Sorry for the short notice. I have been Hella-busy. The asterisks are acts I recommend. See you this weekend.
More to follow....
Saturday, 5 Sept 09
Samsung Mobile Mainstage
Katy Perry http://www.myspace.com/katyperry
She kissed a girl and liked it!
All-American Rejects http://www.myspace.com/allamericanrejects
Rock, production is fine, but can’t really distinguish them from a lot of other bands.
*Old 97s http://www.myspace.com/theold97s
Old school Rock sound leaning toward Rock-a-Billy and Alt-Country.
Sheryl Crow http://www.myspace.com/sherylcrow
Sheryl has left Las Vegas to soak up the sun in Seattle.
Rockstar Stage
Sick Puppies http://www.myspace.com/sickpuppies
Loud, aggressive, angry young man Rock-n-Roll.
*Iglu & Hartly http://www.myspace.com/igluandhartly
Is it Dance, Techno or Hip-Hop? Yes and it’s upbeat and fun!
Gang Gang Dance http://www.myspace.com/ganggangdance
Dance music with a worldly pulse, get on your feet.
OTEP http://www.myspace.com/otep
Loud, aggressive, angry young man Rock-n-Roll.
Fisher Green Stage
*Adrian Xavier http://www.myspace.com/adrianxavier
Reggae
*Mayer Hawthorne http://www.myspace.com/mayerhawthorne
Sweet soulful sounds from a geeky looking white guy.
Wale http://www.myspace.com/wale
Thick and juicy Hip-Hop from DC.
Os Mutantes http://www.myspace.com/osmutantes66
Brazilian Pop.
De La Soul http://www.myspace.com/delasoul
Two decades in the trenches and still churning out smooth Hip-Hop grooves.
Starbucks Stage
Kristen Ward http://www.myspace.com/kristenwardmusic
Local talent sharing singer/songwriter Folk-Rock.
Kim Field & The Mighty Titans of Tone http://www.myspace.com/kimfieldandthemightytitansoftone
Slow and smokey, rough and rowdy Blues from Seattle.
*Massy Ferguson http://www.myspace.com/massyferguson
The self-proclaimed People’s Band rockin’ from Seattle.
Carrie Rodriguez http://www.myspace.com/carrielrodriguez
Folk Rock from a consummate entertainer with great pipes.
Eric Hutchinson http://www.myspace.com/erichutchinson
Catchy Pop tunes, reminds me of Billy Joel.
World Party http://www.myspace.com/worldparty
Rock that pops from the foggy isles.
Broad Street Stage
Everest http://www.myspace.com/everest
Slower, mostly Rock-based songs. Reminds me of Neil Young
Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head http://www.myspace.com/natalieportmansshavedhead
Seattle’s very own Electro-Dance group.
*Low Vs Diamond http://www.myspace.com/lowvsdiamond
Excellently arranged and delivered Rock’n’Roll.
Matt & Kim http://www.myspace.com/mattandkim
Electro-Pop from NY.
UH HUH HER http://www.myspace.com/uhhuhhermusic
Electro-Pop California style.
*The Long Winters http://www.myspace.com/thelongwinters
I love this band!!!! Excellent Rock from one of Seattle’s own.
Northwest Court
The Not-Its http://www.myspace.com/thenotits
Pop for the younger set.
We Are Golden http://www.myspace.com/wearegoldenmusic
Elaborately arranged Rock with great musicianship and vocals.
Cordero http://www.myspace.com/corderonyc
Latin Pop Rock from NY.
Eleni Mandell http://www.myspace.com/elenimandell
Folk Rock. Nice voice.
*Elvis Perkins http://www.myspace.com/elvisperkins
LA Folk Rock phenom.
EMP Skychurch
*Dyno Jamz http://www.myspace.com/dynojamz
To quote EMP, “West Coast cool jazz to East Coast 80s hip-hop”
Hotels http://www.myspace.com/hotels
New Wave, Electro-Rockers from Seattle.
Past Lives http://www.myspace.com/pastlivesmusic
Seattle rockers.
Akimbo http://www.myspace.com/akimbo
In your face Rock from Seattle. Suck it bitches!
The Whore Moans http://www.myspace.com/thewhoremoanssuck
More in your face Rock from Seattle.
*Telekinesis http://www.myspace.com/telekinesismusic
Great Rock sound. I love this band!
Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground http://www.myspace.com/kaykayunderground
Reminds me of Queen’s cabaret approach to Rock.
Sunday, 6 September 09
Samsung Mobile Mainstage
Cold War Kids http://www.myspace.com/coldwarkids
Rockin’ in from LA.
*Yeah Yeah Yeahs http://www.myspace.com/yeahyeahyeahs
If Chrissie Hynde was starting in music today she’d be in this band.
*Michael Franti http://www.myspace.com/michaelfranti
World Beat from the Bay Area. I dare you to sit still.
Jason Mraz http://www.myspace.com/jasonmraz
Smooth, Pop sounds from Southern California.
Rockstar Stage
Rockstar Winner
Maximo Park http://www.myspace.com/maximopark
UK Rock, rather tasty.
Swollen Members http://www.myspace.com/swollenmembers
Hip-Hop from Vancouver, BC
No Age http://www.myspace.com/nonoage
It’s knocking-over-trash-cans-with-a-chainsaw Rock.
MSTRKRFT http://www.myspace.com/mstrkrft
Self-described as Electro-Punk, I’m inclined to agree.
Fisher Green Stage
Kore Ionz http://www.myspace.com/koreionz
“Water for roots. Love of reggae. Fire for rock.” Ya mon…
Dyme Def http://www.myspace.com/dymedefchea
Portland Hip-Hop.
Extra Golden http://www.myspace.com/extragolden
Music from Kenya by way of a Chicago record label.
*Common Market http://www.myspace.com/commonmarket
Do yourself a favor and see these guys, Seattle Hip-Hop.
*Roy Ayers http://www.myspace.com/royayersubiquity
Jazz, Funk & Soul, what more could you ask for?
*Raphael Saadiq http://www.myspace.com/raphaelsaadiq
Soul and R&B with an old school sound.
Starbucks Stage
Handful of Luvin’ http://www.myspace.com/handfulofluvin
Interesting Folk Rock.
The Dusty 45s http://www.myspace.com/billyjoeandthedusty45s
3 chord guitar and a whole lotta shaking goin’on
The Honey Brothers http://www.myspace.com/thehoneybrothers
Canadian quintet playing World Beat Pop tunes.
Sera Cahoone http://www.myspace.com/seracahoone
Somber, Soulful Country from a former Indie-Rock drummer.
Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women http://www.myspace.com/davealvin
A walking, talking lexicon of American Roots music.
Brett Dennen http://www.myspace.com/brettdennen
If Jack Johnson and Tracy Chapman had a child…Funkified Folky Pop.
Broad Street Stage
Hey Marseilles http://www.myspace.com/heymarseilles
Folk music.
Mt St Helens Vietnam Band http://www.myspace.com/mtsthelensvietnamband
Rock’N’Roll
U.S.E. http://www.myspace.com/use
United States of Electronica, need I say more?
Vivian Girls http://www.myspace.com/viviangirlsnyc
NYC punkers
*Holy F**k http://www.myspace.com/holyfuck
Original instrumental electronic Rock.
*The Helio Sequence http://www.myspace.com/theheliosequence
Pop Rockers from Portland.
Northwest Court
Central Services presents the Board of Education http://www.myspace.com/cskids
Kiddie Pop.
Steve Griggs Quintet http://www.stevegriggsmusic.com/
Jazz, but I can’t hear it because he has no Myspace page.
Mark Taylor Quartet http://www.myspace.com/marktaylormusic
Jazz!
Michael Shrieve’s Spellbinder http://www.myspace.com/michaelshrievesspellbinder
Latin Jazz!
Paul Oscher http://www.myspace.com/pauloscher
Blues, Blues, Blues.
Todd Snider http://www.myspace.com/toddsnider
Blues, Folk, Country and Rock.
EMP Skychurch
The Kindness Kind http://www.myspace.com/thekindnesskind
Local Rockers.
*Black Whales http://www.myspace.com/blackwhales
These guys are good, basic Rock’N’Roll.
Parenthetical Girls http://www.myspace.com/parentheticalgirlsband
Chamber Rock from Everett by way of Portland.
Romance http://www.myspace.com/romance
New Wave Rockers from Seattle.
Sleepy Eyes of Death http://www.myspace.com/sleepyeyesofdeath
Electro-Rock from the Emerald City.
D.Black/Spaceman http://www.myspace.com/sportnliferecords
Local Hip-Hop
DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid http://www.myspace.com/djspooky
No tunes on the MySpace player.
Monday, 7 September 09
Samsung Mobile Mainstage
The Knux http://www.myspace.com/theknux
Hip-Hop from Hollywood , by way of New orleans, California
*The Black Eyed Peas http://www.myspace.com/blackeyedpeas
Saw Fergie a few years ago, this should be fun.
Franz Ferdinand http://www.myspace.com/franzferdinand
Rocking along
Modest Mouse http://www.myspace.com/modestmouse
Issaquah Rock band.
Rockstar Stage
Rockstar Winner
Forgive Durden performing Razia’s Show http://blogs.myspace.com/forgivedurden
Not entirely sure what this is
Dead Confederate http://www.myspace.com/deadconfederate
Hard Rocking boys from Georgia.
Audrye Sessions http://www.myspace.com/audryesessions
“…polished, propulsive rock songs and gentle, stripped-down tunes…”
3 Inches of Blood http://www.myspace.com/3iob
Just exactly what you’d expect from a band called 3 Inches of Blood.
Fisher Green Stage
Macklemore http://www.myspace.com/macklemore
Seattle Hip-Hop
Dehli 2 Dublin http://www.myspace.com/delhi2dublin
Celtic melodies and Indian beats with a little Hip-Hop for good measure.
*The New Mastersounds http://www.myspace.com/newmastersounds
Funky, Soulful, Bluesy.
