February Hillebrity of The Month: Xin Wong
Craziest night on the hill? Every night is crazy! If I remembered then it wouldn’t be crazy.
Drink of choice? Whiskey neat
Seattle dog or Big Mario’s after bar? How about soup instead? It’s my favorite dish.
If you opened a bar on the hill, what would the theme be? The theme would be from a scene from The Man Who Fell To Earth.
A three-way with any two employees on the hill….who would they be? The butcher at Uwajimaya in China town, oh wait that’s not Capital Hill. I can’t have sex with anyone on the hill, I am friends with too many of them!
Name two of your favorite Seattle bands: Beat Connection and Shabazz Palaces.
Favorite spot on the hill for a romantic drink? That would be my place.
What’s your idea of a perfect night on Capitol Hill? Unicorn for Penetration, then Obscure Obscene at Pony, then Soul night at Havana.
If you could change one thing about the hill what would it be? An authentic Chinese restaurant that is open 24/7.
One fashion tip? Best accessory anyone could have, is a nice body.
Seismic Sound Interview: Blake Madden of Hotels.
Photo By: Jason Tang
Following the success of Hotels’ 2009 album, “Where Hearts Go Broke”, the Seattle-based sci-fi pop band released its third album this week. “On The Casino Floor” is a cinematic concept album of futuristic proportions. Seismic-Sound sat down with Hotels’ front man Blake Madden on the eve of Hotels’ cd release show to discuss the band’s exciting new album.
SS: So, Blake, tell us a little bit of your back-story. The band’s originally from New York…
BM: Hotels began in New York around 2005. My previous band had just broken up, and I was working the graveyard shift as a night auditor in a chain of dubious hotels in the city. It was a dark time literally. But I had hours of nothing to do at a time and no supervision, so I would bring my bass to work and write songs in the lobby. I always had a thing for hotels, I was working in them, and was writing new songs for an as yet unformed, unnamed band, so I figured why not just go with it. Most of those songs ended up on Thank You For Choosing… After a few years, I moved out here to Seattle, and tried to maintain an ill-fated long distance relationship with my New York band, even while cheating on them with a new West coast Hotels lineup. The East/West thing survived long enough to make Where Hearts Go Broke, but I can no longer regularly afford plane fare, so we are now permanently officially located here.
SS: It’s a very exciting time for Hotels. Your album just released this week. So there is an amazing CD release show planned at Columbia City Theater… First, let’s talk about the new album. It’s definitely got a cinematic feel. What’s the story? Tell us about the concept? How did that come about and what was the inspiration behind it all?
BM: It is actually a concept album something I’m sure I’ve sworn at some point I would never attempt. Movies inform everything we do in Hotels (wait till the next album!) and I’ve always loved Bond films. For years, I’d been imagining and writing short stories about this character; a secret agent named “Smith”. On one hand, he’s an unbeatable Bond-esque super agent, but on the other hand he also goes against a lot of those clichés he gets lonely, misses his friends and family, and sometimes longs for the life of a civilian. I started to think of what ‘Casino Royale’ would have been like if we had written, directed, starred in, and scored it, AND it was set in outer space (for good measure). The answer is “On The Casino Floor”.
SS: On The Casino Floor is a bit of a departure from your last album. While a couple of songs retain the pop feel of WHGB, some of the new songs are heavier. “Sleep In Fame”, for example, has a more serious feel. It’s pretty epic.
BM: Well, as you said, the songs are more cinematic and that’s by design. Of course, there’s the notion that it’s a soundtrack to an imaginary film, but I’ve also just been influenced more by film soundtracks in recent years than actual pop music stuff like Elliot Goldenthal, Angelo Badalamenti, and of course the late great John Barry. For some reason, film music almost doesn’t exist for most people outside of the film it’s featured in; it’s an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ sort of thing. But what if film music was also pop music? Pop songs often make it into movies, but film music rarely ever makes it as pop. Air’s Virgin Suicides soundtrack is one of the few exceptions I can think of. The new songs you’re hearing are our attempt to make ‘film pop’.
