Seattle's all-ages concert guide

Epitaph

Various Writers — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 21:05:07 +0000

It’s over.
After 2.5 years, we have called it quits - we’ve moved on to bigger, inevitably more adult, things. Many of us are now in or have graduated college. Many of us are over 21. Zach Hale is currently hosting a radio show at RainyDawg radio at UW. Morgan Keuler can be found shooting for The Stranger. Tristan Pelton is working with the Vera.

We want to thank all the people who supported us and helped us while we were active, especially our parents, The Vera Project, Capitol Basement, the Easthope Family, The Lonely Forest, EMP SoundOff!, Three Imaginary Girls, Alina Misra and Skinny Productions, The Paradox, The Redmond Firehouse, Idiot Pilot, The Divorce, Schoolyard Heroes, BOAT, Mon Frere, The Cops, and all the local bands who gave us interviews and made our Friday nights so fun, Bumbershoot, Sub Pop and Sarah Moody, CAKE records, and all the local labels who treated us like the real press.

Don’t give up fighting for the underage. The existence of (wonderful) venues like Vera is NOT an excuse to ban the underage from every other venue. Most of all, keep going to shows and loving the music. We had a blast.

If you are underage and would like to start something similar to MercSound, feel free to email Justine (or any of us). We will hand over tips and hints - and our address book.

Staff, if you’d like to edit this article and add where you’re at or someone you’d like to thank, it’s open to modification.

Thank you all for making this one of the most exciting parts of my life so far.
Justine

New Music: Architecture in Helsinki - Places Like This

Reece — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 19:51:23 +0000

After two successful forays into fairly different styles of what most would refer to as “indie rock,” AIH has come back again with their third release, Places Like This. Following up last year’s We Died, They Remixed, a collection of remixes mostly from their second full length In Case We Die, PLT once again employs a new and distinct style throughout the record. Regrettably, this time around, they’ve fallen into that trap that’s eaten alive many a mildly experimental band: trendiness. Oftentimes excellent albums are made when bands expand their sound and experiment with a new ethos, but it’s got to be original and Places Like This does not have that touch.
PLT starts off great with cascading rockets and a groovy drum beat. Then your jaw drops (in the bad way) and this is what you think: ‘Was that Isaac Brock? When did he join AIH? I thought they lost members…’ I can think of no better characterization for PLT than electronic Modest Mouse. Cameron Bird, to his credit, is quite good at Brock style vocals but it doesn’t really fit with their music. Brock’s voice sounds much more powerful when backed by a rock band instead of synthesizers. While you’re still struglling to cope with Bird’s new vocals Heart it Races, the first single off the album, zips by and Hold Music breaks out of your speakers. Hidden in the middle of this tune is what could only be referred to as a spastic rant by Bird. Needless to say, it’s awkward. His voice, so suited for breathy melodies, does not work for brash shouts.
The standout track is definitely “Like It or Not” due to its compatibility with Bird’s new vocal style. It also has a good amount of horn and woodwinds on it, a trait sorely missed on most of the other tracks. This contributes to an overall feeling of disconnection. The band doesn’t seem like a band anymore. It feels like Bird played with some synths and instruments in his basement and threw together some songs. The point is that his move to Brooklyn away from the rest of the band is apparent in the music. You can hear the distance. “Like It or Not” also sports a much more transparent and delicate arrangement reminiscent of Fingers Crossed. It’s these few tracks in the middle that bring out the best of what AIH can do. The final track brings the album right back to the beginning with a raucous electro-jam with Bird spazing out vocals right and left. This is not to say the album’s terrible. It’s worth downloading for a listen or two. The trick is remembering that you’re listening to AIH rather than a Modest Mouse rarities collection. They’ve lost the clever edge they had with their deft arrangements that featured every piece in the band. But maybe that’s what they’re going for as Bird says in “Feather in a Baseball Cap” - ‘Clever isn’t where it’s at, cause dumb is back!’

New Music: The Mission Orange EP

Justine-Marie — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 07:30:43 +0000

When I first saw the Mission Orange, the guitarist was sprawled out on the stage floor, playing the guitar -passionately- on his back. This was not we’re-a-shy-young-band-with-just-an-ep-out-playing-in-a-park type garbage, they were blasting their music like hell, as if they were jamming in a garage or at band practice with nobody watching. I followed up by tracking down their streaming recordings on MySpace and playing “Live Long and Prosper” on repeat for about an hour. I was hooked on my new favorite local band.

The Mission Orange’s 16-minute, 5 track EP is a a maelstrom of fast-paced, classic-influenced rock consisting of only a guitar, vox, and drums. They show strong influence from The Black Keys, but their sound is heavier, faster, and much more modern.

I love the “The Answer”, which is just a simple track with more energy than a Costco case of Red Bull; it deserves a room full of listeners dancing, thrashing, and singing. “Live Long and Prosper” always gives me a little shot of adrenaline every time I hear the intro, but has real lyrics (referencing Star Trek!), and is just a great, memorable single without falling into the boring pattern of pop-singles for even a second. The Mission Orange have their moments of slower tunes (”Top Heavy”), but really they shine most in the faster tracks “The Answer” and “Live Long and Prosper.”

Rumor has it they’re starting to work on their first full-length, and I can’t wait. Call in to the End’s Young and the Restless to request The Mission Orange - or better yet, see the Mission Orange at the Skylark Cafe on Sept 15.

New Music: The Lonely Forest - Nuclear Winter

Justine-Marie — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 18:54:16 +0000

Are you an escapist?