Janelle Monae http://www.myspace.com/janellemonae
Soul/R&B, Pop, Great vocals!
Vieux Farka Toure http://www.myspace.com/vieuxfarkatoure
Mali sensation keeps the family tradition alive and well.
Sly & Robbie http://www.myspace.com/slyandrobbie
Reggae from Bob Marley’s rhythm section.
Starbucks Stage
Tyler Bryant http://www.myspace.com/tylerbryantmusic
Tyler’s talented, but way too young to play authentic blues.
The Minus 5 http://www.myspace.com/theminus5
Pop-Rockers going strong.
Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears http://www.myspace.com/blackjoelewis
No tunes on the MySpace player.
*The Devil Makes Three http://www.myspace.com/thedevilmakesthree
Fun, bright Country sounds.
*The Cave Singers http://www.myspace.com/thecavesingers
Saw ‘em on the NW stage a few years back. Great music!
Keller Williams http://www.myspace.com/kellerwilliams
Acoustic Funk, Folk, Country and whatever else he feels like doing.
Broad Street Stage
Visqueen http://www.myspace.com/visqueen
No doubt about it Rock’N’Roll.
Say Hi http://www.myspace.com/sayhitoyourmom
Rock and it’s not too bad at all.
Mirah http://www.myspace.com/coldcoldwater
Pop Rock from sultry singing siren.
Akron/Family http://www.myspace.com/akronfamily
Jazzy grooves switch to in-your-face Rock guitar.
Soulsavers http://www.myspace.com/soulsavers
UK Rock somberly
Metric http://www.myspace.com/metric
Yeah, they Rock.
Northwest Court
Anomie Belle http://www.myspace.com/anomiebelle
Electronic, somber approaches to Rock.
Recess Monkey http://www.myspace.com/recessmonkey
Kid focused Pop.
Grand Hallway http://www.myspace.com/grandhallway
Folk Rock with a Japanese influence. That’s what their MySpace page says.
Oren Lavie http://www.myspace.com/orenlavie
Jazzie, electronic background with soulful vocals. Sounds a bit like Nick Drake.
Portland Cello Project http://www.myspace.com/celloproject
This is not your father’s cello band.
Lenka http://www.myspace.com/lenkamusic
Nicely done Pop from Down Under
EMP Skychurch
*Department of Energy http://www.myspace.com/deptofenergy
Great original Rock.
Point Juncture, WA http://www.myspace.com/ptjuncturewa
More Rock from Portland.
The Lonely Forest http://www.myspace.com/thelonelyforest
Anacortes own Rock, WOW! Go see this band.
Champagne Champagne http://www.myspace.com/champagnechampagne
Local Hip-Hop
Wallpaper http://www.myspace.com/wallpaper
Pop & Hip-Hop.
Truckasaurus http://www.myspace.com/teapartiesgunsnvalor
Hippity-Hoppity Techno
Head Like a Kite http://www.myspace.com/headlikeakite
Shoegaze, WTF? Who comes up with these?
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thursday, January 1, 2009
The Best of 2008
I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season. My musical faves for 2008...
New discoveries: Bedouin Soundclash (Canadian Reggae), Bon Iver (Somber & Soulful Folk), Cheb I. Sabbah (Traditional Central Asian w/bass & drums), Colour Revolt (Straight on Rock n Roll), Fleet Foxes (Sweet Harmonic Folk), Giant Bear (Country Rock), Grand Archives (Sweet Harmonic Folk), Hoots and Hellmouth (Country Rock), Horse Feathers (Sweet Harmonic Folk, my favorite CD of the year), The Moondoggies (We don't need The Band to reunite as long as these guys are playing), Vampire Weekend (Hard to nail the genre, but it's fun and I like it), West Indian Girl (Psychedelic Pop).
Older bands with great 2008 releases: AC/DC (The best CD they have ever done), The Black Crowes (Solid effort from America's answer to The Rolling Stones), Blue Mountain (Country Rock), Merle Haggard (Merle unplugged), Sun Kil Moon (Mark Kozelek makes great wooden music) , The Waifs (The sisters from Down Under release their best disc yet).
I should mention the two shows I saw in the latter part of 2008 that were not featured in my blog:
Greg Brown-Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall, Benaroya Hall, Seattle. 17 Oct 08. I met my wife at a Greg Brown show at the Back Stage many years ago and I've been partial to him ever since. He is he consummate entertainer, musician, songwriter and storyteller. He played a wonderful mix of older and newer material. His rich baritone and acoustic guitar delighted a nearly filled hall. If you like folk from a soulful, bluesy perspective go see Greg the next time he's in town. If you're looking for a Greg Brown CD I would recommend Covenant (Red House Records, 8 Aug 2000)
The English Beat-The Showbox, Seattle. 4 Dec 08.
30 years and counting with their last release in 1982 (I have it on vinyl) they've had a lot of time to perfect their craft. It's no secret that Dave Wakeling and his band enjoy playing music. You can see it in the performance. And they are very good at what they enjoy.
I was fortunate to witness the show from a great vantage point, seated by the small bar (thanks John) and I had several good friends with me. It was a fantastic show from the opening chords of Whine and Grine/Stand Down Margaret to my favorite Beat song, Save It For Later We had to catch a boat so we missed the encore, but was told that they played a new song. Could a new English Beat CD be in the works for 2009? One can only hope.
Happy New Year!
More to follow...
New discoveries: Bedouin Soundclash (Canadian Reggae), Bon Iver (Somber & Soulful Folk), Cheb I. Sabbah (Traditional Central Asian w/bass & drums), Colour Revolt (Straight on Rock n Roll), Fleet Foxes (Sweet Harmonic Folk), Giant Bear (Country Rock), Grand Archives (Sweet Harmonic Folk), Hoots and Hellmouth (Country Rock), Horse Feathers (Sweet Harmonic Folk, my favorite CD of the year), The Moondoggies (We don't need The Band to reunite as long as these guys are playing), Vampire Weekend (Hard to nail the genre, but it's fun and I like it), West Indian Girl (Psychedelic Pop).
Older bands with great 2008 releases: AC/DC (The best CD they have ever done), The Black Crowes (Solid effort from America's answer to The Rolling Stones), Blue Mountain (Country Rock), Merle Haggard (Merle unplugged), Sun Kil Moon (Mark Kozelek makes great wooden music) , The Waifs (The sisters from Down Under release their best disc yet).
I should mention the two shows I saw in the latter part of 2008 that were not featured in my blog:
Greg Brown-Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall, Benaroya Hall, Seattle. 17 Oct 08. I met my wife at a Greg Brown show at the Back Stage many years ago and I've been partial to him ever since. He is he consummate entertainer, musician, songwriter and storyteller. He played a wonderful mix of older and newer material. His rich baritone and acoustic guitar delighted a nearly filled hall. If you like folk from a soulful, bluesy perspective go see Greg the next time he's in town. If you're looking for a Greg Brown CD I would recommend Covenant (Red House Records, 8 Aug 2000)
The English Beat-The Showbox, Seattle. 4 Dec 08.
30 years and counting with their last release in 1982 (I have it on vinyl) they've had a lot of time to perfect their craft. It's no secret that Dave Wakeling and his band enjoy playing music. You can see it in the performance. And they are very good at what they enjoy.
I was fortunate to witness the show from a great vantage point, seated by the small bar (thanks John) and I had several good friends with me. It was a fantastic show from the opening chords of Whine and Grine/Stand Down Margaret to my favorite Beat song, Save It For Later We had to catch a boat so we missed the encore, but was told that they played a new song. Could a new English Beat CD be in the works for 2009? One can only hope.
Happy New Year!
More to follow...
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
A House Stranger than 50 Years of Brubeck
My apologies to those of you in need of music recommendations from a trusted source. Unfortunately my absence was necessitated by a desire to improve my lot in life through education. With the work-load something had to give and it was the blog.
To make up for it I have three gems that you will no doubt want to purchase as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or Solstice gifts.
Horse Feathers - House With No Home (Kill Rock Stars, 9 Dec 08)
Out of a stack of new music that I received over the past few days this is the disc that has been played over and over. Sometimes somber, sometimes upbeat, always Folk and always easy to listen to, I like it. Justin Ringle’s compositions are good and this Portland duo presents them well featuring richly layered harmonies, reminiscent of CSN, anchored mostly by a finger-picked guitar, complimented by the occasional mandolin, banjo or whatever else former Norfolk & Western member Peter Broderick wants to add (apparently the man can play anything.) The melodies are very pleasant and the spare arrangements actually contribute to the sound in a Zen-like way. Think of Sam Bush’s Iron & Wine or a slightly less suicidal Bon Iver. My favorite track; Working Poor.
The Moondoggies - Don’t Be a Stranger (Hardly Art, 19 Aug 08)
When attempting to describe the Moondoggies I’ve read references to The Grateful Dead, Moby Grape, The Byrds and some of the other great Rock/Country/Folk groups of the 60s & 70s. No doubt the Moondoggies are worthy of the comparisons, but the only group I think of when listening to Seattle’s Moondoggies is The Band. Like The Band, they have that unrehearsed, casual sound that is very difficult to produce and yet they do it so well. The quartet has been playing together since high school and they have a tight crisp sound. Good songwriting, great harmonies, accomplished musicianship all captured in their fine arrangements. My Favorite track; Ain’t No Lord.
50 Years of Dave Brubeck: Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival 1958-2007 (Monterey Jazz Fest, 5 Aug 08)
So some of the earlier recordings may be limited by the available technology, it’s still a great disc. The only negative comment I can make is out of 50 years of Brubeck performances at the Monterey Jazz Festival they could find only 10 tracks to share? This should have been a box set.
Other artists worth mentioning:
Cheb I. Sabbah – Traditional Central Asian music lots of bass, percussion & Techno effects.
Orgone – If Aretha Franklin, Sly Stone & James Brown went in thirds on a passel of kids this is what their band would sound like.
Hayes Carll – Country with just enough irreverence to make you overlook the clichés.
