Well, that’s it. I am telling my hunting party to circle the wagons. I’m closing up shop for the rest of May. I will ignore what I hope to be a long, beautiful Seattle summer. When fall ends and November ushers in another half year of grey, will it matter? Future emails that are music related will go directly into my virtual trash can. All other musicians are now branded as solicitors. I won’t stand for it.

What release (local or otherwise) could possibly be better than this one in the year 2011? None. I mean, I hope every album ever released is this good or better, but what are the chances that will happen? I let out a brief cackle, my eyes scroll backwards in their sockets from ecstasy while Mercy Ties’ “Harla” plays in the background. No chance.

Grenades have done an honorable thing and streamed their side of the 12″ on their bandcamp page. You can watch them perform some of these songs on their website. My two favorite tracks are “Chrononaut” (think some of the more straight forward punk tracks on Converge’s Jane Doe) and “Handbook for the Recently Diseased” (a tasty, more straight-forward Breather Resist-like treat). If my memory serves me correctly, there are videos for both of those awesome songs on their website. Thank you Grenades.

Mercy Ties are going to become a new obsession of mine, I guarantee it. Where legendary bands Jerome’s Dream and Neil Perry limited themselves in their clear-cut approach, Mercy Ties don’t let their influences or unconventional songwriting style handicap them. I mean that as a compliment of the highest order. You have no idea what’s going to happen next in their songs. This makes for some very exciting musical theater. From “Caves” to “Harla,” every song feels different from the last, yet the music maintains continuity and the tracks flow together nicely. Compositions that are seen as outliers are not welcome here.

The show is at 9pm tomorrow (Friday) night at the Black Lodge. Tickets are $3! You’re not imagining that, that’s less than $1 per band. This will leave you with enough pocket change to buy the split 12″ courtesy of Echolalic Records. Buy it even if you don’t own a record player or your needle is broken (guilty as charged). Lozen and Sandrider are not to be ignored so get there early.