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November 4, 2011

Seapony Interviews Brave Irene!

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Hardly Arts signees Seapony are one of the new up-and-comers spewing for that always reliable labor.  They’re playing Saturday at The Vera Club with Rose Melberg’s side project Brave Irene.  Both are twee little bits of sadly drawn sunshine, and since they’re both here and both immensely entertaining we decide to pair ‘em together to see what might come out.

The two bands play Saturday the 5th at The Vera Project:

Seapony – Blue Star

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It’s no secret.  Rose Melberg’s music has played an integral role on our sound.  From the whimsical butterflies-in-the-stomach noise-pop of Tiger Trap – to the bare bones, heart-on-your-sleeve simplicity of The Softies - we have looked to Rose as a source of inspiration.  Her latest project, Brave Irene, is an emotional fuzz sensation that combines all the best aspects of Rose’s varied musical undertakings.  It’s a real joy to be able to share the stage with such an indie-pop icon.

SEAPONY:  Hey Brave Irene!  How’s it going?

BRAVE IRENE: It’s going great!

SEAPONY:  Today is Halloween.  Happy Halloween!  Are you going to/did you dress up as anything?

BRAVE IRENE:  I didn’t get around to doing a costume this year, but Caitlin was a flower garden, Jessica was a road trip and Amanda was a spirit raccoon (a mystical creature from an island near here…).

SEAPONY: TP’ing houses is a Halloween tradition. Have you ever TP’d a house before?  If so, whose house?

BRAVE IRENE: I’ve never TP’d a house, but there is a grouchy lady two doors down who could use a good TP’ing. However, I currently have pink toilet paper and I have a feeling that would immediately give me away.

SEAPONY:  Do you want to TP someone’s house with us?

BRAVE IRENE: We could TP the space needle.

SEAPONY:  We are playing a show together on Saturday at the Vera Project.  How many shows have you guys played, anyway?

BRAVE IRENE:  We have played a grand total of 6 shows in two and a half years! Seattle will be LUCKY 7. It is not easy to get 5 busy ladies (and sometimes a fella) together in the same town to play lots of shows. It is pretty awesomely special when we do get to play.

SEAPONY:  Rose, you have been in some of the coolest bands ever [The Softies and Tiger Trap]. I’m curious as to what bands the other members of Brave Irene have played in?

BRAVE IRENE:  Laura (our original drummer), Jessica and Caitlin all played in a Vancouver band called Collapsing Opposites at various times. Caitlin sometimes plays in a project called Unreliable Narrator and she is currently in one of the best bands in Vancouver, Loose Tights. Our current drummer Kevin plays in about 100 bands in Vancouver (cuz he’s such a great drummer!), most frequently the band the SSRI’s (the members of which are also the Taxmen, the funnest Beatles tribute band ever). I am also currently playing bass in a band called Bleating Hearts.

SEAPONY:  Is there anything you’re just dying to do while you’re in Seattle?

BRAVE IRENE: WAYWARD CAFE. We have three vegans in the band so eating rad vegan food is usually a priority.

SEAPONY: Don’t you just love sound checks?

BRAVE IRENE: I actually do quite love sound checks. It is one of those few times when I actually feel like a real professional musician (which makes me feel better about rarely having a normal job…).

SEAPONY:  Describe your sound in 10 words or less…Just kidding! What I really want to know is:  Do you guys wanna go get some breakfast on Sunday morning or what???

BRAVE IRENE: WE WILL ALL EAT THE MOST BREAKFAST!

Go catch these great bands at The Vera Project on Saturday the 5th.

October 24, 2011

City Arts Fest: Built To Spill

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Built to Spill

Built to Spill ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

It’s only appropriate that Doug Martsch has a wa-wa pedal named the “BUDDA.” Also appropriate was that it found it’s first use only eight minutes into the first song. Eager to get going on their only scheduled US appearance in 2011 Built to Spill started early. Without a record to promote or a practiced tour set they played a wide range of songs, but stuck mostly to classics. “In the Morning.” “The Plan.” “Strange.” “Dystopian Dream Girl.”

In the face of a laundry list of bands reuniting for a payday, Built to Spill has been steadily touring for years and remain a chapter in every indie kid’s musical awakening. Hearing Keep It Like a Secret for the first time was game changing for me, and seeing the music made live changed my perception about live music forever after. As a budding guitar player myself at the time, with each bend of the string or tap of a pedal possibilities were being unlocked right before my eyes. More than ten years later for me and nearly twenty years on from the band’s formation, to witness these guys have their way with the guitar was, and still is, an undeniable experience. I’m still as entranced as I was when I first sweated it out for the whole three hour show sandwiched up front in a stifling Crocodile Cafe.