Books, music, art in general; I know that I enjoy them because they take me other places, manipulate the way I feel and think, go somewhere else for a while. That moment when you’re so absorbed in a book that you forget you’re sitting on a couch in rainy Seattle? The emotional peak of your favorite album, where the instruments are so beautiful, the lyrics so perfect that your emotions are practically tuned by the artist?

The Lonely Forest’s latest release, finally a full-length piece, combines both experiences of music and story in an enchanting experience titled “Nuclear Winter.” Alot has been hyped the past few years over “concept albums,” mostly from the punk scene, but forget that. This album is truly a beautiful tale that will take you away like your favorite book and play your emotions like your favorite albums.

The Earth is Hell. Nuclear war breaks out, in the final destructive moment of human selfishness and sin. Faced with no other choice, humans must leave the planet, following a prophecy to find a new home in the constellation Cygnus. Instead of reaching Cygnus, though, the space ship runs to a black hole, and with no chance of escaping, the humans must fly straight into it and pray that “love will find a way.”

It might sound childish or simple, but this album is anything but. The music is the emotive piano rock we recognize from the Lonely Forest. Reprises and repeating themes combine forms from poetry and ballads with musical composition. The idea of home and belonging in compromised situations, from a bomb shelter on Earth (”Leader Holding His Eyes”) to a space ship that may never find land (”Cygnus”) returns with repeating melody throughout the album. “Hangman” as a single might be interpreted simply as a single, of loss and death of a child, but withing the album plays into the story of nuclear war and trauma.

Give this album a serious listen - I listened to it on an red-eye flight on an airplane, with nothing else to pay attention to but the stars outside my window. Listen to the lyrics and close your eyes - or check out the album art: it’s gorgeous. It’s a multifaceted experience of art and story that will leave you awestruck.

The Lonely Forest will be holding the CD Release party for “Nuclear Winter” at the Vera on August 4th.

New Music: Capitol Basement - In The Park

Justine-Marie — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 20:07:30 +0000

Capitol Basement’s first full-length album, “In The Park,” is both a continuation of the sound they have carved form themselves, as well as a progression in style since their last release, the “Ging Gong” EP. The 5-piece group put out a full-fleshed, ten track album in May to a crowd of family, friends, and fans (the three f’s of filling a venue, proportioned properly for a great live experience).

They’re still clearly recognizeable a Seattle band: not by sounding like everyone else, but by drawing influence from distinctly Seattle views of rock. This band’s members grew up listening to Pearl Jam and the Presidents; seeing live music; and in general, taking rock seriously. However, exhilleratingly abrupt shifts a la Arcade Fire, keyboard complexity drawing from classical and jazz influence, and moments of dischord pulled from more punk and hardcore roots all show the bands pull from a large library of modern music.

And Capitol Basement’s own sounds are strengthening. Vocalist Evan Easthope is starting to sound more like himself in his singing. When the “Ging Gong” EP was released, people were still shocked to hear a voice so deep and mature coming from someone so young, and he may have played that up a little bit. Now, a bit older, his voice is still deep, mature, and impressive, but it sounds more uniquely like he, himself - which makes for more solid vocals. Also continued are the anthem-like segments with heavy keyboard, guitar, and steady drumbeats (remember the intro to “Quickdraw” from the EP?). In “In The Park,” “Tyrannosaurus” often has me imagining lights, smoke, and arena rock: it’s epic, espeically live.

But as a whole, the album shows variety between tracks for a solid compilation. “Redwing” and “Nightropes” are nothing short of fast, rock-your-socks-off pieces, “It” is an emotional but rocking piece, “August 10th” a bi slower, and of course, there’s those anthem-like bits that I think characterize Capitol Basement’s releases. The album is available on iTunes and through CDBaby.

The Killers and Louis XIV

Alisa — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 19:49:54 +0000

Confetti, sex appeal, incredible music and kinky red boots…those are the essentials for a great show. The Killers originally postponed this show at The WAMU Theater due to a cold that Brandon Flowers had and alas I was disappointed. But my disappointment dissipated when Rachel reviled to me that Louis XIV would be opening for The Killers. My head almost exploded and I almost shot my load…I was excited. It had been two years since Louis XIV played Seattle and I needed a fix. This combination made for an incredible show as well, the energy was insane and no one could stand still; I don’t think that I have ever danced that much at a show before.

Rachel and I arrived a little late and thought that we might be screwed and stuck in the back of the general admission crowd, but alas we were not. The WAMU Theater is very nice, I had never been there before and I was very impressed. Their bar was pleasant looking (21 feels so far away), the sound in the WAMU Theater is really great too, you could hear everything perfectly and there was no echo throughout the entire night.

