Can you say wow? i can, WOW! Wait til you hear her music! Not only is Gin Wigmore a freakin' 23 year old blond bombshell babe, but she's from New Zealand. Oh, and she lives in Sydney. Darn. She's got a voice I don't want to stop listening to. Her songs are fun, and the album is entirely enjoyable. Luckily she's going to open for Citizen Cope on both the friday and saturday show! Obviously she needs to take lessons from Goofy-Gaga and understand SEX SELLS :)
Gin Wigmore - Too late for lovers (You can download from amazon for free here)
Gin Wigmore - GoldenShip (You can download from her website for free here)
If you're anything like me, you've lived through at least two minor earthquakes, get a bit paranoid when the bus rolls by shaking your house, and KNOW that a big one's comin' down the pipes. You've probably seen the WSDOT viaduct simulation video, get anxiety when driving on or parking under the viaduct, and had nightmares when you moved into your first Seattle structural atom bomb of an apartment - complete with recurring dreams of shopping at Nordstroms to eventually feel the building fall forward, waking up before you hit the ground. Know, Seattleites that your fears are not the least bit irrational. The verdict is in from seismic experts: We're Fucked.
30+ year structural engineering expert Peter Yanev, wrote on Sunday in the opinions section of the New York Times, the doomsday article every Pacific Northwesterner has been dreading. Now, you've been thinking to yourself, "But we know we live in earthquake country, our buildings are definitely engineered to withstand a large earthquake." You would think. But you're wrong. Yanev says,
Construction codes are based on the probability of earthquakes striking a region. That means Seattle’s buildings, for example, are designed for roughly half of the earthquake loads of buildings in San Francisco or Los Angeles, because earthquakes occur roughly half as often in Seattle as in California’s cities. But the result is that Pacific Northwest cities are full of buildings with slender structural frames and fewer and smaller shear walls. In a mega-quake, many of the region’s iconic tall buildings would probably collapse. The loss of life and property from such a disaster would be far worse than the damage and death suffered in Chile.
Note: As of March 1, 2010 the post Chilean earthquake death tolls exceeded 800, with an approximate 2 million people living in the streets after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake. It should also be noted that due to calculations based on earth quake probability, Chile's structural codes are stricter than Seattle's. Read the full article in the New York Times.
As for all those rumors you heard about the Space Needle being the safest place in the city to be during a quake as the city crumbles around it in a cinematic apocalypse type shot, not true. Give us a 9+ magnitude quaker and consider the Needle down for the count. Goodbye tourists. Maybe it can take out a Duck on the way down.
I'm not trying to scare people, I'm just keepin' it real.
Obviously my favorite actor is Shaq a.k.a Shaq Diesel a.k.a da donkey. But Cudi has been putting in hours at this new(ish) show on HBO called "How to make it in america". I watched 3 episodes and became bored, but all good shows usually take that long to get into. One great thing that came of this show is a mixtape that Cudi and a few of his chums made. Guess what! its called the "how to make it in america mixtape" Go to the
facebook page to listen or download its actually legit. It makes me more excited to see him at Sasquatch this year.
Dear peeps with ADD, this post has zero audio or video.
- During/after the show, I made sure to take notes about my observations. I also happened to drink beverages that contained alcohol. Quoted below is exactly what I wrote to myself= lol
"If you were to walk in mid-set, it would feel like you're in the 60s in
California on the motherfuckin beach.
Twangy surfer riffs consostenty backed with charming harmonizd voices. But
i'm remined of early highschool when I was a shy little guy. I always had potential to be loud and sexy but needed to more experience. Thats yuni. Making UNIQUE sounds i really fucking liike, but the PERFORMANCE was ehhh. I like getting to know the band sometime throughout the set and it just didn't happen tonight."
I hope that makes sense. Obviously when you sit to analyze a concert its going to be less engaging. But I had to try it.
I do remember a few times being caught singing to myself, but i think that's the difference. i wasn't uber-engulfed to where i'm singing out loud dancing and shit... I said it before, but Ross can sing notes I didn't think were possible. Its probably because the size of his hipster pants! You can easily make out the iPhone in his left pocket, and a pack of cigs and chap stick in the other. is this funny or am I a jackass? Somebody find a band-member and PLEASE verify in the comments if i'm correct.
