Gird your weary loins, as you have approximately one day after Bumbershoot 2010 to prepare for a multi-genre mini-festival at the Tractor. Shonen Knife is headlining, and after recently watching their live DVD Live At Mohawk Place 2009 about a dozen times (featuring excellent work by new drummer Emi), I am anxious to see the Japanese punk pop trio of goddesses light a fire to classics such as "Banana Chips," "Giant Kitty," and the new, no-need-to-explain band anthem "Super Group." I highly recommend getting the DVD (on MVD) to see the band touring behind the album has that last song as its title track, as it lovingly captures the band lo-fi with delirious high energy and sass.
Oh man is tonight going to be a good one! Get thee to the Tractor tonight for a very, very special night, as everyone sings "It's Your Birthday" to two Seattle pop legendaries - Lulu and Kurt of the Fastbacks. The evening starts off promptly at 8:30 with a heavy dose of Seattle royalty - the Young Fresh Fellows. Then, as if that wasn't enough, a bunch of other, a bunch of Seattle pop royalty, like PUSA, the Tripwires, Thee Sgt. Major III, and tons more will join the stage to sing a bunch of Fastbacks covers. And then, Seattle's favorite Fastbacks cover band, The K-Streets (hint - it's basically just the Fastbacks) will perform all the hits and classics. To top it all off, the night is only $5. I can't possibly think of a better way to spend a fiver. In honor of this wonderfulness, we at TIG decided to re-run this beautiful piece of Fastbacks nerdery, origially posted by a Dear Mr. Oswald a few months ago for the last K-Streets show at the Sunset.
It is sheer madness that there are so many great live performers appearing at Bumbershoot 2010 this year. This is my personal schedule to see a cross-section of irascible indie-ness (be it indie pop-friendly Pac NW hip-hop, indie rock, Brooklyn funk, etc.) but mostly focusing on those TIG-sparking artists who either put out a great record recently (and may or may not have gotten the deserved acclaim) or have one coming right up.
So let's begin the plan, and bear in mind if you haven't heard the music that may already be available from these performers, we would recommend checking the releases hyped below out before you attend Bumbershoot 2010. This is not because you would be in any way disappointed with what you will see and hear when you hit the full-genre full-on phenomenon that is the festival this year; just the opposite, we want you to already have some of these songs down to sing/chant/rap along when they pop during the sets. All are recommended and approved.
Remember that one time? You know. Before we knew about The Head and the Heart and all their full-frontal amazingness?
Right. Us neither.
If you've yet to experience the sorta-indie-roots-ish, not-quite-americana vibe that these kittens have been putting out all over the PNW recently, you're in for a treat. You have not one, but two chances to get your swoon on with The Head and The Heart this weekend, and both times in the company of some stellar headliners.
Just in time for a sunny, heat-filled weekend: another installment of cool, dark, lushness at the Triple Door with our favorite frontman, John Roderick. We're extra-excited about the goodness this round, as Kathleen Edwards will be joining the lineup alongside John, with openers El May starting off the night.
As a last-minute reminder for those rapscallions who haven't reserved their tickets to all of John Roderick's residency shows at the Triple Door in Seattle, the second of three shows is coming up quickly! Next Saturday [...] should already be circled, starred, and crossed out on your calendar to make sure you have no superceding engagements, but just in case you haven't yet -- do so now. Tickets are [still] available, but going fast.
Welcome to Mergefest, Northwest edition. We're so unbelievably giddy about this show, we can hardly contain our little imaginary selves. From the moment this show was announced, we've been ticking off the days on our imaginary calendars, waiting and waiting for the magic that will occur the night of October 14th at Showbox at the Market, when the reverby swoonful magic of Teenage Fanclub will meet the crunchy and masterful indie rock of Superchunk, supported by our own hometown indie pop hereos Telekinesis. It's gonna be amazing.
On top of that amazement, all 3 bands will be touring new material! Teenage Fanclub just came out with the fabulous Shadows, which our own Chris Estey adored, stating of the track "The Fall" "Like with many great Teenage Fanclub songs, it creeps in the background till you remember what poured the Scotch into the Scotch-taped remnants of your own multi-shattered heart." Superchunk have the ever anticipated Majesty Shredding coming out in September, and Telekinesis are working on a new record right now. I'm sure we'll hear the hits we all want to hear, but we'll also be treated to some new stuff as well.
