Neko Case ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

Oh, the cruel games we play.

Do you enjoy mind-stimulating activities such as Soduku, New York Times Crossword Puzzles and/or Apples to Apples? If so, then you deserve a pat on the back and possibly an invitation to tutor me in a few of those areas. Especially in regard to crossword puzzles, I’m so terrible I don’t ever see myself leaving the “word find” circuit.  Luckily for people like me, there is alternative mind-stimulating game that accurately judges the content of someone’s character in three simple words. Marry. Fuck. Kill. If you want to call into question a friend’s lack of taste in other human beings, flawed thought process or how well they react under pressure, you play this game.

If you’re not familiar, let me clue you in.  You are given three options and you select “marry, fuck, kill” depending on what fictional scenario you may or may not want to happen in reality. However, I’m going to change some of the terminology. America is founded on Puritan belief (and the decimation of native populations) and I feel like we all need to get back to our Puritan roots. In keeping with the Puritan tradition, I’m changing “fuck” to “copulate with genuine feelings of desire” and I’m changing “kill” to “feverishly ignore.” Puritans had no problems with the idea of marriage, so I’m going to leave that be. I know I should have created more of an accurate “Marry.Fuck.Kill.” scenario using spreadsheets with color coded cells to signify scheduling conflicts, but those plans didn’t fit in my budget. Below the musical acts are broken down into the following categories. Some acts will just be listed while others will have brief descriptions. Enjoy.

Bands you want to “Marry” - These are bands you’ve already loved (or should have loved) for a long time,  now you’re ready to make that everlasting commitment.  You have long ignored all the flaws and blemishes related to these acts due to your blinding love for them.  They might have disappointed you with a few bad songs, a bad album or a lackluster live performance, but you stand by them because you’re suffering from the most fortunate chemical imbalance there is, love.

Bands you want to “Copulate with Genuine Feelings of Desire” – These are the bands that you’re just killing time with. Maybe you’re waiting for a more desirable band to start their set or maybe you’ve had one too many PBR’s and suddenly that bassist with the nose ring is looking hot! Easy tiger, keep your cool. You don’t want to wake up in the morning with schwag from a band that you’re not sure you like.  I’m not saying these bands aren’t worth your undivided attention, I’m just not sure you’ll have a long-term relationship with them.  Make no mistake if you find love here, I’ll be happy for you.

Bands you want to “Feverishly Ignore” – I’m not saying these bands suck, but now might be the perfect time to pretend to be having a meaningful text message conversation far away from the stage.

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Bumbershoot ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

We’ve just returned from the first big Northwest summer music festival to arrive home to the line-up of Bumbershoot, the fest that marks the end of summer and the festival season. It’s Bumbershoot’s 40th Anniversary and they’re pulling out all the stops, booking big name headliners like Bob Dylan, Mary J. Blige, Neko Case and the return of Hole.

As exciting as Bob Dylan is, his shows are hit and miss. (I saw him about 10 years ago and couldn’t decipher “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue” until the third chorus) But the best thing about Bumbershoot is you could avoid the Mainstage all weekend and still see tons of great bands. I know, because that’s what I’ve done the past few festivals. Off the big stage there’s still plenty of talent to get excited about including: Justin Townes Earle, Dave Bazan, The Thermals, Japandroids, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Atlas Sound and many more.

As usual, the festival has done a great job booking local bands as well. You can see a few Sound on the Sound favorites at the fest including: The Moondoggies, The Maldives, Hey Marseilles, People Eating People,  Zoe Muth and Her Lost High Rollers and Fresh Espresso.

Here’s the full line-up so far:

Headlining: Bob Dylan / Mary J. Blige / Weezer / Hole / Rise Against / Neko Case / The Decemberists / J. Cole

Also Playing (we’ve bolded the bands we’re most excited for):