Look I have never been one to drink some haterade and talk about some group but after listening to the radio for about an hour I realized that the Black Eyed Peas just are down right obnoxious. I understand a underground band moving into the mainstream and making some money. I understand wanted to be globally known as a "hit" band. My personal feeling is why you had to bring Fergie into the situation. For me, growing up I was a HUGE Black Eyed Pea fan but that was pre-Fergie. I feel that ever since they brought her on, it has just been one miss after the other. Am I alone in this? Should I embrace the welcoming of a chick that looks like a female version of a squirrel? Am I jealous that I don't have an eyebrow ring? Some people have fought for Fergie saying she brings dancing to the Black Eyed Peas but true fans have known that the boys can do their own b-boy moves without female presence. Judge for yourself... I've posted some pre-Fergie Black eyed Pea videos below.
I know there is a chick still singing on the older tracks but she is not over-saturating the music... she is just there for the chorus. I could be wrong but the Black Eyed Peas hit their golden years in 1998.
Thats right... I didn't stutter when I said that Kidz in the Hall is coming to Seattle April 1st! I am really surprised by all the good rap groups that are coming through Washington but I shouldn't complain cause they might all of a sudden disappear. Studio Seven is the venue where Kidz in the Hall, 88-keys, Izza Kizza, and Donnis are going to throw it down on April Fools Day and I can't be more excited. I think I have only seen Kidz in the Hall once in the Bay area and what I can remember from the show was that it was hyphy. The tickets are super cheap and the venue is super fly so I think anybody who's anybody should come on through. All I know about the Kidz in the Hall is that they are a bunch of characters who put on one hell of a show and whoever is touring with them can only be badass. If you don't believe me, come out on April 1st and tell me you aren't going to dance to ever song and get your groove on to every set. Prove me wrong... please! To get you in the mood I have put some of my favorite songs from the groups below, enjoy!
Yuni In Taxco (or probably just yuni??idk) is a funky lil' group making headway through our Seattle hipster circuit. I saw them play at cha cha a while ago and I will not be missing tonight's performance at the high dive. There's no possible way it can cost more than $8 unless you buy 27 PBR's. I'd compare Ross's vocal range to Whitney Houston, but she's a crackhead. They've truly got a unique sound I can't explain very well. Something like the beach-boys/yeasayer/weezer?? I tried...
They NEED to post some more vids to the tube because this song just is not enough. Maybe they'll see this post and give me a fucking album to review! Or maybe i'll buy it at their show :)
The new play at Balagan is called "The Jammer". This play offers up an inside look on what really goes on at these derby games when derby was first introduced to the public. Written by Rolin Jones and directed by the amazing Terri Weagant weren't the only elements making this play a hit, insiders information is that the actual Rat City Roller Girls gave a hand in personally showing the actors how to be a true roller derby player. It was great to see the Rat City Roller Girlsalso show their love opening week by promoting this play at their own events that are being held all around Seattle. The play is about an average Joe named Jack Lovington (played by Nick Edwards) who believes that instead of working his taxi job and tending to his girlfriend, he should be a roller derby star. Lovington soon joins with The New York Bombers, regardless of what his priest has to say, and meets some crazy characters but what is derby without a couple of loony people.
I thought that this play was just a hilariously crazy trip through the even crazier lives of roller derby people. What I really dug about this play was that they turned the small theatre into half a rink, so to speak, and really did a good job with making me believe that people were on invisible roller skates. I loved the Chuck Taylors they were wearing and the less than holy speech they were screaming at each other. Just a word to the wise, this is not a play for kids who still put quarters in the swear jar. I was a little cheesed out by the semi-love story that got played out during the story but I suppose you can't just have an hour and a half of people pretending to skate and close-line each other. This play is going on till April 3rd so go out there and get your ticketsas soon as you can!
Sundays. A hard night to rally a crew for a show. Nonprofit organization, Northwest Folklife is starting a series of "Northwest Folklife Presents" shows where showcase artists from past or upcoming Festivals perform for a paying audience. For those of you who don't know, the Northwest Folklife Festival is free to the public. All (6,000) performers play for free and make no money from their performance. Strangely enough, its somewhat of a right of passage for Northwest artists. Rumor has it, Folklife turned down Nirvana back in the day. ouch.
