Block Party Ticket Give Away Next Week

NWMB has a pair of 2-day passes to give away. We’re going to unload these beauties on a lucky reader next week, but not before Monday. Stay tuned.

Jump the break for the lineup.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008: Get In Where You Fit In

Aaaaaah, yeah boooooooyyyyys and girlz, the lineup for this year’s installment of the Capitol Hill Block Party has officially been announced (my thanks to the Lady for the scoop). And it’s a doozy. Always a clever mix of local and national acts, this year is no different. The ever-popular Vampire Weekend will headline Friday’s show and the Hold Steady is the current front-runner for Saturday—soon to be usurped by a suprise (!) guest. Who that will be? Your guess is as good as mine, Nostradamus.

Here’s the current lineup, with over 30 more bands and DJs soon to be announced:

Friday July 25
Vampire Weekend
Les Savy Fav
Girl Talk
USE
The Dodos
Jay Reatard
Akimbo
Pwrfl Power
Past Lives
Black Eyes And Neck Ties
Champagne Champagne

Saturday July 26
Surprise guest!!
The Hold Steady
Chromeo
Kimya Dawson
Darker My Love
The Butchers And The Builders
The Hands
Vallela Vallela
The Physics
Man Plus
Little Party And Bad Business

Some personal highlights: Les Savy Fav is a really awesome band to be playing this festival, Girl Talk makes a second straight appearance, ex-Blood Brothers bands Past Lives and Champagne Champagne just keep getting better, Man Plus just released an excellent sophomore album, and Chromeo will certainly get the booty shakers out. Forget about your hang ups with the crowd and their fashion sense, the CHBP is always a tremendous place to hear new and interesting bands.

Presale starts THIS MORNING AT 10 AM (password is BLOCKPARTY). One day prices are a reasonable $18 (though they seem to increase every year) and two-day passes are $34. See below for your ticket buying preference, but note that the links won’t work until 10am, so hold your horses. And check out the Stranger for more info, yo.

Click to buy advance tickets for Friday.
Click to buy advance tickets for Saturday.
Click to buy a two-day pass.

“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.

MORE Recommended Nov ‘07 Shows

While Kevin did a fantabulous job with this month’s upcoming shows, there were a few more that I wanted to call out:

The Ponys – I know, I know, this was already included, but for the love of god, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE support this band!  They’ve put out three (3) solid albums to date and their infectious garage rock—embellished with pop sensibilities—is sure to please.  Their latest release Turn The Lights Out is awesome, but check out the previous LP, Celebration Castle, for the real goods.  TONIGHT @ THE CROCODILE ($10).

Grand Archives (w/ Helio Sequence & Minus the Bear) – This show goes down at the Showbox (ugh, “at the Market”) Saturday Nov. 10th.  With three solid local bands on the bill, this will no doubt be good.  While Helio Sequence and Minus the Bear have received plenty of high marks before (and rightly so), it’s Grand Archives that whets my whistle.  Mat Brooke (of Band of Horses and Carissa’s Wierd fame) fronts this recently signed Sub Popper. $16 Adv / $18 DOS All Ages

These Arms Are Snakes – This band is so awesome, not even the fact that their name is just the 2nd most awesomest band name ever can diminish their awesomeness.  For fans of local post-hardcore (that just means it’s LOUD and AWESOME).  Part of ISIS’s 10-Year Anniversary Tour.  Wednesday Nov. 14th @ Neumo’s;$15 Adv All Ages.

Lake of Falcons – So, in case you were wondering, this is the band with the best name ever.  EVER.  Just think about it: A lake…of FALCONS.  Fashioning a “throwback” grungy sound with crunchy monster-guitars and dual vocals, it’s a pleasure to see them still booking shows.  They’ve been around on fantastic DIY label Beep Repaired for some time, but haven’t got their proper due.  A great chance to support the hard-hats of the local scene: Wednesday Nov 21st @ the Crocodile ($6).

Les Savy Fav – This is another of my favorites…Art-rockers from Brooklyn celebrate their first release in three years.  The bass lines will slice you into pieces, the guitars will make you squeal and you just might get some sort of ambiguous liquid thrown on you by satiric frontman Tim Harrington.  I love this band.  Friday Nov. 30th @ Neumo’s ($18 Adv)

The Cave Singers with Fleet Foxes - Can’t say enough about the beautiful, macabre folk of Seattle’s Cave Singers and the 70s AM radio-inspired musings of Fleet Foxes.  Check them out while they’re still under the radar. Friday Nov. 30th @ the Crocodile ($10)

That is all.

Music I Need to Get

• Ambulance Ltd
• Feist
• (more) Stars
• (more) Broken Social Scene
• Kirsty MacColl
• any Les Savy Fav I don’t already have
• Fugazi (yep, never had any)
• Frank Zappa
• Big Black

I’ll think of more.