SS: I heard the first single off your new album on KEXP – The Bat Watusi. Great song but what the heck is the “Bat Watusi”?
BM: Technically speaking, The Bat Watusi was a dance Adam West did in the old Batman TV show in an episode where for some reason he had to dance in a nightclub. In regards to the album, though, it’s the codename of the Smith’s mission. His agency doesn’t do things ‘by the book’, so they delivered his mission directives in song form, in the lyrics.
SS: This album is a bit shorter than your last, almost an EP. Why a shorter album?
BM: We wanted to do a compact suite of songs that all fit together without any filler. First rule of show business is ‘always leave them wanting more’, no? Or was it ‘never trust a producer who wants to audition you in his private office’?
SS: You’ve released your last two albums through Hidden Shoal Recordings. How did a local Seattle band get signed to an Australian indie-label?
BM: The credit goes to Hotels alum Rich Bennett. He found Hidden Shoal online when he was looking for someone to release an album by his band Monocle. He recommended them, we exchanged some emails, and the rest is intercontinental history.
SS: What is your earliest memory involving music? When did you decide you wanted to become a musician?
BM: Probably listening to Louis Armstrong records with my grandpa. Other than that, I was painfully clueless in regards to any popular music for a good chunk of my youth. I think up until about 12 or 13 the only music I owned was an En Vogue cassete single. The funny thing is that I didn’t seriously want to be a musician until a few years after I was already playing music. I started playing guitar in junior high because it was cool, and when I got asked to join my friend’s pop-punk band I thought I was the hottest shit on the planet, but really had no clue what I was doing or why, a fact highlighted by my ousting a short time later. In high school, I had some great older musical mentors who taught me to look deeper; to really dig in to music, and by the time I was 18, I felt like I actually ‘got it’. I was hearing things in music that other people weren’t hearing, and caring about things that other people weren’t caring about; stuff deeper than ‘this song rocks’ or ‘this song sucks’. I wanted to get to the heart of things, and I’m still digging.
SS: How do you approach writing songs? Do you write a song start to finish? Do you have to be inspired or can you just sit down and knock ‘em out?
BM: No, I can’t do it ‘business-like’ like Prince, who blows his nose and a song comes out. I write in bits and pieces, and then look for ways to smash those pieces together later. I read somewhere once that the bass line to The National Anthem was something Thom Yorke wrote when he was 13 and I thought it was crazy at the time, but now I find myself doing that fitting together melodies that are 5 and 6 years old with stuff I just came up with. It feels kind of cool actually; a combination of black magic and time travel.
SS: Now that you have three albums under your belt, how would you say your music has evolved over the years since Hotels first began?
BM: We used to wear our influences on our sleeve, and perhaps that sleeve was all black, attached to a shirt with a skinny tie, and on an arm that was only reaching in one direction. As a musician and a person, the older you get, (hopefully) the more you expand your vision and scope of influence. The key word you mentioned is ‘evolved’, because some bands don’t evolve at all and are even proud of it. There’s a conscious effort with each album to evolve, and I think with On The Casino Floor, it’s probably the first time we’ve put out something that really can’t be pigeonholed as any one thing, but is also distinctly our own sound.
SS: In terms of influences, there’s definitely a Joy Division/New Order vibe to your music. I imagine you’ve been compared to them time and again. Does it bother you? How would you describe your sound or characterize the band?
BM: File this under “lying in the bed we made for ourselves” category. Joy Division will always be one of my favorite bands if not my favorite band and when we first started out, we used to say things like “We’re the bastard love child of Devo and Joy Division!” because a) they WERE huge influences b) we were looking for an audience and thought we knew where to find it and c) we own a billion synths and I enjoy hanging myself. But if you listen to the first song on our first album all the way through to the last one on Casino Floor, I don’t think you can ignore the evolution of the music and the fundamental shift in songwriting. If people want to keep hitting those go-to comparisons without bothering to check if they still make sense, they should probably lock themselves in a room with our first album and pretend we broke up in 2006. But as I said, we did it to ourselves a bit, and the only thing we can do is keep making more and more diverse records. How many uber-soft hits did the Goo Goo Dolls have to make before people stopped considering them a punk band?
