The Moondoggies - It’s Hard To Love Someone - Luxury Wafers Sessions

Seattle’s own Moondoggies sat down at the Rhoades and recorded a great session with LA’s Luxury Wafers this summer. As usual, the fine  folks from Luxury Wafers captured the Moondoggies sound to a tee–Kevin’s voice is at once rough, earthy, and smooth, like a fine shot of bourbon. It’s an intimate sonic glimpse of one of Seattle’s best bands.

The band’s session includes old favorites like “Changin’” and “Ol’ Blackbird,” as well as some of The Moondoggies newer tunes. Whether you’re like me and you’ve been waiting desperately for a recording of songs like “What Took So Long” (my personal favorite) or you haven’t heard the ‘Doggies latest  tunes– I highly recommend you go and download the session right now.

No, I am not listening to Sad and Lonely Eyes on repeat. Okay, maybe I am. I’m sure my neighbors will be calling the cops about it at some point during the day. I wanted to post a few Hopscotch songs I haven’t posted before, to share with you the strangely wonderful band Seattle is loosing. I look forward to supporting whatever comes next from the guys of Hopscotch Boys, they’re all ridiculously talented fellows and this will not be the last time we hear from any of them.

Hopscotch Boys - Minor Stall: Hopscotch Boys - Minor Stall
Hopscotch Boys - Bed Ridden Old Dog: Hopscotch Boys - Bed Ridden Old Dog

and the song that made me fall for Hopscotch Boys, which might make me a sick individual:

Carrie Anne: Hopscotch Boys - Carrie Anne

 Like an insane person, I attempted to drive in Seattle, while it was snowing. Bad idea. And like a true Seattle-ite, it was because my coffee maker’s broken and I needed my fix. I love Seattle in the snow, my city rarely looks more beautiful. I do not however, love Seattle drivers in the snow. If you live here, you know we can barely drive as it is, add in snow and it’s basically a large scale version of slow motion passive-agressive bumper cars.

What would usually be a ten minute errand turned into an hour long adventure, but KEXP was good company. DJ Jack Walters was playing snow songs, which are distinctly different than rainy day songs it would seem. Lovely and bare folk tunes seemed to be the common string, though he also played some songs specifically mentioning winter and snow. It inspired me to come home and share a few of my favorite snowy day songs, hope you enjoy.

Sufjan Stevens - Sister Winter  Sufjan Stevens - Sister Winter

I was going to post this later this month, as an example as one of the very few Holiday/Christmas songs that I actually like. Unfortunately, my Christmas song loving co-workers informed me, despite the wishing everyone a happy Christmas at the end of the song, this does not qualify as an actual Christmas Song. It does however, in my mind, make a perfect snowy day song.

Bright Eyes - Something Vague Bright Eyes - Something Vague

This song doesn’t sound nearly as good when you listen to it in the summer-time. There’s an achy moodiness to “Something Vague,” as well as some great early imagery in the song which clearly declares this to be a lonely and lovely winter song. It happens to be one of my favorite Bright Eye’s song, which curiously all come off his earlier records.

Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) The Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #1

I know part of my winter association with this album, was the time of year I fell in love with it. But I always imagined the tunnels Win sings of, were being dug in snow.

Leonard Cohen - Famous Blue Raincoat Leonard Cohen - Famous Blue Rain Coat

“It’s 4 in the morning, the end of December.” Even if it’s 80 degrees outside, the combination of this first line and Leonard Cohen’s voice, which sounds like a cold and dark grey day, makes my teeth want to chatter instinctively. A classic winter song.

Hooray! The day is nearly upon us. This Saturday The Blue Moon is going to be jaw-droppingly dazzled by San Francisco’s Bhi Bhiman. Hopefully you guys are just as filled with anticipation for this weekend, as we have been teasing you for over a month now with praise for Bhi, and more importantly weekly mp3s. If that didn’t do the trick…. I don’t know what will. Because, as I’ve said before, it took all of 5 seconds of Bhi’s “Up In Arms (Minsiter of Defense)” to make me a believer. In case you missed a single one of our posts, and because if you only ever download one unknown-artists material off our site it should be Bhi Bhiman, here are all of the mp3s we’ve posted and two new ones for this week.