Last night's concert series, hosted by partner venue, The Tractor Tavern was just like the Festival: a smorgasboard of music and dance. Rockabilly type band the Roy Kay Combo kicked off the night. While they warmed up, swing dance lessons were given (I injured my foot in the St. Patrick's Day Dash, so no dancing for me unless you count the one hippie dance arm waving thing I managed to pull off during the last set). People partnered up and slowly went through the swing dance moves that would shortly be put into effect during the live set. Roy Kay Combo was a ton of fun. The upright bassist plays so effortlessly it looks like he just caresses the strings; as a former bass player it was real cool to watch. I felt like I was in the 1950's hangin' out at the Burger Barn, hoping to score a cigarette from a greaser and get the chance to wear his jacket. Here's a vid of them at the Connor Byrne:
Second act fired up the scene; salsa, son, reggaeton ensamble, Picoso. Now, I'm not a power player in the latin music scene, but I really liked what these guys were pumping out. Like the Roy Kay Combo set, this performance started with a salsa dance lesson that would follow with the live music set to which folks could practice their just learned moves. Lots of white dudes hangin' on the sidelines. My favorite player in the band was the eccentric floutist who was this tall, lean, hipster dude who rocked the flute pretty hard. They were a lot of fun and really entertaining. Although injured, I tapped my foot right along with the tunes and even managed to move my hips a bit. If I had been dance capable, I really would have enjoyed dancing to the live music! I'm really excited for the Folklife Festival, I hope to check out their set and perhaps dance with some attractive single gentlemen. Check out some clips of their tunes:
Peep their website: http://www.picoso.net/index.htm They'll be playing here: Friday April 2, 2010 the the Red Bicycle Bistro on Vashon Friday April 17, 2010 at the Nectar in Fremont. May at the Folklife Festival.
Closing out the night was a semi solo set by Jamaica born, but Northwest reggae legend, Clinton Fearon. This music reggae master performs often with his Boogie Brown Band, but Sunday night was just a solo set with Clinton and his buddy Mark Oi. Clinton played a soulful acoustic set that was as soothing as it was spirited. Lots of hippie dancing took place; a whole Vashon Island crew was there in support closing their eyes and raising their hands. For those of us who are accumstomed to seeing his performances with a huge band and huge crowd, this was a nice outlet. I'm looking forward to seeing his set at the Folklife Festival.
He'll be playing here: Friday March 26, 2010 Mt Tabor Portland, Washington Saturday March 27, 2010 Nectar Seattle, Washington Saturday April 3, 2010 Wild Buffalo Belingham, Washington Saturday April 10, 2010 Eagles Olympia, Washington Saturday April 17, 2010 Solsice Cafe Seattle, Washington Saturday May 8, 2010 Nectar Seattle, Washington
Seattle fashion week is happening in may, but auditions for the bands playing in fashion week is march 25th at 7PM @ trinity night club. This place will be packed with the music groups, their grandmothers, and any other people they can forcefully guilt into sitting through hours of(probably bad) music. If the smartest man alive I was in charge, one song of each band would be online with a voting system. Then maybe the top 3 bands perform in person! Somebody get the mayor on the phone, and tell him i've got an idea nobody cares about.
I'm hoping more than 2 of these songs are worth remembering. Somebody listen to all these links and tell me which ones are good
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Round And Round
These guys are funny! funny like "lets put a drawing of some dude making out with a dog on our album cover". Some of the internuts see Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti as someone to follow this year. You didn't know that Ariel Pink and his band Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti have been around for years and years. Similar to how Phoenix has been around forever but just last year they went huge. Well, obviously by december we'll be hearing Haunted Graffiti on a ford commercial because they just signed to a major label(4AD) and are in the midst of a worldwide tour. I can only guess they have some legit jams about to release because I don't think Round And Round is that amazing. Listen to the song and tell me what you think!
Here are their most viewed youtube videos ever. I think they're pretty unique, and i can't decide if they're stupid, or genius. I do want to hear their album when it comes out though.
Is my judgement horrible? Are you a cult follower of this group? Does
that picture make you want to make out with a dog?
