Thomas Hunter::: photo by Abbey

Tonight we’ll be checking out The Wild Orchid Children at a warehouse venue in town. While we are always excited to see Wild Orchid Children, one of our favorite live acts in town, we are both bummed and excited that their expressive, deightful, and ridiculously talented guitarist Thomas may not be there tonight.

Turns out that Thomas, who also often plays guitar for Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground and The Saturday Knights, was in Australia this Monday playing with Saves The Day. And here’s the YouTube video to prove it:

Thomas is doubtlessly one of the most talented musicians in Seattle and it’s great to see that bands all over are aware of that.

Please enjoy the Saturday Knights new video for “Count it Off,” from their record Mingle, as much as I just did.

HT: Reverb

 
Here it is folks, the end all and be all…our Top 25 Northwest Albums of 2008. While numbers 6 through 25 were highly contentious, there was unanimity as to the Top 5 Northwest Albums of 2008 and their order. There’s no doubt in our minds, that no band deserves the accolades more than The Moondoggies. Their album Don’t Be A Stranger is an instant classic in the vein of Music from Big Pink. We expect 2009 to be even bigger than 2008 for The Moondoggies, and we can’t wait to see what comes next from them, as well as the other great bands that made this years list.

1. The Moondoggies - Don’t Be A Stranger |myspace|
2. J. Tillman - Vacilando Territory Blues |myspace|
3. Wild Orchid Children - S/T EP |myspace|
4. The Dutchess and The Duke - She’s The Dutchess, He’s The Duke |myspace|
5. Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground - S/T LP  |myspace|
6. Fleet Foxes - S/T LP |myspace|
7. See Me River - Time Machine |myspace|
8. Whore Moans - Hello From the Radio Wasteland |myspace|
9. Starfucker - S/T LP |myspace|
10. Jake One - White Van Music |myspace|
11. Blind Pilot  - 3 Rounds and a Sound |myspace|
12. Thee Emergency - SOLID |myspace|
12. Sera Cahoone - Only As The Day Is Long |myspace| 
13. Horse Feathers - House with No Home |myspace|
14. The Pica Beats  - Bring Back the Claws |myspace|
15. Throw Me the Statue - Moonbeams |myspace|
16. Das Llamas - Class Wars: K-12 |myspace|
17. The Builders and The Butchers - S/T LP (re-released nationally 7/08) |myspace|
18. Saturday Knights - Mingle |myspace|
19. The New Faces - S/T LP |myspace|
20. Damien Jurado - Caught In Trees |myspace|
21. Bark Hide and Horn - National Road |myspace|
22. Grand Archives - S/T LP |myspace|
23. Hey Marseilles - To Travels & Trunks |myspace|
24. The Hands - S/T LP  |myspace|
25. A Gun That Shoots Knives - Future of Love  |myspace|

Here is my list of what I consider to the be the “best” releases I’ve heard this year, full albums and EP’s, local and not, self-released or with a label. Regular readers probably won’t find too much surprising but there are a few that we may have not featured very much, probably because I just didn’t have too much to add to the already existing narrative. Most notable among that list is my number one choice From Emma, Forever Ago, by Bon Iver, AKA Justin Vernon. Each listen of this debut LP proffers a new detail to my ear and generates a renewed catharsis within my soul.

Before I start opining any further and get out of control (we’re saving that for next week’s official Northwest-themed lists), here are my favorites from the past year…

Josh’s Top 25 Releases of 2008

1. Bon Iver - From Emma, Forever Ago |myspace|
2. Dead Confederate - Wrecking Ball |myspace|
3. The Moondoggies - Don’t Be A Stranger |myspace|
4. J Tillman - Vacilando Territory Blues (Digital Release Only) |myspace|
5. The Whigs - Mission Control |myspace|
6. The Dutchess and the Duke - She’s the Dutchess, He’s the Duke |myspace|
7. Wild Orchid Children - S/T EP |myspace|
8. Kay Kay And His Weathered Underground - S/T LP |myspace|
9. Starfucker - S/T LP |myspace|
10. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours |myspace|
11. The Notwist - Devil, You + Me |myspace|
12. Noah and the Whale - Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down |myspace|
13. Land of Talk - Some Are Lakes |myspace|
14. Fleet Foxes - S/T LP |myspace|
15. The Dodos - Visiter |myspace|
16 See Me River - Time Machine |myspace|
17. Jake One - White Van Music |myspace|
18. Whore Moans - Hello From the Radio Wasteland |myspace|
19. The Pica Beats - Bring Back the Claws … |myspace|
20. Thee Emergency - SOLID |myspace|
21. Lightspeed Champion - Falling Off the Lavender Bridge |myspace|
22. The Saturday Knights - Mingle |myspace|
23. Army Navy - S/T LP |myspace|
24. Horse Feathers - House with No Home |myspace|
25. Crystal Stilts - Alight of Night |myspace |

The album I listened to the most that was actually from last year but didn’t discover until this year…

The Avett Brothers - Emotionalism |myspace|

You’ll notice TV on the Radio, Of Montreal, Portishead, and Deerhunter aren’t in there. Nor Lil Wayne. I’m sorry (but not that sorry) to say I’ve listened to all of these records and they just didn’t do it for me. Dear, Science is certainly an innovative record, but I didn’t connect enough to warrant the repeated listens of those listed above. Vampire Weekend’s record is another that fits that profile, a well realized album that unfortunately for me is without any lasting impact. And I’ve diligently searched for the quality in the Deerhunter album that has everyone shouting, but I’m just completely missing it.

