Tonight at the Sunset The Curious Mystery will be sharing their unique brand of psychedelic americana. If you haven’t heard them, do it right now: myspace.com/thecuriousmystery. Also on the bill are Seattle’s surf darlings Diminished Men. The drummers for these two acts are worth the ticket price alone. This is some of the best shit happening in Seattle right now. Get in on the ground floor and never get out of the elevator.
Popularity: 14%
NWMB interviewed Brooklyn’s John Biz, who just collaborated with NYC cult heroes Higgins to record “Vida”, which includes a Hot Snakes cover with the personal blessing of John Reis, with legendary engineer Steve Albini.
Biz was recently showcased (officially) at CMJ and (unofficially) at SxSW. Check out johnbiz.com for West Coast tour dates this August.
How do you approach songwriting?
I feel like it’s more like “what do you do when you’re approached by a song?”. I guess I’m always writing new material, but it’s almost like a schizophrenia. I’m kind of possessed by music - it’s in control, not me. New songs are always going through my head each day. I have full ensembles working at sometimes, which has it’s ups and downs. I try and document each fragment I come across, and I guess I end up catching about 10% of it. Sometimes full songs appear out of nowhere, like “Medicine Mind” - it was written before I touched a pen. Other times I just record my stream of consciousness the best I can, and I hold onto fragments. There are thousands of them. I leave them incomplete on purpose for the period of time that I’m writing the album as a bigger picture. Then I put all the fragments together and sit with them, listening to each one. They’re like puzzle pieces for a picture I haven’t seen yet. Sometimes I remember what I was thinking and link some of them up. Some of them fall together like it was meant that way from the start. In the end, writing an album is as much a discovery process for me as it is for the listener, so it stays fun for me. It’s always new and it always changes. Same way I work with musicians. We all keep moving and the music is just a picture that happens naturally.
Sweet Tooth
Plenty For All (Hot Snakes)
Popularity: 16%
Sasshoot? Bumberfest? Sub Pop Block Party? There are so many music festivals in and around Seattle, it can be pretty easy to get them all mixed up. Here is a handy guide with dates, locations and links so that you can plan your summer.
Sasquatch: When: May 24-26 Where: the Gorge Amphitheatre Line-up Highlights: Modest Mouse, R.E.M., The New Pornographers, M.I.A., The Breeders, Grand Archives, The Cure, Death Cab for Cutie, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, The Blakes, Sera Cahoone, The Cops, The Flaming Lips, The Mars Volta, Built to Spill, The Cave Singers, Kinski My thoughts: A very impressive line-up. Plus many of these artists have not revealed plans to get any closer to Seattle than this. More info: http://sasquatchfestival.com/2008/
Noise for the Needy: When: June 11-15 Where: Various clubs around Seattle Line-up Highlights: The Black Angels, Peter Parker, The Heavy Hearts, Math & Physics Club, New Faces, Lonesome Rhoads & the Good Company, Past Lives, Partman Parthorse, Amateur Radio Operator, Feral Children, Common Market My thoughts: Lots of great shows happening all over town. Proceeds this year will benefit Urban Rest Stop. More info: http://www.noisefortheneedy.org/2008/index.php
Georgetown Music Fest: When: June 13-14 Where: Georgetown neighborhood Line-up Highlights: Helmet, The Hands, Slender Means, Carrie Akre, The Lashes, Skullbot, Helms Alee, and more My thoughts: Last year’s best festival has once again assembled a great line-up of mostly local bands. While you’re in the neighborhood, grab some pizza at Stellar Pizza and a drink at the 9 lb. Hammer. More info: http://www.georgetownmusicfest.com/
Popularity: 30%
I don’t know how many of you are familiar with Christina Antipa. t I just discovered her for myself a couple of weeks ago. Normally performing at DIY house shows, Ms. Antipa is doing Seattle a big favor by sharing her beautiful voice and gifted songwriting with the rest of us this Sunday at the Vera. Yes its part of Folklife, but she is joined on the bill by other very interesting acts including Calvin Johnson. So don’t worry; there will be hippies there but they won’t be all grey-bearded and tie-dyed. They will be young and beautiful just like you. Seriously, check Christina’s music out for yourself: myspace.com/christinaantipaVera Project located on the corner of Warren & Republican Ave N, next to the Key Arena in Seattle Center. Christina is on at 5:15 on Sunday afternoon 
Popularity: 15%
On Wednesday May 21st, Michael Vermillion and his band play a show at the Tractor Tavern to celebrate their debut album, Last Night on Earth. The album is a wide ranging piece of americana. The song “I Hate Losin’” is dark and sinister, while “Roadtrips” is relaxed and carefree. “Moses” grinds along like a big rig (appropriately) and the title track soars skyward. And then there is the ultra catchy, but inherently creepy “Out of Place in Your Arms”. The songs bring many other artists to mind; A little Tom Waits here, some Jeff Buckley there, and the trumpet makes me think of Beck. All of the pieces come together and work.