From the outside of west Seattle's bar and restaurant, Shadow Land gives the impression that there would be peanut shells on the floor, hot whiskey served in dirty glasses, and a biker named Bubba trying to get you to ride on the back of his hog. Naturally I had to go inside and see what this place had to offer. To my surprise Shadow Land is quite put together and modern inside offering booth styled seating and candlelight environment. The energy was very relaxed, March madness games were on tv, Bowie was playing over the loudspeaker, and delicious food was coming out of the kitchen. I didn't get a chance to grab any food due to the fact that I'm on a liquid diet (aka booze) but I noticed that they offered two happy hours where you can get tasty appetizers for just six bucks. After talking to the really chill owner Ben, I soon came to realize that this was my new favorite bar.
Every Tuesday night, Shadow Land opens their doors for an open mic night. Now mind you that open mic does not equal spoken word, which confused me, but more about acoustic guitars and dudes. The performances started out around 10ish where each act gets to fit in about three songs. When it started, I have to admit it was a little slow for me. It seemed like the people who were performing came every Tuesday and sang the same songs... it felt really rehearsed and lacked some passion. To be fair whoever gets up in front of people and sings out their own material has balls but it just didn't spark for me. The night did take an awesome turn with the duo BeatFunkles who described themselves as combo of the Beatles and Garfunkel I guess... oddly enough I was really into it when they did Beatles and Jimi Hendrix covers. From there the night just got better and better and even offered a hip-hop collabo with beat boxing, harmonica, and guitar. I think if your not doing anything Tuesday night and find yourself in west Seattle, head over to the Shadow Land and get your grub and open mic night on, just show up after 11pm. And all you aspiring musicians, the sign up starts at 9pm and Shadow Land welcomes all acts.
For more info about other acts coming to Shadow Land as well as their tasty menu:
Check them out! As a partially Vietnamese person, I have a soft spot for indie rocker Vietnamese chicks. But Thao actually can play guitars and banjo like a real musician and sing with a sort of haunting soft smoothness. I really love how she incorporates the banjo but still manages to rock the song so it's not too folky, like in Swimming Pools.
This chick is pretty insightful in her lyrics and sings of her struggles with relationships, societal roles, bee stings and bug bites. But her band is pretty cool too, they come from a number of other bands, have jazz, and producing influences, and general radness. My fav, and one otheir more popular songs is, Bag of Hammers. There's two videos for it, see which you prefer:
I prefer the latter, but I have a soft spot for San Francisco.
Thao just did a solo show at the Vera Project March 5th.
Temper Trap @ Hard Rock Seattle. Photo by Cortney holla!
The Temper Trap played a show at the hard rock this weekend. My friends Morgan and Cortney went and gained a new burning love for these guys. Honestly, the word choice these ladies used to describe this show was hilarious. Almost like they've transformed back into tweens chat-rouletting about twilight(except way more badass).
Me:Ladies, how was the concert?
Morgan:OMG. Blair. they were AMAZING. the crowd sucked and i was the only one
rocking out in my stilettos and may have stepped on a few toes.. but
seriously. if you're not jamming out get the eff outta the front row! They were AMAZING live and I'm even more in love with them now.
Cort: I was rocking out while drooling over dougie
and playing camera girl. Rad show - def had only heard a few
of their songs before and now am obsessed. The hard rock is an awesome
venue.
Cort:And my fave part was drum sticks being brought out on stage for dougie and
then he started rocking out with the drummer.
Morgan:OMG cort upload the video. i will cream my pants all over again
ME: wow...
I wish we could have gone, it makes me wonder about creaming urges new feelings I might have after seeing the show. One truth, is that these guys make great music, and their personality probably showed through their performance. I first heard about them on the [500] Days Of Summer Soundtrack with their radical fucking hit Sweet Disposition. A link to their website.
p.s.It looks like their album is on sale at amazon.
Perfect Seattle. Dark, grungy, heavy audio emo; smoking cigarettes in your basement level brick apartment building sipping a glass of Maker's Mark that you bought with your last bit of your cash for the week because, fuck it, who needs food when you can sip some decent whiskey?(I think i'm becoming a hipster) This dude trio is a bit outside the norm as far as normal goes (misnomer). Bass, keys, drums, ok, yes... dark, bluesy piano, simple but melodic bass, grated vocals that you half expect to hear dip below audible/am I listening to heavy metal?, but they don't/it isn't... downward spiral self loathing type ambiance.... yes, but lyrics that aren't entirely reflective of such an experience.