SS: The Alt-country/Folk sound is really popular right now, with great artists like the Head and the Heart, Campfire OK, Fleet Foxes and The Moondoggies capturing the charts and playlists. Does that worry you given Hotels’ sound is nowhere near country or folk?
BM: In Seattle, I think it actually helps us. It’s still a guitar and vocal driven music scene, and I think we’re one of the few bands that doesn’t quite fit that mold and actually goes in the opposite direction a lot of the time.
SS: What is the ultimate direction for Hotels? What constitutes success for the band?
BM: The direction is up and out. I think we make about as much sound as four people can make when we play, but I’m curious to see what happens when we add even more elements. Strings. Horns. Guest vocalists. More electronics. This Saturday will actually be our first foray into playing with an extended lineup. If it works out, I could see us doing more of it in the future. As for success, our measure is somewhere between ‘paying my rent off of music’ and ‘arena show with twirling drumset and flaming gong’.
SS: I’m really looking forward to Hotels’ CD release show. What can we expect for the show this Saturday?
BM: You must expect the unexpected! First, there’s the extended lineup I mentioned. Our old drummer Max Wood is returning on percussion, Gabe Mintz will be playing acoustic guitar and singing backup, and Kim Miller from Mono In VCF will also be singing. The whole night is casino themed. We’ll have baked goods, a signature cocktail, burlesque dancers, a prize wheel to win merchandise, a costume contest for the best-dressed, and we’ll cap it all off with a dance party spun by KEXP’s Marco Collins. You will also lose far less money attending our show than at a real casino.
SS: Sounds great!! Thanks for taking the time to talk to Seismic-Sound.com
Hotels new album On The Casino Floor releases this week. They’re playing the Columbia City Theater this Saturday, February 26th with The Royal Bear and Devil Whale, co-sponsored by Seismic-Sound. Tickets are available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/153571
Seismic-Sound: The Lonely Forest Unplugged. New Album “Arrows” out March 22nd, 2011.
So if you live in Seattle and you haven’t heard of The Lonely Forest, I have a feeling that this could very well change in the next 6 months. Their newest album called “Arrows” will be dropping on the 22nd of March and since signing with Chris Walla’s new major label Trans Records last February, expectations are running high for this musical four-some from Anacortes, Wa. But fear not….with Chris Walla on their side, and Expanding Brooklyn management at the helm. I think these guys are destined for some greatness this time around. This past weekend, some industry folk and friends were invited to a private home, to hear a unplugged mini-set and I was lucky enough to be there and capture a couple songs. I hope you enjoy these vids.
Seismic-Sounds Video Archive: The Head and The Heart at The Comet in July of 2010.
Congratulations to The Head and The Heart! If you haven’t heard … Seattle’s newest musical export THATH have sold out the The Showbox Market which is an 1100 capacity venue, in less than a half hour. Not sure I am surprised by this, but I am certainly pleased. They are currently touring with Dr.Dog, and will be making it home to the play the late April date, and grab a change of clothes, because I can only imagine the touring schedule will be grueling in 2011. With momentum on their side, this may be the year that puts them on the musical map of the world, but there is something to be said of their SOLD OUT homecoming show, and I imagine a lot will be. If you haven’t witnessed the energy of this band live, here is some video I shot of them in June at the Comet Tavern (that would be unheard of now). Its simply infectious! Take a look.
These types of reviews, we are going to let the live footage speak for itself. BUT I will say this, this band keeps getting better and better … not to mention the incredible new bassist who is a blast to watch on his own. This band plays with some passion and shit kicking vigor. Check it out!
Seismic Sound Video Archive: The Flaming Lips in 2007.
Once again we have dug back into the archives to find some jewels to share with you the readers. If you have never seen a Flaming Lips show, its not to be missed. And this summer at the 2011 Sasquatch Music Festival will be the perfect setting to witness their genius live. Here are a couple videos we shot back in 2007. Enjoy.
Seismic Sound Video Review: Campfire OK, “Encore”.
