In PDX instead of bake sales they have indie rock shows and bands like the Thermals play to make sure elementary kids have a music teacher or usable loaner instruments to practice with.

For this years 2nd Annual Portland Music in the Schools benefit show, a bevy of hot local acts are on the bill including the Blue Scholars headlining and PDX’s YACHT and The Shaky Hands in support.

Here are the important details of how Portland loves (and you can love) their public schools music program:

Music in the Schools Benefit Show
at The Crystal Ballroom in Portland, OR
Friday, May 30
Students $12/General Public $17
Doors at 6:30pm with the schedule going as follows:
Typhoon
The Shaky Hands
YACHT
[quick break]
State of Mind
Gray Matters
*SPECIAL GUEST*
Onlyone and Illaculate of Sandpeople
Blue Scholars

Find tickets at the benefit’s official site.

It’s sad that public school music programs need benefit concerts to provide what the adequate funding, but it’s great to see a community taking it into their own hands to ensure a proper education for their children.

The Shaky Hands

A smattering of news from around the local music scene …

Fleet Foxes annouce EP release party. They’ll be at the Healthy Times Fun Club on February 23. |myspace|

The Shaky Hands have a new video for “Whales Sing.” It’s a fun one and stereogum has it. |stereogum|

Eddie Vedder contributes to another soundtrack. Getting royally snubbed by the Grammy’s for his Into the Wild compositions hasn’t soured the idea of soundtracks for the Pearl Jam frontman, who recently contributed a song to an Iraq War documentary called Body of War. The song, named “No More,” was written specifically for this film, which follows the recovery efforts of a paralyzed soldier who was wounded after only a week serving in Iraq. |rolling stone|

Speaking of Pearl Jam, they like Barack. At least everybody but Eddie does, as they all participated rerecording the 1955 hit “Rock Around the Clock”, redubbing it “Barack Around the Clock” in favor of their favorite candidate. Even the Grateful Dead reunited on Tuesday for a show in support of the Obamanator. He sure knows how to wow musicians. He’ll be here Friday at Key Arena.|seattlest and rolling stone|

And on a personal non-local news note …

Jenny Lewis has been recording her second solo album. Yes! I really liked Rabbit Fur Coat. |hollywood insider|

For the purposes of this list the Northwest includes Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. I’d like to include Vancouver B.C. but I just don’t know enough to really say too much about it. Notable bands who hail from the northwest and released an album this year include but are not limited to the 25 chosen for this list. Should I have aggregiously missed an album that deserves attention, leave a comment.

25. Dept of Energy - Held By Waits

24. A Gun That Shoots Knives - Miracle

23. Das Llamas - World War

22. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

21. Aqueduct - Or Give Me Death

20. Solvents - Manresa Castle

19. Rocky Votolato - The Brag & Cuss

18. The Shaky Hands - The Shaky Hands

17. Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter - Like, Love, Lust

16. The Lonely H - Hair

15. Laura Viers - Saltbreakers

14. Feral Children - Eternity Emergency EP

13. Ms Led - Shake Yourself Awake

12. The Blakes - The Blakes

11. Ghost Stories - Quixoticism

10. David Bazan - Fewer Moving Parts EP

9. Shane Tutmarc and the Traveling Mercies - I’m gonna Live the Life I Sing About in My Song

8. Whalebones - Morning Man EP

7. Siberian - With Me

6. Ice Age Cobra - Brilliant Ideas from Amazing People

5. Tiny Vipers - Hands Across the Void

4. The Whore Moans - Watch Out for this Thing

3. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away

2. Cave Singers - Invitation Songs

1. Menomena - Friend and Foe

Give a listen. Buy an album.

Abbey will have her list of the best local Seattle releases shortly as well.

On the local band’s side…

The Cave Singers visit Daytrotter. If you have yet to pick up the Cave Singers debut album Invitation Songs, you’re missing out. Daytrotter published their session with the Cave Singers this week and it’s a doozy, as expected, so you should go listen.

The Blakes play for MOKB. My Old Kentucky Blog recorded the Blakes for their Sirius Radio show. It’s definitely nice to see these boys getting noticed by bloggerdom at large.

The Shaky Hands have a tour EP. An Aquarium Drunkard has a couple tracks from the Portland band’s recent tour EP. Take a listen.

And on the non-local bands side…

The Cold War Kids ride in a cab. A black cab. Actually just a violin player and Nathan sings a new song called “Dreams Old Men Dream” while riding around London in a black cab. I really like this song.

I’m Not There in Concert. Artists featured on the soundtrack for the Bob Dylan biopic I’m Not There, all covering Bob Dylan songs, perform live in a concert held a few weeks ago in New York.

I’ve waited my whole life to see an I Saw U that was familiar, and it happened today!
From this weeks Stranger:

Mariah (KEXP?) at Crocodile

you work for kexp? we were up from portland. tried to give you a CD at the 3 imaginary girls anniversary, instead you bought it and a t-shirt too. Really wanted to give you my number but too nervous. Road-trip?

I am positive I witnessed this I Saw U moment occur. And I can tell you, that whoever wrote this little I Saw U is a member of the Shaky Hands. I’d go for it Mariah! These guys just scored the sweet spot opening for The Shins on a mini West Coast Tour. Here’s to hoping a member of a great band and a KEXP Volunteer find love!

The Three Imaginary Girls Fifth Anniversary party on Friday at the Crocodile was a blast. We met up with some fellow Seattle bloggers, caught some bands we’ve been meaning to see, and generally enjoyed a beatiful Seattle summer evening. Here’s a bit of what happened in pictures.

Abbey get’s her hair done courtesy of Vain

The Western States Motel

The Three Imaginary Girls (Liz, Char and Dana with her Amy Winehouse doo [r-to-l])

Dolour

The Shaky Hands

Boat

The Shaky Hands hail from the Northwest’s own Portland, OR and have a diverse set of unique pop songs that makes me want to drive down to Portland to pick up their EP. First introduced to them this weekend on KEXP’s Audioasis by the Three Imaginary Girls, I was texting their name into my phone while I was driving so I wouldn’t forget their name. When I finally remembered to look them up, lo and behold, one my favorite music blogs out there right now i guess i’m floating also posted about them along with two mp3’s. Go download and enjoy.

They have a bunch of dates scheduled but none up in the Seattle area, so I’m going to have to cool my heels for a while. They say on their myspace ”our full-length will be out in early 2007, on Holocene Music! (hear it now on the jukebox at the Nest on 20th and Alberta).” Early 2007 can’t get here early enough…