Blood Red Dancers keep me intrigued with their clever construction and some equally clever or cleverly simple lyrics. I'm a Seattle gal. I've got a soft spot in my heart for grungy anything and these guys fit the bill. But what I really appreciate is the fact that they're not Nirvana, they're not Pearl Jam, they're their own reinvention of grungy with a bit more soul and a little less whine. I put their EPs, Bikini Island and Let him Fight, I'll be in the Breadline on the same cd and it had the same sort of sound going on, but I won't discredit them for it; making music is hard. Still worth keeping an eye on. Check Check Check 'em out.
They're playing a second audioasis for KEXP on April 10th (KEXP loves these guys. I must be as cool as KEXP)
Just for the hell of it, here's a few shitty videos (no offense guys. Can we get some of our video savvy people to put collaborate on a video??)
BIRDS on a WIRE fest is happening in two weeks. 2 short freaking weeks. We want you to get folky, funky, and mainly motivated to drive across the state to see this festival! StereoPathic Music and Birds On A Wire-fest let us create and give away a free CD SAMPLER and we couldn't be happier...
Click on the image above! Then, Save File! unzip that shit and jam!
The includes:
The Moondoggies - Bogchiel "waking up to this song is better than a grande americano with sugar and room"
Sera Cahoone - You Might As Well "quite soothing, close your eyes, fall asleep maybe. very nice"
Tony Kevin, Jr. - A Sold Soul "anyone selling themselves to the devil is ok in my book"
The Maldives - Time Is Right Now "Good Ol' folky rock in this song, for sure the time is right"
Laura Gibson - Hands In Pockets "this babe sounds like an angel, not sure how I should propose marriage to her"
Cataldo - Black and Milds - "bumming black and milds was a daily activity of mine once, comforting"
If you've ever eaten mushrooms (you know what I'm talkin' 'bout) then you can probably relate to the new track by the Gorillaz, Plastic Beach. Plastic Beach sounds like what a mushroom trip feels like. It's an unpredictable audio circus with talk of Casio's on beaches and styrofoam seas, featuring the conspiracy mindfuck that always leaks its way into your surreal escape from reality.
I dig it.
I'm real excited for the release of their 3rd album, Plastic Beach. It went on shelves Tuesday. I should have picked it up. More on that later.
Originally the concert was to be held at Studio Seven and by the time I went to go buy tickets they were all sold out so you can only imagine how completely bummed I was. Then another miracle by black Jesus, more tickets became available. Since there was so much demand for Nickatina, Studio Seven moved venues last minute to King Cat Theatre, which was a smart move because that venue filled out. What I thought was really fun and a little sad is that I was one of the oldest people there. Apparently the only people who love Nickatina are youngings and dudes. I was glad to see some thugged out chicks dancing and getting hyphy, even if they were about 12.
The night started off with some pretty hot, local rap talent. First off was two white boys called the Nomads which sorry to point out but reminded me of Tenacious D but hip hop. Regardless of who they reminded me of they definitely did their thing. Their songs were decent but what I really enjoyed was their freestyle... it was just sick. Next came the Parker Brothers who reminded me a lot of the duo Mos Def and Talieb Kwali. They slowed it down a little but remained to keep the crowd hyped with their smooth rap and dope beats. The act that I thought was the best was this thugged out cat called G-Kon who also was the MC of the night. Though I thought he was telling the underage kids to get fucked up just a little too much, he keep the 5 hour show going strong. His sound reminded me a lot of the dirty south rap coming from Ludacris.
Finally at around midnight Nickatina came on and did not disappoint... so worth the money. He did a lot of oldies and some new ones but kept the crowd rowdy for an hour and a half straight. Yeah sure he is reaching that big 40 mark but he is still a gangsta. Nickatina was crip-walking, thizzing, and giving mad love to our fallen rap thug Mac Dre. I was more than excited when he played my favorite "Crack Raider Razor" which got me out of my seat. Overall the night was a huge success and I cannot wait till he comes back to Seattle and shows that old G's can still get down.P.S. the light show was on point the entire night!
