Macklemore ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

This party just get’s better every year. Two stages and a hip hop showcase? This is how Seattle’s party at SXSW should be going down. It’s happening Saturday, March 20th at the Beauty Bar, starting 12 noon. It’s no doubt free, but you’ll likely need an RSVP. We’ll keep you up to date on that info as it arrives. On to the good stuff. Peep this year’s lineup:

Main Stage
The Cave Singers
The Dutchess & the Duke
Fences
The Lonely Forest
The Moondoggies
Rocky Votolato

Second Stage
Grand Hallway
The Maldives
The Staxx Brothers

Hip Hop Showcase
Dark Time Sunshine
Dyme Def
Grynch
Macklemore
Mash Hall (formerly known as They Live!)
THEESatisfaction

Um… can this party happen in Seattle?

The second stage isn’t a side stage, it’s the stage where the big bands get more time to setup. And a hip hop showcase is long overdue. The organizers definitely made this a destination party that well represents the face of the emerging Seattle music scene at this very moment.

Follow the action on twitter with @sxswSeattleParT and be a part of the action by tagging your posts #TheSeattleParty and #sxsw.

Src: Austin Statesmen

Sera Cahoone ::: Photo by Abbey Simmons

“Pullman you say? A music destination you say??? Pffft…” Yes, I know you’re trying not to laugh. But Pullman resident, ardent Inland-Northwest music supporter, and the man behind Stereopathic Music Larson Hicks is gunning to make it exactly that. Looking at the lineup he’s confirmed for a weekend in late March for the 1st Annual Birds on a Wire Folk Festival, he looks to be on just the right track. Happening March 26th and 27th and taking place on three stages within walking distance of each other on Pullman’s main street, the festival is an outgrowth of a series of Birds on a Wire shows Hicks did last year with some success, which itself was an product of his need for his underserved area to realize it’s musical potential.

Hicks is not a corporation like Live Nation, just a guy with a dream to make his town as fun as it can be, and on the leading edge of a localism movement that is now even reaching the music business. Small local music festivals used to be cute getaways to take in some folk talent or something specialized like that. Now in many smaller markets it makes sense can put on a music festival that attracts current and in-demand talent. In our area: Birds on a Wire, Doe Bay Fest, Pickathon, Wintergrass (bluegrass and folk). There were a host of other Oregon festivals that many of the biggest local artists made a point of attending in 2009. I don’t doubt by the end of the year the size of that list of festival names will be doubled.

The lineup for Birds on a Wire looks like this so far:

Justin Townes Earle
Damien Jurado
Joe Pug
Rocky Votolato
Horse Feathers
Sera Cahoone
Frontier Ruckus
The Maldives
The Moondoggies
Cataldo
Laura Gibson
Al James (Dolorean)
Super XX Man
Goldfinch
Karli Fairbanks
Pablo Trucker
Mike Kelly
Hueco
Samuel Dickison
Tony Kevin Jr.
Low-Fi
more announced soon…

‘Current’ and ‘Northwest’ are two words that come quickly to mind when looking at this bill, and Hicks says he’s not done announcing national level touring acts yet.

Advanced tickets available via the birdsonawirefest.com site, and are $35, $25 for large groups. Day-of tickets are $45 at the door. Volunteering will get you an even better deal I’d expect. Since Hicks doesn’t a hefty amount of resources to put on this festival, he’s looking to make it happen smoothly and in a cost neutral way with local sponsors and a group of volunteers. He needs everything from sound and stage nerds to assist with shows, to people who are able to ferry bands from the airport day-of. It’s a great opportunity to be involved with a festival that is just getting off the ground.

Facebook: Birds on a Wire Festival on Facebook

Dave Bazan performs “Bad Diary Days” - 1/08/10 in a Seattle Living Room

These are the songs, bands, and sounds that I’ve started off my 2010 with. Lots of new bands I’d never listened to before 2010, many who I think we’ll be sharing much of the year with. Take a listen and maybe, just maybe, you’ll  find your first favorite new band, album or song of the new year! Thanks for starting 2010 with Sound on the Sound, we’re looking forward to sharing another great year of local music with you.