As much as these gentlemen deserve acknowledgement in the pantheon of Northwest guitarists, it’s their attention to tone that sets them apart. Beefy Fender Bassman amp heads feed the proper amount of deep tones into the mix. And when was the last time you saw (or heard) three tremolo bars wielded in sync? To Martsch’s left is Jim Roth, attacking his guitar with the vigor of a teenager who’s just discovered power cords, but with the chops to keep it going for two hours straight. To his right is the unflappable Brett Netson, roaming the upper atmosphere and perpetually adjusting knobs to find just the right altitude. Martsch himself is quietly and almost motionlessly center stage taking string stretching to a whole new level, carrying the zero and adding it all up to beautiful convergence.

Swedish threesome Disco Doom might’ve been the best matched opener for Built To Spill I’ve ever seen. Also loud with an emphasis on the bass-end, the two guitarists and drummer were a dense wall of upbeat sound, a rocking throb with pace and a punk edge. They were not quite pop, but not quite anything else either. Just like BTS! Seapony’s shiny telecaster pop to open the night was welcome as well. If not an exact booking match, they were still a pleasant contrast and warm up with no earplugs needed.


Built to Spill

Built to Spill::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Built to Spill

Built to Spill ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Disco Doom

Disco Doom ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Seapony

Seapony ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

August 29, 2011

More Bumbershoot Side-Stage Action

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Tags
Allen Stone

 

The Head and The Heart at the Free Yr Radio Stage in 2010::: photo by Josh Lovseth

Music is happening all over Bumbershoot, even if it’s off the official schedule and stages. With the KEXP Music Lounge, End Sessions and Free Yr Radio stages, you have extra chances to see some of the best of Bumbershoot in smaller settings throughout the weekend. While all of KEXP’s Music Lounge performances are full, the just announced Free Yr Radio Stage has some awesome options for you to catch some of the most talented local bands playing the Fest and a few who aren’t. Last year we caught The Head and The Heart on this tiny stage and we’ll be back this year to catch Pickwick, Lemolo, Allen Stone and more. If you miss these small sets or the ones at the KEXP music lounge, don’t fret, both will be available as podcasts and archived streams on KEXP after the Fest is finished.

Saturday, September 3

Seapony (Free Yr Radio exclusive performance) – 11:45am Grand Hallway – 1:05pm Pickwick – 2:35pm Yuni in Taxco – 4:20pm Campfire OK – 6:05pm Scribes – 7:50pm

Sunday, September 4

Massy Ferguson – 11:45am Kaylee Cole – 1:05pm Allen Stone – 2:35pm SOL – 4:20pm The Lonely Forest – 6:05pm The Pharmacy (Free Yr Radio exclusive performance) – 7:50pm

Monday, September 5

Lemolo – 11:45am Lake – 1:05pm Ravenna Woods – 2:35pm Motopony – 4:20pm Quadron – 6:05pm TBD (Free Yr Radio exclusive performance) – 7:50pm

August 19, 2011

Cairo’s First Annual Vibrations Fest Tomorrow at Volunteer Park

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vibrations

Speaking of awesome local Summer Festivals, multi-use space, gallery and label Cairo are hosting their first annual Vibrations Festival tomorrow at Volunteer Park and it’s free. Cairo’s put together a stellar line-up of bands from San Francisco to Seattle to kick off the Festival and you’ll want to bring your picnic blanket and your dancing shoes.

The music gets started at 2pm and will go to 10 and it’s an all ages festival. Here’s the full-schedule:

8:45 – GRASS WIDOW (San Francisco) 7:45 – PURPLE & GREEN (Portland) 7:00 – FLEXIONS 6:15 – METAL CHOCOLATES 5:30 – STEPHANIE 4:45 – WITCH GARDENS 4:00 – CHARLES LEO GEBHARDT IV 3:15 – SEAPONY

With special guest DJ’s VOODOO REVERB, BRUSH OFF & SECOND SIGHT Visuals by Dumb Eyes

You can read more about the good work being done at Cairo over at Matson on Music.

August 9, 2011

So, Most of You Are Not Going to Doe Bay Fest …

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Gold Leaves ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

… and you’ve still got an awesome weekend of music waiting for you.

Here’s what I’d be seeing if I was gonna be in town this weekend. Including two shows it physically pains me to miss Friday: Gold Leaves at the Mural Amphitheater in the shadow of the Space Needle for FREE, and our show of the week See Me River, Blood Red Dancers and Le Sang Song at the Rendezvous, which promises to be a lecherous night of sweaty rock’n'roll and a line-up with nothing but excellent bands. Please get trashed there for me, but not so drunk that you can’t report back and tell me how awesome it was.