Okay so I totally forgot to take pictures so excuse the semi-decent jpeg on the side. More importantly though people the festival had it's opening night tonight and it started off with a bang! I got the chance tonight at the ACT Theatre to see four out of the eight plays being featured in the Young Playwrights Festival. Yet again I was shocked and amazed at the level of sophistication and wit that are coming from these high schoolers... some even who are just in junior high! The first act (Program A) gave the audience a crazy old man with a dog, a track coach who blurred the age line, a trailer trash blond looking to become a princess, and split personality therapist who couldn't let go. If that doesn't tickle your theatre bone then I don't really know what else will. I can only imagine what the rest of the program has to offer. Shows will continue throughout the weekend so be sure the check the ACT Theatre website on when and where things are happening as well as how to purchase tickets. These young writers are getting an opportunity of a lifetime to be able to have access to some of the best actors in Seattle and showcase their words in front of an audience so show your support people. The tickets are only $10 and if you go on Saturday, you can see both of the programs and only have to pay once. Get out and show some support!
I believe Seattle has spawned a new subculture I'm coining as hicksters. These guys probably grew up in Seattle. Suburban white kids with wealthy parents just like hipsters. But, they're dressed like they came from a farm where dating your cousin is the norm. Your beard(like the amish) is never long enough. and the uniform consists of boots, carharts, and either flannel or a cowboy flair button-up. Little did I know, this definition is already on urban dictionary. Don't you hate when your ideas were already someone else's IDEA?
Headlining Wednesday was: The Maldives.(pronounced mall-deevs) They emit a strong sense of community on stage. Everyone just kinda rocks out how they want. Sometimes it kicks ass, and sometimes the sounds drone on hypnotically. Stage left you see the accordion player half asleep, and the crowd is slowly bobbing as if they're attending a trance-trip rave. it was a rollercoaster of fun and yawning. Their last song was so engaging, the entire crowd felt excited and obligated to clap and dance to the music. I'd say this rollercoaster is common with the folk genre though, so I'd recommend seeing them. I'm actually going to see them again at birds on a wire. The Maldives - Time is Right Now
Wienland played first, and openers usually don't get much love, but their set was short and simple. I was please to hear everything they played and because of the show, i've added them to list of bands to follow. Should I make an "official" list of bands to follow? their 'space
More than the others, "Or, The Whale" kept us movin' and groovin'. These guys kick ass. I heard someone call them "the revolution of fleetwood mac" and couldn't agree more. I do Suggest listening to their music!
Below they covered Britney Spear's Song "Toxic" and its freaking legit.. you can listen/download from us, or them
Or, The Whale - Toxic (bspearscover)
ps. OTW seems to have left their luggage at home. see my picture last night, and a concert of theirs from january:
Warm, fun, chill. There's something sweet and nostalgic about Canadian band Born Ruffians. (can you guys explain that name to me please? I keep wanting to type THE Ruffians.) They're a little Bob Dylan, a little Vampire Weekend, a little drippy popsicle eaitng on the front porch, a little hopeless romantic. It's sort of your basic indie rock, but they've clearly blended the folk, electric, indie thing together to get this rocky, folkish (stress on ish), lullaby thing; I like it. Vocals from singer Luke LaLonde are pretty unique in a Ezra Koenig/Nathan Willett sort of way. The rawness of it brings me back to when "indie" music was first hatching out of its shell and was real DIY.
These crazy Canucks have been around since 2004ish (but you probably wouldn't know that, they're from, ahem, Canada) and released their first EP in 2006. They've toured with some pretty big name bands so I'm surprised we haven't heard more from them (sigh, Canadians). At one point they did a stop in Seattle to play in studio for KEXP and covered Grizzly Bear's, Knife which would be cool to hear if KEXP had that performance in their audio archive. But they don't. You'll probably have to hear it for yourself live. Looks like they'll be touring on their own this summer, playing at The Vera Project on June 7th.