Louis XIV hit the stage, fog machine going, and opened with one of my favorite songs from their vinyl, “Grand Apartment”. This is a group of men that can pull just about anything off, Brain even has a Prospector beard to prove the point that they are capable of making anything interesting. I heard faint whispers of, “who is Louis XIV” before the show but after their set, the crowd was amazed. Their lyrics ooze sex appeal, as do the members, and that is what I love so much about them as musicians. They have no reservations about their music, they are honest, interesting and raw. My ears were more than pleased to hear some new tunes as well, they will be releasing a new album sometime this summer or early fall (as no solid release date has been set yet). One of the new tunes they played had to do with airplanes and for some reason reminded me and Rachel of David Bowie’s “Major Tom”. My ears have never been so satisfied, as their guitar rifts are refreshing, energetic and unique. Louis XIV is one of the best bands that I have ever had the privilege to see live, and you can’t really experience their music until you see them live. These men are creating a new type of music that others don’t have the ability to do…they are creating something that is truly their own. I am seeing more and more “repeat” bands now than ever before, bands that sound exactly the same as one another, in part (I think) because they are afraid of taking their music in a new direction. Louis XIV is a band that doesn’t let their record label rule them and they produce what they want, they are their own musicians who can play more than a few chords. I respect this band for those simple reasons, for being their own entity and having a personality that is their own. They create music that they can actually call their own and be proud of. Not only do they blow your mind with their music, but they are also very attractive, that doesn’t hurt… Their energy permeated out into the crowd and there wasn’t one still foot or ass. They demand only excellence and fun from themselves, they are amusing and dangerous. Hide your women, Louis XIV is coming to town. See them live, trust me you will be filled with satisfaction in more than one way.

After Louis XIV pleased the crowd, The Killers hit the stage. The Killers put on an incredible show as well, and it all started with a slide show of sorts on a large white curtain that hung from the ceiling. It was quite epic, the most epic entrance that I have ever seen actually and no one else but The Killers could have pulled it off. After the curtain was pulled, red, white and blue confetti was shot all over the crowd and Brandon Flowers stomped around in sparking red boots. They are the coolest boots that I have ever seen a man wear, and only he could pull them off. It was like if Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz wore Italian style kinky boots all through out the Land of Oz, they were bitchin. And what made it even more awesome was that Brandon’s boot matched his keyboard stand which sparkled red as well. The Killers set was mind blowing, I have never experienced anything like that at a show before. They played a lot of songs from their new album “Sams Town”, but also delighted us with some old classics like, “Jenny was a friend of Mine” and “Mr. Brightside”. This band exudes brilliance, in their music and in their performances. I saw The Killers only once before at Deck the Hall Ball about two or three years ago, and I knew that when they hit the stage then, in matching attire, that they would do great things. The Killers have come so far from their first to their second album, they have pushed their music farther than before. Their debut album is an incredible compilation and you would never guess that it was their first full length release. In their second album, you can feel the change and the progression they have made. They are an ever evolving band, on and off stage. The Killers played an amazing set, I honestly can’t find the right words to even describe how amazing it was. I was left speechless and in need of a cigarette. I danced so hard that my feet hurt for two days and sang along so loud that my throat hurt for a week. The Killers, not just Brandon Flowers, have a way of connecting with their audience that I have only seen from Louis XIV, The Decemberists and The Eagles of Death Metal. I feel privileged to say that I am a fan of The Killers, and that I feel like they appreciate the fact that I spent money to go to their show, that I opted out on Sasquatch to go and watch them perform instead. This wasn’t just another show on their tour, it was a performance of epic proportions, seriously.

As a whole, The Killers and Louis XIV go together like sex and cigarettes. Both are satisfying, and one should always be followed up by the other.

Photo Review: Sirens Sister & Kane Hodder 5/5 @ The Harambee (Renton)

Holly — Mon, 14 May 2007 16:54:26 +0000

Here’s another great series of photos by Holly, this time we’ve got Siren’s Sister and Kane Hodder!

Sirens Sister
Sirens Sister
Sirens Sister
Sirens Sister
Sirens Sister
Sirens Sister
Sirens Sister
Sirens Sister
Sirens Sister
Sirens Sister
Kane Hodder
Kane Hodder
Kane Hodder

Photo Review: The Batteries 4/28 @ Cedarcrest High School

Holly — Wed, 02 May 2007 04:13:31 +0000

Justine says: remember those guys, wandering up and down the lines at the Showbox/Neumo’s/The Vera/El Corazon? Who would give anyone their demo if they wanted it? I first ran into the Batteries almost two years ago while waiting in line to see the Blood Brothers, and apparently they’ve kept going strong! Holly went and saw them this week at a high school show, which prompted me to check out their MySpace, and wow, they’ve come a long way!

The Batteries
The Batteries
The Batteries
The Batteries
The Batteries
The Batteries
The Batteries
The Batteries

Mute Math 4/22 @ Neumo’s

Megan — Tue, 01 May 2007 23:22:24 +0000

Welcome to our newest writer, Megan!

Last Sunday I found myself at Neumos with tickets to see Mute Math (sometimes Mutemath, take your pick). I was tired and grouchy and not in the mood for a concert. A few hours later I found myself in a state of euphoria. To think I had considered not going… But let’s start at the top:

Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin
I’ve loved these guys since their lo-fi, laid-back, indie rock tunes first found their way to my stereo, but I was concerned a live performance would be lacking. Not so. This is a band that clearly has its act together, and that act is Warm and Powerful. SSLYBY was simultaneously deep and danceable, rowdy and reserved, delicate and down-to-earth. Considering the opening band is usually just background noise as people get themselves situated, Someone Still Loves You had a remarkable hold on the crowd.