To make up for it I have three gems that you will no doubt want to purchase as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or Solstice gifts.
Horse Feathers - House With No Home (Kill Rock Stars, 9 Dec 08)
Out of a stack of new music that I received over the past few days this is the disc that has been played over and over. Sometimes somber, sometimes upbeat, always Folk and always easy to listen to, I like it. Justin Ringle’s compositions are good and this Portland duo presents them well featuring richly layered harmonies, reminiscent of CSN, anchored mostly by a finger-picked guitar, complimented by the occasional mandolin, banjo or whatever else former Norfolk & Western member Peter Broderick wants to add (apparently the man can play anything.) The melodies are very pleasant and the spare arrangements actually contribute to the sound in a Zen-like way. Think of Sam Bush’s Iron & Wine or a slightly less suicidal Bon Iver. My favorite track; Working Poor.
The Moondoggies - Don’t Be a Stranger (Hardly Art, 19 Aug 08)
When attempting to describe the Moondoggies I’ve read references to The Grateful Dead, Moby Grape, The Byrds and some of the other great Rock/Country/Folk groups of the 60s & 70s. No doubt the Moondoggies are worthy of the comparisons, but the only group I think of when listening to Seattle’s Moondoggies is The Band. Like The Band, they have that unrehearsed, casual sound that is very difficult to produce and yet they do it so well. The quartet has been playing together since high school and they have a tight crisp sound. Good songwriting, great harmonies, accomplished musicianship all captured in their fine arrangements. My Favorite track; Ain’t No Lord.
50 Years of Dave Brubeck: Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival 1958-2007 (Monterey Jazz Fest, 5 Aug 08)
So some of the earlier recordings may be limited by the available technology, it’s still a great disc. The only negative comment I can make is out of 50 years of Brubeck performances at the Monterey Jazz Festival they could find only 10 tracks to share? This should have been a box set.
Other artists worth mentioning:
Cheb I. Sabbah – Traditional Central Asian music lots of bass, percussion & Techno effects.
Orgone – If Aretha Franklin, Sly Stone & James Brown went in thirds on a passel of kids this is what their band would sound like.
Hayes Carll – Country with just enough irreverence to make you overlook the clichés.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
The Fate of SteelDrivers; A Long Lovely List of Repairs
The SteelDrivers – The SteelDrivers (Rounder Records, 15 Jan 08)
I tripped over this band on a sampler included with a music magazine. Their song was track one and I liked it so much it took several tries before I could hear the rest of the disc. If you like your bluegrass really blue and leaning a little bit more to the Country side of the equation then I have a band for you. The Nashville quintet has a resume that reads like a Who's Who in Country music volume. They follow the traditional string and vocal lineup (guitar, banjo, base, fiddle, mandolin & harmonies) and do not stray far from the standard format. Front man Chris Stapleton would be just as comfortable, not to mention effective, using his smokey tenor to lead a Blues band. In fact his soulful delivery and song writing talent play a big part in keeping The SteelDrivers from being just another Bluegrass band.Tammy Rogers, the band's primary harmony vocal, adds breadth and depth by making her fiddle weep, moan and wail. And Richard Bailey's banjo contributes a hearty level of melody and just the right amount of lead. The two Mikes hold down the bottom end. Henderson on Mandolin and Fleming on Bass. My favorite track is If It Hadn't Been For Love.
Dr. Dog – Fate (Park the Van Records, 22 Jul 08)
In the traditional of Arcade Fire, Fleet Foxes and Grand Archives, Dr. Dog takes a little bit of all that's come before, mixes it thoroughly and makes it their own. Is it Folk? Is it Rock? Is it Country? Who cares, it's great music and it transcends genres. Fate is the band's fifth full length release. Dr. Dog was formed in Philadelphia in 2001, but it wasn't until touring with My Mourning Jacket in 2004 that they began to receive recognition. Band members and friends get nicknames like Taxi & Thanks. As near as I can tell there are five talented, multi-instrumentalist in the group and everyone appears to sing. I don't have any standout tracks on the release because I like them all, although Army of Ancients reminds me of The Beatles later work.
Amelia – A Long Lovely List of Repairs (Adrenaline Records 22 Apr 08)
Portland's own Amelia has been touring the West for several years impressing audiences with their blend of Folk, Country, Rock. The band has included members of the Flatirons, The Decemberists and Tin Hat. Right now they are a trio and Teisha Helgerson's sweet vocals will melt the hard of the hardest rogue. It's pleasant music for a rainy day.
Two bands that I have to mention simply because I love their music:
Blue Mountain This trio from Mississippi has been playing Alt-Country since the late 80s and they do it well. I discovered them as a result of an article in No Depression (damn I miss that magazine.) I bought every one of their recordings over the following week. My favorite so far is Dog Days. I love the track Blue Canoe. Give it a spin, you won't be disappointed.
The Coming Grass A quintet from Maine (One step closer to the rest of the world) "playing 70s rock today," Even though they haven't released anything new for quite a while Beauty of a Heart gets regular rotation at my house. Don't Be Wasting My Time & Work It Out are gems requiring no further polish.
More to follow…
I tripped over this band on a sampler included with a music magazine. Their song was track one and I liked it so much it took several tries before I could hear the rest of the disc. If you like your bluegrass really blue and leaning a little bit more to the Country side of the equation then I have a band for you. The Nashville quintet has a resume that reads like a Who's Who in Country music volume. They follow the traditional string and vocal lineup (guitar, banjo, base, fiddle, mandolin & harmonies) and do not stray far from the standard format. Front man Chris Stapleton would be just as comfortable, not to mention effective, using his smokey tenor to lead a Blues band. In fact his soulful delivery and song writing talent play a big part in keeping The SteelDrivers from being just another Bluegrass band.Tammy Rogers, the band's primary harmony vocal, adds breadth and depth by making her fiddle weep, moan and wail. And Richard Bailey's banjo contributes a hearty level of melody and just the right amount of lead. The two Mikes hold down the bottom end. Henderson on Mandolin and Fleming on Bass. My favorite track is If It Hadn't Been For Love.
Dr. Dog – Fate (Park the Van Records, 22 Jul 08)
In the traditional of Arcade Fire, Fleet Foxes and Grand Archives, Dr. Dog takes a little bit of all that's come before, mixes it thoroughly and makes it their own. Is it Folk? Is it Rock? Is it Country? Who cares, it's great music and it transcends genres. Fate is the band's fifth full length release. Dr. Dog was formed in Philadelphia in 2001, but it wasn't until touring with My Mourning Jacket in 2004 that they began to receive recognition. Band members and friends get nicknames like Taxi & Thanks. As near as I can tell there are five talented, multi-instrumentalist in the group and everyone appears to sing. I don't have any standout tracks on the release because I like them all, although Army of Ancients reminds me of The Beatles later work.
Amelia – A Long Lovely List of Repairs (Adrenaline Records 22 Apr 08)
Portland's own Amelia has been touring the West for several years impressing audiences with their blend of Folk, Country, Rock. The band has included members of the Flatirons, The Decemberists and Tin Hat. Right now they are a trio and Teisha Helgerson's sweet vocals will melt the hard of the hardest rogue. It's pleasant music for a rainy day.
Two bands that I have to mention simply because I love their music:
Blue Mountain This trio from Mississippi has been playing Alt-Country since the late 80s and they do it well. I discovered them as a result of an article in No Depression (damn I miss that magazine.) I bought every one of their recordings over the following week. My favorite so far is Dog Days. I love the track Blue Canoe. Give it a spin, you won't be disappointed.
The Coming Grass A quintet from Maine (One step closer to the rest of the world) "playing 70s rock today," Even though they haven't released anything new for quite a while Beauty of a Heart gets regular rotation at my house. Don't Be Wasting My Time & Work It Out are gems requiring no further polish.
More to follow…
Saturday, September 20, 2008
The Black Crowes – Columbia Bank Concert Center, Western Washington Fair, Puyallup Fair, WA
On Monday, 8 Sept 08, I loaded up my mini-urban assault vehicle with lattes & Odwalla bars and with my favorite person in the whole, wide world as co-pilot, we cranked the MP3s and set a southerly course for the Puyallup Fair. We had tickets to see The Black Crowes, America's answer to The Rolling Stones. If you’re a regular reader of the blog/column (blolumn?) you’ll know this was the second time I’d seen the Crowes in the past twelve months. Plus I reviewed their new album, Warpaint as well as one of my favorite releases of 2007, Brothers of a Feather in earlier posts this year. What can I say, I love the Crowes!
The traffic was light thanks to a second bridge over the Tacoma Narrows. We were in Puyallup in less than 90 minutes. Berit and I had an hour before the show so we walked around the fairgrounds, taking in the sights, sounds and smells. We watched people stand in line and pay to be launched skyward in a chair attached to bungee cords, saw 35 million hot tub sales exhibits and nearly as many fried dough booths. We settled on some absolutely yummy scones with butter & jam and just before the show I got a giant Pepsi (basically a 5 gallon bucket with a handle) and some fried veggies. I should tell you that Washington State Code dictates all fair food must spend at least 3-5 minutes in hot grease prior to sale. The sole exception is scones.
As we entered the venue we discovered that the show was now free (I paid $62 for a free concert?) and we could sit anywhere. As Carney took the stage we found seats at the front of the Grandstand and settled in. The boys had a nice enough sound. A hard to pin down style of music, sometimes it was harder edged with a heavy blues influence, at other times it more closely resembleld Glam Rock, like New York Dolls or Queen. In fact the skinny lead singer sounded like Freddie Mercury. On the song Testify he channeled Robert Plant, man could he wail. The guitarist had great chops and the drummer didn’t play so much as attack his kit. Due to a slightly muddled sound mix it was hard to hear the bass player, but he looked like he was quite busy and having a good time. Carney played half dozen tunes and then the roadies began the transition.