LMFAO / Billy Bragg / Ozomatli / Angelique Kidjo / Solomon Burke / The Dandy Warhols / Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros / Jenny and Johnny (featuring Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice) / Jamie Lidell / The Raveonettes / Balkan Beat Box / Motion City Soundtrack / The Thermals / Ra Ra Riot / The English Beat / Justin Townes Earle / Booker T. / Surfer Blood / The Bouncing Souls / Japandroids / Bob Schneider / Anvil / Bomba Estereo / Jay Electronica / Aterciopelados / Baroness / James Cotton “Superharp” Blues Band / David Bazan / Meat Puppets / Crash Kings / This Providence / Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express / The Moondoggies / The Whigs / Greg Laswell / Civil Twilight / Trampled By Turtles / The Clientele / Atlas Sound / Laura Veirs & The Hall of Flames / The Budos Band / Bobby Bare Jr. / Horse Feathers / Vienna Teng Trio / HEALTH / Plants and Animals / Georgia Anne Muldrow & Declaime / Wheedle’s Groove / Hey Marseilles / Kings Go Forth / Sweet Water / Delorean / JEFF the Brotherhood / Chris Pureka / Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra / Garotas Suecas / The Maldives / The Constellations / Coryell, Auger, Sample Trio / Grynch / Visqueen / Victor Shade / Star Anna & The Laughing Dogs / Fresh Espresso / Pete Molinari / Sista Monica’s “Singin in the Spirit” / Lay Low / Unnatural Helpers / Idiot Pilot / The Round / Wild Orchid Children / The Cute Lepers / Feral Children / Fences / Caspar Babypants / The Tripwires / Fatal Lucciauno / Loch Lomond / The Physics / THEESatisfaction / School of Rock All Stars / See Me River / Zoe Muth and The Lost High Rollers / People Eating People / Eldridge Gravy & The Court Supreme / Brent Amaker & The Rodeo / Born Anchors / Slender Means / BOAT / McTuff Trio / Parlour Steps / The Redwood Plan / Helladope / Lisa Dank / Greta Matassa Quartet / The Lonely H / Matt Jorgensen Quintet / Becki Sue & Her Big Rockin’ Daddies! / Great Waves / Brian Vogan / Johnny Bregar with more to come, including comedy, performing arts, film, literary and visual arts!

You can check out the line-up by day HERE.

Justin Townes Earle ::: Photo by Abbey Simmons

Being a lifetime Seattlite (at least so far), it’s in my temperament to be naturally set against anything related to Pullman. It’s irrational and rather childish, yet this way of thinking persists on the west side of the mountains, to the point where Pullman might as well be Mordor, the only fount of evil from which all bad things come. I wanted to hate our jaunt to the college nemesis’ lair, but I couldn’t. I had way more fun than I would have ever expected. And truthfully, I saw no evil beyond the expected abuse of the color red.

For eyes unclouded by rivalry, Pullman is just a smallish town nestled among the impressive Palouse hills, a place that despite being a college town, remains off the beaten path when it comes to popular music. This being the case, small town “charm” was in many ways very evident at the First Annual Birds on a Wire Folk Festival, compared to if it was conducted in the impersonal big city. This charm made for the overall highlight of what was truly a volunteer driven festival of still modest proportions. It was that element which made the ins and outs of the experience enjoyable in a way that could never be possible with platoon of over-eager security personnel tasked with quashing people who are judged to be having too much fun.

The first night of the fest we hung around the larger venue, an old high school-cum-community center with stages on opposite ends of the building. A Pullman version of the Phinney Neighborhood Center or a Good Shepperd Center if you will, housing a hodgepodge of wholesome activities and community oriented events. One stage was housed in the Gym, a massive space that one could easily imagine hosted its share of sock hops. With only two stacks of speakers on the floor just in front of a makeshift stage, had surprisingly good sound, and a bit of natural reverb to boot. That a “beer garden” was situated under a retracted basketball hoop with very tasty beer at a reasonable price just to the side of the stage only endeared us more to the gym. Kicking off the evening with Goldfinch, beer in hand, I had to admit to myself this wasn’t such a bad situation at all. Moseying on over to the other stage in the school auditorium proper, we discover Rocky Votolato finishing up his solo set to a huge, appreciative crowd that then proceeded to pack the lobby and the only exit waiting patiently in line at his merch table. [Rocky wins. Cue the "Rocky Theme".] Now that’s a start to a festival.

The Moondoggies were on their last night of a month long tour that took them to SXSW and had accumulated magnificent beards via an ongoing bet. Anyone could shave their beard whenever they wanted, but the consequence was a square punch in the jaw. Not open handed, a punch… and by the looks of their beard, clearly a punch in the face was a strong deterrent to shave. You don’t need to see their faces to appreciate the rock though, and true to form, the Moondoggies brought out the first dancin’ in the aisles moment of the fest. Backstage they related stories aplenty of tour, including a harrowing tale of Deja Vu I would never have believed had it not come from the person who had just lived to tell the tale once again. (View a must watch $5 Cover band documentary on the Moondoggies to get the full tale about the first incident.) This would would be but the first note of mortality we would ponder this festival weekend.