I remember watching the Cool Kids when they were an opening act awhile back and thinking this is what's missing in hip-hop. Their music reminds me of 80's rap (Run DMC, Beastie Boys, and Kid 'n Play) where it had more house party feel and the performers got more hyped than the audience. This dynamic duo consists of two mid-west boys Mickey Rocks and Chuck Inglish who are just bringing us back to the good style of the rap golden age. Every time I listen to them they keep giving us a fresh beat to bump to instead of the garbage that is on the radio today. I'm surprised that they haven't gotten more play on the radio, especially with their album "Bake Sale" that got huge props from most critics. I think that just listening to the album alone in your house will not do this duo justice... it's in their live shows where you really feel, smell, and truly vibe with their magnetic stage presence and deep bass induced raps. I was personally bummed that I couldn't attend their show at the Showbox last night but according to reviews of the night, they tore it up. They are currently on their way to Vancouver (lucky Canadians) so if you missed the show last night and have nothing but time on your hands, I strongly suggest you make the trip. I know for sure that the next time they make a trip out here to Seattle that I won't let anything stop me from the show. Check out one of my favorite songs from their album "Bake Sale" below (this is perfect to get your strut on down the street and have the best background music ever... seriously try it... you will feel like a gangsta).
Its bigger than Hip Hop, and if snoop dogg says listen to a group, you probably should. So lets all go to an album release on friday. HELLADOPE is having a party at Nectar Lounge on the 12th of March. The concert features Mash Hall, Candidt, State of the Artist (SOTA boys), and Dev from above. The coolest part is that first 50 paid visitors get a free copy of the album!!! $8-show+CD= LEGIT.... holler
Just when I thought the rain was getting to me... just when I was starting to think there was no room for a Bay Area girl to really feel at home... the clouds part, the sun comes out, and black Jesus strikes me with a miracle: Andre Nickatina is coming to Seattle!! Can I get a amen?! Who is Andre Nickatina you ask? Oh, he is just a huge underground rapper who is a living legend to anyone in the Bay Area who even cares about real rap. Most people outside of the Bay don't really know who Nickatina is, even with his 7+ albums under his belt, because he is not what you call a big "radio-hit" star. He is known to say that 'he raps because he wants to, not for popularity'. He first stepped on the scene under the name "Dre Dog" and then after two albums switched to Andre Nickatina where he took more control of producing his albums, thus giving him street-cred for life.
Words cannot even express how excited I am about going to his show on March 12th at Studio Seven. Nickatina to me is home... it's me being 16 again cruising with my friends in my car thinking we were gansta gansta. Nickatina's mix of random sound effects, Scarface voice overs, and quick-witted raps is exactly what makes him great. All rap enthusiast should go and get a taste of the Bay. For those who want a quick brush up on all the best Nickatina songs, according to me, I have listed them below with what album they are from. Enjoy!
Conversation with the Devil
"A Yo" (featuring San Quinn and most radio popular song)
Midnight Machine Gun Rhymes and Alibis (collaboration album with Equipto)
I was up today at 3am to fly for 12 hours, and for dinner i've paired some cheap read wine with a fat cigar. Does traveling make anyone else feel like a turd?...So folk music for the day will keep me at ease, and look what I found:
A festival of popular/emerging/fantastic PNW folk bands gathering in a place I never would expect. I even lived there for 4 years and never saw this. But I was watching sorority girls tread through snow in skirts and uggs, not listening to good music. I'm talking about Pullman, WA! I think this is a reason for me to visit. I would show a lineup or some song samples, but their website has done both perfectly. See here:Birds on a WIRE
Canadian electronic artist and PhD posessing mathemetician Daniel Snaith aka Caribou has been making music before the times of our current electro pop trends. You may be more familiar with him as Manitoba before he was threatened with a law suit in 2004 for using the name that conflicted with the branding of punk jazz musician and radio personality Richard "Handsome Dick" Manitoba. Daniel released his first EP (People Eating Fruit) in 2001 as Manitoba, and his last release (She's the One) as Caribou in 2008.
