by Campfire OK Seattle's Campfire OK will be at the Crocodile on September 23rd opening for Fences CD Release Show
Shenandoah Davis
Photo by Abbey Simmons ::: Saturday September 4th at 4:30pm Shenandoah Davis plays the Bumbershoot edition of the Round with Goldfinch and Tomo Nakayma
Last week we shared two new Maldives songs with you as part of the inaugural Doe Bay Session and today we’re happy to share another with you courtesy of KEXP at No Depression Fest.
We were treated to a similar acoustic solo rendition of the brand new song after filming The Maldives Doe Bay Session, but Jason asked us not to film it. We are so glad he changed his mind and let KEXP capture it. Around our picnic table at Doe Bay, a small audience sat silently stunned after he finished the delicate tune, before erupting in hoots, hollers and whistles. For a moment, we were dumbfounded by what we’d just heard … was it possible that The Maldives and Jason Dodson’s best songs are yet to come? All signs point to yes and “Muscle for the Wing” is a strong contender for the best thus far.
Take a listen for yourself and then see the band perform this Saturday at 3:00 on the Starbucks Stage (see: Mural Amphitheater) during Bumbershoot.
Just in case you missed the announcement, KEXP has released their annual free summer shows at the Mural line-up, as well as who will be playing their annual summer BBQ. KEXP’s chosen a number of Sound on the Sound favorites to perform including Grand Hallway, The Head and the Heart and BBQ headliners, The Lonely Forest. There’s still a big hole in the schedule, with their entire August 13th Mural show TBA, we’ll update you on that date when we know who will be playing.
The mural shows are a perfect after work, get-your-Friday-started-early stop, so bring a picnic blanket and a few dollars for a PBR tallboy and plan ahead one Friday and see some great local music for free courtesy of KEXP.
MURAL CONCERT SERIES AND KEXP BBQ LINEUP:
Friday 8/6, 5-8pm
Grand Hallway
Elliott Brood
Gabriel Mintz
Friday 8/13, 5-8pm
TBA
Saturday 8/14, The 8th Annual KEXP BBQ! 2-9pm
The Lonely Forest
The Joy Formidable
Dinosaur Feathers
Victor Shade
More bands TBA
Friday 8/20, 5-8pm
Say Hi
Head Like a Kite
Friday 8/27, 5-8pm
Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band
The Head and the Heart
Pardon me for a moment of shameless self and blog promotion.
This Saturday I’ll be joining Hannah Levin behind the mic as a guest DJ on KEXP’s Audioasis. I know I don’t have to tell most of you local music lovers to tune in to Audioasis, but please keep your dials (or computer) tuned to 90.3 at 8pm. I’ll be talking about and sharing a few of my favorite local songs, including a track off The Head and the Heart’s debut record. Just like me, it will be their KEXP debut!
A huge thanks to Hannah for asking me to join her, I’m beyond excited to be a guest on my favorite show, on my favorite station. Hope you all tune in!
World’s Greatest Ghosts ::: photo by Abbey Simmons
If it’s the first Saturday of the month and you have nothing to do, you should always head on over to The Sunset Tavern for KEXP’s Audioasis. Not only does the event benefit a local charity, you’re also always bound to see a great band take the stage for that good cause. In fact, you should have been there Saturday April 3rd, and by the looks of the big bustling crowd, you very well might have been. Gone was the traditional five feet of politeness that often separates the crowd and bands when they play Seattle. Saturday’s crowd at the Sunset sought to be pressed against the stage, where they could better sing and bob along to their favorite songs.
Hometown opener Ravenna Woods showed why they are one of the most buzzed about local bands of 2010. The trio makes a head-on impact with songs that reverberate through your mind, not only because they are catchy, but because they pack a lyrical punch. Ravenna Woods crafts political poetry about wealth distribution, poverty and environmental destruction, in a way that sounds wise rather than preachy or pretentious. (Which is saying something indeed.) While the melodies and percussion sound simple, the subjects discussed within are anything but. With support from KEXP and a crowd who had clearly arrived early for the band, it is clear that Ravenna Woods’ isn’t just our little secret anymore and we couldn’t be happier about it.
