“Gossamer Hair” at the ROUND 60 by Zach Tillman (AKA Pearly Gate Music)

The Round has been slowly distinguishing itself as not just a quintessential Seattle musical event, but one of Seattle’s longest standing monthly music and arts traditions, now five years on. In the revamped space of the Fremont Abbey (just blocks from the original home locale of this blog), a dedicated group of volunteers host painters, poets and musicians, taking turns and improvising on each others songs or poems, when the opportunity seems right. This edition featured one Fremont resident Gregory Paul taking multiple opportunities to compliment Round cohorts Zach Tillman and Jenna Conrad with a singing saw or a bow to a banjo to make a song extra weepy or to give it a backwoods garnish. The Pearly Gate Music songs seem to drink in whatever new interpretation the day might bring, and with Zach Tillman, each day really is a brand new day with a new emotional palette. Jenna Conrad’s songs are notable in their own right, not simply for her top notch voice, but also for her keen songwriting perspective.

Though none of this night’s musical guests were bursting with collaborative energy, the subtlety each brought to the table when they did join in proved a layer you’d hardly know was improvised. The unexpected appearance of the saw was more than just a novelty in the hands of Paul, who brought it out on a number of occasions. Conrad’s vocal accompaniment added a smoothness to Tillman’s inflected vocals, anchoring some of his wildest moments from floating off into the sunset.

This time though I came for the music, I went away impressed by the art. Last time I came away chattering about the poetry. And therein lies the beauty of the Round. It’s an opportunity to be exposed to art not simply as a finished product, but as an interactive process. With expansions into to new and wonderful places like the Rosewood Manor in Edmonds and Zootunes (debuting this summer with Damien Jurado), I imagine a 10th birthday will see them taking the concept to places never imagined in the humble beginnings of the Round 1 in the now defunct Living Room. In fact if the Round doesn’t go worldwide, I’ll be surprised and disappointed.

The Round 61 at Fremont Abbey happening June 8th features Ken Stringfellow of The Posies, Rebecca Gates of The Spinanes and Lincoln Barr of Red Jacket Mine. The next Tacoma Round is happening May 28th above Pantages Theater with Ritchie Young of Loch Lomond, The Head and the Heart, and Shenandoah Davis. The Round 62 is July 18th at the Woodland Park Zoo with Damien Jurado, Star Anna and many more.

Gregory Paul ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Zach Tillman ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Zach Tillman & Jenna Conrad ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Jenna Conrad ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Flickr: The Round 60., May 11th at the Fremont Abbey

Pearly Gate Music at the Sunset Tavern ::: Photo by Abbey Simmons

Though Pearly Gate Music’s debut self-titled record is due out in the U.S. on Barsuk Records on May 18th, in the UK it’s out on Bella Union May 3rd, and Bella Union is giving everyone an early preview of the record on their site this week. On first listen, I’m not at all disappointed. Each song is it’s own thought, not produced in relation to a larger aesthetic on the album. Some sound straight out of the 4-track, while others are given a more complete arrangement. “Navy Blues” features a whistle solo.

A slightly quirky and over-the-top production is front man Zach Tillman’s hallmark, and one that he’s able to pull off in performance with just his nylon string guitar. But hearing the aesthetic realized more completely, as Tillman himself would have it in a perfect world, only impresses the idea that Zach Tillman is one different dude who’s happily unconcerned with the usual notions of popular music creation. That’s not to say Pearly Gate Music doesn’t make a great pop song, it’s just that these songs defy being neatly boxed and wrapped into an iTunes approved genre label.

Though Pearly Gate Music is doing a Daytrotter Barnstormer tour as we speak and has a string of national tour dates supporting Frog Eyes for the summer, Zach Tillman’s only scheduled Seattle date right now is May 11th for the Round 60, happening at it’s usual venue, the Fremont Abbey. The Round’s announcement notes there will also be three painters, two poets, and an “Improv band: + very special guests & cupcakes?” Considering Zach Tillman would get us in the door all on his own, everything else about this sweet sounding night is icing on the (cup)cake.

Pearly Gate Music at the Crocodile ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Our boy Zach Tillman and his boys stopped by Daytrotter for a quick session. Sublime.

And via Barsuk Records, we finally get a listen to a cut off the 2009 Pearly Gate Music Tour EP. Nice!

MP3: “I Was a River” (Live Take) by Pearly Gate Music from the Pearly Gate Music Tour EP courtesy of Barsuk Records

The Parson Red Heads ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

The California sound is renowned worldwide. Slap on a few bright riffs and sunny harmonies and you can practically feel the hot sand beneath your feet. Last night at the Comet Tavern L.A.’s Parson Red Heads opened the Seattle leg of their Northwest residency happening throughout the month of February. I say the Seattle “leg” because, the band also has residency’s lined up through the month in Eugene at Sam Bond’s Garage, and in Portland at the White Eagle, where they return each week with a different set of openers. An innovative approach that I think has a lot of potential to pay off for a 60’s styled pop-band who has potential to appeal to a lot of different audiences.

