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.

Popularity: 19%

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!

Popularity: 23%

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…

Popularity: 26%

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…)

Popularity: 28%

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.

Popularity: 38%

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.

Popularity: 25%

“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.

Popularity: 26%

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!

Popularity: 30%