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August 30, 2012

My Most Anticipated Acts of Bumbershoot

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Key Arena Seattle Center Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival
Don't Talk to the CopsPhoto: Josh Lovseth
Don't Talk to the Cops

Lots of good things happening at Bumbershoot this year. When was the last time Jane’s Addiction played in Seattle? Does anyone remember that Porno for Pyros song “Tahitian Moon”? Were you there? Did they play “Mountain Song”?

Saturday 

Don’t Talk to the Cops (1pm on Fisher Green Stage) – A few weeks ago a reader berated me saying that Don’t Talk To The Cops are trash terrible. I disagree. For those out there who still aren’t sold on this charismatic group, you have to see them at least three times minimum. I promise by the third time you’ll finally understand what you failed to comprehend the previous two performances. Yeah, I drink coffee, so back up off me, bitch. You can send all thank you notes and haikus paying tribute to the song “Big Ass Head” to the following address: phil@soundonthesound.com

Polecat (1:30pm The Promenade) - I saw Polecat at the High Dive this spring and I thought they put on one hell of a show. A friend of mine begged to differ. He had to leave because, “This band is playing reggae shit that is my kryptonite.” I didn’t want to be responsible for the death of Superman so I trusted his words. Later that night a stranger asked me if I knew what clogging was. It was a weird night. Polecat aren’t reggae and they aren’t the kind of music that one would clog to. They are an amalgam of all things groove oriented in Bellingham. Are you into bluegrasscelticfolkreggaeamericanacountryjams? If that’s the case, I think this band is going to blow your mind.

Unnatural Helpers (1:45pm Sub Pop Stage) – A couple of years ago this band wrote my favorite song of the year. I’ll always be grateful to them for penning a tune that represents 98% of my brain activity. Sunshine and pretty girls.

Missy Higgins (1:45 Bumbershoot Main Stage) – I think we should all give this Australian singer/songwriter our undivided attention for the suffering she has endured opening up for Gotye on a recent. Can you imagine hearing “Somebody I Use to Know” on an every single night? Brutal. If I see anyone I know at Gotye I am going to capture them in a giant burlap sack normally meant for potatoes and throw them in the back of my trunk.

Black Breath (2:45 Exhibition Hall Stage) – I have been in Black Breath detox all year. I saw this band so much in 2010 and 2011 that something had to be done. If I am exposed to a band too often I begin to resent their music. Clearly something is wrong with me. I haven’t even heard Black Breath’s  ”new” album yet. Honesty, I am frightened it won’t be as good as Heavy Breathing and my affections for this group will wane dramatically. I can be a coward in more ways than you can possibly imagine.

Sera Cahoone (3:30 Sub Pop Stage) – Arguably the most calming voice in Seattle. This isn’t a snide remark, I am being serious.

Eyehategod (6:15pm Exhibition Hall) – Sludge metal from the Big Easy. Not to be confused with Virginia’s Lamb of God. Out of all the acts performing this weekend, I am looking forward to this and Tony Bennett the most. Maybe they’ll perform together? At Bumbershoot anything can happen….

Jane’s Addiction (9:30pm Main Stage) – Duh.

Sunday

Why? (1pm Exhibition Hall Stage) – A couple of years ago when I was a young man, eager to don an apron at Pasta and Company in the U-Village when I use to work at Pasta and Company, my co-worker would always play Alopecia on repeat throughout the morning. At the time I can’t say I had heard anything like it. I don’t say that because the music was incredibly innovative (although it was). I make that remark because if you stepped outside of the kitchen and into the front of the store, you were bombarded with adult contemporary crap and “rich people” jams. “Oh, is that Joni Mitchell playing somewhat audibly? I use to protest Vietnam before you were born, now I protest poor people. I’ll take 20 pounds of that $32.95 per/lb petite filet. My retired racing greyhound is hungry.” I haven’t heard Alopecia since. Why do I do this to myself? What pleasure can I possibly derive from failing to buy albums I already know I like? I did that for almost the entirety of high school to Lifetime’s Jersey’s Best Dancers. I need a shrink.  

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings (1:45pm Main Stage) – One of the premiere acts of this contemporary “soul revival” that everyone is really into these days.

Tony Bennett (3:15pm Main Stage) – For all you young folks out there that aren’t familiar with this legend, let me contemporize his greatness for you in a jejune language that you can understand. Tony Bennett* was in a movie with Gwenyth Paltrow in which he sang a duet with her. The name of that movie was called “Duets.” Gwenyth Paltrow is married to Chris Martin. Chris Martin is friends with Jay-Z and Beyonce. Mr. Martin is also the frontman in Coldplay. How many of you remember Coldplay? Many blank faces.