Sharon Van Etten - Because I Was In Love and “Love More“
Drew Grow & the Pastors’ Wives - “Colder by the Minute” and “Friendly Fires”
Kelli Schaefer - “Gone In Love”
The Ironclads - “Emily” (download here)
Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers - s/t debut
Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside - Myspace Demos and any YouTube I can find
Moon Duo - “Stumbling 22nd St.” (from Noah’s Daily Choice)
Whalebones - every new song on myspace and their Morning Man EP from 2007
Vic Chesnutt - “I Flirted With You All My Life”
Ravenna Woods - Demons and Lakes
Salmon Thrasher - Myspace Demos
Emperor X - The Blythe Archives
Pedro The Lion - “Bad Diary Days” (see a Sound on the Sound video above from 1/08/10)
Goldfinch - s/t
Phantogram - Eyelid Movies (out on Barsuk February 9th)
Fences - “Sadie-” from GIVE Seattle
The Moondoggies - “Side of the Road” from GIVE Seattle
Beach House - Teen Dream
The Maldives - “Go Back to Virginia” (new Maldives tune)

Kevin and Jason ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Last Tuesday the 56th edition of The Round packed the Fremont Abbey to the gills, featuring some of Seattle’s foremost poets, a painter working throughout the night, and for this Round, three of the more notable names out of our area’s burgeoning Americana-slash-Country scene. The Moondoggies Kevin Murphy and the Maldives Jason Dodson guested on each others songs and after the intermission they jointly played medley of songs from a side-project they’ve been fronting called Cosmic Panther Land Band (see the video below). Zoe Muth brought along her mandolin player Ethan, who took the opportunity to guest on just about every song of the night.

Other than the Cosmic Panther Land Band material, my favorite group of the songs night from the night came from the Moondoggies Murphy. He played two new songs he said were just recorded for the next Moondoggies LP, including a stunning rendition of “Empress of the North” to start off the night. My favorite song of the night I don’t think I’d heard before and he intro’d it by saying “I don’t know if I’m ever going to doing anything with this song. But it exists.” It began “When you’re young, you think you’re better off…” Please do something with it Kevin. Afterward, Murphy who still get’s a bit wound up before performing in front of people (even after some time now fronting the Moondoggies), said that he was just finding his groove when it was time to end, and was ready to go for another couple hours. I was ready too. If only.

Watch a clip of the Cosmic Panther Land Band medley below the fold. And get thyself to a Round. The next one is a Valentines edition happening on February 13th at the Fremont Abbey, with Benjamin Verdoes of Mt. St. Helens Vietnam band and a string quartet, two painters, and a slam poet.

Read the rest of this entry »

$5 Cover: Seattle Trailer from MTV New Media on Vimeo.

We’ve been tweeting and talking about the trailer for $5 Cover Seattle  all week, but it hasn’t managed to make it on to the site yet. I definitely deserve the late pass for that, but on the other hand, it is now embeddable and you can watch it right here in the comfort of Sound on the Sound. Other than being extras, this is the first peek we’ve gotten of the Lynn Shelton directed project for MTV, which was shot during the blazing summer of 2009 and features a number of local bands Sound on the Sound readers should be very familiar with.

As the trailer reveals, the bands and the music are real (there’s  a thumping sample of “Magnetic Blackness,” a particularly sweet sounding “Don’t Be A Stranger” from the  Moondoggies in the trailer, and the original SOTS soundtrack Thee Emergency), but the story-lines are not. It looks like  it’s going to be all kinds of  soapy goodness and guilty pleasures, backed by a Seattle music blog’s perfect soundtrack: The Maldives, The Moondoggies, Thee Emergency, Champagne Champange, THEEsatisfaction & more! I can’t wait to see what comes next from this project…and to call Kevin Murphy a lone wolf at the Tractor this weekend.