The Cinematics
I admit I knew nothing about this band before I saw them last week. The Cinematics hail from Scotland which must be the land of pop gems. While their set was unusually short, they were fun and (ironically) familiar, such that I had no problem getting right into it with everyone else. By the end, we were all Ready Now for…

MuteMath
This is a band that, even if you don’t like their records, you must see live. If you do like their recorded stuff, then there’s just no excuse at all. They. Were. Amazing. They practically put on a light show. The entire set was fantastic Chaos and Neumos literally rocked from all the jumping and dancing. Mutemath (and us with them) exploded with energy through Typical, Noticed, and much more, making each song epic with improvisation. If you don’t think a keytar is cool, you need to let Mutemath prove you wrong. Perhaps the most pleasant (slightly off-topic) surprise of the concert was the positive energy of the crowd. I’m used to having to “put up” with fellow concert goers, and I usually witness more shoving and scowling than singing and swaying. Not a single fight broke out (which is a novelty in my concert-going experience) and everyone genuinely seemed to be there to enjoy the music and have a good time (imagine!). I had heard a lot about how Mute Math goes all out live, and there was no disappointment. There was only one way this show could end, and that was with Paul Meany jumping over his keyboard and crowd surfing over his happy, eager fans. “I want to thank you for coming out tonight and especially for touching me inappropriately.” Perfect.

To recap: Someone Still Loves You truly delivered, the Cinematics were entertaining and refreshing, and Mute Math was as crazy as the hype makes them out to be.

Photo Review: The Blood Brothers 4/27 @ The Showbox

Christina — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 16:55:18 +0000

Welcome to our newest photographer, Christina!
Christina had a great night on Friday at the Showbox at the Blood Brothers show: check out what she caught on camera!

The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers
The Blood Brothers

Photo Review: Speaker Speaker 4/20 @ Department of Safety (Anacortes)

Sam Winston — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 06:39:04 +0000

Sam made it all the way up to Anacortes this last Friday to catch the Speaker Speaker, Lonely Forest, The Oregon Donor, and The Sutures completely energetic show! Those of us without the gas to drive quite so far can stay at home and pretend we were there with these awesome photos:

Speaker Speaker
Speaker Speaker
Speaker Speaker
Speaker Speaker
Speaker Speaker
Speaker Speaker
The Lonely Forest
The Lonely Forest
The Lonely Forest
The Lonely Forest
The Lonely Forest
The Oregon Donor
The Oregon Donor
The Oregon Donor
The Oregon Donor
The Oregon Donor
The Oregon Donor
The Sutures
The Sutures
The Sutures
The Sutures
The Sutures
The Sutures

All Photographs © Sam Winston 2007

Photo Review: Schoolyard Heroes 4/14 @ Hells Kitchen (Tacoma)

Holly — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:56:55 +0000

Holly made it down to Tacoma this week to catch Schoolyard Heroes and shot some great pics! Wish you were there? Here’s what she saw!

Schoolyard Heroes 1
Schoolyard Heroes 2
Schoolyard Heroes 3
Schoolyard Heroes 4
Schoolyard Heroes 5
Schoolyard Heroes 6
Schoolyard Heroes 7
Schoolyard Heroes 8
Schoolyard Heroes 9

We’re BACK!

Justine-Marie — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 22:52:20 +0000

Hello!
If anyone is still out there reading this, WE’RE BACK!

Approximately 5 months ago, our server was shut down due to a situation out of our control. As a non-profit group run by college students with no money and a lot of homework, getting everything set up with a new server, getting control of our domain, retrieving our old files, and finding great people to help us out… well, it’s been hectic and difficult!

But ignore all that. We’re looking to swing back into gear right away! Friends, please contact Justine at stinie@gmail.com so we can get started publishing new material as soon as possible.

As a side note, this month marks our two year anniversary. Let’s not ever let there be a stoppage of great all-ages coverage ever again. Since we’ve been gone, a lot has happened, and all-ages music is just as vital and important as ever!

New Music: The Blood Brothers - Young Machetes

Justine-Marie — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 03:30:21 +0000

I’m not going to say this isn’t a good album. I listened to Young Machetes, the newest Blood Brothers release, for most of my trip through Europe, tried to learn all the words, and was really excited when I got it. It was everything I’d expect from a Blood Brothers release. In fact, it didn’t stand out from their other works at all. And that’s where the problem was.

It’s not that the instruments weren’t decent - the sounds, the style, everything is done by talented musicians and fits together well. But it could have been better. Where was the chaos, controlled yet almost unintelligeable on the first listen? It lacked the unpredictability that made their older releases so fun. “Lazer Life” is melodic the majority of the track, with the most concessions to pop predictability than any other song on the album. “Lazer Life” does try to jump to chaos, but it lacks the complexity to make it interesting. For the entirity of every song, I can tell what every member of the band is doing, where every instrument is at, without focusing at all - it’s too easy!

The vocalists haven’t gotten worse - but they didn’t dazzle me. We all know half the female showgoing population in our age group lusts after Johnny Whitney, but Jordan Blilie is a great vocalist as well, and it’s the counterparts that really make their singing shine. I miss the conversational back-and-forth that came with “Peacock Skeleton with Crooked Feathers” and just the darker feel Blilie brings in “Cecilia in the Sillhouette Saloon.” Whitney got to do his singing thing in this album, but I really didn’t notice Blilie’s contribution - which is just a shame. It’s not like he was gone, but they just didn’t make the most of his vocals at all.

Lyrically, it’s not like they’re churning out pop tunes or romantic ballads. But they’re not shocking me. There are no songs on this album that I would really turn off when others were around, a la “The Salesman, Denver Max.” And the strange metaphors and nonsensicalism they have just doesn’t cut it. I want the Peacocks, I want to hear that things are like a pineapple in a tree, and I want to know where the hell Piano Island is. Camoflage? Lazer Life? I’m bored!

