Sasquatch Music Festival ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

While the sunny spring and summer festival season seems worlds away right now in rainy thundering Seattle,  you can inch a little closer to those sunscreen lathered days, as long as you have 185 dollars to spend.

This morning, special limited 3-day discount passes went on sale for the 2010 Sasquatch! music festival. And while we won’t know the official line up until February 16th, we do know based on the previous 9 years of solid line ups and gorgeous festivals, it will be worth attending and the cost of tickets.

The 3-day discount passes will run you 170 dollars (plus ticketmaster fees, rounding up to around $185.00) and are available on the Sasquatch! Website (which will direct you to Ticketmaster).  While it might not seem much like a discount now, I’m certain it will when day pass prices and other 3 day pass prices come out. Not to mention when the rumblings of a truly amazing line up are announced. (Like the fact Pavement is the first confirmed headliner of the festival.)

There is only a limited number of these discount passes and the discount will only be available until December 31st, 2009.

[This is Alex's inagural post. Welcome Alex!] 

Hello there.  You can call me Alex.  Or whatever else seems appropiate. 

Abbey and Josh kindly gave me an introduction here: http://www.soundonthesound.com/?p=374

If you enjoy friends, even the pretend kind, you can find me here: http://www.myspace.com/alexmumbles

If you want to peep in on what I’m listening to at home, you can peep here: http://www.last.fm/user/mumbles3030

I realize there’s already too many websites talking about music on the internet.  The amount of different avenues for gathering information and news is overwhelming, but hopefully that the content found here strikes you as a bit more personal, maybe different, sometimes intriguing, and frequently interesting.

So without further ado, here’s my first weekly breakdown of sounds, thoughts, happenings, events, but primarily brief reviews of a bunch of new music…

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January 23rd was easily the first Tuesday of the new year to be excited about.  Wincing the Night Away finally exposed itself, hitting record stores months after most people had already heard it and expressed their fervant opinion.  Both highly-anticipated and highly-acclaimed releases came from Of Montreal, Deerhoof, and Clinic.  A list of other notables offered new goods: Pinback frontman Rob Crow went solo, Damon Albarn formed yet another supergroup for The Good, the Bad, and the Queen, in addition to Six Parts Seven and Kristen Hersh finding themselves in the new release section!  Jesus.  And that’s just the tip.  Too much music.  And it’s not even February.  Let’s get this rolling:

Album of the week:

Menomena - Friend and Foe (Barsuk)

I still don’t have a clue as to why I never got around to the Portland group’s well-received debut album I Am the Fun Blame Monster (an adorable anagram of “The First Menomena Album”).  But during a week with a healthy amount of fun rock releases, Friend and Foe managed to get my attention quickly and has already garnered multiple listens. 

“Muscle ‘n Flo” is an immediately catchy opening number, with its massive drums, quirky piano, and steady build recalling the winning formula for Wolf Parade — except the vocals here prove a bit more welcoming.  Continuing with the Wolf Parade comparisons, the nervous excitement of “The Pelican” mirrors Spencer Krug’s recent solo expedition as Sunset Rubdown.  The missteps are few and far between over the record’s 48 minutes.  The lyrics are consistently quirky in the good way, demanding repeat visits to even intially grasp (”Weird” has been striking a peculiar chord), while the instrumentation is persistently exciting, throwing in a bizarre rhythm, an army of whistlers, or a funky saxophone melody when least expected.

Time is money, and my money has been going to “My My.”  It’s slow build and irresistible melody is sappy but epic, which temporarily makes me understand the beauty my friends passionately hear in The Long Winters.  Why are these reflective emotions so addicting?!? 

Super bonus: the album cover/artwork/designed was created by Craig Thompson, author of the graphic novel Blankets, and it’s awesome.

Playing February 2nd at the Crocodile Cafe.  With S, Siberian.       

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Other new ones hitting stores this past week:

Mum - Peel Sessions (Fat Cat)

I still regret my lack of initiative to go see Mum tour with Why? a few years back.  I mean, seriously.  Was I that high?  I adore both those groups!  Regardless, I’m stuck with the next best option that one can find in a record store: four tracks recorded for none other than the ultimate tastemaker John Peel.  Three selections come from their debut Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is OK, and while I was initially upset over the absence of both “I’m 9 Today” and “Green Grass of Tunnel” from the brief tracklist, the four tracks found here highlight Mum’s mature lullaby tactics handsomely, with the live setting adding an additional nervous anxiety to their peaceful compositions.  I swear that their timing suffers horribly on “Awake on a Train,” but it’s still lovely to hear something “new” from the group, even if it is in negliably different circumstance.

The Bird and the Bee - The Bird and the Bee (Blue Note)

My parents could dig parts of this.  Easy.  But there’s also some awkwardly progressive moments to be heard on this collaboative debut between multi-instrumentalist/producer Greg Kurstin and vocalist Inara George, who recorded her 2005 solo album with Michael Andrews, he of the memorable scores to Donnie Darko and Me and You and Everyone We Know.  Thank you Michael Andrews. 