We’ve shown you the first part of the Campfire Ok Cd release party called “A Night to Remember”, now we will post the second part which will consist of the a cappella portion and also the encore. So this second half has fittingly been titled the “Encore”. It was an incredible evening, and I hope you enjoy these live videos.
Seismic Sound Video Review: Campfire OK, A Night To Remember.
I feel like I have personally been on a journey with Campfire Ok, and my nerves were running a bit high for me Saturday night. It was that time, Columbia City Theater was hosting the Campfire OK release party and the excitement was mounting. Not sure if I was nervous for Mychal (who seemed cool as a cucumber backstage) or nervous for people seeing and loving what I have loved all along; but I don’t care who you are … if you saw the show on Saturday night, I’m not sure how it’s possible for you to not be a fan now. It was one of the best musical nights of my life and I have some incredible video to share with you below. I am going to run it in 2 parts. “A Night to Remember” and “Encore” enjoy.
Seismic Sound Video Archive: Jimmy Eat World
Love them or hate them, Jimmy Eat World has created more than ripple in the music world with their heartfelt ballads and hooky power pop hits. Many would say paved the way for a whole new generation of musicians. Nevertheless, we dug back into the archive of videos and found this live video I shot in 2007. I love this song “Hear You Me”. Check it out!
Seismic-Sound’s Friday Night Pick: Joshua Morrison,Wesafari and Levi Fuller at The Tractor Tavern.
I consider myself lucky living in Seattle, theres always a decent show to be seen and this weekend is no different; there’s plenty of entertainment for all, but this Friday we are going to pay our respects and bask in the hushed panty dropping vocals of Joshua Morrison. After what seems like an eternity he is finally releasing some new material with this EP release at The Tractor Tavern tonight. But although it seems like forever for this EP to actually materialize, I am having a hard time letting go of his brilliant freshman album called “Home”, still after all these years. Personally it has been one of the most emotional evoking albums that I have ever owned. His music is beautifully romantic with haunting images of war, love, longing and home. It’s a perfect combo and a combo I encourage you to witness live . Take a listen below.
Seismic-Sound: Wild Nothing Are Coming, Wild Nothing Are Coming!!!!!
If you haven’t heard already… one of my absolute favorite bands of 2010, Wild Nothing from Virginia will be playing the Cairo on February 27th. Joining them will be Abe Vigoda (LA) and the M Womyn(SEA). This will sell out because there are only 100 tickets available….so go down and get a ticket for $12 dollars, they sell them from 12-7 seven days a week.. Its going to be well worth it. Its $15 dollars per ticket day of, but again I promise you this will sell out quickly. This show is gonna be so rad! Take a listen/look at their video.
Seismic-Sound Video Archive: Editors at the Chop Suey.
Seismic-Sound Preview:Crocodiles at The Crocodile, January 19th.
Photo By: Jason Friendt
San Diego garage-y, aggressive rock turned, psychedelica, synthy reverby, noise-pop band(sorry for the over-kill) Crocodiles, are strutting through town this Wednesday to support their sophomore effort “Sleep Over” which was released on the label Fat Possum Records in 2010. If you’ve never seen these boys with that rock and roll attitude live then prepare yourself for some good ole “I don’t give a fuck” showmanship. Last time I seen them at Chop Suey, the lead singer moved pretty uncontrollably at times on stage while knocking over microphones and hitting the floor without missing a lick on his guitar. They certainly let the passion of their playing flow through out the set, without waiver and in the moment, which I certainly respect.
Given the new direction of their latest material and hailed by critics as their best as of yet, I will be curious to see how this new stuff plays out live, but no doubt about it … the show will be memorable and I can’t wait.
Here is some video footage I shot last time they were in town. Watch below.
Seismic-Sound Review: Damien Jurado’s stunning sold out performance at Columbia City Theater.