Caribou shows have been called nothing less than monumental psychadelia; an experience that brings you back to your first days of going to concerts when every strum of the guitar had body rocking energy that melted your spine and glued your shoes to the floor. He performs with a live band, often playing percussion (math nerd), and apparently loves to incorporate video into the show so it's pretty stimuating visually as well. Unfortunately for Seattleites, Caribou is on a European tour and won't be West Coasting it any time soon. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
He's got an upcoming release, Swim, to be released on April 20th on Merge Records. I'm stoked to listen to it. I'm pretty obsessed with the interweb released, Odessa and if Swim is anything like this song, it's going to be amazing. Get a free download of Odessa now from his site. Watch the video for Odessa (which is pretty funk'n cool) and check out the 'space. Cheers.
Remember when you watched Real World Seattle even though the people weren't that cool? Get ready(maybe) for a treat. MTV created a series called "$5 Cover" following bands that typically charge errr..uhh $5 covers i guess... They also let a local director take control of the series!
I didn't care about the show(1st season in memphis) until I realized that the 2nd season(coming soon) will follow SEATTLE BANDS! all I can say to that is FUNK YEAH! Finally something you and I can be interested in.
So I did a little research and found this description from their website:
"Focusing on an eclectic group of musicians, $5 Cover centers on 13 bands in the second season.
The disparate group of musicians includes the electro-rapping duo Thee Satisfaction, the punk band Whiskey Tango, discordant indie rock trio The Lights, the boogie rock and woodsy psychedelia of The Moondoggies, ambient experimental instrumental combo The Correspondents, the outré electronic hip-hop group Champagne, Champagne, singer-songwriter Sean Nelson, formerly of the Seattlegroups Harvey Danger and the Long Winters, duo the frantic pop of the Tea Cozies and many, many more. Seattle might have been known for grunge in the
'90s, but the scene has exploded with several different musical
flavors, all of which are covered in the Seattle edition."
So far i'm hooked, and thus far have eaten 5 taco's for breakfast. Then I found the trailer and was completely fucking disgusted. I'll post it below for needy people like myself that must watch it, but i suggest you don't and save 2 minutes and 10 seconds of your life. The show looks like "the hills" style showing the drama of all the characters. Does this show look stupid? or interesting? if you think it looks stupid, i'll never cover it again :)
I think that I have found a love for the performing arts and it begins with the phrase "fringe theatre". Fringe theatre is for those who seek more than just happy ending plays or booming, on the verge of slightly annoying, huge Broadway musicals. Fringe theatre is for the weird.. for the dark.. and for the hilariously twisted. It's where actors work for free in spaces that can house only about 30-40 people at a time and where you have to know someone in association with a fringe theatre house to even get a heads up when and what is playing.
Luckily for me and you, I now have the Balagan Theatre. This theatre is "committed to creating a diverse body of work that engages its audience with passionate, thought-provoking productions of the highest artistic quality". You can find this theatre wedged between Boom Noodle house and an art gallery of some sort in Capitol Hill on E Pike st. Currently the theatre is showing a play written by Claudia Dey and directed by David Gassner, who is making his directing debut at Balagan and in my opinion is one hell of a guy. Trout Stanley is what I would call a dark comedy telling the story about two twins: anxiety riddin Suga (Angela DiMarco) and "lion queen" Grace Ducharme (Sarah Budge) and their interaction with a animalistic traveler with a foot fetish, Trout Stanley played by Ryan Higgins.
I thought that the play was intense, hilarious, crazy, and super intimate. I can't really say more about the story without spilling the beans but believe me, this is one play that you don't want to miss. The last showing is March 6th so get your tickets!! I'm really excited to see what else Balagan has to offer the off-off-off-way off broadway followers and whatever it is you know you will see your girl there sitting front row.
For tickets, future play information, or anything else to do with Balagan click below: 411 on Balagan Theatre
And just for something extra, check out the promotional posters that are produced by Nick Perleros for all Balagan plays. These are not your average theatre promotion but show an awesome eye for patterns influenced by simple graphics. Good job Nick!
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Can you say wow? i can, WOW! Wait til you hear her music! Not only is Gin Wigmore a freakin' 23 year old blond bombshell babe, but she's from New Zealand. Oh, and she lives
in Sydney. Darn. She's got a voice I don't want to stop listening to. Her songs are fun, and the album is entirely enjoyable. Luckily she's going to open for Citizen Cope on both the friday and saturday show! Obviously she needs to take lessons from Goofy-Gaga and understand SEX SELLS :)
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Soundtrack with their radical fucking hit 
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