And, the best news of it all, is that we have a pair of tickets to give away to one lucky reader! Just e-mail us at tig @ threeimaginarygirls.com before 9am on October 5th with the subject line "StarSign", and just make sure to include your full name, especially if your e-mail address is something like bigdeal@blackcatonthefloor.com, and hope that your star sign is never wrong!
We don't usually do full on label hype here at Three Imaginary Girls, as we tend to be more artist or song/album focused, but two noteworthy new releases are coming up with stunning shows behind them. And so to massacre a murder of honky-tonking crows with one big blogging, let's dive into the August (live and recorded) Americana mayhem being offered by artists recently signed to up-and-raging local label Spark & Shine:
Rusty Willoughby offers up a dozen superbly written, subtle-emotive lonely journeys on his new album Cobirds Unite. It is probably the best sounding roots-oriented album I have heard in some time, and that means a lot when you have a voice as sweet and true as Willoughby's, backing vocals from Rachel Flotard, cello from Barb Antonio, a bunch of great picking and playing on various instruments by (producer) Johnny Sangster, and Tilman Herb on violin, among others. If you listen to this without ever checking out the CV of the man in charge, you won't necessarily miss anything that's great about it, as these songs seem as crisp and forlorn as any put to post since the glory days of crossover. But Willoughby has earned his solid reputation regionally ever since he fronted Pure Joy in the mid-80s, and proves on the terse and tender "Crown Of Thorns," "Where are The Knives," and the title track on Cobirds Unite that he's not just hustling faux hillbilly hoodoo.
There have been other projects for Willougby in the meantime (for the grunge years, Flop) but like those of us who jumped with The Dils to Rank & File and never minded hearing a Joe Ely bootleg opening for the Clash, a natural born punk is often just a pony boy exiled in the city. There are a lot of people making less fetching racket sort of like this every night in Ballard, but from these songs you can tell the musical workaholic chose this art-form for the ability to marry mature outlook with considered form. Thus when Rusty Willoughby plays with Black Francis on Saturday, August 21 at the Triple Door, both performers should be getting much hollering back.
Still hankering for something to do tonight? Well, look no further. It's 60's soul and garage dance party night over at the EMP, and it's going to be bitchin'. Exhibitchin', to be specific. It's full of bands, DJs, and all kinds of ka-pow -- for a teensy $10 cover!
For starters, the EMP Skychurch is gorgeous. Gor. Geous. Just the place to hold a big dance party like this -- huge stage, amazing lighting, and tons of space to get your groove on. Tonight, that huge stage will be hosting not only some DJ sets, but performances from The Basements (last time we caught them out, we noticed Kurt Bloch behind the drums, and a Sangster or two rounding out the lineup) and The Moonspinners too. Take that, makeovers from VAIN, and photobooth lovin' from the one and only Lance Mercer -- and you've got yourself a bitchin' one-stop night on the town.
One of the big, bushy-bearded, barrel-chested shows of the month (for a variety of reasons, including creative members all sloshing about together and playing vociferously), is the God's Favorite Beefcake, Bat Country, and The Mongrel Jews troika of madness set for The Can Can on Sunday, August 15, 2010. It starts at 9 pm, is 21 +, and only costs five bucks at the door.
The burgeoning new club Can Can, located at 94 Pike Street, is hosting this three-band, three ring psychus, and the venue is small, so the tickets for the event might sell out. Brown Paper Tickets is a good place to still get some.
One of my very favorite local bands Bat Country, made up of players from Kids On Fire, God's Favorite Beefcake itself, Shorthand for Epic, The Powers That Be, and Glen or Glenda?, will be debuting fresh hell (um, new songs) but also including what should be a stirring rendition of Leonard Cohen's "The Future" (the original which was recorded at about a half hour and dozens of verses, but even if BC stick to the official recorded version to extrapolate from, should be sheer madness with their own mesmeric talents). Bat Country features among other fireworks-level talents the hypnotic voice and beauty of Melissa Cerise-Bullock, as well as her evil twin-husband unit Billy.