They have what I’d expect, but it just wasn’t as well done as before. But most of all, they lack what I can’t identify. Where’s the new thing, what’s interesting about this album? I just don’t see it. Do something new, exciting, different. Still shock, still make us go crazy, but dazzle us with new things, too.

This album isn’t bad: new listeners will like it, but will eventually find more interesting things in their past. Old listeners will enjoy it, but throw it into the shuffle on iTunes shortly after buying it, rather than savoring the album like they did with past releases. It’s not like the Blood Brothers are mediocre musicians - they’re really great. I just wish I could hold this album up as evidence of that. It’s great musicians turning out something that is for them, mediocre, and for the listener, just “pretty good”.

The Rolling Stones 10/17 @ Qwest Field

Tristan — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 22:24:43 +0000

The Rolling Stones are like a friend that you stopped hanging out with in 1981. You were best of friends from the day you met in 1964. You went out together every weekend and drank and smoked like there was no tomorrow. Later on you each started to explore different kinds of drugs together (they got more into it than you did, but you still tried them) while also exploring different sounds that you both liked: American country, hard-rock, and traditional blues. You accumulated so many crazy stories during those early years that it seemed like the good times would never end. Around 1975 everything started feeling a little bit monotonous, though. Both of you had heard all of each other’s stories and they weren’t quite as interesting the third time around. So you started hanging out less and less. They started exploring Jamaican music and you started hanging out pretty often with Led Zeppelin. You had one really big blowout in 1981 with “Start Me Up,” and haven’t really hung out consistently since. They do come by every once in a while, though. The times that they come by have been either brilliant or unexpectedly unprepared (Bridges to Babylon and it’s accompanying tour, for example). Lately, though, we’ve been asking them to come over for a cup of tea more often than any other time in the last 25 years before now. It has started feeling just like those good ol’ days whenever the Stones come over, and Tuesday October 17 was no exception.

There are two main questions one asks when discussing the Rolling Stones live in 2006: Do they still sound like competent musicians? and How near death is Keith Richards really? The second question can be answered easily: he is very close to death. The first is not quite as simple. The Stones are at the same time impressive and pathetic, but what is missing in musical representation is made up for in sheer spectacle. Mick Jagger well represents all three: it’s unbelievable how good years of drug abuse and alcoholism has treated Mick’s body. He is in such good shape - running and dancing about the massive stage, shaking his ass - that it actually becomes part of the spectacle of the entire performance. At 59 years he’s nearing the same appeal Jack Lalanne has, as he runs about stage with so much vigor it appears as if he does it just to show he can. His voice, however, has become strained. It’s still recognizable, but lacks the fullness and power it once held. Jagger also is forced to sing parts slower than on album so to catch his breath and sometimes cannot be heard at all over the music.

Keith Richards fits almost exactly the same mold as Jagger nowadays, except the spectacle of Richards is that he is still able to bring himself onstage and play the guitar parts he manages. While never being that technically great Richards plays even less than he did on the Stones later albums, letting Ron Wood carry much of the load. Richards can get out every recognizable riff as he once did, though, and ripped through an acoustic version of his first ever lead-vocal track, “You Got the Silver.”

After a long Dave Matthews Band set, which included a handful of extended jams, but also showed some restraint from their normal three-hour set, the Stones came out to an excited, but less than packed Qwest Field. Jagger emerged wearing red-sequins as the Stones opened with a poor version of “Jumping Jack Flash,” which was only saved by Jagger’s energy and dance moves. They moved quickly into the 1974 clunker “It’s only Rock and Roll,” and another new track. The show didn’t really take off until Dave Matthews came out and sang with Mick on the non-single “Let it Bleed.” During which Mick said “Is that so?” after Dave Matthews sang the line “we all need someone we can cream on/ And if you want to, well you can cream on me,” poking fun at the sexual reference. Other non-hit highlights included an inspired as usual “Midnight Rambler,” and Richard’s aforementioned “You Got the Silver,” all three of which from the 1969 release, “Let it Bleed.”

After “Midnight Rambler,” the Stones rode the stage out into the crowd where they settled for “Start Me Up,” “Under My Thumb,” and a rocker from their newest album “A Bigger Bang.” Along with the four remaining Rolling Stones, bassist Daryl Jones, and keyboardist (and former Allman Brother) Chuck Leavell rode out to give the South Endzone a closer look at the withering Stones. They returned to the stage while playing an amped up “Honky Tonk Women,” complete with inflated lips above their heads on the stage, and the spectacle really began. “Sympathy for the Devil,” was aided by fire spewing into the open-air football stadium and Jagger strutting around the stage while he played Lucifer. “Brown Sugar,” was decidedly the most inspired performance of the night. The enormous screen behind the band showing a video of a topless black woman dancing amongst various landmarks like The Eiffel Tower and Taj Mahal. The crowd of baby-boomers, some with Gen Y (cough) children sang along gleefully to the tale of rape and slavery like they didn’t argue that Bill Clinton was a bad president because of his sexual adventures on the way home.

After a very short break for encore Mick appeared wearing an elegant knee-length white jacket for a classy version of “You can’t always get what you want.” The mood dampened but briefly as Keith tore into his most famous riff and the Stones closed with “(I can’t get not) Satisfaction).” They played the classic with an energy that downplayed the fact that they’ve been playing it for 41 years now. The spectacle wasn’t quite over yet, though. As the band ripped through the coda to satisfaction, fireworks took off from above their heads and filled the Seattle sky.