This Tuesday January 12th at Fremont Abbey, the Round invites a number of our favorite musicians to trade stories, experiences and songs with some local poets, while artists are engaged in real time creation as the music and words are going on. The lineups for the latest bunch of Seattle Round’s have been stellar, and this one seems hand-created just for us. Zoe Muth, who’ll be playing our birthday show this Friday at the Blue Moon, will be sharing the stage with Jason Dodson of the Maldives and Kevin Murphy of the Moondoggies. We will definitely be in the house (or “the church” as it may be).

The complete details are below and tickets are $8 advanced via BrownPaperTickets.

JAN 12: The Round {56}

Musicians:
Kevin Murphy (The Moondoggies)
Jason Dodson (The Maldives)
Zoe Muth

Poets: Kate Lebow, Brian McGuigan
Painter: Shannon Roche, Chelsea Willett

Tuesday, JANUARY 12th
@ Fremont Abbey Arts Center,
4272 fremont ave north, seattle
8-10pm
7:30 doors
$8 advance / $10 door
all-ages, pg13
Info: www.theround.org

The Maldives ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

These are the albums that defined my 2009. Some I consider to be the strongest local albums of the year while others held my attention and memory in a special way such that I kept coming back to them. While many of these albums are admittedly made by bands whom I’ve also developed a strong affinity for over the past year, this is an albums list, and not simply a “my favorite bands who over the last year put out a record list.” Seven of the top ten are acts I was not familiar with at prior to the start of 2009. This includes the Ironclads. Man, a lot has happened this year.

Though the concept of the “album” may not be as relevant as it once was, I still consider myself to be an album person, for me such a group of songs is an important body of work for helping me come to relate to and really like a band. A single song usually just doesn’t do it for me. Simply put, these are the releases from this year that I listened to all the way through, over and over and over again.

1. Listen to the Thunder by The Maldives on Mt. Fuji Records
Listen: Download an mp3 of “Tequila Sunday” courtesy of Mt. Fuji Records
If any band conquered Seattle in 2009 it was the Maldives. For so many reasons, this record was the most important record in my life this year.

2. Curse Your Branches by David Bazan on Barsuk Records
Listen: Stream the entire record at Barsuk.com
David Bazan isn’t simply a musician. He is a religious philosopher. You might say this is “The Book of Dave.” A deeply personal record with very real ramifications for those who might have questions like he did about the consequences and realities of his long held beliefs. Though I don’t count myself particularly religious, I identified. To my mind this is the best album about religion and family that Bazan has ever done.

3. Apple’s Acre by Nurses on Dead Oceans
Listen: Download an mp3 of “Caterpillar Playground” courtesy of Dead Oceans
Through the power of the Internet I came into the possession of a 30-minute single-file live recording of Nurses. I can say without hyperbole that this recording is the most played “song” of the last year on my iTunes. They are playful, unique sounding, and completely DIY. This is the quintessential example of what everyone hopes a Portland band can and will be.

4. The Space Between the Maps by The Ironclads (self-released)
Listen: Download an mp3 of “Alamagordo” courtesy of the Ironclads
Advanced garage pop that’s well traveled and downright bombastic. Inventive lead guitar work and imaginative storytelling are this foursome’s forte and the record is a successful recreation of their live aesthetic.

5. Lust for Life by Girls on True Panther Sounds
Listen: Watch “Laura” on Youtube
Sad Bastard pop that doesn’t make me sad. Sign me up!

6. Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers by Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers (self-released)
Listen: Get an MP3 version via KEXP Song of the Day
I’m waiting for one (or three) of these songs to be covered by Dolly Parton. Another record like this and Nashville is gonna scoop her up, post haste.

7. A Strange Arrangement by Mayer Hawthorne on Stones Throw Records
Listen: Watch “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out” on Vimeo
A DJ becomes a soul crooner, FTW. An album that you never want to turn off.

8. Keep it Hid by Dan Auerbach on Bloodshot Records
Listen: Download an mp3 of
What’s old is new again. More please. Other bands should take notes. The Blues are your friend, and mine.