((Low Hums)) opened the night, and in the environment the Comet Tavern and it’s new sound system, lead-singer Jonas Haskins’ Neil-Young-on-mushrooms vibe felt eerie and just right. In contrast to the opening set I saw at the Crocodile back in December where the sound was mush and the haze indistinct. The Comet now sound’s a whole lot better than I ever expected it would. If only we could get a few decent lights in there…

Zach Tillman’s Pearly Gate Music was back into full band mode, and full-on rock band mode at that. He never seems to play his songs in exactly the same way and this night was no disappointment in that regard. Hacking away at his nylon string guitar he delivered songs he’s been playing as a restrained singer-songwriter for the majority of the last year in frenetic bursts full of emotion. “Daddy Wrote You Letters” had the mad edge you’d expect, instead of the almost ironic delivery showcased on his myspace page. “Gossamer Hair” becomes a more perfect song each time I hear it, and this was the one moment where Tillman seemed to slow down and realize there was a room full of people quietly there for him. Yes, for him. His Barsuk debut remains my “most anticipated release of 2010.”

The Parson Red Heads will continue their residency at the Comet Tavern on February 11th with The Final Spins, Marty Marquis (of Blitzen Trapper), and Yarn Owl. It’ll be $7 at the door.

Pearly Gate Music ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

The Ironclads CD Release Show ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

As a person who goes to grippa shows, it’s a hopeless task to put properly put into any meaningful order the favorite shows they’ve been two beyond saying a few were the very best or stand out as special moments and deserve recognition as such for the annals. So I’ve chosen a list of twenty shows and sets from this year that I’ll never forget, presented in chronological order.

Blind Pilot @ The Triple Door (January 2009) - read the full review

The Murder City Devils first show back at the Showbox at the Market (February 2009) - read the full review

Dan Auerbach at the Showbox at the Market (March 2009) - read the full review

The Ironclads CD Release w/ Hands, Whore Moans, What What Now (April 2009) - read the full review

Blue Moon 75th Anniversary Show w/ High Class Wreckage, Thee Emergency, Hopscotch Boys, and The Whore Moans (April 2009) - read the full review

The Lonely Forest CD Release at the Vera Project (April 2009) - read the full review

Bon Iver at Sasquatch (May 2009) - read the full review

Nurses at the South Pole (DIY venue) (June 2009) - read the full review

David Bazan in a Living Room in Edmonds (June 2009) - read the full review

Robin and Josh ::: Photo on Film by Josh Lovseth

Robin Pecknold at Neumos (July 2009) - read the full review

Rural Alberta Advantage at the Sunset Tavern (July 2009) - read the full review

Widower, Pearly Gate Music, Final Spins at Sunset Tavern (July 2009) - read the full review

Doe Bay Fest (August 2009) - read the full review

The Maldives CD Release at the Tractor Tavern w/ The Moondoggies and Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers (August 2009) - read the full review

Macklemore at Bumbershoot (September 2009) - read the full review

Dirty Three at the Crocodile (September 2009) - read the full review

Fanfarlo at Chop Suey (September 2009) - read the full review

Grizzly Bear at the Moore (October 2009) - read the full review

Black Eyes & Neckties Last Show (October 31, 2009) - eulogy never written

Regina Spektor at the Paramount (November 2009) - read the full review

Taking in the Bay at Doe Bay Music Fest ::: Photo by Abbey Simmons

Damien Jurado - sheets from Chelsea on Vimeo.

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.

Video: Damien Jurado - unknown session by vimeo user Chelsea (4 songs) - see above

Audio: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - KEXP Audioasis Session with live strings and horns (4 songs & Interview)

Video: J Tillman (full band) - Rockfeedback session (25 minute set & interview)

Video: Nurses - Left | Right Hand In Rhythm session (3 songs) - see below

NURSES IN RHYTHM from Left | Right Hand on Vimeo.

Audio: Local Natives - Daytrotter Session (4 songs)

Video & Audio: The Moondoggies - Luxury Wafers Session (six songs)

Audio: Pearly Gate Music (full band) - KEXP In-Studio Session (four songs)

Video: Phoenix (acoustic) - La Blogotheque Take Away Show (three songs) - see below

Phoenix - 1901 - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

The Moondoggies ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

These are the local songs I loved most during 2009. I can’t ennumerate the list, believe me I tried. My absolute favorites are at the top of the list, but once you get beyond the top five–I can’t really say what my 9th and 17th favorite songs are with a straight face.

What I can tell you is that these are all songs I played on repeat. That I know every word to. That I sang along to at shows. That mean something to me. That made me dance. That got stuck in my head. That I couldn’t wait to share with my friends and those of you that read the blog. If my 2009 was a mixtape, these would be the tracks.