The art is all about females who created looks for musicians, including fliers, posters and album covers, and ranges from 1966 to the present including a piece by Neko Case (!!!), and one of my favorite photographers, Alice Wheeler.
The music is all about variety, starting off with peformances by artist and songstress Barbara Ireland & Stone Freakin' Gossard (!!!!) at 6pm, followed by the amazing Visqueen at 7pm, and then at 8pm: a show with Damien Jurado in the gallery itself.
I had aleady planned on hitting First Thursday this eve with a friend, buy hey - I thought I was just going to see some art! Now I'm even more excited. How 'bout you?
We're giving away two tickets to this year's No Depression festival!
On August 21st, the grounds of Marymoor Park (Redmond, WA) will be graced with not just one or two, but seven swoonworthy acts to fit the taste of every alt.americana, alt.country, and modern-folk indie-roots enthusiast within driving distance. Performers like Lucinda Williams and the Cave Singers will be sharing the stage at the second annual installment of ND, following in the footsteps of stellar sets from last year's big name headliners -- Gillian Welch, Iron & Wine, and Jessica Lea Mayfield, just to name a few.
Did we forget to mention that the Swell Season is headling? Silly us! If you haven't bought yourself some tickets already -- and even if you already have -- you might want to take a moment right now to enter our ticket giveaway. Send an email to tig@threeimaginarygirls.com with the subject line SummerIsTheSwellestSeason and tell us why you think we should send you off to the Park for the day!
The only full-font fine-print is that entries must be recieved by midnight on Wednesday, August 11th to be entered into the drawing. Winners will be announced on Friday, August 13th. There's no catch! You can even bring your underagers, since No Depression is an all-ages event.
Ah, the K-Streets... I last saw them in the winter, and I guess now is the time to see them in the summer - a banner year, I know! No information is available about them, but if you were to ask me what it's like and what to expect, I'd say parts of their songs sometimes sound like they were taken out of the charts, and you will maybe think "is it familiar?" Anyways, you should do the right thing and find your way to the Sunset for an exciting night.
Let me just say that sitting on your hands on the couch (even in someone's else's room) would really be a waste of time and so wrong, wrong, wrong. The Runaway Trains and Girl Trouble open the show, but I'm always full of impatience, and if I have to wait it out for one more hour, that would be everything I don't need! I just ask that if you find your way to the front fast enough, save room for me. Oh, and be sure to ask Niffer, who is celebrating a birthday that night, to "please make a wish, it's your birthday!"
Here's a video of the last time the K-Streets played at the Sunset. It's not to be missed!
Connor Desai is set to play ToST in Fremont this Friday night with two bands, including Benyaro. She'll be going on about 9 PM, and though her excellent second album Use Your Hands features delightful playing from other musicians (including Paris Burley on violin), this will be a stripped down solo set to show off the strength of new songs like the simmering "Waiting" and the mesmerizing "Friend of the Devil" to friends and strangers alike.
Desai makes creatively personal, deeply attractive, very cool, roots-based pop music. Released earlier this summer, Use Your Hands (awesome title) hints at the often direct and confessional aspect of her lyric writing, but the music is not lost in an icy swirl of indie rock distance. Instead, it's hollow-bodied warmth, tube amp glow, and dark lounge haunt-drama. The title track itself, finishing off the full length, is seven and a half minutes of beauty perfecting itself. The Jazz Music Examiner was right to say that Desai is an "extraordinary Seattle artist with a voice all her own," and she was recently featured on a Channel One profile.
Bands I really like keep getting back together. Wait. Let me rephrase that: bands that I really like, that I discover after they have broken up, keep getting back together! Whether it's for a show or an album, the chance to make reality what you've only imagined previously is totally rad.
File under: DUDE.BANGS IS TOTALLY PLAYING AND IT IS GOING TO RULE.
In true Northwest spirit, Bangs and the Need are reuniting for a few nights for a series of fundraising shows (in Seattle, Olympia, and Portland). This Wednesday {June 21}, our leg of this regional mini-tour will take place as Bangs, C-Average, Thrones and THE NEED (holy jebus!) grace the Crocodile stage.