The Black Crowes took the stage shortly after bundles of incense were placed at the front corners of the stage. They opened the show with two tracks from Warpaint; Wounded Bird & Evergreeen and we were on our way. The sound mix for the first couple of songs wasn’t good. The bass was way too high, you couldn’t hear Luther’s guitar or Chris’s vocals. By the time they got to the third song, Sting Me, they had sorted it out. Next came one of the evening highlights, Downtown Money Waster into an extended jam finished with Thorn In My Pride.
Chris, who’s been known to be chatty, excessively so at times, said nothing except “Thank you” between songs. The boys rolled from one track to another without delay. The energy was high and the crowd in front of the stage never stopped moving. To top it off it was a gorgeous summer evening with lots of stars overhead. Speaking of stars the boys offered stellar covers of Dylan’s Girl From the North Country and Clapton’s Poor Elijah Tribute to Johnson.
Some drunk cowboy beside me kept shouting for them to play Black Betty as he alternately spit his chaw into an empty beer cup and sipped from a full one. I was waiting for him to mix ‘em up. I knew Leadbelly wrote the tune way back when, that Ram Jam had recorded it in the 70s, but the best version was by Tom Jones. Do you suppose the wrangler thought he was at a TJ concert? If so, I’m glad he didn’t try to throw his undies on the stage. Sorry I digress…
The Crowes added Remedy & Soul Singing toward the latter part and had Jerry Miller from Moby Grape join them onstage for Hey Grandma. There was no encore.
The 90 minute set included 5 songs from Warpaint, a decent mix from their back catalog and three covers. It was a good evening. We followed the green line (the Fair paints colored lines on the pavement to get you back to the correct gate), put the MP3s on and set the compass north back to the island.
More to follow…
The traffic was light thanks to a second bridge over the Tacoma Narrows. We were in Puyallup in less than 90 minutes. Berit and I had an hour before the show so we walked around the fairgrounds, taking in the sights, sounds and smells. We watched people stand in line and pay to be launched skyward in a chair attached to bungee cords, saw 35 million hot tub sales exhibits and nearly as many fried dough booths. We settled on some absolutely yummy scones with butter & jam and just before the show I got a giant Pepsi (basically a 5 gallon bucket with a handle) and some fried veggies. I should tell you that Washington State Code dictates all fair food must spend at least 3-5 minutes in hot grease prior to sale. The sole exception is scones.
As we entered the venue we discovered that the show was now free (I paid $62 for a free concert?) and we could sit anywhere. As Carney took the stage we found seats at the front of the Grandstand and settled in. The boys had a nice enough sound. A hard to pin down style of music, sometimes it was harder edged with a heavy blues influence, at other times it more closely resembleld Glam Rock, like New York Dolls or Queen. In fact the skinny lead singer sounded like Freddie Mercury. On the song Testify he channeled Robert Plant, man could he wail. The guitarist had great chops and the drummer didn’t play so much as attack his kit. Due to a slightly muddled sound mix it was hard to hear the bass player, but he looked like he was quite busy and having a good time. Carney played half dozen tunes and then the roadies began the transition.
The Black Crowes took the stage shortly after bundles of incense were placed at the front corners of the stage. They opened the show with two tracks from Warpaint; Wounded Bird & Evergreeen and we were on our way. The sound mix for the first couple of songs wasn’t good. The bass was way too high, you couldn’t hear Luther’s guitar or Chris’s vocals. By the time they got to the third song, Sting Me, they had sorted it out. Next came one of the evening highlights, Downtown Money Waster into an extended jam finished with Thorn In My Pride.
Chris, who’s been known to be chatty, excessively so at times, said nothing except “Thank you” between songs. The boys rolled from one track to another without delay. The energy was high and the crowd in front of the stage never stopped moving. To top it off it was a gorgeous summer evening with lots of stars overhead. Speaking of stars the boys offered stellar covers of Dylan’s Girl From the North Country and Clapton’s Poor Elijah Tribute to Johnson.
Some drunk cowboy beside me kept shouting for them to play Black Betty as he alternately spit his chaw into an empty beer cup and sipped from a full one. I was waiting for him to mix ‘em up. I knew Leadbelly wrote the tune way back when, that Ram Jam had recorded it in the 70s, but the best version was by Tom Jones. Do you suppose the wrangler thought he was at a TJ concert? If so, I’m glad he didn’t try to throw his undies on the stage. Sorry I digress…
The Crowes added Remedy & Soul Singing toward the latter part and had Jerry Miller from Moby Grape join them onstage for Hey Grandma. There was no encore.
The 90 minute set included 5 songs from Warpaint, a decent mix from their back catalog and three covers. It was a good evening. We followed the green line (the Fair paints colored lines on the pavement to get you back to the correct gate), put the MP3s on and set the compass north back to the island.
More to follow…
Friday, September 12, 2008
Bumbershoot 2008
Day One
Saturday 30 Aug 08
Bumbershoot ’08 began for me way back in the late spring when I ordered my tix (40% savings on a three day pass folks if you get ‘em early) As soon as the schedule was released mid-summer I was thinking, “If I’m not an aging Gen-Xer or into Hip-Hop I just wasted $60,” I started listening to MySpace sites and reading about acts and quickly determined that there were some great artists coming. Needless to say, by Saturday 30 Aug 08 I had a handful of acts I wasn’t going to miss, a good idea about which artists I wanted to see and back-up plans for those that didn’t live up to the expectations.
I took the earlier ferry to allow for my carbon-neutral approach of walking up to Seattle Center. When I arrived I was surprised to see lines from the Broad Street entrance wrapping back around to the front of the Science Center. Evidently the handheld scanners used to read the ticket barcodes weren’t able to read at least 1/3 of the tickets.
It didn’t take long to figure out a way to bypass the mess and get to the music. Before I knew it I was sipping Rockstar from a paper cup watching Throw Me the Statue (mentioned in 18 May 08 article) I love their record, but their live show didn’t seem to exude the same energy. Add to that to a mediocre sound mix and it was hard to focus on the music. I listened to a few songs and headed for the Main Stage.
I arrived in Memorial Stadium and was able to sit beside my longest known Seattle friend John and his lovely wife Carol. We caught up on the comings/goings for each other and shared our plans for the next three days while enjoying the music of Neko Case.
Neko has an amazing voice, strong & confident. She reminds a lot of Grace Slick except Neko leans toward the Country side of things and appeals to my inner redneck. Her band was tight, nice harmonies, spare arrangements and she shared a wonderful sampling of her body of work.
From there I went to the Starbucks Stage for Joe Bonamassa’s show. This was a must see for me. Part Stevie Ray, part Allman Brothers, part AC\DC, part Zeppelin, a little Skynyrd and the rest comes from studying the masters who returned the blues to the US via the British Invasion. He was amazing. What stage presence! What licks & runs! Fantastic music and a great show!
I had some time so I made my way to Horn of Africa for some lukuul, red lentils and injera. Man oh man was it yummy. I sat by the fountain and watched the skateboarders while I ate.
On John’s suggestion I decided to go see Mono in VCF at EMP. I made my way around to the back of the venue, sat on the floor and began to catch up with my journal. The band came out. Five guys who look like the IT staff at your office came out with a very beautiful young woman. She had a lovely voice. The songs were slow and somber. The musicianship was quite good, vocal range wasn’t bad, the delivery was slightly stiff and many of the tunes had a similar sound. When they were done I moved up to the barrier and waited for my final must see of he day, West Indian Girl I watched them tear down Mono in VCF, set up WIG’s equipment and do the sound check, all in less than 30 minutes.
West Indian Girl is everything you’d want in a rock band; excellent music with passion & attitude, skinny guitarists and hot chicks with great pipes. They made it worth wading through the crowds, standing in long lines, and dealing with the occasional less-than-courteous fellow concert-goer. Anyway, I was completely ignorant of this band a month ago and now they are one of my favorites. I play To Die in LA and Trip all he time. The lead guitarist, a little on the scruffy side, was right in front of me and played a couple of threadbare Les Pauls. The drummer was equally scruffy but thoroughly adept at keeping time and backing vocals. The bass player could have been a double for Prince and held down the bottom end nicely. The keyboardist on the far end added her layer and backup vocals. The keyboardist closest to me was very focused. The other singer, a petite, gorgeous young woman with loads of talent and an amazing vocal range delivered her songs with passion and emotion. The set was spectacular. I came home and bought all three of their CDs.
Day Two
Sunday 31 Aug 08
The morning rain and another commitment caused me to get a later start. I was really hoping to see Ashleigh Flynn, a Portland Folk Rocker and Star Anna, Central Washington’s latest contribution to the wonderful sounds of Country & Western (John said she was great.) Alas, the best made plans…
I did arrive in time to see the Tripwires at EMP, due to a suggestion from John. I’d never heard of them, but they have a reputation as a bit of a Seattle supergroup (members have played with The Minus 5, Neko Case and The Young Fresh fellows among others) and the reputation was much deserved. The quartet, a couple of guitars, bass & drums, delivered a nice brand of Rockabilly and Pop flavored Rock with tasty licks and catchy hooks. They reminded me of The Knack who remind me of The Beatles. Not much to look at, but interesting harmonies and some great guitar work. I left before the end of their set to catch another of my must see bands.
As described in the Bumbershoot preview, Howlin’ Rain is a group of five bearded guys from the Bay area. They play authentic 60s psychedelic Rock, the real McCoy! The lanky lead guitarist/lead singer had a raspy, blues influenced, tenor and growled, howled, screamed, twitched, stomped and threw various forms of fits from the first chord to the last bit of feedback. The keyboardist was less possessed and taken by the music, only slightly. The rest of the band filled in the sound and mostly stayed out of the way as these two convulsed. It was brilliant.
Dale Watson was next at the Starbucks stage. Silver pompadour, mid-length, black mourning coat and a well-loved Telecaster, Dale presented a set of Country classics and original material with a rich baritone (think Randy Travis, Merle Haggard & Johnny Cash thrown into a Blendtec, the result: a smooth, velvety concoction that hits the spot.) The crowd loved his aw-shucks between song banter. He was the consummate professional.
