New Faces ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

Bad news on the great up-and-coming local band mortality front folks, angular all-age rockers New Faces  are also no more.  All scheduled future shows are cancelled, so if you happened to see New Faces at the Crocodile this Saturday (November 14th) you saw their final show. (Your 25$ plus tickets were totally worth seeing that alone, not to mention the charity you donated to.)

Here is the band’s statement on their break-up, which they posted late this afternoon:

New Faces Announce Break-Up

*11/16/09*

Due to irreconcilable conflicts, we have decided to break up. We want to thank everyone that supported us - there are too many to thank so we won’t start but hopefully we can thank you individually soon enough. Sorry there wasn’t a second album - If it’s any consolation we’re putting up some outtakes and oldies on myspace - more will be put up tonight and tomorrow. Please look out for future projects from Conor, Kyle, Sky and Nico in the future.

Logistical note - All shows that were upcoming have been cancelled. 

Cheers,
NEW FACES

We look forward to supporting the guys in their new projects, but tonight we’ll be listening to Two Years and feeling sad we don’t get another chance to hear Kyle’s bass-lines that strutted like a man’s first stroll in his most finely tailored mod suit, or the Brit-Pop bravado of Nico’s vocals. Tonight all we can hope is that from the end of New Faces comes a couple great new local bands. Considering how talented these kids are, we have no doubt there will be.

The Black Lips ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

Nothing like writing out your schedule for a festival to get you excited. I’m certainly wishing I could fast forward through the rest of the work week and get right to Friday afternoon and the Capitol Hill Block Party.  There’s so much to look forward to:  from an audience chosen Built to Spill set to Jesus Lizard’s long anticipated return to the city that banned them to seeing a number of my favorite local bands take the big stages they so richly deserve.

Here’s what my Capitol Hill Block Party weekend is looking like. Hope to see you there!

4:30 - The Dutchess and The Duke (Main Stage)
6:30 - The Black Lips (Main Stage)
7:45 -Deerhunter (Main Stage)
equally tempting: Sleepy Eyes of Death (Neumo’s)
9:00 - Starfucker (VERA stage)  - catching 15 minutes before running off to…
9:15 - Built to Spill (Main Stage)
10:30 - They Live (Neumo’s) — TIME CHANGED BACK
10:45 - Jesus Lizard (Main Stage)

The Wild Orchid Children::: photo by Abbey Simmons

Saturday July 25th

2:00 - Wild Orchid Children (Vera Stage)
equally tempting - Hey Marseilles (Main Stage)
2:30 - Pica Beats (Vera Stage)
3:15 - The Moondoggies (Main Stage)
4:45 - The New Faces (Vera Stage)
6:30 - The Maldives (Neumos)
7:15 - The Lonely Forest (Vera Stage)
7:30 - The Thermals (Main Stage)
10:30 - Sonic Youth
equally tempting: Sportin’ Life Showcase featuring Fatal Luciano, D. Black, & Spaceman (Neumo’s)
11: 00  The Japandroids (Vera Stage) - TIME CHANGE

You have to keep your Saturday Night going with one of two highly recommended after-parties:

Curious Mystery at The Comet
Mad Rad, Macklemore at Chop Suey

Lonely Forest Choir ::: Photo by Josh

Most of the time, the shows I attend at the Vera Project are pretty mellow affairs, but from the second I walked in the door I knew this was not going to be one of those nights. As we walked down the stairs to main floor, the Lonely Forest front-man Jon Van Deusen intercepted us with high fives and a warm welcome before bouncing off to attend to other details of the what looked to be an already successful, at least attendance-wise, evening. The Globes already were pounding away on the stage with abandon, off on one of their signature instrumental tangents.

This might be the first time I’ve actually seen the Globes play an actual venue on an actual stage. I’m sure they have before, but previously I’ve only ever caught them in festival-ish or record store settings. It’s a pain not being able to hear everything, since they cultivate layers and instrumental dynamics in the way of Radiohead in addition to sounding simply a thoroughly modern and young rock band. The Globes are well situated to continue to mature as a band on the all-ages scene and beyond.

The New Faces on the other hand might just be the reigning champions of the all-ages scene at the moment, following a jam-packed calendar in banner 2008. In that time both Nico and Kyle have really picked up on the stage presence, moving around and having a whole lot of fun, feeding and feeding-off-of the very excited front rows. What the crowd couldn’t find in the Globes unconventional structures, the New Faces could deliver in spades, and led by a cadre of excited teenage girls(!) the crowd obliged with bouts of dancing and hyperactivity.

The Wild Orchid Children, after an extended sound-check immediately encountered issues with lead singer Kirk’s microphone cable. After instrumentally jamming for 10 minutes while the sound crew figured things out, the band was left with 10 minutes, and then time was up. The set was over as suddenly as it had started and a crowd that had been teased was left I think unsatisfied. I honestly felt sorry for everyone involved.

