The Lonely H at Reverb Fest 2009 ::: Photo by Abbey Simmons

October seems light-years away even in the waning Seattle “summer” of 2010, but it really is just right around the corner. Ushering in October will be Seattle Weekly’s always excellent Reverb Fest held October 9th all over Ballard. Yet again, Reverb has brought together one of the most solid and diverse local line-ups of any festival. Name your genre and there’s something at Reverb for you, especially if you like up-and-coming local rock. Reverb reads like a who’s-who of some of our favorite new heavy bands of 2010: Hobosexual, Dog Shredder, My Goodness, The Absolute Monarchs, Wild Orchid Children, Vultures 2012 and What What Now, to name a few. For that, I’m sure we can thank Rocket Queen, Hannah Levin. Even if you don’t like your tunes turned up all the way to 11, Reverb Fest is a celebration of all that is local that you don’t want to miss.

The full line-up as it stands today is below, we’ve bolded the bands we’ll make sure we don’t miss.

Nettle Honey / Thee Sgt. Major III / Imperial Legions Of Rome / Combo Craig / M Bison / The Moonspinners / Massey Ferguson / DJ Dev From Above / Idle Times / Watch It Sparkle / The Chevy Chasers / Dawn Clement / Wild Orchid Children / Gregory Paul / Virgin / Lindsay Fuller & The Cheap Dates / Bernie Jacobs Quartet / Throne Of Bone / Roy Kay Combo / The Drunken Masters / Whalebones / Carrie Clark & The Lonesome Lovers / Kinski / Caspar Babypants / Yuni In Taxco / Post Harbor / Ivan & Alyosha / Vultures 2012 / Feral Children / Eighty 4 Fly / Helladope / Hi-Life Sound System / The Not-Its / Lincoln Barr / Ravenna Woods / Shelby Earl / Lisa Dank / Sol / The Absolute Monarchs / Kristen Ward / Goat / Amateur Radio Operator / My Goodness / Low Land High / Thousands / Sparrow-Bot / What What Now / The Young Evils / He Whose Ox Is Gored / The Fucking Eagles / Kimo Muraki / The Jason Parker Quartet / Erin Jorgensen / Low Hums / Smooth Sailing / Hobosexual / Dog Shredder / Victor Shade / Cady Wire / JFK aka Ninjaface / The Sea Navy / EXOHXO

A great line-up for a great cause. In our opinion, you couldn’t ask for more.

Each year you can count on Noise for the Needy delivering on both counts, in a festival that never lacks in talent or spirit. This year, with national acts like The Album Leaf, John Vanderslice and Horse Feathers as well as a bevy full of great local bands (seriously, if you like them, they are probably playing this festival)  it is shaping up to be the biggest and best Noise for the Needy festival yet. Just look at this schedule:

THURSDAY JUNE 10

Tractor Tavern
$10/ADV | 8PM | 21+
Horse Feathers
Tiny Vipers
Friday Mile
Goldfinch

Sunset Tavern
$8 | 9PM | 21+
Animals at Night
Daniel G. Harmann & the Trouble Starts
Erik Blood
Mal de Mer

Conor Byrne Pub
$7 | 8PM | 21+
Pillow Army
Shelby Earl
Jeremy Burk
Facts About Funerals

Two Bit Saloon
$7 | 8pm | 21+
Neon Nights
Grenades
The Shining Ones
The Keeper

FRIDAY JUNE 11

Underground Events Center - Belltown
$10 | 7PM | 21+
The Maldives
Whalebones
Virgin Islands
Hypatia Lake
Hallways
The Magic Mirrors
Soul Senate
DJ El Toro

The Vera Project
$10/ADV | 7:30PM | All Ages
The Portland Cello Project
Grand Hallway
Drew Grow & The Pastors’ Wives
Angelo Spencer et Les Hauts Sommets
Tomten

Neumos
$12/ADV | 21+ | 8PM
Delta Spirit
Ezra Furman and the Harpoons
The Romany Rye

Check the next two days of Noise for the Needy schedule, after the jump.
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Watch it Sparkle ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Watch it Sparkle produces a brand of gutter rock that can’t help but exist on the fringes. Nothing about the band or it’s songs is particularly shiny or eye catching. At best a generous person might characterize them as a polished dumpster, something that even at its “cleanest” is still intrinsically dirty.

The primitive guitar work and drunkenly bombastic singing of frontman Justin Mellor is all punk in sight and sound. He’s got a stage personality and slur sloppy enough to keep you wondering how he keeps it together, but on the whole the songs are groovy enough to keep your feet engaged. Providing some key help in keeping it together is drummer Starr Harris and bassist Steb, a rhythm section that appeals to both the pure punk (with the drums) and hard rock (with the bass) elements of Mellor’s performance.

As a local music writer of even minimal repute I probably should have been tripping over myself to cover the Pixies “Doolittle” show Friday night. A low ceilinged room where you can step right up to the front of the stage will always be the place I’d much rather take in a show though, it just somehow seems the more proper environs to commune with a band and it’s music than in a cushioned seat 50 yards from an expansive stage larger than the most of the said rooms I usually frequent. So there I was. At the front of the stage. Feeling a bit dirty. And not at all regretting my decision of band or venue.

Watch it Sparkle ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Watch it Sparkle ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Watch it Sparkle ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Last time Crystal Antlers swung through town they were in a supporting slot for the Cold War Kids at the Showbox, and it was an impressive introduction. Tonight they’ll be hitting the local DIY scene and headlining a show at the Black Lodge, before heading to Iceland for the Airwaves Festival on Friday. They’re hardly the only notable band on the bill at this show though, as they’ll be joined by (formerly of the Cops) Mike Jaworski’s new band Virgin Islands, and (formerly of the Snakebites) drummer Starr Harris’ dirty rock project Watch it Sparkle. “My Baby Has a Red Tooth” from the still in production album Leave Me to Dream is my kind of garage punk:

Stream: “My Baby Has a Red Tooth” by Watch it Sparkle

The show is all ages, and you can find location details via one of the band’s myspace pages.