After Dale I needed sustenance. I took my shortcuts to Horn of Africa for some injera, red lentils & lukuul and quickly made my way back to the Fisher stage to bask in the cool funk of the tail end of Orgone’s set. Great horns & percussion, shake-the-dust-off-your-bones beats. There was a hint of Fela Kuti to some of their stuff. It was hard to sit still long enough to finish my meal.
The Weakerthans, a Canadian Rock/Pop/Alt Country/Folk band, were next on the agenda. These guys were weaned on Punk, but came together more than a decade ago because they wanted a more melodic approach to music. Well, I’m here to tell you that they found one. They reminded me a bit of Toad the Wet Sprocket, one of my favorite 90s bands. Simply put, The Weakerthans are a tight combo of accomplished musicians playing and singing great tunes.
I have to say that the Exhibition Hall where they played is fairly claustrophobic, like being in a giant, underground cistern, cold, dark and not a soft edge in the entire venue. I understand why they put all the louder, more expressive acts in there. They can’t break anything.
My last commitment for the day, as well as the final must see, was The Black Keys on the Mainstage. I saw these guys at Bumbershoot a few years ago and they blew me away. Basically, The Black Keys are two guys from Akron who prefer old school approaches to creating huge sound. They made their first CD, Thickfreakness, in their basement over a 12 hour period. The Keys play traditional pentatonic blues and they play it well. Their music easily filled Memorial Stadium. They were the highlight of the day!
On the downside, just before the boys took the stage I bought some strawberry shortcake to ease my pangs of hunger. I busted a tine off the plastic fork while trying to cut the biscuit and damned near chipped a tooth. I’ve had hardtack that was easier to penetrate. They must have used drywall mud in the recipe.
Day Three
Monday 31 Sept 08
We arrived just in time to have lunch. I say we because Berit, my favorite person in the whole wide world, was with me (sorry girls Esion’s taken!) We got our Death Cab for Cutie passes, just in case and headed for Horn of Africa for some injera, lukuul & red lentils. Unfortunately the sea of humanity sweeping on from the Mercer gate prevented us from making it past the Chutney’s where Berit opted for some fine Indian cuisine and I enjoyed a mango lemonade. We moved back to the Fisher stage and a Lebanese booth caught my eye. I grabbed a lamb gyro and we settled in for the tail end of Choklate’s performance. I’ll be honest, she wasn’t on the list because her MySpace featured some of the slower, heartfelt appeals for love that crowd the FM dial, but her live show was great. She can sing and her band is tight! Neil Young was right when he said, “Live music is better. Bumperstickers should be issued”
We finished our food and set course for the Wells Fargo stage to hear Joshua Morrison, but we saw someone else instead. I still don’t know who it was and no one was able to tell me. There was a mix-up in the schedule, either way she was good. A folky, her voice was pleasant and strong and her accompaniment on guitar was quite adept although a bit ambitious with his leads. Great harmonies.
Somehow I overlooked Blitzen Trapper at the Rockstar stage. Bummer. I’ll not make that mistake again.
My first must-see of the day was Bedouin Soundclash, three lads from Canada, eh, playing and singing absolutely fantastic, mostly original, Reggae tunes. I love this band!!!! I was blown away by their show. The lead singer’s has a bit of a raspy tenor, nothing fancy about his guitar work, minimal effects, but it’s perfect for their repertoire. The bass player and drummer hold down the bottom end with such synchronicity that they must be communicating on a sub-atomic level. Berit & I were on the barriers for the beginning of the show, but it was a tad loud. We moved to higher ground for a bit, but could not stay away. We ended up right back on the barriers. I bought both of their CDs immediately following the show and they have been playing constantly at home, work and in the Scion. Check this band out now!
We hustled to EMP to catch the Maldives but the doors were closed (it’s a small venue) so we strolled back through the Center grounds, listening as we went.
Not much tickled our fancy until we got back to the Fisher stage. Cheb I. Sabbah & 1002 Nights was starting up. Simply put, Cheb is a DJ mixing techno bass & drums under traditional Central Asian music. He had two percussionists, a dancer dressed in traditional garb and the occasional singer and musician who would come on stage for a song or two, the result, infectious beats that had a multi-generational crowd (my 17 year-old son was there with his friends) dancing non-stop for an hour. Unbelievable!
We moved quickly through the crowd to the Starbucks stage for the last few songs of The Old 97s to once again get in touch with our inner redneck. They did not disappoint. It was a fine delivery of some of the best in Alt Country. These guys have been at it for a while and it shows.
One of the many wonderful things about Bumbershoot is that it’s not limited to food and music. Berit and I used to look forward to the Independent Publishers & the One Reel Films. This year we spent more time watching performance art (the group from Oz doing a bit on flexible poles in costume was something else), checking out the artisan booths and Flatstock, the poster exhibit. No shortage of talent and imagination at Flatstock. We wandered the aisles being alternately awed, shocked, amused and entertained while listening to the strains of Hip-Hop phenom Del the Funky Homosapien. Del was playing on the Fisher stage next door to Flatstock. Nice grooves and lyrics with some substance, not just base & drums talking about bitches & hos and popping caps in asses. More than once Del appealed to the crowd to vote and make a difference.
Our last must-see of the festival, Xavier Rudd, hails from Australia and plays some interesting stuff. Once again we were next to the barriers and had an excellent view of what I would refer to as Xavier’s command module, a seat surrounded by various percussive instruments, some of which I’ve never seen before, as well as several didgeridoos. He took the stage and was accompanied by a gentleman on a conventional drum kit. Xavier plays an acoustic lap style slide guitar inside his module while hitting a stomp box and blowing a harmonica or didgeridoo. Occasionally he plays the harmonica through the didgeridoo. Regardless the music was great and had the whole crowd moving.
Overall I’d have to say it was a great festival! Well done!
Saturday 30 Aug 08
Bumbershoot ’08 began for me way back in the late spring when I ordered my tix (40% savings on a three day pass folks if you get ‘em early) As soon as the schedule was released mid-summer I was thinking, “If I’m not an aging Gen-Xer or into Hip-Hop I just wasted $60,” I started listening to MySpace sites and reading about acts and quickly determined that there were some great artists coming. Needless to say, by Saturday 30 Aug 08 I had a handful of acts I wasn’t going to miss, a good idea about which artists I wanted to see and back-up plans for those that didn’t live up to the expectations.
I took the earlier ferry to allow for my carbon-neutral approach of walking up to Seattle Center. When I arrived I was surprised to see lines from the Broad Street entrance wrapping back around to the front of the Science Center. Evidently the handheld scanners used to read the ticket barcodes weren’t able to read at least 1/3 of the tickets.
It didn’t take long to figure out a way to bypass the mess and get to the music. Before I knew it I was sipping Rockstar from a paper cup watching Throw Me the Statue (mentioned in 18 May 08 article) I love their record, but their live show didn’t seem to exude the same energy. Add to that to a mediocre sound mix and it was hard to focus on the music. I listened to a few songs and headed for the Main Stage.
I arrived in Memorial Stadium and was able to sit beside my longest known Seattle friend John and his lovely wife Carol. We caught up on the comings/goings for each other and shared our plans for the next three days while enjoying the music of Neko Case.
Neko has an amazing voice, strong & confident. She reminds a lot of Grace Slick except Neko leans toward the Country side of things and appeals to my inner redneck. Her band was tight, nice harmonies, spare arrangements and she shared a wonderful sampling of her body of work.
From there I went to the Starbucks Stage for Joe Bonamassa’s show. This was a must see for me. Part Stevie Ray, part Allman Brothers, part AC\DC, part Zeppelin, a little Skynyrd and the rest comes from studying the masters who returned the blues to the US via the British Invasion. He was amazing. What stage presence! What licks & runs! Fantastic music and a great show!
I had some time so I made my way to Horn of Africa for some lukuul, red lentils and injera. Man oh man was it yummy. I sat by the fountain and watched the skateboarders while I ate.
On John’s suggestion I decided to go see Mono in VCF at EMP. I made my way around to the back of the venue, sat on the floor and began to catch up with my journal. The band came out. Five guys who look like the IT staff at your office came out with a very beautiful young woman. She had a lovely voice. The songs were slow and somber. The musicianship was quite good, vocal range wasn’t bad, the delivery was slightly stiff and many of the tunes had a similar sound. When they were done I moved up to the barrier and waited for my final must see of he day, West Indian Girl I watched them tear down Mono in VCF, set up WIG’s equipment and do the sound check, all in less than 30 minutes.
West Indian Girl is everything you’d want in a rock band; excellent music with passion & attitude, skinny guitarists and hot chicks with great pipes. They made it worth wading through the crowds, standing in long lines, and dealing with the occasional less-than-courteous fellow concert-goer. Anyway, I was completely ignorant of this band a month ago and now they are one of my favorites. I play To Die in LA and Trip all he time. The lead guitarist, a little on the scruffy side, was right in front of me and played a couple of threadbare Les Pauls. The drummer was equally scruffy but thoroughly adept at keeping time and backing vocals. The bass player could have been a double for Prince and held down the bottom end nicely. The keyboardist on the far end added her layer and backup vocals. The keyboardist closest to me was very focused. The other singer, a petite, gorgeous young woman with loads of talent and an amazing vocal range delivered her songs with passion and emotion. The set was spectacular. I came home and bought all three of their CDs.
Day Two
Sunday 31 Aug 08
The morning rain and another commitment caused me to get a later start. I was really hoping to see Ashleigh Flynn, a Portland Folk Rocker and Star Anna, Central Washington’s latest contribution to the wonderful sounds of Country & Western (John said she was great.) Alas, the best made plans…
I did arrive in time to see the Tripwires at EMP, due to a suggestion from John. I’d never heard of them, but they have a reputation as a bit of a Seattle supergroup (members have played with The Minus 5, Neko Case and The Young Fresh fellows among others) and the reputation was much deserved. The quartet, a couple of guitars, bass & drums, delivered a nice brand of Rockabilly and Pop flavored Rock with tasty licks and catchy hooks. They reminded me of The Knack who remind me of The Beatles. Not much to look at, but interesting harmonies and some great guitar work. I left before the end of their set to catch another of my must see bands.
