ Wilco baby. Whatever that whiskey-stained thought means. Check ‘em out and decide for yourself. Or grab the free show on the “KEXP Live Performances” podcast on the omnipresent iTunes.
I have been missing out on the goldenthroat rock, so tomorrow I am going to see Chris Cornell do something at the Paramount. Maybe he’ll take his shirt off. Or maybe he’ll play Billie Jean and I will try to sing along. Lately he has been covering Zeppelin’s “Thank You” and that out to be goldenthroat-tastic.
If Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are on the road, I will have to catch the support of their third release. Anyone into it?

Flaming Lips @ Paramount

Heavy on visuals, light on vocals. That’s my take.

I’ll have more tomorrow — er, later today — but a) the stage was a launch platform for the Most Visual Effects I’ve Seen at a Show(tm), while b) singer Wayne Coyne’s voice was very poor, like he had a chest cold. <- yesterday

today -> It’s no secret that he and J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. have two of the most unPavarotti -like voices in rock. But I was alarmed at how poor Coyne’s vocals were… “paper thin” came to mind. Is his voice always like this? He held his chest with his left hand for much of the show, which could indicate pain, illness, or well, anything.

The good news about all of this is that — buck up, Sparky! — you don’t have to have a strong voice to front a rock band!

They played old and new hits, 1993’s She Don’t Use Jelly and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots pt 1. And other material. It was ok, but I wasn’t blown away.

Coyne’s near-constant prodding of the crowd to sing along at a level he was satisfied with, plus his interminable, rambling monologues about George W. Bush, the US’s various wars, and love, got tiresome. Not that there’s anything wrong with speaking out against our insane puppet of a president, but if you do as the frontman at a concert, make your point (once) and get back to the music.

The Flaming Lips certainly do not fall under the Shut Up And Rock rock band header.

But I’m a critic. It’s my job to be critical. Overall, the crowd was appreciative, the sound at the Paramount was good, and the spectacle was grand. If you’re a diehard FL fan, there’s nothing I could say that would take away from your experience.

(In a 100% stoner move, I parked at a Taxi Cabs Only 11:30-2am spot (that’s not the stoner move, I was aware of it). My buddy Joe assured me we’d be out by 11:30. Halfway through the show I look at my watch and lo and behold, it’s 11:30. So I go out and move it. Then I come back and the band is not only still playing, but they play about 6 more songs, including an encore.

Then it hits me: having just returned from Denver the day before, my watch was still on Mountain time! It was 10:30 when I left. Pass the bong.)

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