Today you can buy the MP3 album of Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago from Amazon for 5 bucks. After my ringing endorsement, and at that price, you have no good reason not to go get it.

Lucky you. You read this blog, so you are getting the downlow on how to get invited to an “Invite-Only” show featuring some of Seattle’s hottest emerging talent at Neumos on October 16. Here are the details:

10.16 Thursday
An Invite Only Event with
THE SATURDAY KNIGHTS
The Cops
Mono In VCF
DJ Dyce
For access RSVP to promo@neumos.com
21+ / 8 pm doors

All you’ve got to do is RSVP and you get in FREE.

Before somebody starts accusing me of lacking journalistic integrity let me say this: I work for Light In The Attic, the home of The Saturday Knights.  I try not to cover Light-related artists on the site, but due to a confluence of circumstances this weekend I was the only member of the Sound on the Sound team to make it to The Saturday Knights’ 2nd Annual Donut Eating Contest.  So, with full disclosure on the table, my numerical coverage of The Saturday Knights’ 2nd Annual Donut Eating Contest:

Getting it all warmed up :: Photo by Jackie Kingsbury

1.  This contest was pretty much The Billy the Fridge Show.  Lord knows how much this kids weighs (a few friends guessed 400+) but from minute one, it was clear: this kid could eat a shit-ton of donuts.

2.  As fate would have it, The Fridge just didn’t get the selection.  Former Almost Live! alum Nancy Guppy picked out six kids (a bizarre mixture of sort of thugged out hip-hop kids, a 6′8″ Louisianian named “The Donut Eating Angel of Death, and just your good-natured competitive eaters) and alas, no Billy.  Lucky for ole Fridgey though, he’d brought 40 dollars worth of bribery just for that sort of situation.  A little gentle bullying from Fridge and Ms. Guppy sealed the deal, and in the, er, parlance of our times, we were off to the races.

They look so happy, don’t they? :: Jackie Kingsbury

3.  It was impressive to me that pretty much every competitor had some form of cheering section.  As the lovely Nancy Guppy pulled out names, each one got a sizable yell.  Maybe I’m new to the fascinating world of competitive eating, but do you have to bring your own cheerleaders to even be considered a contender?  Even The Fridge had a sort of circling group of sycophants and the man had to buy his way in to the contest.  Big eaters seemingly need big crowds.

Read the rest of this entry »

Saturday night with The Saturday Knights — 10pm Neumo’s.

The Saturday Knights ::: photo by Abbey

Oh yes folks, it is almost time for The Saturday Knights 2nd annual doughnut eating contest. And whoever came up with the original idea, gets to wear the genius cap for the day, in my book.

Local party crew The Saturday Knights will be taking over Downtown Seattle’s Top Pot Doughnuts next Saturday the 26th at 2pm. TSK will be performing two tracks from their awesome recent Light in the Attic Release, Mingle during which participants are asked to eat as many decadent Top Pot doughnuts as possible. Though we love them both, One Top Pot doughnut makes our tummy feel yucky and The Saturday Knights always crack us up — and my mom told me it was dangerous to eat and laugh at the same time– so this half of Sound on the Sound won’t be participating in this years competition.

However, some local rock musician, writer or photographer should represent. Last year, Bob, the drummer for The Blakes, took second in the contest. Witness the wonder here:

Extra bonus? Like Top Pot Doughnuts and The Saturday Knights aren’t enough? Nancy Guppy of Almost Live fame (if you are a native or a local you know what that is and means) will be hosting the whole shin-dig.

From last night’s Rock Lottery at Neumos.

Photo by Josh (aka me).

The Kooks at the Croc - Sold Out! From the always invaluable Music Slut we learn that the Kooks show on May 3rd is sold out and the opening band will be Illinois.

The Stranger is all about musicians… This week’s Stranger features the “2007 Musicians Resource Directory” which they subhead “The Bible of Music-Making in Seattle.” It has all sorts of helpful columns and insight about what an up and coming band needs to do to succeed. I espically like the hilarious groupie guidlines written by Tilson of The Saturday Knights:

I only want the best caliber of groupies. The upper echelon. I need the innocent groupie, the buck-wild groupie, the ’80s rock groupie, the comedic groupie, and the old-lady groupie, because I’m not into leaving anyone out. I also need a groupie who knows how to read. I need a diverse pool of groupies, which is why I’m taking my time.

I can handle the conversations of about seven to eight women at once. Any more than that and it gets weird. That’s where the etiquette comes in—I don’t know if you shake hands first or ask them to get naked first. I’m not saying the woman needs to get naked for sexual reasons. I don’t know if we are going to have sex. I want naked women around for comfort reasons.

But really, it all comes back to knowing where to get something to eat. I don’t care if you get naked­­—if I’m getting a stomach cramp, it doesn’t matter. First and foremost, Tilson is hungry. I wonder if groupies always knew where to take Marvin Gaye to get something to eat.

Colin likes books… The Decemberists front man Colin Meloy will be a judge at this year’s ‘Tournament of Books.’

Local In-Store performances… El Perro del Mar is having an in-store this Friday at Sonic Boom Capitol Hill at 7pm. You can check her out later that night at KEXP’s John in the Morning at Night bash at Neumos with The Shackletons, The Blakes and The Saturday Knights. Speaking (again) of the Saturday Knights, if you can’t make it to Friday night’s show, you can see an in-store with these gentlemen Sunday at 2pm at Easy Street (it doesn’t say whether it is the Queen Anne or West Seattle location though). Come be a groupie (and bring food for Tilson). Finally, local notables Dept. of Energy will be at Sonic Boom Ballard on Thursday March 15 at 6pm. Free music is good.