As described in the Bumbershoot preview, Howlin’ Rain is a group of five bearded guys from the Bay area. They play authentic 60s psychedelic Rock, the real McCoy! The lanky lead guitarist/lead singer had a raspy, blues influenced, tenor and growled, howled, screamed, twitched, stomped and threw various forms of fits from the first chord to the last bit of feedback. The keyboardist was less possessed and taken by the music, only slightly. The rest of the band filled in the sound and mostly stayed out of the way as these two convulsed. It was brilliant.
Dale Watson was next at the Starbucks stage. Silver pompadour, mid-length, black mourning coat and a well-loved Telecaster, Dale presented a set of Country classics and original material with a rich baritone (think Randy Travis, Merle Haggard & Johnny Cash thrown into a Blendtec, the result: a smooth, velvety concoction that hits the spot.) The crowd loved his aw-shucks between song banter. He was the consummate professional.
After Dale I needed sustenance. I took my shortcuts to Horn of Africa for some injera, red lentils & lukuul and quickly made my way back to the Fisher stage to bask in the cool funk of the tail end of Orgone’s set. Great horns & percussion, shake-the-dust-off-your-bones beats. There was a hint of Fela Kuti to some of their stuff. It was hard to sit still long enough to finish my meal.
The Weakerthans, a Canadian Rock/Pop/Alt Country/Folk band, were next on the agenda. These guys were weaned on Punk, but came together more than a decade ago because they wanted a more melodic approach to music. Well, I’m here to tell you that they found one. They reminded me a bit of Toad the Wet Sprocket, one of my favorite 90s bands. Simply put, The Weakerthans are a tight combo of accomplished musicians playing and singing great tunes.
I have to say that the Exhibition Hall where they played is fairly claustrophobic, like being in a giant, underground cistern, cold, dark and not a soft edge in the entire venue. I understand why they put all the louder, more expressive acts in there. They can’t break anything.
My last commitment for the day, as well as the final must see, was The Black Keys on the Mainstage. I saw these guys at Bumbershoot a few years ago and they blew me away. Basically, The Black Keys are two guys from Akron who prefer old school approaches to creating huge sound. They made their first CD, Thickfreakness, in their basement over a 12 hour period. The Keys play traditional pentatonic blues and they play it well. Their music easily filled Memorial Stadium. They were the highlight of the day!
On the downside, just before the boys took the stage I bought some strawberry shortcake to ease my pangs of hunger. I busted a tine off the plastic fork while trying to cut the biscuit and damned near chipped a tooth. I’ve had hardtack that was easier to penetrate. They must have used drywall mud in the recipe.
Day Three
Monday 31 Sept 08
We arrived just in time to have lunch. I say we because Berit, my favorite person in the whole wide world, was with me (sorry girls Esion’s taken!) We got our Death Cab for Cutie passes, just in case and headed for Horn of Africa for some injera, lukuul & red lentils. Unfortunately the sea of humanity sweeping on from the Mercer gate prevented us from making it past the Chutney’s where Berit opted for some fine Indian cuisine and I enjoyed a mango lemonade. We moved back to the Fisher stage and a Lebanese booth caught my eye. I grabbed a lamb gyro and we settled in for the tail end of Choklate’s performance. I’ll be honest, she wasn’t on the list because her MySpace featured some of the slower, heartfelt appeals for love that crowd the FM dial, but her live show was great. She can sing and her band is tight! Neil Young was right when he said, “Live music is better. Bumperstickers should be issued”
We finished our food and set course for the Wells Fargo stage to hear Joshua Morrison, but we saw someone else instead. I still don’t know who it was and no one was able to tell me. There was a mix-up in the schedule, either way she was good. A folky, her voice was pleasant and strong and her accompaniment on guitar was quite adept although a bit ambitious with his leads. Great harmonies.
Somehow I overlooked Blitzen Trapper at the Rockstar stage. Bummer. I’ll not make that mistake again.
My first must-see of the day was Bedouin Soundclash, three lads from Canada, eh, playing and singing absolutely fantastic, mostly original, Reggae tunes. I love this band!!!! I was blown away by their show. The lead singer’s has a bit of a raspy tenor, nothing fancy about his guitar work, minimal effects, but it’s perfect for their repertoire. The bass player and drummer hold down the bottom end with such synchronicity that they must be communicating on a sub-atomic level. Berit & I were on the barriers for the beginning of the show, but it was a tad loud. We moved to higher ground for a bit, but could not stay away. We ended up right back on the barriers. I bought both of their CDs immediately following the show and they have been playing constantly at home, work and in the Scion. Check this band out now!
We hustled to EMP to catch the Maldives but the doors were closed (it’s a small venue) so we strolled back through the Center grounds, listening as we went.
Not much tickled our fancy until we got back to the Fisher stage. Cheb I. Sabbah & 1002 Nights was starting up. Simply put, Cheb is a DJ mixing techno bass & drums under traditional Central Asian music. He had two percussionists, a dancer dressed in traditional garb and the occasional singer and musician who would come on stage for a song or two, the result, infectious beats that had a multi-generational crowd (my 17 year-old son was there with his friends) dancing non-stop for an hour. Unbelievable!
We moved quickly through the crowd to the Starbucks stage for the last few songs of The Old 97s to once again get in touch with our inner redneck. They did not disappoint. It was a fine delivery of some of the best in Alt Country. These guys have been at it for a while and it shows.
One of the many wonderful things about Bumbershoot is that it’s not limited to food and music. Berit and I used to look forward to the Independent Publishers & the One Reel Films. This year we spent more time watching performance art (the group from Oz doing a bit on flexible poles in costume was something else), checking out the artisan booths and Flatstock, the poster exhibit. No shortage of talent and imagination at Flatstock. We wandered the aisles being alternately awed, shocked, amused and entertained while listening to the strains of Hip-Hop phenom Del the Funky Homosapien. Del was playing on the Fisher stage next door to Flatstock. Nice grooves and lyrics with some substance, not just base & drums talking about bitches & hos and popping caps in asses. More than once Del appealed to the crowd to vote and make a difference.
Our last must-see of the festival, Xavier Rudd, hails from Australia and plays some interesting stuff. Once again we were next to the barriers and had an excellent view of what I would refer to as Xavier’s command module, a seat surrounded by various percussive instruments, some of which I’ve never seen before, as well as several didgeridoos. He took the stage and was accompanied by a gentleman on a conventional drum kit. Xavier plays an acoustic lap style slide guitar inside his module while hitting a stomp box and blowing a harmonica or didgeridoo. Occasionally he plays the harmonica through the didgeridoo. Regardless the music was great and had the whole crowd moving.
Overall I’d have to say it was a great festival! Well done!
Friday, August 15, 2008
Bumbershoot 2008 Preview
It's coming and there are some great artists!
Saturday
Mainstage
*Neko Case: Soon-to-be Alt-Country diva, channels Grace Slick. Cut her teeth with the Greater Puget Sound Punk scene and the New Pornographers.
*Lucinda Williams: Alt-Country diva, need I say more.
*Band of Horses: Rock, nice harmonies, melodic, very pleasant. They rose from the ashes of Seattle band Carissa’s Weird, whose break-up gave us Grand Archives & Sera Cahoone.
Beck: Try as I may to like him, even after Danger Mouse produced his latest release, there’s no getting around it, Beck’s music sucks a fat baby’s ass!
Exhibition Hall
Sweet Water: Seattle band reunited. Rock with a harder edge & heavier sound.
The Fall of Troy: Mukilteo’s own. Influences of 70’s progressive Rock mixed in with teen Pop & Hardcore. Some pretty wild guitar work.
Unearth: Boston, MA. Heavy, dark & angry. Manic drumming, distorted guitars, wrecking ball bass lines with primal screams and guttural vocals, all lovingly assembled for your listening pleasure. Caution; lyrics liberally sprinkled with f-bombs.
Anti-Flag: Good, old-fashioned, snarling, sneering, irreverent Punk from Pittsburg.
Fisher Green
The Staxx Brothers: Seattle Hip-Hop with some excellent, old school styled R&B grooves.
Grynch: Seattle Hip-Hop with a conscience, along the lines of Common Market & Blue Scholars.
Darondo: Bay Area 70’s R&B star who dropped off the face of the earth until recently. Reminds me a little of Al Green and Curtis Mayfield.
Estelle: Pop singer Estelle hails from London, has a great voice and is fortunate enough to have managers pair her with contemporary music icons.
Saul Williams: Rap & Hip-Hop devoid of tasty grooves.
Starbucks (Mural)
Nick Vigarino: Nimble fingers with quirky lyrics, music is funky, bluesy & soulful. Like the Subdudes without the harmonies. From Camino Island, WA
Vicci Martinez: Another fairly talented, Folk/Rock singer songwriter from Seattle.
Ian Moore: Another fairly talented, Folk/Rock singer songwriter from Seattle.
*Joe Bonamassa: Meet Steve van Zandt’s successor!
Asylum Street Spankers: Bawdy, loose, Country-leaning burlesque & cabaret Texas style.
*Nada Surf: Tightly arranged, harmonious, finely executed, melodic Rock.
Rockstar (Broad St.)
*Throw Me the Statue: Toe tapping, hum along, contemporary Rock from Seattle.
Barcelona: Arlington, VA. Sounds very much like the stuff that was blaring from college dorm rooms across America in the first half of the 80s. Makes me think of skinny ties and suits with big shoulders.
Thao with the Get Down Stay Down: DC via San Francisco quartet soft-rocking under an interesting singer. I could get used to it.
The Walkmen: Big Apple rockers playing, “melodramatic popular music,” slower tempo and a bit on the somber side with lots of keyboards.
