First and foremost, I need to get this little rant out of the way. It is WAY too early for end of the year best of lists to start. It seems much like Christmas decorations, end of the year lists come out earlier and earlier every year. As if there is some secret competition to be first. So, since I’m apparently creating secret internet agreements, I’d like to create another: no best of lists until the day after Thanksgiving. Preferably not until the first of December.

Seeing that Amazon.com wasn’t privy to this secret agreement and considering the loads of love they gave to local bands, I’ll forgive them for jumping the gun and releasing their Best of/End of the Year lists yesterday. The Seattle based we-sell-everything-site gave a nod to a number of local bands, and we’re not talking Death Cab For Cutie; we’re talking legitimately local bands like The Maldives, The Nightgowns, D. Black, Grand Hallway and Throw Me The Statue.  It was a surprise, albeit an incredibly pleasant one, to see so many familiar names on the lists.

Here are the lists and the Northwest locals that Amazon shouted out:

Best Albums of 2009 

Featuring: David Bazan (86), Point Juncture, WA (81), Brandi Carlile (58), Mt. St Helens Vietnam Band (51), Throw Me the Statue (43), Cave Singers (29)

Best Songs of 2009

Featuring: The Thermals (90), Throw Me The Statue (89), Ramona Falls (88), Mt. St Helens Vietnam Band (82), The Nightgowns (73), Nurses (69), Grand Hallway (59), David Bazan (58), Death Cab for Cutie (54)

Outstanding 2009 Albums You May Have Missed

Featuring: Richard Swift (88), The Maldives (50), D. Black (12), The Dutchess & The Duke (11), J. Tillman (9), Point Juncture WA (5), Mt. St Helens Vietnam Band (2), Throw Me The Statue (1)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

Photo by Josh

The ubiquitous Seattle band, Throw Me the Statue played their brand of catchy pop at the Broad Street Stage on Saturday August 30th, to an enamored audience.

Photo by Abbey

Photo by Josh