That the entire crowd still remained present and really was all there for the Lonely Forest wasn’t a surprise at all, and in fact I was pretty happy to see that a band I predicted had a ton of potential has been reaching it. Even way back when Van Deusen was manning the piano full-time I felt like these gents had something special, but now in addition to his natural charisma they’ve got some damn catchy pop songs and the overflowing energy to pull it off. Upon hearing lead single “We Sing in Time” on a homemade EP, packaged in pink cardboard paper and decorated with farting elmo stickers last year, visions of screaming masses freaking out were already entering into this band futures.

That this vision was brought to life on the night of the record’s release party only serves to reinforce that sense that the Lonely Forest experience will be around for a while. The new mini-community of adorers that they create each night when they play through anthemic sing-alongs and invite the audience to be their friend is just as much a part of the lure of this band as the songs themselves, and the promise of a return to that joyous-togetherness feeling will bring people back time and again.

Van Deusen was obviously beyond amped at the turnout for this night, and before the first song had even finished in a fit of wild guitar playing he had upended his electric piano. In the time since I’ve last seen the band they’ve added a second guitarist, and for this special show they recruited thirty friends from the hometown Anacortes High School choir to sing backup on selected songs. Whether dancing or belting out a chorus, it seemed like just about everybody was physically invested in making the set go off well in one way or another.

“We Sing in Time” was saved for last. After the crowd demanded an encore the curfew allowed for just one more song. The band passed cookies out to the crowd, and after downing a sugar shot he didn’t need, Van Deusen launched into the final number. Afterward as we allowed the room to empty, packs of teenage girls flitted from room to room buzzing about how cute everyone was. A lonely cigarette roller along with a nicely hand rolled cigarette lay at the foot of the stage, forgotten as the exhausted patrons filed out (I didn’t smell anyone light up). As they ascended the stairs, a smile and a copy of We Sing the Body Electric appeared to be almost the universal take away from the night. Could the Lonely Forest have asked for a better result? I’d have to say not.

The Lonely Forest ::: Photo by Abbey

VERA Crowd ::: Photo by Abbey

Wild Orchid Children ::: Photo by Abbey

New Faces ::: Photo by Abbey

Flickr: The Lonely Forest CD Release Party at the Vera Project, April 24, 2009

The New Faces ::: Photo by Josh

Once again this year Seattle is sending a bevy of bands to the biggest fest in the west in form of SXSW, as well as having a Seattle themed day party while in Austin. At this year’s party local hip hop is ably represented in the form of Massline veterans Blue Scholars and Common Market along with party starters Champagne Champagne. Seattle themed parties in previous years haven’t been so inclusive (for whatever reason), so I’m glad to see a wider swath of what Seattle has to offer represented. For the complete schedule and RSVP details (which are also in the poster below) visit the Mayor’s Seattle Music Office site. Sadly, as previously noted we won’t be making it to Austin this year… the economy’s got us by the balls too.

For those of us who won’t be making it, this Friday March 6 a group of those bands, Champagne Champagne, Hey Marseilles, and the New Faces with the addition of Battle Hymns all take the stage for the SXSeattle Sendoff Show at the Tractor Tavern in Ballard. All of these bands have the SOTS stamp of approval and represent a cross section of the best popular music that Seattle has to offer in 2009. Get tickets online.

 
Here it is folks, the end all and be all…our Top 25 Northwest Albums of 2008. While numbers 6 through 25 were highly contentious, there was unanimity as to the Top 5 Northwest Albums of 2008 and their order. There’s no doubt in our minds, that no band deserves the accolades more than The Moondoggies. Their album Don’t Be A Stranger is an instant classic in the vein of Music from Big Pink. We expect 2009 to be even bigger than 2008 for The Moondoggies, and we can’t wait to see what comes next from them, as well as the other great bands that made this years list.

1. The Moondoggies - Don’t Be A Stranger |myspace|
2. J. Tillman - Vacilando Territory Blues |myspace|
3. Wild Orchid Children - S/T EP |myspace|
4. The Dutchess and The Duke - She’s The Dutchess, He’s The Duke |myspace|
5. Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground - S/T LP  |myspace|
6. Fleet Foxes - S/T LP |myspace|
7. See Me River - Time Machine |myspace|
8. Whore Moans - Hello From the Radio Wasteland |myspace|
9. Starfucker - S/T LP |myspace|
10. Jake One - White Van Music |myspace|
11. Blind Pilot  - 3 Rounds and a Sound |myspace|
12. Thee Emergency - SOLID |myspace|
12. Sera Cahoone - Only As The Day Is Long |myspace| 
13. Horse Feathers - House with No Home |myspace|
14. The Pica Beats  - Bring Back the Claws |myspace|
15. Throw Me the Statue - Moonbeams |myspace|
16. Das Llamas - Class Wars: K-12 |myspace|
17. The Builders and The Butchers - S/T LP (re-released nationally 7/08) |myspace|
18. Saturday Knights - Mingle |myspace|
19. The New Faces - S/T LP |myspace|
20. Damien Jurado - Caught In Trees |myspace|
21. Bark Hide and Horn - National Road |myspace|
22. Grand Archives - S/T LP |myspace|
23. Hey Marseilles - To Travels & Trunks |myspace|
24. The Hands - S/T LP  |myspace|
25. A Gun That Shoots Knives - Future of Love  |myspace|

So many good shows going on tonight in Seattle. If we could split ourselves in perfect thirds, we totally would. Here’s a photographic journey through your choices.

