Seattle’s upcoming Capitol Hill Block Party is going to be fantastic. We looked at three of the headliners last Friday, and here, as promised, are three of the up-and-comers worth checking out.

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Kicking off the Capitol Hill Block Party at the main stage on Friday is the Seattle based hip-hop band Macklemore. The group consists of five members; a percussionist/bassist, a violinist, a trumpeter, a DJ/producer, and the vocalist, Ben Haggerty. Macklemore are known around Seattle for their energetic and elaborately staged live shows, as well as an eclectic collaboration of heavy rap beats with a melodious orchestra.

Producer Ryan Lewis occasionally samples backdrops from other bands, such as the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s song ‘Otherside’ (featured in the track by the same name). The final compositions, however, render Macklemore’s songs as entirely unique from the sample used.

The lyrical content is diverse, ranging from the perils of drug addition, social and media commentary, to genetic and hometown pride. Songs such as ‘America’ are highly satirical and provide an accentuated representation of a small-town American (Weird Al with a Marb and a mullet) through comical elaborations. Other tracks like ‘Our Town’ are serious in tone and offer a vivid homage to a place that Haggerty feels very strongly about, Seattle.

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The Redwood Plan, an 18-month-old electro/punk band, will be opening Saturday’s main stage at the Block Party. Their entry into the Seattle music scene can be genuinely called ‘an explosion’ after receiving acclaim from local radios and publications. Spring-boarded somewhat by vocalist Lesli Wood’s local fame from her last project, Ms. Led, the band have landed a main stage position in near record time.

They are a self-claimed dance-punk band that commonly indulges in jaunty beats reminiscent of Mindless Self Indulgence. However, the level of distortion, the escalation of brazenness in many songs and the subsequent breakdowns produce a very definite punk feeling.

The five-piece Seattle-based band have recently released their first full-length album, “Racing towards the Heartbreak,” with fast-paced, catchy songs such as ‘Something to Prove,’ which gradually rises in instrumental verve and lyrical force before closing in a melodic resolution.

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Appearing in the middle of Sunday’s main stage line-up is Mad Rad, the trouble-making Seattle glam/rap troupe. At various times throughout 2008-2009 the group was banned from approximately seven venues around Capitol Hill and has caused a general ruckus in the club scene. The dilemma here is that though they are brazen and over-the-top, and reportedly rude to management, they definitely pack the house with their vigorous live shows.

One of the compelling features of Mad Rad is, in fact, their shows. The wild energy of the members is evident to a degree rarely seen, and their fan base seems to grow show by show. The three vocalists (P Smoov, Buffalo Madonna and Terry Radjaw) all have very unique stage personas that oddly compliment each other.

Mad Rad’s musical texture plays a big part in the success of their live performances. Their erratic form floats somewhere around hip-hop and electro yet it never rests on any one pattern for too long. Although their tracks are composed and produced by P Smoov, Mad Rad’s live performances feature Dj Darwin.

 

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Tickets are on sale now for the Capitol Hill Block Party at http://www.capitolhillblockparty.com/.

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