9. Fanfarlo by Fanfarlo on Canvasback Music
Listen: Stream the record at Fanfarlo.com
Fronted by a clarinet playing choir boy, Fanfarlo take the cake for making this year’s most accessible orchestral pop record, and the best thing I heard out of the U.K. all year long.

10. I and Love and You by the Avett Brothers on Columbia
Listen: Stream via theavettbrothers.com
The Avett Brothers made a massive followup effort to Emotionalism, that drops the emo that marked it’s predecessor while striking a more hopeful and romantic note. This is another album that I feel wrong turning off in the middle.

11. In Dearland by Elvis Perkins on XL
Listen: Watch “Chains, Chains, Chains” Directed by Seattle’s Sean Pecknold
Elvis and his cohorts delve deep into old Americana and early rock for a record that is uniquely sad in it’s disposition, but overflowing with happy in the energy and passion of the full band performance.

12. Vecktamist by Grizzly Bear on Warp
Listen: Stream the Video for Two Weeks
Maybe this album should be higher on the list, but when I first got a hold of it I felt like it was just too much. Now, I’ve come to feel like this is a bold statement, and these guys are the vanguard of modern pop.

13. Year in the Kingdom by J Tillman on Bella Union/Western Vinyl
Listen: Download an mp3 of “Earthly Bodies” courtesy of Western Vinyl
Just when I thought J Tillman’s voice was an ideal, he goes to work for the Fleet Foxes and comes out the other side an even stronger singer.

14. Logos by Atlas Sound on Kranky
Listen: Get an mp3 of “Walkabout” via FADER
This was my official go-to chill record this year.

15. The Life of the Of the World to Come by the Mountain Goats on 4AD
Listen: Download mp3 of “Genesis 3:23″ courtesy of 4AD
As many of John Darnielle’s albums can be, this one is a grower, that really hooks you after you listen to it by yourself for a while. Seeing the songs performed live with a bit of Darnielle’s humor added in between songs for context allowed me to listen anew, and understand better than how the songs initially came off on the record.

1. Widower by Widower (self-released)
Listen: Stream at Myspace

2. VS. by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, (self-released free digital EP)
Listen: Download EP via Myspace

3. The Moondoggies by The Moondoggies on Hardly Art Records (for Record Store Day), Ltd. Ed.
Listen: Stream at Myspace

4. Don’t Piss into the Fire/Magic Mtn Single by Arthur & Yu for a Sub Pop Singles Club release for Record Store Day
Listen: Stream via Myspace

5. Fun & Laughter Land of Talk on Saddle Creek Records
Listen: Watch “The Man Who Breaks Things (Dark Shuffle)” at Vimeo

The ones I missed in 2008 and I banged the most in 2009:

Hometowns by The Rural Alberta Advantage (originally released 2008, digitally released with eMusic November 2008, then re-released by Saddle Creek Records in mid-2009).

We’re Still Here Missing You by Kaylee Cole (self-released in November of 2008)

The one from last year’s list that’s stood the test of time and stayed strong into this year

Caught In Trees by Damien Jurado, SOTS’s #20 Northwest album of 2008.
In retrospect, I should’ve probably lobbied for a top 10 spot for this album on that list.

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

“Eet” by Regina Spektor

Here is my list of thirty songs that dominated my iTunes, the songs that moved me to learn them on guitar, and the songs I will identify with 2009 forever. In no particular order. Though I suppose the top five could be my top five.

“Walkabout” by Atlas Sound + guest Noah Lennox from Logos (Kranky/4AD)
Listen: Get mp3 via FADER

“Technicolor” by Nurses from Apple’s Acre (Dead Oceans)
Listen: Download mp3 courtesy of Dead Oceans

“Lisztomania” by Phoenix from Wolfgang Amadaeus Phoenix (Glassnote)
Listen: Stream at Myspace

“World News” by the Local Natives from Gorilla Manor (Rough Trade/Frenchkiss)
Listen: Download a live version via a Daytrotter Session

“Come Monday Morning” by Widower from Widower (self-released)
Listen: Stream at Myspace