Wild Orchid Children and New Faces at The Sunset Tavern for KEXP’s Audioasis:

Wild Orchid Children ::: photo by Abbey

Wild Orchid Children ::: photo by Josh

 
New Faces ::: photo by Josh

New Faces ::: photo by Abbey

See Me River at The Comet Tavern:

See Me River ::: photo by Abbey

See Me River ::: photo by Abbey

What What Now at Cafe Racer:

What What Now ::: photo by Josh

Ahhhhhh yeah, it’s weekend time, which for Noah Sanders just means that I won’t have to go to work drunk on Sunday.  There’s a slew of good shows happening about town and I’m going to try to tap in to the deep parts of your grey matter to pick which ones I think you’d best like.  Alright, bald-faced lie, these are the shows I might be attending and if you’d rather do something else, I think you’re wrong, but entirely right in your choice to differ.

FRIDAY

Blitzen Trapper, The Parson Red Heads, & PWRFL PWR @ CHOP SUEY

I’ve been trying to shove Blitzen Trapper down the throats of each and every person I know and, possibly, love for as long as I’ve been spinning Wild Mountain Nation on my ghettoblaster.  These guys are as good as everyone says, talented, alt-country rocking sons of bitches that put on a damn good live show.  You can avoid them again, telling yourself that their just a “flash in the pan” and then afterwards when everyone is talking about how good a show it is, you can impress them by kicking yourself in the nuts.

SATURDAY

The Wild Orchid Children and The New Faces @ The Sunset

The Wild Orchid Children will quite possibly melt your face off.  I saw them when I was extremely intoxicated many months ago (that’s what Olympic’s Open Ceremony drinking games will do to you) and was head-smashingly happy to see how wild these fellows actually are.  Thomas, guitar-guy, fell down repeatedly, while Kurt, singer guy, manhandled the mike like it was stealing his tips.  This, was, awesome.

SUNDAY

Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band @ Neumos

I don’t really get Mt. St. Helens’ Vietnam Band.  I don’t know where they came from, or why they’re so popular all of sudden and this might be contributed to by the fact that I haven’t listened to their music nor seen them live.  Thus, for the betterment of all, I will go to this show (or at least speak of going to this show) so I will no longer be, uh befuddled by the dark cloud of ignorance that hangs over them.

Oh and by the way, I’ve realized that I’m pretty limited in my knowledge of what bands are playing where, so if you want me to check out a show or give you some love, send me a note with your date and where you’re playing at.  I’m friendly … sometimes.

Blitzen Trapper - Furr

Loveless Records has welcomed some New Faces into the fold, literally. The Port Townsend trio who took home the title at this year’s EMP Sound Off! competition have been welcomed into the Loveless family and are currently putting the finishing touches on their first LP, due in late August (26) titled Two Years. You can hear a number of the new songs over at their myspace page.

The rest of the year will be big for these gents with big local appearances at both the Capitol Hill Block Party and Bumbershoot (in the SkyChurch no less!).

Congratulations are in order for a great up-and-coming band!

I know, I know. We freakin’ gush about this band on basically a monthly basis around here. Over the last year, we’ve made friends, caught a numerous performances, and been wowed numerous times. Why do we give them so much love? The answer to that question isn’t to hard to answer once you’ve seen these gents play live. The two guitar attack isn’t about speed or superior technique or advertising their rock cred, it’s about evoking an emotional texture to match and enhance the content of the lyrics and defining a tide (sometimes a riptide) on which lead singer Mark Redding can ride the ebb and flow. And ride it like a seasoned body-surfer he does.

Redding is a rare soul, who genuinely doesn’t know how not to wear his heart on his sleeve and who seems to care unconditionally about each and every person watching him in the crowd. The more excited he gets and the more excited his crowd gets, the more unpredictable his histrionics become. Drummer Sean appears to fall into a trance as he’s drumming, seemingly oblivious to anything but the task at hand. He’s not oblivious though, he so tapped into the moment nothing can break his concentration. Focusing so acutely and drumming so expertly, one has to wonder what this young one will be producing ten years from now, when he’s 27. (Yeah, I know what you’re thinking.) The Shackeltons haven’t played an all-ages show in Seattle in some-time (if ever) so this night at Neumos should be something special.

The Shackeltons are not the only reason to get your butt to Neumos this Thursday. Another band scheduled who enters the all-ages arena rarely and whom we gush about constantly are the Hands. I think their infectious party rock will go over pretty we’ll with the younger crowd. Also on the bill are this year’s Sound Off Competition winners, the aptly named New Faces. Hot off their win at EMP’s under-21 rock and roll competition, I’m very interested to see what these guys have to offer. Opening the night are up-and-comer’s Born Anchors, who I have yet to see but who’s myspace sound’s very promising (kinda like a happier Cursive).

Be There!

The Shackeltons, The Hands, New Faces, Born Anchors
Thursday April 10 at Neumos in Seattle - Doors at 8pm
All-Ages! $8 adv. - Get Tickets Online!