Second video in as many weeks from the talented Tutmarcs. The last video starred Garbo, this one Valentino!

Utilizing and editing of old film footage for the videos seems fitting, and similar to what Shane does musically. Shane takes the best of what’s come before and puts his own spin on it; making it his own, while still showing reverance and admiration for the original. He does it with gospel and old school blues tracks on Shouting at a Silent Sky and here, by adding a red tint to an old Valentino clip.

Star Anna at Slackfest ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

The new festival on the block this year the No Depression Festival, that as one might guess is curated by the locally based and now online-only music publication No Depression, which for years has focused on the American roots, alt-country and folk scene around the nation. Having forgone the paper magazine side to their business last year, this festival is a fierce statement that unlike other music publications falling by the wayside, they intend to remain a force on a scene they’ve documented for so long.

Happening Saturday July 11th at Redmond’s Marymoor Park stage, and starting at 1pm, the No Depression Festival is a day full of acts, local and otherwise, worth showing early for. Headlining is Sub Pop powerhouse Iron & Wine, who seems to like keeping his shows intimate, thus always a hot ticket. Local alt-country veterans Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter is the big local name on the bill, joining fellow evening acts Gillian Welch, Drive By Trucker Patterson Hood and his new band, and son of Steve, Justin Townes Earle.

We want to drop a special nod of attention for the artists in the small print, who are playing earlier at the festival as a part of what the festival is calling an “All Star Revue” at 2pm. Backed by a house band, local rising stars like Mark Pickerel, Star Anna, Sera Cahoone, members of the Maldives and more will in the festival’s words ” play songs oft-associated with the genres that No Depression has covered over the past 14 years.” The possibilities that this moment provides is definitely a reason to show up early, and this group of is sure to do the material proud.

Courtesy of STG Presents we have a pair of tickets to offer to the first person to comment on this post who want’s them. That simple. I’ll make sure you’re comment get’s moderated quickly if you’re a first time commenter. I’ll note a winner when there is one.

For those who need to get tickets still themselves, they are $45.00 each at Ticketmaster (not counting fees).

In years past I would balk at the term “mash-up”, that oh so noxious mix of rap and rock so prevalent in the late 90s.  Now though, faced with this space-organization deemed group of DJs, thrusting forth a hypercolor laser beam of sound, I’m wowed, impressed even.

Take this track alone: Karen O (rock), Fatlip (washed-up), and ODB (dead) all imprisoned on the same loop, the same bars, the same musical soundscape.  And yet, somehow (can I again blame these golden rays of sunlight and their propensity to berate me with beats?) I’m enjoying it.  I find myself tapping my foot and oft times whistling the beat when no one is around.

At least it doesn’t feature Biohazard.

N.A.S.A. - Strange Enough ft. Karen O, ODB, & Fatlip

Katelyn over at Sound Mag has been pimping Fatal Lucciauno to us for a while now as the next thing we’ve got to know about in hip hop from Seattle. After watching this interview and a song from the Song Show, I’m beginning to believe she might just be right.

In the wake of the King of Pop’s departure from the living, others who’ve died suddenly seem to appear, ghost-like and haunting, in the darker parts of my musical brain.

Dilla passed away almost three years ago, and those who’re interested not only in hip-hop, but in production and sound as a whole lost an absolute genius. Stories and pictures of him still cutting beats while attached to an IV, his life slowly seeping away, still haunt me whenever I hear his beats.

That said, the man seemed to never stop working, never stop producing or tinkering, and because of that we, his fans, keep getting the opportunity to hear new cuts, new beats, new expressions of his genius.

This isn’t the travesty of the Biggie remixes or the money making shitstorm that was everything released after Big L’s death.  This is a beautiful collection of Dilla beats mixed and mastered by Pete Rock himself.

This is an ode, not a cash grab.

J. Dilla - Smoke ft. Blue

It is summer.  Let the glorious rays of sun beat down upon my pasty skin.  Let cold Mexican beer sit in plastic red coolers and beautiful people wear tiny clothing that showcases their scalded shells.  It is unexplainable but the sunshine and the beers and the semi-nudity make me yearn, yen, absolutely desire the hard-rocking beats of anything suitably hip-hop related.

My playlist over the course of the last three days has featured Mos Def, J. Dilla, N.A.S.A., and a smattering of classic J5 and the absolutely must-listen Moment of Truth.  I can not explain this need, but it exists and while perusing these cold, dark interwebs I was shown a ray of light in this vaguely hip-hopesque album entitled Ambivalence Avenue.

This is an exploded pinata of hip-hop and electronic influences.  A vomitous spew of knob tweaks and bass beats that though erratic in composition, has moments of thump that have me smiling in to the warm glare of the sky.

Bibio - Jealous of Roses

Elvis Perkins in Dearland’s latest video offering is for their song “Chains, Chains, Chains” off of this year’s self titled album. It comes to us courtesy of the imaginative mind of Sean Pecknold, local maker of the ever-fascinating Fleet Foxes videos.

Loving (and laughing about) this promo video for the Doe Bay Music Festival, which I very well might be counting the days till.

I do have to admit, about a minute and a half into it I thought — holy hell, did I just buy tickets for an all nude festival? Luckily (?) there will be no nude performances by David Bazan, The Long Winter, Moondoggies, or Lonely Forest, but there is going to be a whole lot of great music. If you haven’t bought your tickets yet…you should remedy that ASAP.