“At the Cut” by the Cave Singers from Welcome Joy (Matador)
Listen: Download mp3 courtesy of Matador Records

“Comets” by Fanfarlo from Fanfarlo (Canvasback Music)
Listen: Stream at Fanfarlo.com

“Alamagordo” by the Ironclads from The Space Between the Maps (self-released)
Listen: Download MP3 courtesy of the Ironclads

“Young Heart Sparks Fire” by Japandroids from Post-Nothing (Polyvinyl Records)
Listen: Download MP3 courtesy of Polyvinyl Records

“Eet” by Regina Spektor from Far (Sire Records)
Listen: Watch the Video above, Stream at Myspace

“Walk Away” by The Maldives from Listen to the Thunder (Mt. Fuji Records)
Listen: Stream a Video from a KEXP In-Studio

“Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out” by Mayer Hawthorne from A Strange Arrangement (Stones Throw Records)
Listen: Stream the Video at Vimeo

“Ready, Able” by Grizzly Bear from Vecktamist (Warp Records)
Listen: Stream the Video at Youtube

“For Now” by People Eating People from People Eating People (The Control Group)
Listen: Stream at Myspace

“Lust for Life” by Girls from Lust for Life (True Panther Sounds/Matador Records)
Listen: Download MP3 courtesy of True Panther Sounds/Matador Records | Watch the Video Below

“Lust for Life” by Girls (Safe Version)

“Lazerbeams” by Fresh Espresso from Glamour (Out for Stardom)
Listen: Stream the Video at Youtube

“The Town” by Macklemore from The Unplanned Mixtape (self-released)
Listen: Stream the Video at Youtube

“Otherside” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis from VS. (Sound Records)
Listen: Download VS. EP courtesy of Ryan Lewis Productions

“You Only Believe Me When I’m Lying” by Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers from Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers (self-released)
Listen: Download MP3 via KEXP Song of the Day

“Stillness is the Move” by the Dirty Projectors from Bitte Orca (Domino Records)
Listen: Stream Track via Domino Records

“Magic Mtn” by Arthur & Yu from Don’t Piss into the Fire Sub Pop Singles Club Record Store Day Release and Hardly Art Label Sampler (Sub Pop/Hardly Art)
Listen: Download Track at Amazon via Hardly Art

“Let Me Fall” by the Final Spins from THIS IS THEN/THAT WAS NOW (self-released)
Listen: Download MP3 via KEXP Song of the Day

“Ed Jackson” by See Me River from The Great Unwashed EP (Aviation Records)
Listen: Download MP3 via KEXP Song of the Day

“Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh” by Say Hi from Oohs and Aahs (Barsuk Records)
Listen: Download MP3 courtesy of Barsuk Records

“Please Baby Please” by David Bazan from Curse Your Branches (Barsuk Records)
Listen: Stream a solo version at youtube

“The Perfect Space” by the Avett Brothers from I and Love and You (Columbia)
Listen: Stream via theavettbrothers.com

“What Took So Long” by the Moondoggies (unreleased)
Listen: Download a live session version via Luxury Wafers

“Summer of Hate” by Crocodiles from Summer of Hate (Fat Possum Records)
Listen: Download MP3 courtesy of Fat Possum Records

“Isabella” by Lands & Peoples from Lands & Peoples EP (self-released)
Listen: Stream via Bandcamp

“Norway” by Beach House from Teen Dream (Sub Pop)
Listen: Download MP3 courtesy of Sub Pop

Maldives vs. Moondoggies ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

One of our favorite music memories of 2009 didn’t take place on stage, but rather an impromptu football field on a brutally cold February morning for the annual Maldives vs. Moondoggies Whiskey Bowl. Considering it was two of our favorite bands facing off in this pig skin classic, we stood on the sidelines and snapped photos rather than choosing sides to cheer for.  Ultimately it was The Moondoggies who were triumphant in Whiskey Bowl II, so I’m sure The Maldives are looking for a little revenge (and a big victory) for2010’s Whiskey Bowl III.

Maldives vs Moondoggies ::: photo by Josh Lovseth