In other words, Tony Bennett is a member of the illuminati by six degrees of separation in relation to Jay-Z and Beyonce.

Yelawolf (4pm Fisher Green Stage) – I don’t much about this cat except that he’s from Alabama and I get hyped to this song. I’m wondering if he’ll be the “Jay Electronica” of this year’s Bumbershoot (read: slightly under the radar, shows up and crushes all other mic grippers that perform this weekend).

Fruit Bats (5pm Sub Pop Stage) –  I haven’t heard tracks from the album Tripper but I am looking forward to hearing them this weekend. I’ve never seen a sub-par Fruit Bats performance. Never.

The Promise Ring (6:15pm Exhibition Hall Stage) – I can write millions thousands hundreds of trillions of words about this band. Some would be positive. Some would be negative. As of right now, I am only going to say one thing. If they’re too cool to play “E. Texas Ave” I am going to throw a multitude of footwear at their visages. I’m taking my size 12′s and they are going to land right between the eyes of Davey von Boehlen. Then I am taking your flip flops and I am tossing them at the drummer whose name I don’t recall. If any of you are planning on wearing heels (To a music festival? Do you masochist much?), please let me know so that I can make proper use of them.

Mudhoney (6:45pm Sub Pop Stage) – Duh.

Big Sean (8:15pm Main Stage) – 313 in the house! Straight from the D! Not Dallas, that’s Big D That’s all I have to say about that.

Mac Miller (9:45pm Main Stage) – This guy was born in 1992! How ancient are you feeling right now!?! Steel City’s finest if you ask me (in comparison to the young man who was at Bumbershoot last year, Wiz Khalifa).

(more…)

March 29, 2012

The Pharmacy – “Pines” [Video]

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*Sigh* I know. I know. I can be such a grump when it comes to Rock n’ Roll. “What?! This isn’t brooding?” “Why in God’s name are you in standard tuning?!” “I feel like this recording is too slick!” “This band could be more creative!” “This music…is too enjoyable. Sorry.”

I am Sound on the Sound’s Mr. Wilson. Constantly yelling “Dennis!” even though he want away to college many years ago.

You know that Pixies song “The Holiday Song”? Yeah?

Well, this song doesn’t sound anything like that. Not even in the slightest. The Pharmacy create likable Garage Rock for people who would normally scoff at other acts considered as such. I don’t even want to bury this band under that label because I feel they are so much better than that. They make good pop music. It’s fun, you can dance to it and they perform it with enough charm and exuberance to turn those unfamiliar with their catchy jaunts into willing participants of an enjoyable masquerade.

“I get the sense that the present tense isn’t where I should reside…”

I guess it’s not a coincidence, Mr. Yoder, that you and your mates sound like you’re living in a dream when that lyric comes to pass. Surfing through various stages of sleep. Hitch-hiking through a plethora of utopian provinces. Conquering an existential mountain of spaghetti. OK, maybe that last one is me inserting a fantasy into this review, but still….

“Pines” goes from an Ocean Pacific 1970s surfing montage complete with ice cream on the boardwalk. All seems well until the song transitions into a guitar solo that says, “You ought to know better, get your head out of the clouds!” before finally transforming into a guitar against piano duel that morphs into an all out sprint across an imaginary finish line.

Well done.

February 3, 2012

Exclusive: Stream The Pharmacy’s Excellent EP Dig Your Grave

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thepharmacy_1

I already told you I was giddy for the grainy grotesque new video and punchy pop of the title track from The Pharmacy’s Dig Your Grave EP. So imagine my excitement that we get to share the full EP exclusively with you today.

In four short songs The Pharmacy cover a lot of ground in the garage. “Dig Your Grave” will have you simultaneously wanting to thrash and twist. “Pines” is a light cotton-candy confection until a slicing guitar solo really satisfies the sweet tooth. Instrumental “Lazy Bones” is a doped up slow dance, making out in the corner as you sway a step behind the rhythm. And EP-ender “Burn All Yr Bridges,” a demo from the band’s time in New Orleans, sleepily seethes about Seattle from afar with equal parts beauty and bitterness. Serving as a teaser for the band’s forthcoming full-length Stoned and Alone, Dig Your Grave does exactly what its supposed to do … it leaves you craving more.

The Pharmacy celebrate the release of Dig Your Graves tonight at Black Lodge with Night Beats before hitting the road and seeing a whole bunch of America over the next two months. Take a listen below and we think you’ll feel like celebrating it too.

January 30, 2012

The Pharmacy – “Dig Your Grave” [video]

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THE PHARMACY – DIG YOUR GRAVE (MUSIC VIDEO) from brendhan bowers on Vimeo.