Damien Jurado was to take us late into the night, which kinda seems his M.O. these days: filling hot rooms full of people and then cracking jokes between songs. This night’s repoire, no matter how weird the circumstances may have seemed, was easy-going from the start on Jurado’s part. Conscientious of the size of the room and stage he remarked that he wasn’t a performer, not like Neil Diamond anyways. All I could think was, “If only you could see yourself on stage. Sitting there all lonesome playing your guitar. All riveting and shit. Just hush.” He also remarked that he been a happier person recently, and doing his “new song a week” project was a positive experience so far. Jurado had a bundle of new songs to play as a result, some from Saint Bartlett that’s arrive in May, others of a more recent vintage. One song was just a day old. “Arkansas” from his soon-to-be-released record is just an incredibly good stripped down pop song. That’s right, a pop song. I didn’t forget to tell you he’s been a happier guy as of lately, did I?

Goldfinch ::: Photo by Abbey Simmons

Goldfinch w/ Steve Norman ::: Photo by Abbey Simmons

The Moondoggies ::: Photo by Abbey Simmons

Damien Jurado ::: Photo by Abbey Simmons

Damien Jurado ::: Photo by Abbey Simmons

Day two started out with local band Hueco, representing the organizer Stereopathic music, as well as the larger Inland Empire music scene. To my mind, more bands need to remember the blues as a foundation to other things, and the five members of Hueco would probably be happy to teach them a lick or two; they’d probably be trading solos to pass the time anyway. Saturday finally brought us to the the third venue, under the eaves of a re-purposed church called the Belltower while taking in Portland trio Mimicking Birds. Gaining recent notoriety for the support of fellow Portlander Isaac Brock, the only real support these three gentlemen need right now to make their splash is a looper pedal. Frontman Nate Lacy has a soft voice and a soft disposition, and when singing recalls the timbre and inner sophistication of Paul Simon. Our afternoon highlight was an impeccable set of new and old Sera Cahoone songs in the auditorium, followed by a two-hour Saturday dinner break for the entire festival. Wait. Dinner break? I’m telling you: small town charm. I’m not at all opposed to the idea of slowing down the pace of my life.

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This Friday and Saturday, Pullman WA is the place to be if you want to see great local music. Yes, that Pullman. We already introduced you to the reason for all this great music, the  Birds on a Wire Festival, but now we also have the festivals full schedule.

Who else will be making the drive east for Birds on a Wire?

Tonight’s Monday night bill at Tractor is unmissable for local alt-country fans, and maybe country fans too. Justin Townes Earle (yes, son of Steve) is just leaning into the beginning of a nationwide tour in support of his new record Midnight at the Movies, and with emerging Chicagoan Joe Pug in support, tonight should be glorious for fans of classic country. That being said, nothing about these two gentlemen’s music sounds aged.

Though his father’s musical legacy is inescapable, Justin Townes Earle is most certainly making his own name on the strength of his modern cowboy outlook and his uncanny synthesis of modern and traditional country music. I’m not ashamed to admit that I have an unconditional love for Bob Wills and his kin, and Midnight at the Movies has me thinking back to that music, music I haven’t turned on in probably a decade, and yet still immensely appreciate. Along side that are cuts like “Halfway to Jackson” and title cut “Midnight at the Movies”, showing his mastery of both traditional blues and modern country pop at the same time.

MP3: “What I Mean to You” by Justin Townes Earle from Midnight at the Movies courtesy of Bloodshot Records

Almost in contradiction of his representation of the freedom of being unencumbered cowboy, Justin Townes Earle was recently named one of GQ’s most fashionable men of 2010, among names like Jay-Z, Robert Pattinson, David Beckham, and Seattle Mariner Ichiro Suzuki. Even a free-wheeling guy who can’t be caged has gotta look good right?

Joe PUG (@joepug) is also supporting a new record, titled Messengerwhich comes out tomorrow. He’s more of a singer-songwriter with folk leanings, but an accomplished songwriter, and one who doesn’t need to rely on anything but his own ability. His songs aren’t diddies, they’re developed idea’s, and his writing and singing style frequently reminds me of veteran songwriter John Hiatt.