Where Ravenna Woods’ meditations were political, World’s Greatest Ghosts‘ were playful. Hailing from Portland, the band charmed Seattle into dance with upbeat synth-driven pop-rock song about Dungeons and Dragons and autobiographical tunes about the trials of five people with intertwined relationships (beyond being in a band) living under the same roof. World’s Greatest Ghosts play perfectly pleasant Portland party music and there’s no denying that one of the first words that comes to mind is “adorable.” However, this isn’t simple synth pop. Where World’s Greatest Ghosts’ lyrics may be simple, the arrangement that accompanies them are dizzying. (They’re the opposite of Ravenna Woods in this manner.) On their last night of a month long tour, World’s Greatest Ghosts played with the fervor of band who could almost feel their bed and who had nothing left to save for. They gave it their all on stage and were having a great time, and they inspired the same in the jovial crowd.
So when the first Saturday of May rolls around, you know where you should be right? KEXP’s Audioasis.
World’s Greatest Ghosts ::: photo by Abbey Simmons
World’s Greatest Ghosts ::: photo by Abbey Simmons
World’s Greatest Ghosts ::: photo by Abbey Simmons
See More Photos of Ravenna Woods & World’s Greatest Ghosts on Our Flickr
Last Saturday KEXP hosted an eclectic line-up of local bands at the Sunset for their monthly Audioasis benefit. In a completely guitar-less night, three great genre crossing artists took the stage: the confessional piano pop of People Eating People, the dangerous rock swagger of Blood Red Dancers, and the conscious hip hop of D. Black. As bizarre as the bill might have seemed to some, I was delighted. Such genre-crossing bills expose audience members to artists they might not otherwise hear of and only serve to highlight the diverse riches of the local music scene. These are a few of my favorite photos from the evening.
2009 saw a huge increase in sites collaborating with bands to do all kinds of video and audio sessions. I suspect we’ll be delving into that shortly as well. These were the ones that in my mind floated above the rest this year.
The Thermals ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth, originally for Stereogum
The Thermals have been good to Seattle this year, and we’ve been good back, and it’s not even over yet. Straight from working in the studio with Chris Walla (who’s name seems to be coming up everywhere lately), the tireless threesome is making a weekend of it up here, first headlining KEXP’s Yule Benefit at Neumos on Saturday, and then on Sunday staying out late with the all-agers at the Vera Project. Both bills feature some of Portland’s other best growing talent in the Builders and the Butchers, Dirty Mittens, and Explode into Colors.
Neumos and 90.3 KEXP present:
KEXP YULE BENEFIT (All Proceeds go to KEXP Programming) Saturday December 12th at Neumos
The Thermals
The Cave Singers
The Builders and the Butchers
Grand Hallway
21+, 8PM Doors, $20 adv at Tickets West
Sunday December 13 at the Vera Project
The Thermals
Explode Into Colors
Dirty Mittens
All-Ages, 7:30 PM, $16 adv. at TICKETWEB ($15 w. club card)
You bet these shows will sell out so, in the immortal words of the Sugarhill Gang (and more recently Sir Mix-Alot): Jump on it!
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. *
Great news from KEXP today. This Halloween the station will debut its brand new Metal show “Seek and Destroy” hosted by none other than Hannah Levin. The show will debut at midnight on the blackest of Eves, because that’s about as metal as you can get.
The show is a welcome addition to KEXP’s programming and the local metal and larger music scene. Plus in my mind KEXP couldn’t have chosen a better suited host than Hannah Levin, who not only is a metal conniseur, but a tireless supporter of local heavy acts. I can’t wait to hear what Hannah spins first. Congrats and an enthuthiastic throwing of horns to KEXP, Hannah, and local metal fans.
Phosphorescent, who released one of my favorite albums of the year already To Willie, was dicking about in Sea-town a few months back, and cruised old KEXP to lay down a pretty amazing session of his haunting, oft-times country-tinged tracks. Well, those good folk, KEXP, deigned it fit to drop these videos on us, the lucky folk of the Phos-lovin’ world, and we good folk, Sound on the Sound, decided in turn to share with you also good folk.
When it comes to Willie Nelson and Phosphorescent, there is always a lot of kind folk.
The files posted on this blog are for sampling purposes only. We post a track, and if you like it, go out and buy an album or a concert ticket. That's how it works. If you represent the copyright holder on this material and believe a file has been posted in violation of your copyright and you would like a file removed notify us here.
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