Bhi Bhiman - Talkin’ NASCAR Blues

Bhi Bhiman - Up In Arms (Minsiter of Defense)

Bhi Bhiman - International Hater (I Hate Kobe)

Bhi Bhiman - Equal in My Tea

Bhi Bhiman - Out in The Streets *

Bhi Bhiman - FDA Blues *

Join us and Bhi at our favorite, The Blue Moon, this Saturday at 9pm. Bhi is opening a wonderful night of music, followed by Purty Mouth and The Moondoggies.

(* = previously unposted songs)

If you haven’t noticed, I am head over heels for the music that’s being made right here in my hometown. You could quite literally go to a concert every night in Seattle and never see a national/touring act. Occassionally there are bittersweet dilema’s in having such a talented crop of local musicians and this coming Saturday night’s calander is a perfect example. This Saturday there are at least 6 great concerts featuring solely local line-ups at 6 different venues. In honor of the enviable conondrum all us Seattle concert-goer’s have this Saturday, each and every track of “My Five” are not only from local bands, but bands that will be playing gigs this Saturday Night. The venue of Saturday night’s show is listed in bold after the album name which is always in italics.

“Skinned Knees”  -  A Gun That Shoots Knives  - from the forthcoming Miracle - The Comet Tavern

I didn’t think I could get much more exicted about A Gun That Shoos Knives debut cd Miracle… and then I heard “Skinned Knees,” the first song on the albums demo. The song features all that I love about AGTSK - clever lyrics, strong backing vocals, a sense of glee, the melding of many different musical genres, and a catchy ass tune. See the boys in all their costumed glory at Seattle’s venerable dive bar, The Comet.

A Gun That Shoots Knives - Skinned Knees - Miracle

“Two Times” - The Blakes - The Blakes - The Sunset Tavern

Recent legend has it that “Two Times” stopped Iggy Pop dead in his tracks as he walked by the Austin City Limits Soundstage where The Blakes were performing for KEXP; leading the sage to inquire “Who the fuck is this? This shit is good!” And I’ve got to agree with Iggy, this song is dumb-foundingly good. The Blakes are the epitome of Seattle DIY rockstars at the moment and their swagger is audible in this fab recording. Catch The Blakes at your favorite kitschy covenerted Chinese restaruant and mine, The Sunset Tavern in Ballard.

The Blakes - Two Times -The Blakes

“Praying Hands Will Make Fists” - The Hands - So Sweet EP - The High Dive

It took me hours and about seven listens of their fabulous EP to decide on only one of The Hands songs to highlight - and I just couldn’t do it. So, I cheated. Available for you here is “Praying Hands Will Makes Fists” the final song off their EP, if you meander over to our myspace page you can listen to the EP’s title track “So Sweet.” When everything is so good, choosing a favorite is an impossible conundrum - but “Praying Hands Will Make Fists” is exemplerary of what I adore about The Hands. See them in action at The High Dive with other great Seattle bands The Whore Moans and The Cops for KEXP’s Audioasis.

The Hands - Praying Hands Will Make Fists -So Sweet EP

“Tornado of Knives”- Ice Age Cobra - Brilliant Ideas From Amazing People - Atlas (all ages)

“Tornado of Knives” sounds like a lost arena rock classic. And I mean that as a high compliment and not a slight, tell me you couldn’t hear this being blasted from a sold-out Wembley Stadium. Ice Age Cobra puts on one of the greatest live rock’n'roll shows I’ve ever been privy to witnessing and are hands down, the finest head bangers alive today. Treat yourself to all the gritty goodness at Atlas on Broadway, for an all ages show.

Ice Age Cobra - Tornado of Knives - Brilliant Ideas From Amazing People

“We Won’t March” - Speaker Speaker - We Won’t March EP - The Vera Project (all ages)

Speaker Speaker teased us for months about a forthcoming EP and this week they delivered with We Won’t March. I’m smitten with the title track  with it’s infectious percision and classic punk sensibilities. Catch Speaker Speaker’s cd release show at the Vera Project, along with another Sound on the Sound favorite, The Trucks.

 Speaker Speaker - We Won’t March - We Won’t March EP