I mean let’s face it…. Damien Jurado is Seattle music royalty, and it couldn’t have been more evident that at last nights sold out performance at Columbia city Theater. The musical impression he has left on Seattle’s music scene since “96” was obvious when you scanned through last nights audience. Members of The Head and The Heart, Pickwick, Ivan & Alyosha, Fences, Hey Marseilles, Campfire Ok, Goldfinch and countless others were on hand including Jurados family, to watch this music master unravel his genius before the sold out crowd. After a “who’s that?” moment and watching the incredible Tony Kevin Jr finish his set, and being blown away by Widower’s dumb-founding performance, it was time for the man of the night.
Jurado took the stage with his guitar in hand, that guitar had two stickers on it. One that was the state of Washington and said “home” on it, and the other was what looked to be a picture of Richard Swift. He sat in his chair without the backing band and told the crowd he wrote two new songs that day (one we have for you to see). He then invited his amazing band out, and they meandered through a wonderful catalogue of stuff, both old and new. His onstage banter was as entertaining as the music itself. Stories of his son’s sweetness at the ripe age of 10 years old and how untainted and loving he still is(towards his father), and how fleeting his sweetness seems to be, when the children think its “un-cool to show their love to the parents, to the amount of cocks he has seen throughout the world scrawled on walls, and especially in Europe, but Jurado states “They’re all the same, expect in America ours are bigger”. His stories charmed the audience and grabbed everyone’s attention, even his quirky off beat fumbling around he turned into entertaining banter. He stated that “for some reason performing in Seattle, makes me so fucking nervous”.
Throughout Jurado’s set the room was still and silent, he never left his chair. At one point he was dancing around in his chair, as if not having the capacity to stand, chair turned 180 degrees towards his band he jammed with his band, but this is Damien Jurado, this is what he does, and he even does that well. People were captivated by his beautiful guitar strokes, his wonderful lyrics and his signature sound. As he wound down the night and performed his final song. His voice gave me that thing that I call the “skin orgasms” hair standing on end, and body tingling. Damien Jurado proved why he is esteemed, and why he is such an important part of Seattle’s music community.
Here is video of the brand new song. *Sorry about volume* Watch in HD
Seismic-Sound New Artist: Sister Crayon
Something small and quiet at first, the Sacramento, CA based Sister Crayon began with vocalist Terra Lopez playing classical guitar and pre-programmed beats on a loop pedal to attentive house party crowds. With the addition of members Dani Fernandez, Jeffrey LaTour, and Nicholas Suhr, Sister Crayon emerged seamlessly melding haunting balladry, rich analog textures, and a rhythmic prowess informed by trip-hop and krautrock. Despite the music’s dark, melancholy nature, there’s a sweetness and charisma about Lopez that immediately strikes a chord with audiences.
Live, the four-piece uses a combination of samplers, guitar, synths, and live percussion to lay down a steady foundation as Lopez builds and breaks down the songs, alternating between a hip-hop inflected cadence and a spectral croon. In the past year, Sister Crayon has created quite a stir with their inspiring performances playing alongside folks like Baths, School of Seven Bells, Busdriver, Warpaint (who they put a split 7-inch out with), Truckasaurus, among many others in their brief existence as a band.
Their forthcoming debut full-length “Bellow” is full of juxtapositions that inexplicably work well together: woeful yet triumphant, expanse but also intimate. The inspiration for “Bellow” derives from a few places, namely the writer Fernando Pessoa who had a large influence on the record. His curiosity and writings on death, homosexuality, longing, and general despair was the muse for the mood and tone, a tension that is present throughout.
The record is a representation of the evolution of Sister Crayon from the solo beginnings of quiet, dark songwriting to the powerful, dynamic, full band construction. One out of many standouts, “Anti Psalm” is an ode to religious antics and absent fathers weaving 808 beats with analog synths while Lopez’s vocals (along with guest vocalists Jules Baenziger of Sea of Bees and Caitlin Gutenberger of Two Sheds) create haunting doo-wop harmonies. “Stem”, a moody track that ebbs and flows, creating a wave of synths, piano, drums, and an eight person choral chant mid-song. Other standouts are the galloping “I’m Still The Same Person” and the head-nodding R&B swagger of “(In) Reverse”, which showcases the band’s electronic leanings with pulsing MPC beats, trippy analog sequencers, and manic vocal layers.