Thursday August 11th:

Moya, Blyss, Tavana – Skylark Frank Fairfield, Water Tower Bucket Boys, Red Dog – Columbia City Theater Seattle Tattoo Expo After Party feat. The Fucking Eagles, Steel Tigers of Death – Neumo’s

Moya by nimbus510

Friday August 12th:

Seapony, Gold Leaves, Math & Physics Club – KEXP’s Concerts at the Mural (FREE, 6pm) See Me River, Blood Red Dancers, Le Sang Song – The Rendezvous The American Girls, Andrew Vait, John Craig & the Weekend – Comet Tavern Jon Pontrello – Conor Byrne Blvd Park, Ashia Grzesik, Eliza Rickman, Bat Country – Columbia City Theater Seattle Tattoo Expo After Party feat. The Sword, Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, Curse Of The North – Neumos

Saturday August 13th:

The Pharmacy, Heavy Hawaii, Plateaus – The Comet Seattle Tattoo Expo After Party feat. High On Fire, Lesbian, Deadkill – Neumos

Monday August 15th:

Land of Pines, Pollens – Chop Suey

July 23, 2011

Choose Your Own Adventure: Capitol Hill Block Party – Saturday

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Beat Connection ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

(Here’s what happened to you on Friday.)

You know what the most unfortunate thing about the “Saturday” of Block Party is? The fact that it starts at doors start 1pm. The number of people bitching about the hot nice weather blackouts will undoubtedly increase. You don’t care what children do before they enter the festival gates. You’re on a mission to do two things:

1) Finish your brunchfast at Table 219. 2) Find out if some really did punch the lead singer from Kings of Leon in the mouth. You must find the assailant and carry him/her on your shoulders for the rest of the day like the true rulers of the schoolyard that they are.

There’s no rush to get to everyone’s favorite all-day hyper-local shitshow. Hasau sounds like every other indie rock band that is currently playing music in the year before Mayan Doomsday ends all of our lives. To some this will be a pleasant set, but you’d prefer something that is not as bland as chewing a wet paper bag with more flavor.

He Whose Ox Is Gored were just crowned Grudge Rock champions only a matter of months ago. You enjoy their Nightshade EP but you really wish the band would play their songs three times faster than they do. If Red Bull were kind enough to sponsor He Whose Ox Is Gored, thus giving them “wings” and unknowingly helping you achieve your hidden goal, they’d be one of the best bands in Seattle. Instead, you’re going to skip them and let your food digest in Cal Anderson park.

Eventually, you head back inside the safe confines of a music festival that you feel will be absolutely underwhelming today.

You glance down at your smartphone to check out who should be the background soundtrack to your feverish people watching. You try not to gaze too much longer at your palm-sized example of advanced technology because some jerk keeps on spilling their expensive beer on your shoes. You spy a name on the schedule that is dear to your heart.

SPORTS.

Read the rest of your adventure (more…)

June 17, 2011

KEXP’s Concerts at the Mural Summer Line-Up

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Tags
Black Whales Ravenna Woods Gold Leaves Whalebones The Maldives Hey Marseilles Mad Rad Drew Grow & The Pastor’s Wives

 

 

Since the weather’s not cooperating, we’re going to have to take cues from other places to remind us it is, in fact, summer. Things like a partial peek at KEXP’s always excellent free summer concert series at the Mural Amphitheater during the month of August.

There’s lots of Sound on the Sound favorites on the list – Pickwick, The Maldives, Ravenna Woods, Drew Grow & the Pastors’ Wives – but its the August 19th, all rock line-up that has me most excited. Headlining will be my favorite discovery of Sasquatch, Vancouver BC’s Black Mountain with two of the most solid rock bands in town, My Goodness and Whalebones, lending their support. Whether you’re in the front row (fingers crossed for a mosh pit) with me or in the very back of the beer garden, that’s a bill you’ll want to bring your ear plugs for.

August 5 – The Maldives, Hey Marseilles, Black Whales

August 6 – KEXP’s Summer BBQ: Fool’s Gold, Capsula, Virgin Islands, Mad Rad

August 12 – Seapony, Gold Leaves, Math and Physics Club

August 19 – Black Mountain, My Goodness, Whalebones

August 26 – No Depression Presents: Shane Tutmarc, Pickwick, Drew Grow & The Pastors’ Wives, Ravenna Woods

Tip of the Hat to SSG Music for the line-up.

June 1, 2011

Capitol Hill Block Party Line-Up: Cave Singers, TV on the Radio, My Goodness and Lots More!