From 2001 to 2005 Michael Vermillion played bass in the emo/sceamo/whatevermo band, Vendetta Red. After leaving the band he began playing solo acoustic shows around town. He eventually added a full backing band, including peddle steel and the previously mentioned trumpet, to give the songs a much more lush sound. Michael contributed to the Lonesome Rhoads album and has also collaborated with Vince Mira, the sixteen year-old reincarnation of Johnny Cash.
If tomorrow night’s show at the Tractor is anything like his previous shows, Michael Vermillion will throw several covers into the set. He has a large repertoire of covers including songs by Merle Haggard, Tom Waits, Johnny Cash, and Leonard Cohen. But the greatest service Michael provides is exposing people to the music of Townes Van Zandt. It is highly probable that tomorrow’s set will include Michael’s version of Van Zandt’s “Waiting Around to Die”, which was also recorded for the album.
So get down to the Tractor Tavern tomorrow night and check out Michael Vermillion. Opening the show are Mario Matteoli and Lonesome Rhoads & the Good Company.
Michael Vermilion - http://www.myspace.com/michaelvermillion
“Have You Seen…” #1 -Michael Vermillion by Matt Koroulis
Popularity: 17%
Ooooweee…boy howdy have those kids over at Semisweet Productions put together a swell lineup for this year’s Georgetown Music Festival, to be held June 13 and 14 in Seattle’s hippest Boeing-field-adjacent neighborhood. In just three years they’ve taken the event from “the new kid on the block” to one of the most respected and sought-after summer billings.
As released earlier today over at the NadaMucho.com myspace page, performers include:
Thee Emergency, Aqueduct, The Hands, Slender Means, The Lashes, Cancer Rising, Carrie Akre, Helms Alee, Little Pieces, The Kindness, Kind, Megasapien, Skullbot, Spanish for 100, Leeni, The Bad Things, Lords of the North, The Hanks, Skeletons With Flesh on Them, Denelian, Kaylee Cole, Daguerreotypes, The Oregon Donor, Reporter, Nazca Lines, Bronze Fawn, The Globes, Ms Led, Danny’s House, Pwrfl Power, Emblematic, Shim, Tennis Pro, The Upsidedown, Le Fleur, Levator, Pink Snowflakes, Hypatia Lake, Godspeed, Panther Attack!, and…. HELMET!
For ticket information, show times and also what not, head over to www.georgetownmusicfest.com and/or www.myspace.com/georgetownmusicfest.
Popularity: 18%
It’s best described by a term we regularly drop here at NWMB:
Class A Face-melting, Stomach-churning, Palm-sweating, Loin-tingling Two Day Music Candystore Assault That’s Not Bumbershoot or Sasquatch.
July 12 and 13 at Marymoor Park
Are you seated? Heart meds within reach? Then look here:
Beachwood Sparks / Comets on Fire / Fleet Foxes / Flight of the Conchords / The Fluid / Foals / Grand Archives / Green River / The Helio Sequence / Iron & Wine / Kinski / Low / Mudhoney / No Age / Pissed Jeans / Red Red Meat / The Ruby Suns / Seaweed / Wolf Parade, and more to be announced.
In unabashedly conspicuous celebration of 20 years of not going out of business (sometimes only barely), Seattle’s Sub Pop Records will gather past and present label-mates for a series of events, including a two-day festival at Marymoor Park on July 12 & 13 and a comedy show on July 11 at Seattle’s Moore Theatre. Proceeds from the sale of tickets will go to support beneficiaries of each participating act’s choosing. Tickets go on sale April 26 at 12 PM Pacific at SubPop.com and all Ticketmaster locations.
Be still, my beating heart.
Popularity: 19%
So Nadamucho.com has teamed up with Global Seepej Records to do their first compilation CD release. Im a little biased cuz one of my songs was chosen to be on the release but regardless it’s a respectable endeavor by the fellow Seattle music review website. The track list is as below and the CD release is June 26th @ Mars Bar (we play that night), June 27th @ Sunset Tavern, and June 28th @ Neumos.
Track List
1. Bienvenidos!
2. At the Spine – Meteorite
3. The Tea Cozies – Tranciting
4. Head Like a Kite – Noisy at the Circus
5. Hazelwood Motel – Break Myself in Two
6. The Lonely Forest – You Move
7. Pufferfish – Rest Stop
8. Amateur Radio Operator – Strobe Light
9. Chris Klepac – Beezelbub’s Tale to His Grandson
10. The Wastelanders – Pride & Strawberry Wine
11. WhoTheHells – Runnin’ with an Axe
12. Iceage Cobra – Baconface Sweepstakes
13. Eastern Grip – Boots
14. C-Leb & A-Bro – Early Summertime Blues
15. The Endeavors – On the Mouth
16. Spaces – Flatland
17. Katherine Hepburn’s Voice – Out Like This
18. Elder Mason – The Revival
Popularity: 14%