A refreshing change from a lot of contemporary music, what you get with Sister Crayon is sincerity, thoughtfulness, beauty, wisdom, joy, and (perhaps, best of all) music that should be at once pondered and cherished. Stumbling onto Sister Crayon is like finding a book of apocalyptic poetry in the confessional booth of an old, burned out cathedral.
Jan 7 Museum of Natural History – Los Angeles, CA w/ Little Dragon
Jan 28 The Townhouse – Sacramento, CA w/ Daedelus
Feb 23 Rickshaw Stop – San Francisco, CA w/ Dan Deacon
Seismic- Sounds Hillebrity of The Month: Dita Vox
She doesn’t need much of an introduction. Not only is she a fixture on the Cap Hill scene, but she’s the bomb-shell that takes the reigns on one of Seattle’s most respected live acts Thee Emergency. Now add “faux reality” actress to her resume, as she takes a major role in MTV’s series $5 Dollar Cover(which you can see here), as well as the poster girl. She’s the whole package and she’s our January Hillebrity. Lets get her take on “The Hill”.,
Seismic News:Dinosaur Jr Supergroup takes the stage at The Tractor Tavern in January.
Celebrated U.S. rock band SWEET APPLE has announced winter west coast tour dates in support of its critically lauded debut album Love & Desperation (Tee Pee Records). The light-hearted, heavy-hitting quartet, which features in its ranks drummer (and Dinosaur Jr. guitarist) J Mascis and members of the bands WITCH and COBRA VERDE, will team up with Dead Meadow for a string of shows set to kick off on January 11 in Seattle, WA. formed out of friendship(s) in December, 2009 when Cobra Verde frontman John Petkovic “got in his car heading eastward” from his Cleveland home after the unfortunate death of his mother, who had endured a long, courageous battle with cancer. A mid-drive phone call from longtime friend (and bassist) Dave Sweetapple led to an impromptu jam session in Brattleboro, VT that also included Mascis. Soon, the band would add Cobra Verde’s Tim Parnin to its ranks (resulting in a formidable three guitar gang) and SWEET APPLE was born. The band’s much talked about debut Love & Desperation was mixed by John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, The Hold Steady) and Don Depew (Guided By Voices, Cobra Verde) and is chock full of catchy, driving anthems and upbeat, infectious rock ‘n’ roll.‘s January live schedule is shaping up as follows:
SWEET APPLE
SWEET APPLE
January 11 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern (w/ Dead Meadow)
January 12 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge (w/ Dead Meadow)
January 14 San Francisco, CA Cafe Du Nord (w/ Dead Meadow)
January 15 Los Angeles, CA The Satellite [formerly Spaceland] (w/ Dead Meadow)
January 16 San Diego, CA The Casbah (w/ Dead Meadow)
Check out SWEET APPLE‘s “Do You Remember” music video:
– J Mascis: Guitar god in Dinosaur Jr.; drummer in Witch. Played with Cobra Verde for a spell. Owner of hundreds of guitar pedals (and dozens of Adidas). Favorite color is purple. Has worked in a coffee shop in India (even though he doesn’t drink coffee). Spends a LOT of money in Whole Foods.
– Tim Parnin: Guitar player in Cobra Verde. Plays guitar with former Faith No More singer Chuck Mosely. Former clothing designer. Cleveland Cavaliers season ticket holder. Partied with Shaq.
– John Petkovic: Frontman for Cobra Verde. Still gets acting residuals from “The OC.” Played in Guided by Voices. Former aid to the Crown Prince of Yugoslavia. Writes about bars and movies for Cleveland’s daily newspaper. Working on an underwear-themed art exhibition. Smokes less, but eats more gummy bears.
– Dave Sweetapple: Bassist in Witch. Native of Newfoundland, Canada (where they beat baby seals). Prefers rock over free jazz. Grew hair long after seeing a photo of the Alice Cooper Band. Collects rare mushrooms. Owns a best-in-breed Irish Wolfhound named Cyril.
Seismic-Sounds: 2010’s Top 10 Seattle Bands to Watch.