In anticipation of his new record, Joe Pug is offering a free track for download called “The Sharpest Crown” from Messenger and also streaming two other tracks, which you can listen to below.

If you like what you hear, you can also download Joe Pug’s free In the Meantime EP, and then stop by one of the rest of the Justin Townes Earle U.S. tour dates, which you can find below the fold.
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Katelyn & Thomas at CHBP 2009 ::: Photo by Abbey Simmons

[Editor's Note: As a local hip-hop aficionado, Katelyn Hackett has been the one introducing us to much of the best emerging talent in Seattle's hip-hop scene. Recognizing her passion, we've been dropping hints hardcore that she needed to write for Sound on the Sound for about as long as we've known her. Until we bribe her on board, we're happy to present her List for 2009. -josh]

2009 was a fantastic year for local music across the board. Instead of naming which releases I think were the best, I’d rather tell you about some of the (mostly local) new tracks, albums, and performances that I’ve held especially close to my heart this year. I’ve had all of these on repeat at one time or another, and my family and close friends all have links to this music from me scattered through their ‘09 email archives. To them I apologize for repeating myself, and to the rest of you, I’m thrilled to present my list! I hope you find something in here that resonates with you.

Performances

Kevin Murphy of The Moondoggies playing “Empress of the North” in the KEXP Lounge at the Capitol Hill Block Party

I’ve been a Moondoggies fan since Abbey (of Sound on the Sound)  introduced me to “Make It Easy,” which was one of my most-listened-to tracks of 2008. This year’s Moondoggies highlight was an acoustic set from Kevin Murphy in Caffe Vita’s Bean Room stage at the Capitol Hill Block Party. Nursing a gin & tonic, my face red and radiating heat from sunburn, surrounded by some of my very best friends, I sat on a wooden bench and listened to Kevin’s beautiful voice and sad guitar. By the time he’d finished his set, I knew I’d be writing about those minutes as a festival highlight. Thank God KEXP caught “Empress Of The North” on video.

Watch it at Youtube!

John Van Deusen of the Lonely Forest, singing “We Sing In Time” at the Song Show
This year I was proud to support Mark Baumgarten as he presided over SoundNW Magazine and started what I hope will be a long-standing event called the Song Show. During each monthly Song Show, Mark interviews a few artists and asks them to do an acoustic set; all of these interviews and performances are captured on tape, edited, and put online. One of my most beloved performances over the months was from the very talented John Van Deusen of the Lonely Forest. I didn’t get to see the interview live, but his rendition of “We Sing In Time” is stunning.

Watch it at Vimeo!

Kevin Murphy at the Block Party ::: Photo by Abbey Simmons

Tracks

“Go Easy On Me” - Goldfinch, Goldfinch
This contemplative, heart-wrenching, somewhat angsty song from Tacoma rootsy singer-songwriter duo Goldfinch has been on repeat on numerous occasions this fall, especially since I undertook a big out-of-state move and dealt with the emotional turmoil of leaving my home, family, and friends. “Go easy on me, go easy… I can’t undo what I’ve done wrong.” Simple, beautiful harmonies and evocative lyrics crowned by a pleading, sincere chorus have me returning to this track often.

Listen: Via Artist Home Booking.

“Stillness Is The Move” - Dirty Projectors, Bitte Orca

The Dirty Projectors aren’t, of course, local. But I learned about them through Larry Mizell Jr. of The Stranger & KEXP and Andrew Matson of the SeattleTimes, and listened to the album Bitte Orca probably forty times, mostly while commuting between Capitol Hill and Pioneer Square for work at the magazine. “The question is a truth… The stillness is the move.” I might not know where I’m going or why, I might not feel like I’m making much progress at all, but sometimes disorientation and stagnation are exactly what I need to experience in order to grow as a person. This track’s been really important to me on a personal level, and plus it’s just a damn good song, complex rhythms and interesting structure. Love it.

Listen: via Domino Records.

“Mama’s Eyes” - Justin Townes Earle, Midnight At The Movies
I fell for the suit-clad, string-bean roots musician Justin Townes Earle out of Tennessee at the No Depression Festival over in Marymoor Park last spring when he performed “Mama’s Eyes.” This song about his identity and his relationship with his parents is simple, heartfelt, and brought tears to my eyes as I watched him sing. “Sure it hurts, but it should hurt sometimes.” One of the few non-local tracks I had on repeat this year.

Download “Mama’s Eyes” courtesy of Bloodshot Records.

“Jesus Christ Pose” - Pat Staten & Total Experience Gospel Choir, Kearney Barton, Wheedle’s Groove
The second Wheedle’s Groove album, Kearney Barton, features the lovely Seattle soul & gospel legend Patrinell Staten (now the Rev. Pat Wright) with the Total Experience Gospel Choir putting their own holy twist on Soundgarden’s “Jesus Christ Pose.” Daaayum, it’s full of righteous fire! “You looking at me like I’m the one who drove the nails in your hands.” I knew the good reverend had an interesting story, but this track convinced me to stop sleeping and start unearthing Patrinell Staten recordings from the 60s. What I found led me to more research on the rest of the Wheedle’s Groove roster, through which I learned just enough about Seattle’s rich soul, funk, jazz and gospel heritage to permanently whet my curiosity.

Buy: via Light in the Attic Records.

“Curse Your Branches” - David Bazan, Curse Your Branches
“All fallen leaves should curse their branches for not letting them decide when to fall, or not letting them refuse to fall at all.” As do so many others, I closely identify with singer-songwriter Bazan’s documented crisis of faith. This beautiful track of his in particular captures some of the anger, grief, and disorientation I’ve experienced over the course of my own journey away from the religion of my childhood, and for my own sake, I’m grateful that Bazan is willing enough to brave the darkness and talented enough to express it so well in song.

Watch: a live performance of “Curse Your Branches” at Youtube via Undertow.

“My Volvo” - Grynch, Chemistry [EP]

Grynch, the proclaimed rap King of Ballard, hit his stride with this endearing, funny, absurdly catchy track off his Chemistry EP (released for free at www.getgrynch.com this summer). I cranked the volume every time I heard “My Volvo” on KEXP, emailed it to my friends, sang along at several live performances; the song is a crowd-pleaser and a perfect fit for Grynch’s voice and flow. Grynch is still developing as a lyricist, but he hit gold with this track. Production by Ill Pill.

Watch: Grynch’s rendition in “My Volvo” complete with Katelyn shout-out from this year’s KEXP Lounge at the Capitol Hill Block Party via KEXP

Grynch at the Block Party ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Albums

D. Black - Ali’yah
It’s rare that I can listen to an unapologetically religious modern album without breaking out in hives, given an allergy I developed while recovering from my adolescence spent listening to painfully simplistic alt-contemporary Christian music. But D. Black manages to talk about his deepening faith in an admirably uninfuriating, compelling manner without compromising his sometimes controversial message in the least. “Closer To Yah,” “Yesterday,” and “Let It Go” are some of my favorite tracks on the album. A memorable line from Fatal Lucciauno in his verse on “Close To Yah” has been echoing through my mind these days: “Through your son it was told I can do all things // So why can’t I get a job?” Damned good point.

Khingz - From Slaveships To Spaceships
This incredibly emotional, brave but vulnerable album from emcee Khingz sat on my coffee table for weeks after I listened to it once and set it aside. It took me a few more listens to fully grasp what I was hearing, but when I did fall for From Slaveships To Spaceships, I fell hard. “Bladed Poems,” “Electric Tantra,” the hella nerdy “Blaq Han Solo,” and the title track were my favorite tracks; the album as a whole is a ferocious celebration of creativity and freedom against all odds. Khingz’ live performances are serious business, too, so catch him while he’s in town this winter if you can (he recently relocated to British Columbia).

Shabazz Palaces - S_T, Scimitar
I’m still somewhat wordless on the subject of Digable Planets alum Ish Butler’s brilliant new project, Shabazz Palaces. Suffice it to say that I’ve listened to both albums countless times, perhaps leaning a little more heavily on Scimitar, over the past four months or so. This music is untamed and yet considered; grown-up, complex, organic, philosophical, primal. I’m entranced. I hear something new every time, and my admiration only grows stronger with the weeks passing; this is one of the very best local releases of the year, regardless of genre. Yes, I’m gushing. You will be too, once you’ve heard it a few times.