After living in New Orleans, touring non-stop (well, they haven’t stopped that quite yet) The Pharmacy are back to calling Seattle home. More importantly, they are better than ever. The title track of their new EP Dig Your Grave is an unlikely ear worm, beginning with an intro that one could easily mistake for new Murder City Devils (which is a great thing in my book) before moving into a leering pop tune. Like The Lights “New New” before them, The Pharmacy has managed to write a tune that sounds as if it was penned in some grimy Manchester garage in the ’60s, only to be lost in a dusty crate for decades. “Dig Your Grave” is aggressive, menacing and toe-tapping. A pop song that lands like a punch to the jaw.

The Pharmacy celebrate the release of Dig Your Grave this Friday with a show at Black Lodge before leaving on a months long national tour.

July 5, 2009

Night After Night – July 6th to the 12th

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Ryann Donnelly of Schoolyard Heroes ::: photo by Abbey

As someone who goes to shows more nights than not, I know that most nights of the week there’s a great show happening in Seattle. In fact, as someone who often wishes she could split herself in two or three, there’s usually more than one show worth checking out many nights.

While we’ve hesitated doing a straight up weekly Sound on the Sound recommends post, there are just too many shows that are worthy of highlighting and attending for us to not try one out.  With that in mind, I’m starting “Night After Night” your weekly guide to going to a show a night in Seattle.

I’m sure some weeks won’t have a full seven nights of shows, because we’d rather not list a show we wouldn’t be excited to attend ourselves. But my hope for this features is to show and share with you the impressive number of awesome shows at your finger tips, on any given night of the week in Seattle.

Monday 7/6:

Who – The Rural Alberta Advantage Where – The Sunset Tavern, 9pm How (Much) – 7$ Why- Saddle Creek’s latest band are creating haunting, charming tunes that defy  easy description. Singing songs about hometowns and heartbreak, the band mixes synth sounds and  indie folk sensibilities, with a side of Jeff Mangum vocals.

Tuesday 7/7:

Who – The Curious Mystery, Born Anchors, Cataldo Where – Nectar Lounge, 8pm How (Much) – FREE, courtesy of Sound Magazine Why – Because in this economy, we could all use a free show with three of Seattle’s most promising up and coming bands. The Curious Mystery’s Rotting Slowly is one of my favorite local releases of 2009.

Wednesday 7/8:

Who - Mad Rad, Thee Satisfaction Where - The Funhouse, 9pm How (Much) – 6$ Why – It’s a chance to see two of Seattle’s most buzzed about bands at a venue that couldn’t be further from the vibe of Pike and Pine. Mad Rad is sure to bring the antics, and I dare you not to dance to Thee Satisfaction’s unique groove.

Thursday 7/9:

Who - A Gun That Shoots Knives, The Raggedy Anns,  Doctor Doctor Where - Neumos, 9pm How (Much) - 6$ Why – To hear F Bomb laiden PSA’s about staying in school and literacy and to celebrate the Raggedy Anne’s catchy fortchoming CD of swing rock and Tin Pan Alley tunes.

Friday 7/10:

Who - Schoolyard Heroes, The Pharmacy, The Whore Moans Where - VERA Project, 7:30pm How (Much) - Why – Because you want to be at what will doubtlessly be the craziest show of the week, no booze necessary. The popular former Seattle band The Pharmacy are returning for their first weekend back since moving to The Big Easy. The Whore Moans of capable of whipping a group of nuns into ruckus moshers and you have never seen local teenagers go more insane then when Ryann Donnelly of Schoolyard Heroes take the stage. Bring your ear plugs and elbows.

Awesome Alternative: Thee Emergency at The Sunset

Saturday 7/11:

Who - Robin Pecknold, Throw Me the Statue Where - Neumos, 9pm How (Much) -  15$ Why – See Robin Pecknold of The Fleet Foxes perform a rare solo set and a smaller venue then he’ll ever play again, all for one of Seattle’s finest musical resources: The Vera Project.

Awesome Alternative: The Hands, The Ironclads, The Beats Man at The Mars Bar

Sunday 7/12:

Who - Grynch (Chemsitry EP Release) Where - The Nectar Lounge How (Much) – $7 Why – On Tuesday you can download Grynch’s new EP for free. That way Sunday you won’t be laughing so hard from “My Volvo” that you can enjoy his other tracks.

Awesome Alternative: Azure Ray with Anomie Bell at Neumos

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p.s. Please let me know if you think this a worthwhile feature for Sound on the Sound, or if it’s something you feel like you get already from the site and/or every other local newspaper and music blog.