Campfire OK– I can honestly say that front man Mychal Benjamin Goodweather of Campfire Ok is a musical force to be reckoned with. He writes amazing songs, has a voice that carries a wonderful vibrato and has grown into this incredible front man to boot. The most important thing I have found with this band in particular is the growth. Sure they were good when I had first seen them, but since that time Mychal and company have become confident musicians while on stage and I think the best is yet to come, and that’s spooky. They have a CD release show coming up at Columbia City Theater on February 5th, and there is a good possibility it will sell out, so if you have don’t have tickets….make sure to get them, it’s a show you will not want to miss. Check them out: http://vimeo.com/16567311
The Head and The Heart– I mean what can I say about this band that so many of you don’t already know. They took folk/americana-pop and turned it into a huge party, and apparently the people love a party cause they’re blowing up and not only locally, but nationally and from the looks of it even internationally when they tour with Dr.Dog. It would be very hard to find a kink in their musical armor, it just seems that perfect. Writing, singing, playing and the look…they got it. And luckily for Seattle they just signed to indie major label Sub Pop records, which will keep them close to home. Buy the self titled LP and you’ll get what all the hype is about: Live in studio at KEXP http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fcPfaMpSeE
Smooth Sailing– If you are a lover of metal, then you HAVE to check out this heady fucking prog metal band (I always like to curse when talking about metal). The level of talent is astounding, from the lighting speed chord changes and the blast beat tempos, its such a cohesive art form to watch live. Its chaos and optimism all at the same time. It’s melodic to a complete onslaught of the senses … simply its an eruption of beauty. Watch live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO6DzbCYkP4
Viper Creek Club– Mat Wisner and Brendan Jenson may only be two men on stage, but nonetheless they are captivating. They’re minimal light show is entrancing and their music is electronic brilliance. They released a brand new Album titled “Letters” and its an album you can let play from beginning to end with zero remorse. Not only are they amazing artists, but behind the mixing board they are just as powerful; expect to hear many great things from these guys. Here is their kick ass video for “Eliza” . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88Xyc9j1gUM
The Young Evils– Troy Nelson and Mackenzie Mercer as well as Cody Hurd have not only made one of the loveliest pop albums of the year, they have some how become the band that everyone knows about. Guess its true what they say about word of mouth, cause this band is on the tip of everyone’s tongue, and it seems like they did it in no time flat. Grab their flawless self titled album, and check out a show … you’ll be glad you did. Check out the latest video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbr4IQQ1bNE
Brent Amaker & The Rodeo– I have never thought “country” was cool till I bumped into these fellas, and it’s still hard to classify them as straight-up country. They take the sound of an era gone by and have modernized it with guest rappers and fantastic covers of bands like Kraftwerk . But not only that, their songs are infectious and can almost drive ya to the edge of crazy (“Saddle up” almost got the best of me one day, I couldn’t shake it, it was stuck). Brent and The Rodeo have a punk rock attitude, with that country western swagger, and the live performances are a feast for the eyes….not only do woman swoon at the baritone of Brent’s voice and all black western wear the fellas wear (or is it just me?), but the men in the audience get semi-chub’s at the burlesque dancer who high steps it in heels and titty tassels and caters to the needs of Brent and the boys at any given notice while on stage. Ya gett’in my drift? It’s fun for the whole family. Check out their brand new LP “Please Stand By”. But check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KjOaQ4Oc1I *WARNING MA ONLY*
Fences- Their current LP stopped me in my tracks upon listening. Raw and beautiful with an acoustic flair and poppiness to it. What more can I say… they seem to be on the radar of bigger things to come, and rightfully so. Take a listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP_0KBJ2exs
Roman Holiday- I think there is something to be said about writing songs that are pop perfection. A band that can deliver on every level gets my respect. Roman Holiday from Tacoma has some of the poppiest, catchiest, radio-ready songs I have heard this year. The kind of music that’s crafted with big hooks and catchy riffs. Yes I love the obscure and independent and typically lean towards the quirky, and envelope pushing types of music, but I have a thing for indie pop perfection. I have gone to see Roman Holiday live and I was impressed, could they improve onstage …. sure, but they sounded amazing and even still the crowd was smitten. Hard working, dedicated musicians who write some great stuff and are true professionals. I’m impressed. Take a look at their brand new video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGiYa9J6MtE