* “What Took So Long” by The Moondoggies | download track courtesy of Luxury Wafers |
* “Alamagordo” and “Step to the Sea” by The Ironclads | download track courtesy of The Ironclads |
* “We Sing In Time” by The Lonely Forest | watch video from their sold out CD release show |
* “Technicolor” and “Lita” by Nurses | download Technicolor | download Lita |
* “Certainly Tonight” by Widower | watch video |
* “Otherside” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis | download Vs. EP |
* “Hard to Be” and “In Stitches” by David Bazan |watch video of In Stitches |
* “Scorpio” by Dutchess and The Duke  | download Daytrotter session of Scorpio |
* “Coast of Carolina” by Telekinesis | download track courtesy of Stereogum |
* “For Now” by People Eating People | listen to the debut album in its entirety on Myspace |
* “Lazer Beams” by Fresh Espresso | watch video |
* “Young Hearts Spark Fire” by Japandroids | download track courtesy of Spinner |
* “Raindrops” by Grand Hallway | download track courtesy of KEXP |
* “I Have Found (Redux)” and “Goodbye” by The Maldives | watch video of I Have Found |
* “All Things To All People” and “Going Home Soon” by M. Bison | download track courtesy of Obscure Sound |
* “The Running Kind” by Zoe Muth and The Lost High Rollers | download my other favorite Zoe song courtesy of KEXP |
* “Go Easy On Me” by Goldfinch
* “At the Cut” by The Cave Singers | download track courtesy of Matador Records |
* “Magic Mountain” by Arthur & Yu (with The Moondoggies) | watch video |
* “The Town” by Macklemore | watch video |
* “This Happens Every Time” by What What Now
* “I Was A River” by Pearly Gate Music | listen to a live KEXP session of I Was A River |
* “Down The Road” and “Let Me Fall” by Final Spins | download tracks courtesy of LHB |
* “Never Turnin’ Back” by Shane Tutmarc | watch video |
* “My Volvo” by Grynch | watch video |

The Maldives and Moondoggies Sing-Along ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

2009 was an inspiring year for live music locally. My favorite shows ranged from intimate living room gatherings to huge festivals. They spanned genres from horror punk to hip hop to Ballard Avenue twang. They were almost all exclusively local, though I’ve seen a number of great touring bands in 2009. My hometown is where my heart is musically. Lucky for me (us all really) it was a banner year for local music, with a new found energy in the air and coming off the stages of Seattle. 

Seeing that we have a couple weeeks left in 2009, I’m hopeful there’s still another show in my near future that will be worthy of being dubbed a favorite. Considering how great 2009 has been, it would surprise me more if that didn’t happen. While this list isn’t ennumerated, it is in a hierachal order of most cherished towards the top.

David Bazan in an Edmonds, WA Living Room

Bon Iver at Sasquatch

Black Eyes & Neckties Final Show - Halloween in Bellingham

Doe Bay Music Festival

Nurses in a South Seattle Living Room

The Moondoggies at The Blue Moon

 The Maldives Three Night Stand at The Tractor

The Lonely Forest, Telekinesis, and The Globes at the Showbox

 Blue Moon’s 75th Anniversary Shows

The Rural Alberta Advantage at The Sunset

 The Ironclads Final Show Before Hiatus

Widower with Pearly Gate Music at the Sunset

 Fresh Espresso at Seattle Weekly’s Reverb Festival

Hey Marseilles and all of the Bean Room Shows at Cafe Vita During Capitol Hill Block Party

J. Tillman and Pearly Gate Music at The Sunset

A Gun That Shoots Knives and Doctor Doctor at Neumos

Mad Rad at Sasquatch

The Ironclads CD Release Show with The Whore Hands and What What Now at Holy Mountain

D. Black CD Release Show at The Crocodile

The Lonely Forest at Bumbershoot

Though I don’t have a photo to include with the list Regina Spektor’s sold out show at the Paramount is also one of my very favorite concerts  of 2009.

Pearly Gate Music at the Sunset Tavern ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

The album to be released by Pearly Gate Music on Barsuk Records next year is without a doubt my “Most Anticipated Release of 2010.” Self-professed shut-in Zach Tillman doesn’t write his songs with a voice quite like any other songwriter I’ve heard. With a mix of dry humor, confessional romanticism and old school folk songwriting, he strums away at his nylon string guitar and sings spiritually, the songs representing a process of personal catharsis it seems as much as a performance for others who happen to be in the room.

In Seattle, Pearly Gate Music is usually an entire band made of Tillman’s brother and some fellow Siberian conspirators. This picture is of Bill Patton, pedal steel guitarist of that band.

Pearly Gate Music opens for J Tillman at the Crocodile on Friday December 11th.

Pearly Gate Music ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Though the news of this has been bubbling around for a little while now, Barsuk updated their site today with official news that Pearly Gate Music, AKA Zach Tillman, was the newest band to join their roster. As a part of the announcement they’ve promised a full length debut out next year, but nothing more than that. Pearly Gate Music is currently peddling a tour EP titled “Daddy Wrote You Letters…” which you can get on an big nationwide tour that Tillman is opening for his better known older brother Josh Tillman, or hear the title track on Pearly Gate Music’s myspace.

I recommend this recent video of the song “The River” to get acquainted, it was one of the songs that hooked us on Pearly Gate Music:

pearly gate music from correa on Vimeo.

Their tour visits the Crocodile on December 11th.