All of this goodness is in response to some not-so-goodness: the show is a benefit for former KRS employee Natalie Cox, who was diagnosed with angiosarcoma a year ago.
Please come out and show your support! If these shows are out of driving distance -- or price range -- you can visit http://www.teamnataliecox.blogspot.com/ and help out the cause if you're inclined.
There are no other words to describe the melding of the ethereal musings of Grandaddy {Jason Lytle and Aaron Burtch} and Earlimart {Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray} in one Admiral Radley package than utterly dreamy. The band crafts a cloud of soft melodies that calm a nervous heart and comfort with commiseration. Best news of the morning? You can melt in their arms *right now* because NPR is streaming the entire AR album.
Admiral Radley is going to be at The Crocodile with Herman Jolly on Monday, July 19 and we've got a pair of tickets to giveaway! To throw your name in the hat for the tickets, email tig@ ThreeImaginaryGirls.com with the subject line "TruckStopsAndTheSymphony" before Thursday, July 15 at 9pm.
If Ariel Pink isn't your thing, then consider checking out Iowa's favorite sons, The Poison Control Center tonight at the High Dive! Think of it as Pavement with gymnastics. I've seen these boys a bunch (including last night in a 200 sq ft basement in Olympia) and they are absolutely one of my favorite live bands. You can hear me gush for about a minute straight on our latest Imaginary Mixtape about how much I love this band.
No two shows are the same, but last night's set included a crowd surfing guitar player, tons of guitar solos played upside down candle-stick style (see above), and lots of rolling on the floor and doing the splits. I just wish I'd brought a camera. Of course, tonight they play on a stage, but as you can see in this below video, that doesn't make much of a difference. If you're looking to thrash around (with Salmon Thraser opening, no less!) with a giant grin on your face, I'll see you at the High Dive.
When I asked my dude if he wanted to see John Roderick at the Triple Door this Thursday with me, his response was "I don't know. Is he just going to read his tweets?"
Our dear indie-rock-Santa-Claus John Roderick has had a very prolific Twitter career lately, posting little tiny bits of genius at 140 characters (follow him @johhnroderick, it's very much well worth your time). He recently won "Tweet of the Year" from the Seattle Weekly Web Awards. Barsuk even put out a book last year, Electric Aphorisms, containing 365 of his tweets. Said dude of mine refused to buy this for me for Christmas (despite my pleading), saying he'll buy his next album, but he refuses to support him actively not making music.
Well, the time has come again to actively support John Roderick making music. He's booked 3 solo-ish shows (some with special guests) at the Triple Door this summer, and the first one is tomorrow. He's said (via twitter) that all old songs are on the table. (There may even be a handful of new songs. ) Jason Dodson of the Maldives opens, along with J-Rod's childhood friend Karen Korn doing stand up (and part of me hopes this stand up will all be ridiculous stories of J-Rod as a child, because how awesome would that be?). The show is all ages and starts at 8. Plus, it's going to be like 90 degrees tomorrow, and the Triple Door has fancy schmancy air conditioning. Skip the movie you will inevitably have to go see to escape the heat and come support one of Seattle's greatest songwriters.
Dear Seattle: You do not want to miss Matt Bishop's set at the Tractor tonight. The end.
If you were fortunate enough to see our favorite local seven-piece indie.orchestra-pop band's frontman go solo at the last City Arts Song Show, you are familiar with the awesomeness of which we speak. Matt Bishop, of the highly-esteemed, new vinyl-releasin', fresh-off-still-kinda-mid-tour Hey Marseilles, puts on a solo show that does not dissapoint -- the City Arts set was full of stripped down full-band favorites and a few new takes on some sweet old covers. All that and a choice set of interview questions for a lovely evening did make.
Drooling yet? Well, fret not: if you missed Matt's last showcase showdown, you've got yourself a second chance. Perched in the opening spot for Peasant tonight sits HM's lead songsterer, doing a full solo set for the proverbial cause. He's been dropping love notes via Facebook invites that direct the masses to his newly ressurected MySpace page -- where four previously unreleased solo tracks have been put forth for our listening pleasure. And really good ones, at that: one of our new non-negotiable, can't-live-without tracks is Matt's gorgeous, sparse cover of "Never Tear Us Apart" by INXS.