Shenandoah Davis- Ahhhh…..the voice of Shenandoah Davis. I remember walking into a bar and stopping dead in my tracks to try and figure out who was playing onstage. Her voice is one of the most unconventionally beautiful voices I have heard in the Seattle music scene to date. Her beautiful warble and incredible song writing is nothing short of magic. There hasn’t been one time that I haven’t listened to her that she hasn’t given me “the skin orgasms” ya know the kind that makes your hair stand on end. If you can ever catch her live please do, and buy up anything she puts out…..she’s an incredible talent, see for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukIW2xDV_4c
Perfume Genius- The biggest unknown star in Seattle is Mike Hadreas of Perfume Genius. Virtually unknown until recently, when he signed on to Matador records. His debut album “Learn” has garnered critical acclaim from some of the biggest musical publishings out there, and is a great piece of work from beginning to end no doubt. Here he performs live in Seattle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-Aup2-Zs74
Happy Birthday Tiny Dancer: The Stork
Written By: Brent Amaker
Tiny Dancer is a private person. He doesn’t offer information about himself unless required. He is difficult to find if you’re looking for him. He does not have a cell phone and he doesn’t have a computer. When robots take over the world, Tiny Dancer will be a survivor. While others are quickly tracked down and terminated through careless usage of mobile devices and credit card transactions; Tiny Dancer will be sitting in a warm place eating a freshly made street taco.
Tiny Dancer is equally elusive when it comes to his signature stage move. Every member of The Rodeo has a signature move, although few have seen what Tiny Dancer has hatched. For several years now Tiny Dancer has been secretly attending the ballet and studying world-class dancers for inspiration. Unbeknownst to the band, TD was sneaking into dance studios during the day to see professional dancers prepare for big events. And at the end of the day he would stay up into the wee hours of the night studying wildlife films. He did all this with the single objective of creating a signature move that was completely original and completely explosive for our live show. Just when Tiny Dancer was ready to unveil his move to the world, he broke his leg and required surgery. That bizarre accident led to a benefit show to raise money for this recovery.
Seismic-Sound Review: Princess Debut Prevails
Its been a long time coming since the conception of Andrew Chapman’s new incarnation known as Princess, or so it seems … and its not to long ago now that we said goodbye to The Keeper, so it seemed as though there was a lot riding on Chapman’s new band that was about to be unveiled at the Rendezvous in Belltown. With all of his friends in tow including members of Smooth Sailing, his bestie Hannah Levin and friends Sex With Strangers from B.C. in town to share the stage, Andrew pulled me aside and told me that the bands bass player was a no-show and not only that, the bass player pulled out on the arrangements for the van that was set up for them to make the trek to Portland with tour pals Sex With Strangers for a show the following day. Despite all the drama, all members of SWS were in the house, and I knew Princess would figure something out so I was stoked and feeling pleased no matter what. But it was do or die for new band Princess and they decided the show must go on, and go on they did. After tearing through their fucking masterful set, I don’t think one person even thought a bassist was a part of this machine when it was all said and done. The GIGANTIC power of each one of these musicians (Andrew, Violet and Rod) carried the show off without even a hiccup….well ok maybe Chapman tripped getting back up onstage but he played it off like it was meant to be … ya know some Iggy Pop shit, but hands down he is one of the most entertaining front men in town. This trio of musicians are all incredible to watch, but there is no dampering of Chapman’s front-man antics or his complete dismissal of space; the stage is not his sanctuary, the whole room is. If you’re in the same room he very well will find you and scream in your face, this is a sort of un-warranted audience participation that Chapman is known for. Mad props to Princess for taking a fucked up situation and turning it into a victory, I would take great pride in phoning the bassist to let them know their services weren’t needed after all!! For the record … Sex With Strangers (click for live footage from show) was incredible as usual, and Nazca lines was mind-blowing.
Seismic-Sound 