The Moondoggies ::: Secret Set at The Blue Moon ::: photo by Abbey

We’re half way through 2009, which means it’s as good a time as any to reflect and share what were my favorite releases, songs, and shows in what’s proving to be an exciting year of music.

I’m not ready to list these in any sort of ranked order just yet, you’ll have to wait for Decemeber for that. But these are the albums, eps, songs, and shows that have helped make 2009 a memorable year of music, so far. (No Animal Collective or Dirty Projectors necessary!)

Best Albums So Far:

The Ironclads - Space Between the Maps
Elvis Perkins In Dearland- Elvis Perkins In Dearland
The Lonely Forest - We Sing The Body Electric
J. Tillman - Vacilando Territory Blues
Kaylee Cole - We’re Still Here Missing You
Neko Case - Middle Cyclone 
The Curious Mystery - Rotting Slowly
Nurses - Apple’s Acre
Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid
Shane Tutmarc - Shouting at a Silent Sky

I had to whittle down that list to a round, solid 10, which is pretty exciting considering there are albums scheduled to come out from the following bands in the remaining months of 2009:

The Cave Singers, The Maldives,  The Dutchess and The Duke, Black Whales, Black Eyes & Neckties,  Thee Emergency,  J. Tillman, and David Bazan.

Bon Iver at Sasquatch ::: Photo by Abbey

Best EPs or 7” So Far:

Bon Iver - Blood Bank
See Me River - The Great Unwashed
The Moonodoggies - Terreberryy EP/Record Store Day EP
What What Now - Self Titled 7”

J. Tillman ::: photo by Abbey

Best Songs So Far:

“We Sing In Time” - The Lonely Forest
“Blood Bank” - Bon Iver
“Steel on Steel” - J. Tillman
“Shampoo” - Elvis Perkins
“Alamagordo” - The Ironclads
“Airplanes” - Local Natives
“The Hardest Part” - The Moondoggies
“Folding Chairs” - Regina Spektor
“Magic Mountain” - Arthur & Yu
“Gossamer Hair” - Pearly Gate Music
“Driftwood Doll” - The Traditionist 
“Car Wreck” - Kaylee Cole
“The Ballad of RAA” - The Rural Alberta Advantage
“Coast of Carolina” - Telekenesis

(I have to admit, 2009 has been a year of albums/EPs/7” much more so than singles and songs, so I feel like this is more a list of my favorite songs from my favorite albums than the best singles or songs of ‘09. I’ll work on broadening that a bit before December.)

The Whore Moans Play Our 2nd Blue Moon Birthday Bash ::: Photo By Abbey

Best Shows, So Far:

* David Bazan - House Show, Edmonds
* Sound on the Sound Celebrates the Blue Moon’s 75th Anniversary
* Ironclads CD Release Show at Holy Mountain (with What What Now, The Whore Hands)
* Built to Spill does Perfect From Now On
* Sound on the Sound’s 2nd Birthday Bash’s at The Blue Moon and Neumo’s
* Blind Pilot at The Triple Door
* Nurses at South Pole 
* Jenny Lewis at UW
* Bon Iver at Sasquatch
* The Moondoggies at The Blue Moon

When the invitation to see a show sounds somewhat like a middle school dare, it may be best to avoid it.

We learned this lesson last Friday when attending The Dan Band at The Showbox. We were invited to the show by The Ironclads, who by some strange fate were asked to open for The Dan Band. If you’re not familiar with The Dan Band, let me refresh your memory.

Basically the Dan Band are what should likely be the world’s most competent gag wedding band, who were made famous by cameos in movies like Old School and recently, The Hangover.  They are a schtick that is funny for five minutes in a movie, but as we learned, they are as formulaic and sophomoric as the films that made them famous. Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not a joyless person who only finds mimes and Garrison Keillor amusing. I like a raunchy jokes & fart jokes as much as the next person,  but The Dan Band is a gimmick that just isn’t that  funny.

Here is the formula for a Dan Band set:

medley of popular songs (preferably about being a woman) + crotch thrusting + insert the F word into said popular songs + have semi-choreographed dances done by nerdily dressed middle-aged back up singers + karaoke vocals + jazz hands around genitals x 12

And, worst of all and beyond the gimmick, you could tell The Dan Band (especially Dan himself) didn’t seem to think it was that funny either.  I’ve never seen a performer so obviously just walk through the paces before. There was no punch or passion to his humor. He was repeating lines, not telling jokes. Dan seemed as bored by his schtick as we were.  It would be hilarious at 1am at a Canadian karaoke bar, which incidentally is how the Dan Band got started, but at the Showbox for an hour and a half? There isn’t enough whiskey in the world.

The evening could have been partially saved by The Ironclads… if we’d been able to hear any of their set. Up till this point we’d really only seen The Ironclads at DIY venues and dive bars, so we were looking forward to seeing them on one of Seattle’s biggest stages with a solid sound system. But it was not to be. The band debuted a bunch of promising sounding new songs as well as playing a few of my favorite songs of 2009, “Alamagordo” and “Bullet Train”, but unfortunately the mix at the Showbox left lead guitarist Thom completely out of the mix while the vocal levels seemed to be constantly changing.

To their credit, with a daunting room nearly half full and with sound issues that had me longing for a DIY sound system, The Ironclads played a set that was a potent elixir to the doldrums of The Dan Band. The Ironclads are no gimmick.  For every canned moment of The Dan Band, the Ironclads offered something raw, earnest and enjoyable–no punch line or crotch thrusting needed.