Sans Andrews, Kurstin/George create breezy electro-pop that is cheesy, adorable, and sophisticated, and could potentially tickle those recently entranced by El Perro del Mar and/or Lily Allen.  “Because” hides a heavy dubstep beat amidst George’s heavily-layered lounge stylings, delicately straddling the fine line between guilty pleasure, marshmallow fluff, and pure awesomeness.  “Preparedness” sounds like Hot Chip giving the remix treatment to Ms. Allen, and provides a repeat-worthy highlight.

Ghost - In Stormy Nights (Drag City)

The veteran Japanese rock group return for their eighth and possibly final album.  The bulky middle is comprised of lengthy experimental dirges that could cause a fancy for those that indulge late at night, on headphones, and ready for the unknown.  But the real winners here come on the outsides, with both opener “Motherly Bluster” and closer “Grisaille” showcasing a sound that is seductively soft, psychedelic, intimate, and foreign.  Too many adjectives, but easily two of the finest neo-folk songs of the past few months. 

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Biggest surprise of the week: Walter Meego.

I recently wrapped my ears around Walter Mego’s two latest EPs, Hollywood and Romantic, and I’m damn impressed.  They recently did a one-off show at the Chop Suey for KEXP’s New Year’s Eve Party, and even though I haven’t heard much feedback, I bet these guys surprised the crowd by how much fun they wanted to stir up. 

They also want to confuse folks.  Walter Meego, rather than being an individual, is in fact a Chicago-based duo that want to party — and party smart.  Nodding to an insane list of influences that is rivaled by Hot Chip, Walter Meego craft huge electro-pop singles that manage to stimulate both the ears and the ass.  Basically an American Hot Chip to be honest.

Initially “Through a Keyhole”–with its haunting piano intro, syrupy electro grooves, and straight-up addictive funkiness–took the prize for dopest song in their library.  But then here comes “Romantic,” flaunting a beat that sounds like Herbert, Daft Punk, and Ratatat joining forces to throw on the ultimate party cut right at the height of the party. 

Extra bonus: the other two singles (”Hollywood,” “Wanna Be A Star”) are equally solid. 

Super bonus: the remixes are sick.            

Treading the irrestible territory of like-minded acts Hot Chip and Ghostland Observatory, Walter Meego could potentially be filling up Neumo’s by the time the full-length gets released.  And that show could be one damn fun party.

That’s six parties mentioned in relation to one group.  But seriously.  If you’re a fan of upbeat, electronic-tinged pop, find this soon. 

I’m dancing in my chair… 

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A pair of sweet electronic reissues:

Herbert’s undenialby influential 1996 debut 100lbs. and Fennesz’s stunning experimental record Endless Summer from 2001 get the reissue + extra treatment by !k7 and Editions Mego, respectively. 

Herbert’s initial stabs at filtering house rhythms through the progressive lens of micro-samples and stuttering, syncopated beats started a trend that persists throughout contemporary minimal-minded house music.  His extras include a 9-track bonus cd with tracks recorded around the same period. 

Fennesz just straight-up fucked with heads on Endless Summer, crafting abstract, glitch-heavy atmospheres that are both terrifying and inviting.  If you want to give an instrumental record your full attention, Endless Summer could turn some heads unfamiliar with this territory.  Highly recommended for the adventurous.  Bonus includes two previously unreleased tracks.

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A pair of sweet rock reissues:

Josef K: Entomolgy (Domino):
Scottish post-punk innovators Josef K–led by singer Paul Haig–only existed from 1979 to 1982, scrapping their initial debut (1980’s Sorry for Laughing) and offering only one official album (1981’s The Only Fun in Town).  Fortunately, Entomolgy compiles the best of both albums, a few singles, three Peel Session tracks, and provides the first time Josef K’s music has been available in North America!  Their brief-yet-rich material rests right alongside Orange Juice, Television, Joy Division, and Talking Heads, and undoubtedly influenced the likes of Bloc Party, Interpol, and fellow Scots Franz Ferdinand, who were integral in bringing this release stateside.      

Pavement: Wowee Zowee [Sordid Sentinels Edition] (Matador):
Wowee Zowee indeed.  This remastered edition of Pavement’s brilliantly eclectic third album–originally released in April 1995–provides a refreshing reminder of the group’s massive influence upon contemporary rock music.  Between the album’s still-amazing standout tracks (”Grounded,” “Rattled By the Rush,” “We Dance,” “AT&T,” “Kennel District,” to name a few), 18 unreleased recordings, numerous b-sides, compilation cuts, alternate takes, and rare live recordings, there’s something for everybody to be found amongst the 50 songs included here.