This coming weekend is going to be full of more fun than an swim-up pool bar. Friday night (7/9) we have the blessed reunion of Carissa's Wierd at the Showbox at the Market. If you haven't heard why you must be there, you can sample their song and hear some reasons on our recent Imaginary Mixtape podcast. Or you can just read intricate tales of our long term Carissa's Wierd love affair.
That same Friday night our friends at TBTL are hosting an amazing night of "Imaginary Radio" over at the swanky new Columbia City Theater with performances by Sir Mix A Lot, Rachel Flotard, John Roderick, Ben Huh and others. It's already sold out, but for those of us that can't make it on Friday, the TBTL-ers have added a Saturday night show (some tickets still available) with an equally stellar lineup: Smoosh, Blue Scholars, The Lonely Forest, Andy Haynes and a couple more surprises!
Of course, one look at the imaginary calendar and you can see a bunch of other possibilities too! Which way are you headed this weekend?
I've had the fortune of crossing paths with Tom Brosseau many times in the five years since we first met, and it's always been nothing short of total perfection. An intimate show at an all-ages venue back east, a night at the Living Room in New York City, sharing the stage with Ethan Rose and Shelley Short at the Tractor -- the list goes on and on. Both coasts and many stellar performances later, we recently landed at the 18th floor of the Hilton Garden in at SXSW together, and I got to experience Tom's work in a whole new light.
He's out on a purposeful small-room tour this go-round, bringing magic to our ears as part of a duo with the incredibly talented Angela Correa. Sweet, deconstructed original numbers carry their voices in a perfect blend of melody, with little more than Tom's acoustic meanderings and a foot tap here and there to keep the time. It's dramatic while remaining completely understated, powerful and intimate, and absolutely not-to-be-missed.
Check out their MySpace for a proper sampling of this modern take on some standard sounds, and then grab your ID and come down to Hattie's tonight. With all this andShelley Short opening up the night, you won't be disappointed. Promise.
Oh man is tonight going to be a good one! Get thee to the Tractor tonight for a very, very special night, as everyone sings "It's Your Birthday" to two Seattle pop legendaries - Lulu and Kurt of the Fastbacks. The evening starts off promptly at 8:30 with a heavy dose of Seattle royalty - the Young Fresh Fellows. Then, as if that wasn't enough, a bunch of other, a bunch of Seattle pop royalty, like PUSA, the Tripwires, Thee Sgt. Major III, and tons more will join the stage to sing a bunch of Fastbacks covers. And then, Seattle's favorite Fastbacks cover band, The K-Streets (hint - it's basically just the Fastbacks) will perform all the hits and classics. To top it all off, the night is only $5. I can't possibly think of a better way to spend a fiver.
![[head and the heart, by victoria vanbruinisse]](/files/uploaded-images/headandtheheart_sonicboom_2010.jpg)
![[head and the heart, by victoria vanbruinisse]](/files/uploaded-images/headandtheheart_comet_2010.jpg)
![[John Roderick, by Victoria VanBruinisse]](/files/uploaded-images/john_roderick_tripledoor_%20august2010.jpg)
We don't usually do full on label hype here at Three Imaginary Girls, as we tend to be more artist or song/album focused, but two noteworthy new releases are coming up with stunning shows behind them. And so to massacre a murder of honky-tonking crows with one big blogging, let's dive into the August (live and recorded) Americana mayhem being offered by artists recently signed to up-and-raging local label ![[Exhibitchin']](/files/uploaded-images/exhibitchin11x17_v03_0.jpg)
One of the big, bushy-bearded, barrel-chested shows of the month (for a variety of reasons, including creative members all sloshing about together and playing vociferously), is the God's Favorite Beefcake, Bat Country, and The Mongrel Jews troika of madness set for 
If it hadn't been for my Twitter friend 
![[Matt Bishop / by Victoria VanBruinisse]](/files/uploaded-images/matt_bishop_072010.jpg)
![[tom brosseau and angela correa]](/files/uploaded-images/tomandshelly.jpg)