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Capitol Hill Block Party Dance Party ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

With the sun finally out two days in a row, summertime and festivals don’t seem so impossibly far away. With the initial line-up announcement of Capitol Hill Block Party this morning, we can almost feel the sweat and taste the cheap beer. Here’s who’ll be invading Pike Street this July 22, 23 & 24th.

Since this a local music blog, local bands have been bolded for your ocular ease:

TV on the Radio, Explosions in the Sky, Ghostland Observatory, Thurston Moore, the Cave Singers, Battles, Ra Ra Riot, Les Savy Fav, Handsome Furs, the Posies, Kurt Vile and the Violators, Yuck, Fucked Up, Telekinesis, Cults, Cold Cave, Woods, Fences, Pink Mountaintops, My Goodness, Papercuts, Austra, the Fresh and Onlys, Mad Rad, Fresh Espresso, Champagne Champagne, Federation X, Thee Satisfaction, Ravenna Woods, Young Evils, Black Breath, Grynch, Absolute Monarchs, Akimbo, Eleanor Friedberger, Gravebabies, Beat Connection, Grand Hallway, Campfire OK, Loch Lomond, Skarp, Lisa Dank, Sol, Painted Palms, Mash Hall, Metal Chocolates, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Sports, Craft Spells, Boat, Lake, Virgin Islands, Spurm, Elephant Rider, the Pharmacy, Lovesick Empire, Constant Lovers, Slow Dance, Don’t Talk to the Cops, Nazca Lines, Reporter, Thomas Wright Trio, Lovers, Yarn Owl, the First Times, Teen Daze, Lumerians, Seapony, Wheelies, the Lumineers, Witch Garden, He Whose Ox Is Gored, Slow Dance, Land of Pines, Buster Blue, the First Times, “The Rolling Stones,” Hausu, Yuni in Taxco, Spaceneedles, Comeback! Featuring: Ohnonos, Hollyhood!, and DJ sets by Fourcolor Zack, Tigerbeat, Sean Cee, and DJ N8… AND MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!

Additional Bands Announced (added June 1st): The Head and The Heart, Best Coast, Shad, Kung Foo Grip, BFA, Baths, Dunes, Cold Showers, Grand Hallway

Full Day-by-Day Schedule, in poster form:

Friday July 22 Saturday July 23 Sunday July 24

You can get early 3-Day Passes courtesy of Block Party sponsors The Stranger now.

Who are you most excited to see at Block Party?

I’m most excited to dance with Beat Connection, clap along to Cave Singers and rock the fuck out with My Goodness on the Main Stage.

If you want to start planning your CHBP days already, we’ve got the Cha Cha’s line-up with set times listed after the jump. (more…)

April 21, 2011

The Daily Choice: Seapony – Blue Star

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Seapony continues to be the bastion of fuzzed-out near-twee for the greater Seattle area.  Signed by Sub Pop lil’ brother Hardly Art early this year, you can tell that the world is hungry for a bit of lo-fi pop via the Northwest.  Seapony does it right, rooting their drums and vocals in the pop of the 80s while letting the ocean’s spray soak in to the guitars.  The definition of charming.  Walking hand in hand down a tree-lined street in Upper Capitol Hill charming.

Seapony’s new album Go With Me is out on Hardly Art on May 31st.

Seapony – Blue Star

April 5, 2011

Last Night’s RUMBLE in Fremont

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Seapony

Seapony ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Seapony’s brand of mellow gold is nothing new or earth-shattering. In contrast to the sonically dense palette inhabiting nearly every stage these days, Seapony’s reverb-happy hooks feel tentative and unusually restrained. Expensive or vintage instruments are great eye candy, but it’s the personality that you wield said instruments with and I can’t help but think Seapony’s jaunty hooks matched to a world of perpetually dramatic romance is the best modern take on the Smiths I’ve heard yet without being so damn sad bastard about it. The pack of retro girls gleefully swishing and swaying as they did the twist at the foot of the High Dive stage was exactly how I imagined such a set happening. Their full-length record arrives via Hardly Art next month.

Vanaprastra came from L.A. and they may have been the hardest working band on a Monday night the High Dive has ever seen, so much credit to them given it wasn’t exactly a bumping Friday night crowd. Big songs, a performance, and a clean sound, these guys are ready for prime-time, and at moments early on in the set I had to admit these gents were doing Kings of Leon better than Kings of Leon. An amalgam of the last four decades of rock, as the set went along it got heavier with undeniable Soundgarden references, closing with what could have been a Black Sabbath finisher. You know that high-pitched wail. This dude had it down pat. That I haven’t encountered an out-and-out rock band such as this from Seattle in the course of doing this blog still boggles my mind.


Seapony

Seapony ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Vanaprasta

Vanaprasta ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Vanaprasta

Vanaprasta ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth