When Mountain Man first started sweeping their merry way across the blogosphere, I’ll be the first to admit that though I didn’t hate the sound, I wasn’t blown away, wasn’t shocked or surprised, was even prone to described the trio of ladies as the ‘female Fleet Foxes.’  I dutifully listened to their self-titled EP and enjoyed, but again, didn’t feel the urge to continue propelling their vessel forward.

Now, late to the game as per usual, I’m blown away by their newish LP Made The Harbor.  It’s a simple, haunting album, sparsely instrumented, and deeply focused on the crystalline melodies of the three singers.  Aside from the obvious though there’s invocation of the past far beyond the twangy folk rock so many bands of their ilk pay homage to.  This is music dredged from America’s deep past, Appalachian in sound, but scoured from the dusty back corners of the true beginnings of folk.

I’m entranced.  Consider this a clear nomination for Album of the Year so far.

Mountain Man - Animal

Robin and Aja Pecknold ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

Here’s to hoping you are able to spend your holidays with family and friends this year. …even if none of our impromptu sing alongs or carols sound quite as lovely as when the Pecknold famliy gathers around the Christmas tree.  

This Wednesday, the city of Seattle, in the form of the Seattle City of Music initiative led by the Office of Film + Music will be taking an evening to honor some of our town’s most notable musical forces. “Who deserves recognition?” you’re probably asking…

Honors will be presented in three categories:

* Quincy Jones will receive the SEATTLE CITY OF MUSIC Outstanding Achievement Award. This is the premier award of the event. Mr. Jones is being honored for a lifetime of accomplishments that have helped put Seattle on the map as SEATTLE CITY OF MUSIC.
* Fleet Foxes will receive the SEATTLE CITY OF MUSIC Breakthrough Award, which honors an artist for overwhelming success in the past year.
* KEXP will receive the SEATTLE CITY OF MUSIC Impact Award for service related to music that has made the community a better place.

Since this is a musical event happening at the Showbox at the Market, of course a few bands will be entertaining.  Not the bands that have won the awards (sorry folks, no free Fleet Foxes show here) but rather bands chosen by the honorees. And those honorees have very good taste in tunes, because they’ve chosen a couple of Seattle’s best in the form of Pearly Gate Music and the Maldives. A special big band will be paying tribute to the expansive career of Quincy Jones, who will be delivering video thank you to the crowd.

The event is free, but you must RSVP beforehand. Full details on the evening and how you can RSVP can be had by clicking the invite/image above.

 * This event also still needs volunteers to help work the main door, will call, and to help run the floor. They are looking for volunteers who are available from 6:00 to 11:00pm on Wednesday. If you’re interested, send an email filmandmusicoffice@seattle.gov with a brief bio. *

A big thanks goes to youtube user TwinSparrows for posting this.

Robin Pecknold and his sister Aja ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

While Robin Pecknold himself may have stuck to water last night at Neumos, it was clear by the end of the night he was one of a bare few. He contributed in his own way though, offering a wry humor and a one of kind night of music made up of some of his favorite traditionals, notable covers and songs from his own band Fleet Foxes. He was even joined on a few of the songs by some of his bandmates.

MP3: Robin Pecknold - “Two Headed Boy (Neutral Milk Hotel Cover)” recorded 7/11/2009 at Neumos in Seattle ( look for the full show download link below)

Grand Hallway opened the night and with a short half-an-hour of fully realized orchestral indie rock, that this time around felt not only practiced but natural, as if in the intervening months since I’ve last seen them, lead singer Tomo Nakayama now truly has as much control of his voice as his ability on guitar or keys displays.

Capitol Hill residents Throw Me the Statue are a band that has grown from a motley crew rambling around doing synthy jangle pop and riding a wave of critical acclaim into a tight cohesive force that is now truly deserving of that acclaim. With plenty of backup these days, lead mind Scott Reitherman seems to be sticking to the guitar for the duration performance, and if anything it gives the band a more consistent sound. If the unevenness of however Reitherman and whomever he had with him decided to play a song on a given day was part of the charm before, Throw Me the Statue is now a full-on band, and the new songs portray that identity clearly. Much of set list were songs from a new album, titled Creaturesque, and out in August on Secretly Canadian.

After the obligatory pass the hat speech, as this was a benefit Seattle’s all-ages haven the Vera Project, Robin Pecknold got down to business. Informing us he was just going to play a jukebox of songs he liked, and maybe a few requests, he began with songs he’s done as his myspace alter ego White Antelope. Then with no warning he dropped a Neutral Milk Hotel cover on us. “Two Headed Boy” no less. He forgot a few words near the end, but I’m sure I wasn’t the only one picking my jaw up from the floor still absorbing a moment that we wanted to never end.

Inviting fellow Fleet Foxes Josh Tillman and Skyler Skeljet to offer a little backup throughout (with Tillman also on comic relief), Pecknold took to the piano for a few songs, and at one point even threatened a Robert Goulet Version of a Fleet Foxes song. Unexpected laughter and humor seemed to be a reoccuring theme throughout the night, thanks to an enthusiastic and progressively intoxicated audience. “Blue Spotted Tail” was the only new song among the bunch, however a few covers did make appearances, foremost the Magnetic Fields’ “The Book Of Love” and an encore of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” with Pecknold sister Aja joining on backup vocals.

For those who missed it, the complete setlist and a full show download link are below the fold. It is highly recommended.

Robin Pecknold ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Robin Pecknold’s Cohorts ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Throw Me the Statue ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Grand Hallway ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Read the rest of this entry »

Robin Pecknold of the Fleet Foxes ::: Photo by Josh

Saturday July 11, Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes will be taking the Neumos stage as the headliner for this years multi-day A Drink For the Kids fundraiser in support of the VERA Project. The multi-bar event features drink specials for us over-21-ers, and on the final night at Neumos this concert will cap the week, with all the proceeds going to Seattle’s place for all-ages.

A Drink For The Kids, the Vera Project’s annual 21+ benefit, includes six bar nights featuring beer and liquor specials benefiting the Vera Project and a grand finale benefit show. Visit any of the bars below and purchase a Stone Brewing Company beer and ask about liquor specials to support Vera:

July 5th at Cha Cha
July 6th at Hazelwood
July 7th at West 5
July 8th at Twilight Exit
July 9th at Linda’s
July 10th at Solo & Funhouse
July 11th at Neumos

Tickets go on sale this Saturday at 10am at TicketsWest. Unless of course you know the password. Then they are available for you right now. Snap ‘em up because as we know, out of all antelopes, the White Antelope is about as rare as they come.

And if you doubt you should be there… watch a song from one of our favorite sessions of 2008:

Monotonix ::: Photo by Abbey

Inevitably festivals like Sasquatch always result in some major scheduling dilemmas, where two of the bands you want to see the most are playing at exactly the same time. This year’s Sasquatch is no different, diametrically opposing not just a few great bands, but genres.

The dilemma of Sasquatch 2009 is this: singer-song writers or screamers? You’ll have to have the great debate on both Saturday and Monday. On Saturday night it’s Bon Iver at the Wookie Stage versus the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on the Main Stage. Monday it’s Fleet Foxes on the Main stage versus Monotonix at the Wookie Stage. All four bands can certainly make compelling arguments as why they are the unmissable act at that time slot and really, with these bands, whoever you see, you’re going to see a great set.

I’m having the great debate myself over these dueling acts. It’s an especially heated debate for me, because if you had to boil down my favorite types of music it would pretty much come down to singer song-writers and screamers/rockers.

For our first bout, the big Saturday night fight, we have the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on the Main Stage and Bon Iver on the Wookie Stage. I’m sad to say that I haven’t caught either band live yet and they are both at the top of my list of acts I’m dying to see live. So, no easy opt out for me. The positives for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Karen O. I have never heard a single bad thing about the manic front woman of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and as someone who likes antics, I am promised that Karen O. will blow my mind. Plus, I really like the spectrum of the band’s catalog, though I’m not as thrilled with their new disco-y direction. But basically, as long as they play a few older tunes as well, I’m pretty sure I’d enjoy the entirety of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs set.  

Not in the Yeah Yeah Yeahs favor:  they’re not Bon Iver. I like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but I love Bon Iver. I suspect that I (and the rest of you) will be listening to Forever Emma Ago long after any of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ records. Forever Emma Ago was quite possibly my favorite albums of 2008 and it is filled with some of the most beautiful songs of recent memory. The chance of seeing these stunning songs performed at a place as beautiful as The Gorge, really seems like an unmissable music moment.

So the Saturday Night Fight Winner is: Bon Iver
Singer/Song-Writers: 1
Screamers: 0

MP3: “Blood Bank” by Bon Iver courtesy of Jagjaguwar Records

Stream: Zero by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’s

Fleet Foxes ::: Photo by Josh

For the Monday early evening battle we have Seattle’s own Fleet Foxes on the Main Stage versus Monotonix on the Wookie stage. I have seen both bands before and have been impressed by their live performances. So, once again, no easy way out. Definitely playing in the Fleet Foxes favor is the fact they’re one of the biggest buzz bands in the world right now.  More importantly to me, they’re a local band. A local band who is bringing attention back to the Seattle music scene and proving we’re not just a grunge rock town.

I can say from experience that The Fleet Foxes, despite their intimate sound, translate really well to a place like The Gorge. I was captivated by their Main Stage show at Sasquatch last year, where their soaring Northwest hymnal harmonies seemed perfectly matched to the beautiful natural surroundings. Fleet Foxes have basically been touring non-stop since last years’ Sasquatch and in the process have become an even tighter band, with harmonies that have become even sweeter. As we’ve previously discussed the band is also playing some new songs which I am itching to hear live for myself.

However, you won’t find me at the Main Stage on Monday at 4:55pm. I’ll be over at The Wookie stage waiting eagerly to see what insanity Monotonix is able to drum up at a festival like Sasquatch, at a venue as epic as The Gorge.  I believe it’s your duty to see Monotonix any time you can before they are banned from playing every venue in your town, ala Jesus Lizard and Seattle. (Until CHBP 2009, of course.) For the same reason that venues don’t invite Monotonix back (see: fire, garbage dumping, leading crowds out of venues, drum crowd surfing, climbing and jumping off tall structures) they’re pretty much a one-time-only band for most festivals. We all know there isn’t a chance in hell that Bumbershoot is asking Monotonix back after last year, when they shut the band down after less than 15 minutes.

And it’s those things, the things that make the venues and promoters nervous, that make Monotonix a must see. I’m not saying this band is only about antics, they have some dirty punk grooves that get punks dancing and dancers moshing. But the band’s antics are so damn good, so over-the-top, so in your face, and such an experience, that there’s no way I’d even seriously entertain the thought of seeing one of the biggest bands making music today, on one of the most beautiful stages in the world, if it meant missing Monotonix’s set.

So the Monday Matinee Fight Winner is: Monotonix
Singer/Song-Writers: 1
Screamers: 1

MP3: “Mykonos” by Fleet Foxes courtesy of Sub Pop Records

MP3: “Ride” by Monotonix courtesy of the SXSW 2009 grab bag

Final Score: We’re all tied up at 1-1.

I’ll be enjoying the songs of Bon Iver rather than the shrieks of Karen O. on Saturday, while I’m opting for the chaos of Monotonix over the lush harmonies of the Fleet Foxes on Monday.

The Dutchess and the Duke ::: Photo by Abbey

I’ve got a strange obsession with hair and rock n’ roll or maybe just more generally hair and popular music. I’m currently testing the theory that by growing longer hair I may in fact also be increasing my aptitude for rocking. Looking through history one finds the association of long hair and rocking hard is strong, though I’ve yet to come to a firm conclusion based on my own short experience.

Up here in the Northwest it seems we may have also taken that theory a whole ‘nother step by deciding to now bundle our mana in our beards, or at the very least our facial hair. (It’s just that much closer to our hearts I guess.) Among the latest crop of musicians who are easily identifiable with the new popular Seattle sound are beard supporters aplenty. Band of Horses and Grand Archives practically started this whole beard rock thing. Common Market. The Maldives. The Moondoggies. Fleet Foxes. The Dutchess and the Duke. The Cave Singers. Aqueduct. Throw Me the Statue. David Bazan. The list goes on. And the baby-facers? We’ll the ladies I suppose, but even the Sera Cahoone band has it’s own beardo and fair share of legit mustaches.

To drive my point home I thought I’d evaluate a few short match-ups of artists appearing at Sasquatch in this column to determine: Is Seattle the beardiest of them all? In my quest to weigh each band equally I’ll be asking myself primarily this question: which band most embodies the spirit of beardedness? Diversity, quantity (how many members), size and overall aesthetic are all factors that go into determining a winner.

To set the stage a little bit more, let’s delve a little deeper into just how serious we take our beards up here in the northwest. Before Sasquatch was to even happen, two local party loving hip hop groups Mad Rad and Champagne Champagne, who each sport a notably bearded member agreed to a one on one basketball challenge where the loser would have to lose the beard before their Sasquatch appearance. I checked in with Mad Rad’s Terry Radjaw today to learn the results, and they’ve decided to make more of an event out of it, moving the showdown to later in the summer, to happen at the Funhouse on July 24. To get warmed up, let’s start with their virtual beard-off…

Real Life Local Beard Off
Champagne Champagne (SEA) | myspace |
Noon Saturday May 23 at the Yeti Stage
vs.
Mad Rad (SEA) | myspace |
Noon Sunday May 24 at the Yeti Stage

Winner: Champagne Champagne.
While we won’t venture a guess as to the eventual winner of the basketball challenge, we’ve got to say as far as beardedness goes, Thomas of Champagne Champagne is the clear winner. Thickness, face coverage and the fact that his beard’s style is unified with his hair style make him a model member of the beard brigade. Terry Radjaw gets props for overall commitment, but let’s be real here: a beard without a properly developed upper lip is hardly a beard at all.

For the other festival match-ups I’ve tried to match similarly constructed bands into various logical categories:

Main Stage Veterans
Murder City Devils (SEA) | myspace |
5:20pm on Sunday May 24 at the Main Stage
vs.
TV On the Radio (NY) | myspace |
6:35pm on Sunday May 24 at the Main Stage

Winner: Murder City Devils.
These two heavyweights play the mainstage one right after another, so you’ll easily be able to judge for yourself who the winner is of this one. We will always give props where they are due: Kipp Malone’s beard is impressive. Very impressive. But the Murder City Devils aren’t exactly slouches either. You’ve got a Spencer Moody’s “backwoods crazy” beard counterpointed by bassist (and Cave Singer) Derek Fudesco’s typical well groomed Seattle style. It’s a one-two high-low punch combo that’s stood the test of time. What really put this band over the top though is their roadie Gabe. Have you seen his beard lately? He could practically win this competition single-handed. (Or maybe single-bearded?)

–

Fleet Foxes ::: Photo by Josh

Expansive Melodies and Harmonies
Fleet Foxes (SEA) | myspace |
4:45pm Monday May 25 at the Main Stage
vs.
Other Lives (TN) | myspace |
12:35pm Monday May 25 at the Wookie Stage

Winner: Fleet Foxes.
Other Lives singer Jesse Tabish leads an impressive enough band that they’ve been asked to open for the Decemberists for a few Oregon stops in the coming days, and his beard is no minor effort let me tell you. Yet Seattle’s Fleet Foxes sport two of Seattle’s most notable and bushy beards in Robin Pecknold and drummer Josh Tillman, while the whole band at times supports a total of four beards on stage at once. Even if Fleet Foxes wasn’t the biggest band in the world right now, in this competition what band could compete with that?

–

Northwest Head To Head
The Dutchess and the Duke (SEA) | myspace |
4:20pm Monday May 25 at the Yeti Stage
vs.
Horse Feathers (PDX) | myspace |
2:10pm Monday May 25 at the Yeti Stage

Winner: The Dutchess and the Duke.
I thought this match-up was a very good one and a hard one to tease out a winner. Neither band uses a drum, both are pretty acoustic, and both have a primary female member. Both also have front-men with beards. We had to include another beard from the Northwest to properly be able to judge if Seattle was really the place, or if it was just Northwest thing in general. You might call Horse Feathers’ Justin Ringle the model Portlandian Beardo: sensitive, acoustic, and thoughtful. D&D are those things too. What puts the The Dutchess and the Duke on top in this is the overall sense of unreserved fun. A happy beard always wins over a frowny beard in my book.

–

Conclusion
After laying it out like this, it seems pretty clear that Seattle is the beardedest of them all. Though I suppose luckily for our locals God wasn’t a player in any of these head-to-heads. If Matisyahu had been attending Sasquatch, things might look much different…

In addition to taking some time to work on new songs out in Pt. Townsend, Seattle’s Fleet Foxes have been on tour to Europe and back already this year, and last week surrounded a Coachella appearance with short west coast jaunt. In preparation for Sasquatch I thought I’d see if any new songs or covers had made appearances in the preceding months while I haven’t been paying attention. Praise youtube, I came up golden! Er, should I say silver?

First off, above is a recording from their recent Portland show of song they’ve been working on for some time called “Silver City.” Below is another unnamed song from that same show where Pecknold plays solo (on 12-string I think) and a preface with the song warning that he is still working on it.

A few other things of note include:

Cover-wise, up first (above) is a recording of a Bob Dylan cover that Robin Pecknold did for BBC for session in February. “It Ain’t Me Babe” is a cover that had originally been posted to Pecknold’s solo myspace page where he was known as White Antelope, and in the wake of that page going public, he must have decided to do it for this session.

Up next is another cover that Pecknold was also doing solo on the European tour, a song titled “My Only Son” originally by Duncan Browne.

Also I came across a b-side to the “White Winter Hymnal” single titled “Isles,” a track that was released in July of last year by European label Bella Union that I somehow missed until now.

Lot’s of good stuff to chew on here…

Fleet Foxes play the main stage at Sasquatch on Monday May 25 at 4:55pm.

Nardwuar vs. Fleet Foxes

In this recently posted interview with the infamous Nardwuar, the Fleet Foxes delve into their pasts in ways they weren’t expecting while playing along and having a little fun at their own expense. It’s too funny not to watch.

HT: LineOut