Seattle – Palma Violets released its debut album, 180, earlier this year which we clearly loved so it was a treat to hear most of the songs on the album played live. The band was supposed to play Seattle’s Neumos on October 14 (which is big and dark and awesome) but for reasons unclear, the UK
Seattle – Sleigh Bells has always toyed with the line between loud noise-rock and jangle-pop, a combination that’s somehow seems to work. The Brooklyn duo released its third album, “Bitter Rivals”, October 8th and with it, has proven that the combination alone isn’t a recipe for success. Bitter Rivals is not the most listenable album from the
Seattle – Jacco Gardner could easily make you feel like you got shot back into the 1960’s. With the stars of the modern psychedelic revival borrowing heavily from the likes of Roky Erikson or The Zombies, Gardner’s more Beatlesque vibe is refreshing and unique. It allows him to fit right in on Trouble in Mind
Seattle – Crocodiles should not be confused with the 1970’s New Zealand pop stars “The” Crocodiles. No one in The Crocodiles is married to Dum Dum Girls’ front-woman Dee Dee Penny; The Crocodiles didn’t have an album produced by Sune Rose Wagner of The Ravonettes; Cat Power has not appeared in any of The Crocodiles
The natural habitat of the Night Beats is in a cold, rainy alleyway in hometown Seattle or riding an ominously dark tour van or on a dark club’s stage. The natural habitat of the Night Beats is not in a recording studio; it’s been two years since we’ve gotten to hear new music from Seattle
The Orwells’ Who Needs You, a follow-up to their Other Voices EP which they released earlier this year, is barely 12 minutes long. It’s a very, very fun 12 minutes and wholly deserving of a track-by-track analysis. 1. Who Needs You This song! Seriously, this song. From the solitary few drumbeats that kick it off
My sister and I will never start a band together. We used to occasionally play violin and cello together as kiddos, but we will never garner international stardom from making music together. That just isn’t the fate slated for most siblings. So for ¾ of the Margin siblings (Sam on guitar and lead vocals, Elliott
The second day of Bumbershoot had some pretty big names. It was “Barsuk Records Day” (celebrating the label’s 15th birthday) so we were treated to The Joy Formidable, David Bazan and Death Cab for Cutie playing Transatlanticism straight through. Oh, and the Zombies and the Breeders also played so it was definitely a big day
The word “Bumbershoot” is apparently defined as a combination of umbrella and parachute and in the early 1970s it was used to describe a Seattle festival that celebrated northwest arts – performing arts, visual arts, musical arts. Today the same holds true as the 2013 Bumbershoot, in its 43rd year, is already covering a vast
Star Anna is at it again. September 24th will mark the release of her fourth studio album, Go to Hell. Yes, the album’s title might seem a bit abrasive but it’s only because it is a bit abrasive and appropriately so. It’s reflective of the mood, process and events that surrounded the record’s production. Anna admits that “There