Man Man: Is this Tom Waits kids’ band? They’re from Philly, but definitely not Hall & Oates, an eclectic mix of instruments and musical styles, raspy lead vocals layered over a chorus of humming, shouts & gasps balanced precariously on polyrhythmic textures (think international orange/lime green polka dotted corduroy made of expedition-weight polar fleece.)
M. Ward: Another fairly talented, Folk/Rock singer songwriter from Portland, OR
Wells Fargo (NW Court)
Beehive: Seattle duo playing electronic pop, soulful vocals with a bluesy edge, very danceable.
Das Vibenbass: Seattle quartet approaching Jazz with undertones of nearly everything else.
Asylum Street Spankers: Bawdy, loose, country-leaning burlesque & cabaret Texas style.
The Round: A collaborative arts event featuring Damien Jurado, Jen Wood, Buddy Wakefield, Rstar, Scott Erickson, and more.
Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby: Sounds like Alt-Country to me.
Tim Finn: Kiwi New Waver, former Split Enz member, will grace audiences with his talent and wit.
Sky Church (EMP)
New Faces: Rock trio from Port Townsend. I like it.
The Girls: Nearly New Wave, next generation Punk. You know, the poppy kind sans angst and attitude.
The Valley: Harder edged Rock music from Seattle.
PWRFL Power: Great guitar playing, quirky lyrics and some interesting vocals.
Mono in VCF: Tacoma pop group with a retro sound.
***West Indian Girl: Very nice Pop-Rock from 4th & Wall.
Kinski: Local boys (& girl) rock the house with a new album.
Sunday
Mainstage
Keyshia Cole: Soulful top 40 pop, great vocals.
T.I.: Georgia Hip-Hop from an artist at the top of game.
*The Black Keys: A few years ago two guys from Ohio went down and their basement and made one of the best blues CDs I’ve ever heard! I saw them at Bumbershoot on the Mural Stage three years back, glad to see they’ve made it to the Mainstage.
Stone Temple Pilots: Can Scott Weiland keep his shit together long enough to complete a tour with one band? Time will tell.
Exhibition Hall
*The Blakes: Saw them last year at Bumbershoot and they rocked!
These Arms Are Snakes: A bit of Seattle metal with a nod to the Prog Rock of the 70s.
***The Weakerthans: The witty lyrics, tight harmonies and all-around melodic approach to Rock music does not betray their Canadian Punk roots. Very nice!
Brother Ali: Hip-Hop from the land of 10,000 lakes, nice grooves.
Fisher Green
Lushy: Jazzy, Funky, Latin and just plain fun.
Manooghi Hi: Indian music with lots of percussion and distorted guitars.
Forro In the Dark: Brazilian music from New York.
*Orgone: Funk, Blues, R&B and Soul Hollywood style.
Kid Sister: Rap & Hip-Hop with danceable beats.
Lee “Scratch” Perry: Reggae from a master!
Starbucks (Mural)
*Star Anna: Alt Country from Ellensberg.
*Tyrone Wells: Very talented, rock singer-songwriter from Spokane.
*Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses: Alt-Country from Austin.
*Dale Watson: Ain’t no Alt about this one. It’s Country from Austin through and through, sounds like Johnny Cash.
*Jakob Dylan: Former Wildflowers front man and you-know-who’s son.
*Ingrid Michaelson: Jazzy Folk. Joni Mitchell might sound like this if she was just starting out.
Rockstar (Broad St.)
Sage: Seattle band reunited from the 90s.
The Shackeltons: Rather sober & melancholy Rock from the Keystone state.
***Howlin’ Rain: Totally retro Psychedelic Rock by 5 bearded guys from Oakland.
*The Whigs: These guys from Athens Rock, nicely done!
Sons and Daughters: Scottish Rock.
Tapes’n Tapes: Rock music from the land of 10,000 lakes.
Wells Fargo (NW Court)
*Ashleigh Flynn: At first I thought, “Another singer-song writer from the Northwest,” going on about cats and their vegan lifestyle, but she writes great tunes and sounds wonderful! I have her CD right here.
Jazz Northwest: WSU Faculty Ensemble
Matt Jorgensen + 451: Matt, surrounded by some great musicians, bangs the skins in a Jazz fashion.
Hadley Caliman Quintet: Jazz from Down Under.
Tiptons Sax Quartet: Very nice Seattle Jazz.
Pacifika: Latin, Jazzy, Folky, sultry music from Vancouver, eh!
Final Fantasy: According to their Myspace page, Owen sings Pop music and plays his violin while Stephanie plays the overhead projector. Works for me.
Sky Church (EMP)
*The Lonely H: Port Angeles rockers approach music with the attitude and ability of bands twice their age.
*Shim: I’m a sucker for classic sounding, guitar based rock.
The Tripwires: Some of their stuff reminds me of the Beatles.
Ravens & Chimes: New York Indie Rock.
Speaker Speaker: Lovely, local Punk-based Rock.
The Hands: Good ole Rock’n’Roll with just a hint of Punk.
Thee Emergency: Rock! In your face!
Monday
Mainstage
Paramore: Hardcore Pop
The Offspring: Hardcore Pop
Superchunk: Rock from Chapel Hill, NC
Death Cab For Cutie: Seattle darlings doing what they do best.
Exhibition Hall
Monotonix: Tel Aviv gives us very Bluesy, Hard Rock
Dan Deacon: Mostly Techno with an edge.
Flobots: Thought provoking Hip-Hop.
Scary Kids Scaring Kids: If hair bands, back in the day, did Hardcore this is what they’d sound like.
Aiden: The lights dim, the music begins. Fog rolls over the stage, a single beam of light illuminates the lead singer as he begins to sing. The rest of the stage is slowly back-lit in blue as the band moves toward the chorus…wait is that Kiefer Sunderland biting someone’s neck? I’m sure the live show is great.
Fisher Green
Choklate: The slow, heartfelt, soulful Top 40 sound that plays on the radio of every 14 year old girl in the country.
The Physics: South Seattle’s own Hip-Hop.
***Bedouin Soundclash: A bit of Reggae, very sweeeeet!
*Cheb I Sabbah & 1002 Nights: Cool Asian sounds, leaning toward the sub-continent. Nice beats.
Del the Funky Homosapien: Hip-Hop, kinda cool.
*Xavier Rudd: Caught one of his songs on Weeds: Season 3 during the closing credits. I thought it was Paul Simon. Great songs and he has several CDs. How have I missed this musical genius?
Starbucks (Mural)
Vince Mira: Anyone remember Dick “Tombstone Every Mile” Curless, a Classic Country baritone? Vince sounds just like him.
Mark Pickerel & His Praying Hands: Sometimes he sounds like Chris Isaac doing Alt-Country and at other times he sounds like very early Beatles.
Langhorne Slim & The War Eagles: Nice soulful stuff, but how in the hell can one person be from New York and California? They’re 3000 miles apart!
X Levitation Cult: Another fairly talented, folk rock singer songwriter, with a band, from Seattle.
Old 97’s: Stretching the boundaries of the Alt-Country genre!
Mike Doughty: Another fairly talented, folk rock singer songwriter, with a band, from Brooklyn.
Rockstar (Broad St.)
Chester French: This is what Pop music should sound like.
Blitzen Trapper: Portland group on the Alt-Country trail.
Two Gallants: Catchy Rock tunes.
John Vanderslice: Another fairly talented, folk rock singer songwriter from San Francisco.
Battles: Quirky, infectious beats with Munchkin vocals.
Minus the Bear: Local Rockers adept with song.
Wells Fargo (NW Court)
Kate Tucker & the Sons of Sweden: Somber & subdued, but man can she sing!
Joshua Morrison: Cool acoustic guitar sounds with lyrics & vocals to match.
Mariee Sioux: Another fairly talented, folk rock singer songwriter from Nevada.
J-Boogie’s Dubtronic Science: Hip-Hop with a nice feel.
Arthur & Yu: Another fairly talented, folk rock singer songwriter team from Seattle.
Sondre Lerche: Norway’s favorite son playing Jazzy Pop.
Sky Church (EMP)
School of Rock Northwest All-Stars: You saw the doc, now here’s the music.
Grieves: Local Hip-Hop
Shane Tutmarc & the Traveling Mercies: Local Rock with a nice groove.
*The Maldives: Very nice Alt-Country.
Feral Children: Rock with some Techno influences.
Velella Velella: Synthesized, Soulful Funk.
Black Eyes and Neckties: Rock with lots of attitude.
*My Picks
***Don't miss!
Saturday
Mainstage
*Neko Case: Soon-to-be Alt-Country diva, channels Grace Slick. Cut her teeth with the Greater Puget Sound Punk scene and the New Pornographers.
*Lucinda Williams: Alt-Country diva, need I say more.
*Band of Horses: Rock, nice harmonies, melodic, very pleasant. They rose from the ashes of Seattle band Carissa’s Weird, whose break-up gave us Grand Archives & Sera Cahoone.
Beck: Try as I may to like him, even after Danger Mouse produced his latest release, there’s no getting around it, Beck’s music sucks a fat baby’s ass!
Exhibition Hall
Sweet Water: Seattle band reunited. Rock with a harder edge & heavier sound.
The Fall of Troy: Mukilteo’s own. Influences of 70’s progressive Rock mixed in with teen Pop & Hardcore. Some pretty wild guitar work.
Unearth: Boston, MA. Heavy, dark & angry. Manic drumming, distorted guitars, wrecking ball bass lines with primal screams and guttural vocals, all lovingly assembled for your listening pleasure. Caution; lyrics liberally sprinkled with f-bombs.
Anti-Flag: Good, old-fashioned, snarling, sneering, irreverent Punk from Pittsburg.
Fisher Green
The Staxx Brothers: Seattle Hip-Hop with some excellent, old school styled R&B grooves.
Grynch: Seattle Hip-Hop with a conscience, along the lines of Common Market & Blue Scholars.