Iron & Wine ::: Photo by Brandrew Dice Clay

[ Editors Note: A local musician offered to write up his trip the No Depression festival on Saturday, and we accepted his offer. For now he and his photographer are using nom de plumes. -josh ]

By Sebastian Rootwell

It was a sunny and sticky Saturday afternoon at Marymoor Park for the brand-spanking debut of the No Depression Festival. Named after a current blog online music community and recently defunct magazine, the festival seems like a genius plan to spark some life into the now fourteen year old enterprise, what with the blossoming alt-country scene in Seattle. The crowd tends to be thirty-something and composed, a plastic cup of micro-brew affixed firmly in hand. We step over babies, blankets, and beers on our way to a spot front and center of the stage, where we would spend a majority of the next seven hours.

I arrive at 2PM with my partner in crime Brandrew Dice Clay. We missed out on Zee Avi’s set but arrive just in time for the No Depression All Star Revue, which is like a fantasy country rock team, put together by coach Don Slack. Mr. Slack is music director at KEXP, host of Swingin’ Doors, and an ubiquitous feature on the local music scene; a man whose tastes are bedded in a exhaustively deep knowledge of anything country and honky-tonk. Each song featured a different vocalist, ranging from the wounded, stark warble of Zoe Muth to the high-octane jug-thumping twang of the Maldives. The star of the set had to be Star Anna, pride of Ellensburg, Washington, and her rendition of “Joy” by Lucinda Williams. Note to whoever took the joy away from Star Anna: please, please give it back. She is quite incensed over the whole matter, and I fear for your life, and in fact, everyone’s life.

Jessica Lea Mayfield from Kent, Ohio was next to take the stage. I had heard her described as a hybrid between the alt-country and hipster scenes, and judging from their look and sound, I wouldn‘t disagree. She starts strong with the single “Kiss Me Again,” a song with lovely and detached ‘ahh ahh ahh ahhs’ in the chorus and outstanding guitar work by Jessica’s brother David, who gets both bass and guitars sounds as well as a formidable, mood-setting wash of reverb and feedback. But overall, her relentless apathy and clichéd lyrics suck the life from the stage. This is especially apparent when she plays a couple of songs alone, exposing some uncomplicated little ditties delivered with no particular charisma. We retreat to the shade.

Coming to the rescue was Nashville’s Justin Townes Earle, who’s got the kind of pedigree you can hardly shake a stick at. A no.2 pencil wrapped in a stone gray suit, a greaser’s hair and sunglasses, JTE’s swagger and style was pervasive from the moment he sauntered to the middle of the stage. Smiles abound as he absolutely rips through the set of honky-tonk tunes, keeping the energy piqued with his finger-picking, sing-along choruses and sly banter. Here is a born performer, an entertainer, a seducer, a story-teller. He is joined on stage by Cory Younts, mouth-harper extraordinaire, and their chemistry is unforced and fun, a beautiful thing to watch. A high point comes near the end of the set, when JTE remarks that his thumbnail is being held on by super glue. He recalls a phone-call with festival staff, where they asked whether he needed anything for the show. “Guitar strings, and, uh….super glue,” he says, grinning. And to us, winking, “That’s a good one, eh?”

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Jesse Sykes ::: Photo by Josh

Just announced today is the details and lineup for the 1st ever No Depression Festival to happen over what will likely be a beautiful July day, if last year’s Sub Pop Festival which happened over the same weekend is any indication. While they have forgone the paper edition, the now online-only and locally based Americana focused publication is certainly trying to keep it’s profile high around Seattle at least, and I’m glad to see they’ve been able to put together such a large event over the summer with some quality performers. The complete lineup looks like this:

Gillian Welch
Iron & Wine
Patterson Hood & the Screwtopians
Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter
Justin Townes Earle
Jessica Lea Mayfield
a Seattle roots-music all-star revue
Zee Avi.

That all-star review you might be asking? Yep. Pretty all-star:

An all-star revue of Seattle roots musicians will play songs oft-associated with the genres that No Depression has covered over the past 14 years. The participants include Star Anna, Sera Cahoone, Ian Moore, Zoe Muth, Mark Pickerel, Kristen Ward, and members of the Maldives and North Twin, backed by a core band featuring Ty Ballie, Jeff Fielder, Erik Eagle and Rebecca Young.

Advance tickets are $45 at Ticketmaster. A pre-sale for the tickets happens this Thursday.