So perhaps our old friend’s haven’t cleaned up their act as much as they say they have, and their class can only last for so long - we don’t want these friends to change. No, we loved them when we were close because of our differences. Sure, sometimes we were frightened by their antics and other times we just wanted to get some damn sleep. Now, as we all get older, we can’t have them stay over every night, we’ve got kids now, but they’re more than welcome to come by for an evening and we can talk about the good ol’ days like they never really ended.

Nico’s “It Was A Pleasure Then”

Aaron — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 05:43:52 +0000

Nico is the epitome of cool. A tall, high cheek boned, blond, red, or black haired Germanic rose in the snow, who hid in bathtubs when bombs fell, Warhol superstar, lingerie model, she knew your dadâ€™s favorite rock star quite well, spotted in Federico Fellini films, her dad died in a concentration camp, brought out the best guitar playing Jimmy Page ever did (â€œIâ€™m Not Sayingâ€ single, 1965), and made some of the most harrowing music your ears will ever experience. Basically more traveled and experienced than one can imagine. You may, and most likely, only know her as that weird singer who did those songs on that Wes Anderson movie or those three tracks on the first Velvet Underground album that you always hated because they were so utterly foreign, and so different from Louâ€™s streetwise Dylan lisp. If you know more than that itâ€™s probably some image of her as â€œthat scary old drug ladyâ€. Sadly, Nico is just now being that noticed, though such a misinterpretation is rather disappointing when, letâ€˜s finally face it AOR kids, relatively artistically boring acts like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin are basking in a new wave of merchandise profits. If that confuses you or offends you, let me explain why you should give Nico some of your time, and as an example I will examine her opus â€œIt Was a Pleasure Thenâ€.

Nestled in a morose, string drenched folk album, Chelsea Girl (1967), â€œIt Was a Pleasure Thenâ€ is Nicoâ€™s departure into her own doom laden sting of albums that installed her as a absolute benchmark of early â€œalternativeâ€, punk music along with The Velvets, Can, Brigitte Fontaine, Alice Coltrane, The Stooges, Suicide, and Yoko Ono. While the rest of the album settles for, as previously noted, strings, and Jackson Browneâ€™s acoustic guitar, basically a comparison piece to Leonard Cohenâ€™s Songs of Leonard Cohen, â€œIt Was a Pleasure Thenâ€ takes the two figureheads of the VU camp, Lou Reed and John Cale, on electric guitar and viola respectively, and builds a timeless, unearthly symphony that rivals anything from the 1960s or really anything pop music (by which I mean non classical/ avant-garde composers) has produced to date.

Instrumentally having two artists like John Cale and Lou Reed that are so knowledgeable and steeped in the avant-garde form obviously raises the ever-important â€œinteresting factorâ€œ. Lou Reedâ€™s style and approach is a welcome breather in the blues and blues only guitar god canon, as his style is heavily free-jazz indebted often using space and atonal blasts rather than a Howlinâ€˜ Wolf lick. John Caleâ€™s approach comes from an Indian-like penchant for the drone adding a new level to any music he plays.

From a smattering of short phrases being repeated and reversed and further developed and changed off of Reedâ€™s unstable guitar, comes the soft cooing of Nico, while Cale throws a wave of viola into space adding a certain deathly texture. Reedâ€™s guitar grows and grows, getting louder, darting in and out, and snapping briefly into feedback snarls and shrieks, while Caleâ€™s waves come in faster, surrounding Nico, and steadily into a sudden burst of schizophrenic destruction, while Lou switches into the drone. Nico remains undeterred singing â€œNever, never, never, never, be too brightâ€ and coos again as it gracefully dissolves into nothingness. Thatâ€™s a brief approximation of the actual music.

I said earlier it has a timeless feel. That is a literal statement, not just that it is completely relevant now, but that it rejects time and actually floats into the blackness from which Nico seems to be singing from. There is no percussion obviously and Cale and Reed seem to completely improvise the entire piece. Itâ€™s as linear as recorded music can really be, itâ€™s just a slow drift into the peak and could easily have been stretched out into 40 minute plus extemporizations as â€œSister Rayâ€ (The Velvet Underground, White Light/White Heat, 1968) was. There are no real themes or motifs for Cale or Reed to repeat, itâ€™s Nico floating there, and they surround her as they please, playing of each other, and any time those two minds competed, it was a spectacle.

The hidden key that makes this work, and really separates itself from jazz and art-rock, is that Nico sings this like an a cappella. She rarely recognizes the layers building around her, preferring to sing at her own tempo, like the voice-as-an-instrument idea shoegaze would build upon (her next album, The Marble Index, 1968, has many themes that relate also to the future genre). I say not like jazz however because jazz singers usually sing with their group, Nico is fairly detached throughout.

Contrary to the popular opinion that Nico couldnâ€™t sing, but was only really interesting because of the novelty European factor, her â€œooohâ€s, much like Patti Smithâ€™s on â€œElgieâ€ (Horses, 1975), are completely bewitching. Those vocal improvisations and the lyrics create a strong feeling of Nico recalling her countries (Germany) dark past, looking out a window into the bloodied snow at the face of former dictator oppression (â€œOf bitter tasting hatefulness, Above our shattered mindsâ€). The vastness which she sings into is majestic to say the least, and though it isnâ€™t a self-penned work (Cale and Reed wrote the song and itâ€˜s easily some of their best writing, something you shouldnâ€˜t take lightly), her intonations make the song. Itâ€™s dark feel comes from a psychological pull not from satanic imagery like a certain other genre dealing with darkness depends on. Which of those works better for that atmosphere is just a matter of opinion, but Nico comes from the former.

This song is a must for any music fan that seriously is interested in music as art. Itâ€™s similarly necessary if you prefer your music to be challenging and ultimately rewarding. It isnâ€™t completely revolutionary, as there are few examples of pop music following this path, but it is rather unique for itâ€™s time period; itâ€™s more a strange obscurity. Nobody was really willing to succumb to this darkness and create something this disjointed, bleak, and again, linear. Itâ€™s punk in the sense that Nico clearly didnâ€™t care how this would strike the hippie crowd, when she realized she could do her own thing and more importantly did (that is the sign of a great artist). Go grab Chelsea Girl, put this track on, turn out all the lights, and look out to some far away street light and you might get it.

Further Listening:

Can - Future Days (1973)
Alice Coltrane - Journey In Satchidananda (1971)
John Coltrane - Interstellar Space (1974)
Miles Davis - Get Up With It (1974)
Simon Finn - Pass the Distance (1970)
Brigitte Fontaine & Art Ensemble of Chicago - Comme Ã la Radio (1969)
FranÃ§oise Hardy - La question (1971)
Nico - The Marble Index (1968)
Nico - Desertshore (1970)
Yoko Ono - Plastic Ono Band (1971)
Ravi Shankar - A Morning Raga / An Evening Raga (1968)
The Stooges - The Stooges (1969)
Suicide - Suicide (1st) (1977)
The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat (1968)

New Music: The Capitol Years - Dance Away the Terror

Levi — Sat, 14 Oct 2006 23:15:11 +0000

“The Capitol Years are not a good band.”

No, that’s not a line from someone else’s review (well, not exactly); it’s a line from the Philadelphia band’s own song “Mirage People,” on their new album Dance Away the Terror. As you might glean from this line and the album’s title, the band has a dark, skewed sense of humor, which they put to admirable use in crafting their slightly disturbing pop songs.

I actually played a show with The Capitol Years a couple years ago, and I remember them being an upbeat, hook-filled rock band, with a strong 60s and 70s rock influence. At the time I could have easily seen them playing shows with bands like Ted Leo/Pharmacists or the Wrens (OK, I didn’t know who the Wrens were at the time, but you get my drift). I’m not sure if their recorded output differs from their live show, or if they are just headed in a different direction these days, but this album is much subtler, darker and stranger than I remember them being live. There are still strong ties to the music of the 60s and 70s (their band name, which could be a reference to anyone from the Beach Boys to the Jesus Lizard or now the Decemberists, for some reason still evokes the 1960s to me), but from a broader range of genres.

There are only a couple of straight-up rockers on this album, and the band takes their time getting there. The first song, “Dance Away the Terror” is a stripped-down introduction to the album, with piano, guitar and haunting vocals exhorting us to “dance away the terror as the terror dances your way.” Things get a bit more upbeat on “Revolutions,” the second song, but they still play with rhythmic and dynamic shifts that keep the listener slightly on edge throughout the song. It’s only until the third song, “Long Time,” that they let loose with a straight up Maximum R&B rock song - and yes, this is more like the Capitol Years I remember, with jagged, chiming guitars and driving bass and drums - that just screams “radio single.” After this, though, it’s back to their less straightforward songwriting, where they often employ stark changes in time signature and feel throughout the course of a song. “Long Time” is definitely a good, quality rock song that grabs you right away, but I really think the creative risks they take throughout the rest of the album pay off upon repeated listens.

Many readers of this Web site might not be familiar with the voice of Joe Pernice (and if you’re not, you should be), but that’s who I can’t help but be reminded of by the singing of Shai Halperin of the Capitol Years: His voice is soft, almost whispered-sounding at times, and even in the more aggressive songs it still has a relaxed, laid-back feel to it. Similar to Pernice, and as touched on before, Halperin also has quite a knack for juxtaposing beautiful pop songs with darkly humorous (or humorously dark?) lyrical content. Halperin’s lyrics are often somewhat more obscure and stream-of-consciousness than Pernice’s, but there’s no mistaking their less-than-cheery content, touching on anything from the indie rock scene to the war in Iraq.

Of course, lyrically, the most brilliant song on here - not penned but manipulated by Halperin - is arguably the aforementioned “Mirage People,” which starts off with the above seemingly self-dissing statement. All of the lyrics to this song were actually taken from an anonymous e-mail sent to several different Philadelphia music press outlets. The author of the e-mail apparently had a serious axe to grind with the whole Philly music scene, and some especially choice words for our friends the Capitol Years:

The Capitol Years are not a good band. Unchain yourselves, gang. I mean, I know the rock scene in Philly has reached a particularly low valley over the past few years, but that’s no reason to go slummin’ with these frauds. I assume they won by default. That’s the only way I can reckon them being named â€œBest of Phillyâ€ a few years back. Yes, It’s a shame The Burning Brides skipped town, but let’s hold ourselves to a higher standard than this. It’s a mirage, people. I’d love to know one substantial accolade these cats have on their resume (Disclaimer: Carson Daly does not count, now or ever).

Some bands might either be discouraged or dismissive upon reading a rant like that, but The Capitol Years sprang into action, and in a matter of hours they wrote and recorded a song - an excellent song, by the way - built around this anonymous hater’s own words. The result is a perfect example of both their excellent songcraft and their mischievous sense of humor.