Darondo: Bay Area 70’s R&B star who dropped off the face of the earth until recently. Reminds me a little of Al Green and Curtis Mayfield.
Estelle: Pop singer Estelle hails from London, has a great voice and is fortunate enough to have managers pair her with contemporary music icons.
Saul Williams: Rap & Hip-Hop devoid of tasty grooves.
Starbucks (Mural)
Nick Vigarino: Nimble fingers with quirky lyrics, music is funky, bluesy & soulful. Like the Subdudes without the harmonies. From Camino Island, WA
Vicci Martinez: Another fairly talented, Folk/Rock singer songwriter from Seattle.
Ian Moore: Another fairly talented, Folk/Rock singer songwriter from Seattle.
*Joe Bonamassa: Meet Steve van Zandt’s successor!
Asylum Street Spankers: Bawdy, loose, Country-leaning burlesque & cabaret Texas style.
*Nada Surf: Tightly arranged, harmonious, finely executed, melodic Rock.
Rockstar (Broad St.)
*Throw Me the Statue: Toe tapping, hum along, contemporary Rock from Seattle.
Barcelona: Arlington, VA. Sounds very much like the stuff that was blaring from college dorm rooms across America in the first half of the 80s. Makes me think of skinny ties and suits with big shoulders.
Thao with the Get Down Stay Down: DC via San Francisco quartet soft-rocking under an interesting singer. I could get used to it.
The Walkmen: Big Apple rockers playing, “melodramatic popular music,” slower tempo and a bit on the somber side with lots of keyboards.
Man Man: Is this Tom Waits kids’ band? They’re from Philly, but definitely not Hall & Oates, an eclectic mix of instruments and musical styles, raspy lead vocals layered over a chorus of humming, shouts & gasps balanced precariously on polyrhythmic textures (think international orange/lime green polka dotted corduroy made of expedition-weight polar fleece.)
M. Ward: Another fairly talented, Folk/Rock singer songwriter from Portland, OR
Wells Fargo (NW Court)
Beehive: Seattle duo playing electronic pop, soulful vocals with a bluesy edge, very danceable.
Das Vibenbass: Seattle quartet approaching Jazz with undertones of nearly everything else.
Asylum Street Spankers: Bawdy, loose, country-leaning burlesque & cabaret Texas style.
The Round: A collaborative arts event featuring Damien Jurado, Jen Wood, Buddy Wakefield, Rstar, Scott Erickson, and more.
Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby: Sounds like Alt-Country to me.
Tim Finn: Kiwi New Waver, former Split Enz member, will grace audiences with his talent and wit.
Sky Church (EMP)
New Faces: Rock trio from Port Townsend. I like it.
The Girls: Nearly New Wave, next generation Punk. You know, the poppy kind sans angst and attitude.
The Valley: Harder edged Rock music from Seattle.
PWRFL Power: Great guitar playing, quirky lyrics and some interesting vocals.
Mono in VCF: Tacoma pop group with a retro sound.
***West Indian Girl: Very nice Pop-Rock from 4th & Wall.
Kinski: Local boys (& girl) rock the house with a new album.
Sunday
Mainstage
Keyshia Cole: Soulful top 40 pop, great vocals.
T.I.: Georgia Hip-Hop from an artist at the top of game.
*The Black Keys: A few years ago two guys from Ohio went down and their basement and made one of the best blues CDs I’ve ever heard! I saw them at Bumbershoot on the Mural Stage three years back, glad to see they’ve made it to the Mainstage.
Stone Temple Pilots: Can Scott Weiland keep his shit together long enough to complete a tour with one band? Time will tell.
Exhibition Hall
*The Blakes: Saw them last year at Bumbershoot and they rocked!
These Arms Are Snakes: A bit of Seattle metal with a nod to the Prog Rock of the 70s.
***The Weakerthans: The witty lyrics, tight harmonies and all-around melodic approach to Rock music does not betray their Canadian Punk roots. Very nice!
Brother Ali: Hip-Hop from the land of 10,000 lakes, nice grooves.
Fisher Green
Lushy: Jazzy, Funky, Latin and just plain fun.
Manooghi Hi: Indian music with lots of percussion and distorted guitars.
Forro In the Dark: Brazilian music from New York.
*Orgone: Funk, Blues, R&B and Soul Hollywood style.
Kid Sister: Rap & Hip-Hop with danceable beats.
Lee “Scratch” Perry: Reggae from a master!
Starbucks (Mural)
*Star Anna: Alt Country from Ellensberg.
*Tyrone Wells: Very talented, rock singer-songwriter from Spokane.
*Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses: Alt-Country from Austin.
*Dale Watson: Ain’t no Alt about this one. It’s Country from Austin through and through, sounds like Johnny Cash.
*Jakob Dylan: Former Wildflowers front man and you-know-who’s son.
*Ingrid Michaelson: Jazzy Folk. Joni Mitchell might sound like this if she was just starting out.
Rockstar (Broad St.)
Sage: Seattle band reunited from the 90s.
The Shackeltons: Rather sober & melancholy Rock from the Keystone state.
***Howlin’ Rain: Totally retro Psychedelic Rock by 5 bearded guys from Oakland.
*The Whigs: These guys from Athens Rock, nicely done!
Sons and Daughters: Scottish Rock.
Tapes’n Tapes: Rock music from the land of 10,000 lakes.
Wells Fargo (NW Court)
*Ashleigh Flynn: At first I thought, “Another singer-song writer from the Northwest,” going on about cats and their vegan lifestyle, but she writes great tunes and sounds wonderful! I have her CD right here.
Jazz Northwest: WSU Faculty Ensemble
Matt Jorgensen + 451: Matt, surrounded by some great musicians, bangs the skins in a Jazz fashion.
Hadley Caliman Quintet: Jazz from Down Under.
Tiptons Sax Quartet: Very nice Seattle Jazz.
Pacifika: Latin, Jazzy, Folky, sultry music from Vancouver, eh!
Final Fantasy: According to their Myspace page, Owen sings Pop music and plays his violin while Stephanie plays the overhead projector. Works for me.
Sky Church (EMP)
*The Lonely H: Port Angeles rockers approach music with the attitude and ability of bands twice their age.
*Shim: I’m a sucker for classic sounding, guitar based rock.
The Tripwires: Some of their stuff reminds me of the Beatles.
Ravens & Chimes: New York Indie Rock.
Speaker Speaker: Lovely, local Punk-based Rock.
The Hands: Good ole Rock’n’Roll with just a hint of Punk.
Thee Emergency: Rock! In your face!
Monday
Mainstage
Paramore: Hardcore Pop
The Offspring: Hardcore Pop
Superchunk: Rock from Chapel Hill, NC
Death Cab For Cutie: Seattle darlings doing what they do best.
Exhibition Hall
Monotonix: Tel Aviv gives us very Bluesy, Hard Rock
Dan Deacon: Mostly Techno with an edge.
Flobots: Thought provoking Hip-Hop.
Scary Kids Scaring Kids: If hair bands, back in the day, did Hardcore this is what they’d sound like.
Aiden: The lights dim, the music begins. Fog rolls over the stage, a single beam of light illuminates the lead singer as he begins to sing. The rest of the stage is slowly back-lit in blue as the band moves toward the chorus…wait is that Kiefer Sunderland biting someone’s neck? I’m sure the live show is great.
Fisher Green
Choklate: The slow, heartfelt, soulful Top 40 sound that plays on the radio of every 14 year old girl in the country.
The Physics: South Seattle’s own Hip-Hop.
***Bedouin Soundclash: A bit of Reggae, very sweeeeet!
*Cheb I Sabbah & 1002 Nights: Cool Asian sounds, leaning toward the sub-continent. Nice beats.
Del the Funky Homosapien: Hip-Hop, kinda cool.
*Xavier Rudd: Caught one of his songs on Weeds: Season 3 during the closing credits. I thought it was Paul Simon. Great songs and he has several CDs. How have I missed this musical genius?
Starbucks (Mural)
Vince Mira: Anyone remember Dick “Tombstone Every Mile” Curless, a Classic Country baritone? Vince sounds just like him.
Mark Pickerel & His Praying Hands: Sometimes he sounds like Chris Isaac doing Alt-Country and at other times he sounds like very early Beatles.
Langhorne Slim & The War Eagles: Nice soulful stuff, but how in the hell can one person be from New York and California? They’re 3000 miles apart!
X Levitation Cult: Another fairly talented, folk rock singer songwriter, with a band, from Seattle.
Old 97’s: Stretching the boundaries of the Alt-Country genre!
Mike Doughty: Another fairly talented, folk rock singer songwriter, with a band, from Brooklyn.
Rockstar (Broad St.)
Chester French: This is what Pop music should sound like.
Blitzen Trapper: Portland group on the Alt-Country trail.
Two Gallants: Catchy Rock tunes.
John Vanderslice: Another fairly talented, folk rock singer songwriter from San Francisco.
Battles: Quirky, infectious beats with Munchkin vocals.
Minus the Bear: Local Rockers adept with song.
Wells Fargo (NW Court)
Kate Tucker & the Sons of Sweden: Somber & subdued, but man can she sing!
Joshua Morrison: Cool acoustic guitar sounds with lyrics & vocals to match.
Mariee Sioux: Another fairly talented, folk rock singer songwriter from Nevada.
J-Boogie’s Dubtronic Science: Hip-Hop with a nice feel.
Arthur & Yu: Another fairly talented, folk rock singer songwriter team from Seattle.
Sondre Lerche: Norway’s favorite son playing Jazzy Pop.
Sky Church (EMP)
School of Rock Northwest All-Stars: You saw the doc, now here’s the music.
Grieves: Local Hip-Hop
Shane Tutmarc & the Traveling Mercies: Local Rock with a nice groove.
*The Maldives: Very nice Alt-Country.
Feral Children: Rock with some Techno influences.
Velella Velella: Synthesized, Soulful Funk.
Black Eyes and Neckties: Rock with lots of attitude.
*My Picks
***Don't miss!
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