December 12, 2008

The Daily Choice: The Weekend Edition

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Ah sweet Friday rolls around again and I’m tired of the work week and ready to dig on in to inexpensive whiskey and a healthy dollop of live music.  I’m sure you feel the same, so I’ll get right to the goods:

FRIDAY:

KEXP Yuletide Benefit w/ Grand Archives, Shearwater, & Dutchess and The Duke @ Neumos

I’m not going to be attending this show, as I’ll be heading out on Saturday night to see Thao and crew.  But, if you can’t make it to Saturday, I’d recommend coming out for this.  I’ve seen Grand Archives too many times (don’t ask) to be able to clearly state my opinion on them, but know this, they’re a sunny bunch of bastards on stage.  Dutchess and The Duke (a favorite of mine this year) put on one of the most inconsistent live shows I’ve ever seen, but there’s something truly charming about the duo (trio on stage).  Shearwater is a black hole about which I know nothing about.

Police Teeth @ The Comet

For some reason, I blame Reverb Fest’s schedule, Police Teeth and Team Gina are paired in my mind.  And yes I know, Team Gina plays hilarious girl-rap and Police Teeth play deconstructed punk rock, but they’re stuck there, holding hands like schoolyard lovers in my mind.  Thus, when I saw they were playing at my favorite shithole The Comet, I thought, “Damn, Noah, you should recommend this shit.”  So I am.

The Whoremoans @ Chop Suey

The new Whoremoans album is realllllyyyy good.  And they’ve always been known to melt minds with their live show, so I say, guh-guh-go!

SATURDAY

KEXP Yuletide Benefit w/ Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, Shearwater, and Cancer Rising @ Neumos

Thao, sweet sweet Thao, how I love your live performance.  Your silly little comments, your sheer bad-assness, I’m sorry I didn’t come out to see you when you played with Rachel Yamagata and some other lady, I thought the estrogen cloud floating over the crowd might have grown me boobs.  But don’t you worry Thao, I’ve got a ticket to Saturday night, and I don’t care what kind of chemical cloud is floating over Neumos, I’ll be there.

Mos Def @ The Moore

Mos Def hasn’t put out a listenable album in like five years but I don’t care, he’s still the most loveable of underground rap icons.  Blackstar pretty much, for better or worst, birthed my love of hip-hop and if I could afford the high price for this show I’d be in the front row pumping my fist and screaming like a gangster school girl.

SUNDAY

Holy Ghost Revival, The Pharmacy, and Wild Orchid Children @ Neumos

I like local music, I do really.  And this show, according to the good folk at a paper I believe is called “The Stranger” claim that Holy Ghost Revival and The Pharmacy are former Seattle locals back from sojourns in various parts of the world.  Hell, this “The Stranger” even hints that Harry Potter himself might have a thingy for the Holy Ghost Revival … that must mean they’re good … … nonetheless, The Pharmacy (back from Nah Or’leans) will rock your ugly face of and Wild Orchid Children seemingly are unable to stop touring ever.  It’s Sunday night so I’ll probably be asleep in my highball by like seven thirty.

Enjoy your weekend.  Just remember some hookers are only pretending they’re girls!

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down – Geography

July 29, 2008

I really like this song (and video)

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“Little Toys On A Shelf” – The Pharmacy

The video seems to perfectly capture the youthful and exuberant nature of the shows that the Pharmacy have become so popular for. I know it’s over six months old (which is like eight years in blogger time), but I don’t care. I just saw it today for the first time and I love it. It kinda makes me want to be a kid again.

The Pharmacy are playing at 21+ show at the Comet Tavern August 29 and an all-ages show at the Downtown Seattle YMCA on September 3. After that they’ll be traveling the U.S. and Europe, touring for two solid months. After that who knows…

July 28, 2008

Capitol Hill Block Party: The Pharmacy

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The Pharmacy::: photo by Abbey

I’m ashamed to admit that Friday was the first time I’ve seen The Pharmacy, but considering how intrigued I was by their performance it won’t be the last. The drummer ended up beating his drums so hard the cement block keeping his kit in place lurched forward during every song and he ended up piercing the skin of his tom drum by beating the ever loving hell out of it. Ever the pro, he kicked the drum over and kept the fullness and strength of the Pharmacy’s sound with one less drum than it called for, literally never skipping a beat. The keyboardist played with the same vigor and intensity–head banging and jumping around as he pounded the keys. The band seems to balance on great psychedelic influences combined with some sharp danceable punk riffs…creating an off-kilter momentum that stayed musicaly and visually interesting throughout. Based on the short set we caught, it’s easy to see why The Pharmacy is a buzzed about band–I look forward to checking out a full set by these guys soon.

The Pharmacy ::: photo by Abbey