Dance Away the Terror does not have the feel of a trendy Indie Rock Record of the Minute, and the Capitol Years don’t come across as one of those bands. The bloggers might not be gushing about them this month, and Pitchfork might not be shoving them down your throat, but that’s just fine. This seems like a hardworking band that writes damn good songs and will continue to do so for many years down the line.

New Music: Oxford Collapse - Remember The Night Parties

Holly — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 17:02:08 +0000

Tuesday, Oxford Collapse released their 3rd album â€œRemember the Night Partiesâ€, an album that manages to bottle up the feeling of warm, liberating summers spent doing absolutely nothing but enjoying life without responsibilities. Oxford Collapse, a 3-man band from New York delivers an enjoyable performance, but lacks the spark needed to ignite passion for life, love, and summer within the listener.

With an initial listen, one finds that the music is upbeat, reminiscent of the vocals of early The Offspring (sans the shouting) and they have an overall sound of The Polyphonic Spree. After a few more listens of the album, one begins to realize that this is definitely not the type of album that can be kept on repeat for very long without suffering an eye twitch due to the irritating repetition of the guitar notes song after song. Although the lyrics are heartfelt and allow the listener to relive the relaxing memories of days gone by, it is highly noticeable that perhaps Oxford Collapse is at their pinnacle of decent and satisfying sound when simply grooving with the instruments alone and without the lyrics as proved in track 7â€™s â€œLetâ€™s Vanish.”

Oxford Collapse new album release is agreeable, but alas, too mediocre for my taste. Perhaps third time is not a charm.

The Who @ Key Arena 10/11

Tristan — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 08:40:50 +0000

That opening riff. You know the one. The two power chords that kick open “I can’t Explain,” the same ones that introduced The Clash to America on “Clash City Rockers.” It’s electric. It’s explosive. It’s concise, and they can’t wait to play it. Most importantly, though, it’s loud. But, that is only half of what The Who are all about.

They also happen to be one of the most influential groups in the canon of rock music. Anyone who has seen an episode of CSI knows how influential they are, but the point can still be stressed. Think about these three genres: hard rock, punk, and eurocentric mod-rock. Now, thank The Who.

On Wednesday October 11, 2006 The Who came through Seattle to ignite Key Arena with a collection of interesting, if unoriginal new songs and a bevy of hits from throughout their history. It wasn’t the only time The Who have been to Seattle in the aughts, though.

Four years ago: a Tristan of sixteen years travels to The Gorge to see The Who on their 2002 reunion tour. He is so excited about this experience that when he returns home he writes a song about this experience. Here is the song, verbatim:
Its’ just Rock
Now let me tell you where I was last night
I wentout to see such a sight
Saw the best band in the whole damn nation
even if theyre from my fathers generation
As the wistle took it’s toll
and the moon already fell
Something special looked down upon us from hell
Comiserating/Anticipating/Withe the other fans with whom I was waiting/ We all joined together to see the band.

(The only cure to the Summertime Blues
The only thing to get me through
I’m goin out to see The WHO!)

What I felt inside; I can’t explain
all I know is - I cant complain

This wasn’t Live at Leeds
it wasn’t live on T.V.
I saw The Who right there in front of me

I dont mind the heat
I’m willing to be beat
what I need is a cure to my disease

(Chorus again)

Not much has changed since that fateful night four years ago. The same amount of Who members are alive now as there were then - here’s a hint: it’s the same two as before. The Who still sound exactly the same; Pete Townshend windmilling his way through power chords and Roger Daltrey’s still distinct, but strained voice.

The Who opened, as always with “I can’t Explain,” in which Pete Townshend had guitar troubles throughout and was forced to leave guitar duties to his brother Nigel, playing mostly rhythm guitar just behind drummer Zak Starkey’s (Ringo’s son) set. After Townshend fixed his guitar problems they plowed through a series of mid-level hit singles including “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere,” and “The Seeker.”

The Who’s most inspired moment of the night came during the 1978 smash “Who Are You,” which had the crowd bouncing around and jumping out of their seats. Momentarily the fact that half of this legendary group of is dead moved out of thought and they seemed as if they were their classic 70’s selves.

Bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon are dearly missed, even if their replacements are excellent musicians. No one will play drums again with the vigor and manic exuberance that Moon had and some of Entwistle’s bass lines are downright shocking. Filling in for Entwistle on bass was Pino Palladino, who played a dead-on impression of Entwistle’s bass-solo on “My Generation.”

The Who also played their two biggest hits “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” and “Baba O’ Riley,” effectively. “Baba O’ Riley was the crowd’s favorite song, the eight-thousand strong all yelling “teenage wasteland!” during the chorus.

They played ten new songs from a European-only mini opera and their forthcoming LP “Endless Wire.” The new songs were mostly interesting and on the whole better than most songs recorded by sixty-year-olds.

Even though four years have passed since their last visit to Seattle, The Who still play a detonating live show. Even if a twenty one year old journalist doesn’t plan on writing a song about this atomic live show, hopefully there is a sixteen year old out there who just can’t help but be inspired by the performance he saw.

KEXP Internships

Justine-Marie — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 08:24:21 +0000

Hey, did you guys know that KEXP has open internships? I didn’t - they all look really cool, and they’re open to anyone in or above their junior year of high school. You can help with the DJ, marketing, fund raising, and do all sorts of stuff at basically the best radio station ever. If you’re looking for an opportunity to dive into real music work, this sounds like a great opportunity (you can always just write for MercSound too!) Anyways, check it out.