Le Loup, a young band founded by one Sam Simkoff in 2006, is deeply interested in humans and their innate connection with the surrounding world. The band wonders how these beings spiritually append themselves to a confounding and magnificent rock floating in space. It explores the fabric of communal life, focusing on ancestors, communities, tribes, gatherings, people and planet.

It follows suit, then, that the second record from the D.C.-area band, courtesy of Hardly Art, depicts an amorous, wide-eyed view of the universe and its indigenous contents. Entitled Family (naturally), it’s a collection of songs that should be experienced in the presence of an outdoor landscape, with a macrocosmic frame of mind, or with a circle of friends. It’s an album that is best described using terms such as ‘percussive’, ‘tribal’, and ‘folk’; or ‘pastoral’, ‘rustic’ and ‘anti-urban’....

 

I suspect—with the aid of several clues, including interviews, records and blog posts—that Bradford Cox has a rampant imagination. The kind of imagination that would make inventive children jealous. And in some ways, the Deerhunter frontman and Atlas Sound wizard still creates his music through the kaleidoscopic mind of a child, albeit a melancholic one. It’s this sense of sadness and internal strife, stemming from an awkward, diseased (he suffers from Marfan Syndrome), sexually confused childhood, that has manifested itself quite plainly in much of his work. But he also has that creative brain power we all crave, and you know what that imagination is good for? Dreams: those blurry, nebulous brain reflexes that confound us during our sleep and enchant us during our day. Logos, the new offering from Atlas Sound, essentially plays out like one shifting, streaming dreamscape, filled with a thousand different snippets of sound and image, unfamiliar characters making brief appearances, jarring jubilation and drifting despondency, all buoyed by Cox’s trademark hypnotic rhythms and doo-wop desires...

 

On my way to the Paramount Theatre last Friday, as I walked through a typical fall deluge of rain, I was greeted with a glowing marquee that Seattle had been waiting for 15 long years to see. It read in big black lettering: Sunny Day Real Estate. We were finally getting our day of nostalgia with the incredibly influential local band that fizzled out way too early in their promising career. I have to admit that even though I was as stoked as anyone in the Paramount that night, I had already experienced the original reunited lineup in all their glory back on Sept. 18th as part of Portland’s MFNW (read my review here). When the early tour announcements were officially made, Portland was the only city on the schedule, so I quickly jumped on some tickets and scheduled a mini PDX road trip. With that said, I had a pretty good idea of what kind of show it was going to be, though nothing could match the excitement of seeing the band on their home turf...

 

Watching Grizzly Bear perform Friday night was a bit like the experience of watching a dramatic film. A visually stunning, beautifully crafted, uniquely intricate film. First, you had the audience, watching intently from the shabby Moore Theatre confines and hanging on every breath of the players. Secondly, you had the hypnotic lighting backdrop—made up of Mason jar-looking devices hanging from T-shaped scaffolds—captivating and enticing the rods and cones of every human eye present. I really can’t stress enough how much pleasure this added to the overall show. The firefly lights flickered, bounced, beamed and floated with almost every beat, and when combined with the overhead lighting and smoke machine, resembled either a red hellish underworld, a vibrantly green fantasy forest, a purple and orange nod to the season, or a bright blast of illuminating white light. Third, you had the irregular plot lines framed by the ever-so-esoteric lyricism of Daniel Rossen and Ed Droste, both of whom use an Expressionist’s hand to paint their stirring stories of heartbreak, awakenings, and everyday life...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Tuesday, legendary experimental punk rockers, the Butthole Surfers, made a stop in Seattle. They played a killer hour and a half set at Showbox at the Market consisting of greatest hits and fan favorites from most of their classic pre-Electriclarryland records. No “Pepper” played at this show, which was fine with me. This BHS show was a treat because their current reunion tour features the “classic” lineup of King Coffey, Jeff Pinkus, Teresa Nervosa, Paul Leary, and Gibby Haynes. Prior to 2008, this lineup had not played together since 1989 and the Surfers’ last show in Seattle was at the EMP in 2001. Noticeably missing on Tuesday was fifth member and second drummer Teresa Nervosa. According to all reports, she had issues with border patrol getting into Canada for the Vancouver show and headed back to Texas instead of making the trip to Seattle. ...

 

 

 

Hey you! We have to make sure that we don’t just buy digital anymore, people. I’m serious, we have to support the brick-and-mortar record stores, especially the cool ones that sell all the cool music we like. Think about it: what would urban epicenters look like if small, independent record stores disappeared? It would be tragic—TRAGIC—if that happened. They’d be soulless, and with little 1s and 0s floating around everywhere. The listening stations: gone. The free in-store peformances: gone. Convenient ticket counters: gone. You’d be forced to buy music at fucking Wal-Mart, for chrissakes.

The Capitol Hill Sonic Boom is moving in November (not too far, just down to Melrose, between Pike and Pine) and Wednesday (10/14) marked the beginning of their big 11-day moving sale. Don’t let the relocation to a bigger space fool you: business is shitty for Sonic Boom and I don’t have to tell you why....

 

 

 

By LB

Lessons In The Woods Or A City, the Hardly Art-issued debut from local racket-eers Talbot Tagora, is not a record one should delve into lightly or unwittingly. That may sound like a turn-off, but it’s meant simply as a warning. I want you to know what you’re getting into, because when it comes to music consumption, particularly in today’s inhale-everything-at-warp-speed climate, we should be free to wrestle ourselves from its clutches and take the time to smell those beautiful roses across the way. We should spend the effort to dissect—and enjoy—a record without fear of cyberspace flying by and leaving us in the dust. I know I’m not the only one grappling with the hyper-saturation of our music culture. Fortunately for us, this record presents a pristine chance to slowly dive in.

And just what are we diving into? I’ve been listening to Lessons for a good several weeks now, and, admittedly, it’s taken some time absorb...

 

 

 

Is this newsworthy? To me it is.

Was perusing the ol’ myspace and stumbled upon this little nugget: Starfucker is now Pyramid [PYRAMID---all caps may be required]. Most likely. I like it, although it does evoke a decidedly different emotion and image than its predecessor. ‘Starfucker’ is a [high voice] happy, fun, carefree hot mess, where ‘Pyramid’ is a [low voice] giant behemoth of impending wonder and icey intrigue. The rainbow pyramid is a nice compromise, though...

 

 

 

 

It’s cold today. The clouds have descended and fused the city’s pavement and buildings with the Sound’s languidly swelling water. I can see my breath in my kitchen; summer is over for Seattle.

 

 

 

by Owen Waits
 
Having trouble being “cool” in Seattle? Not every one can be super cool in a city of scenesters that strive to one day be yuppies. After all the native seattlitte can come off cooler then your average being with their black rimed glasses, tight jeans,American apparel hoodie and a phone that is as intelligent as a four year old. Fear not with this step by step program will have you unnoticed in a crowded room on capitol hill in no time.
 
Living in the Seattle area you risk running in to serious coolness retardants. You may come across anything from eye contact with a stranger on the street, to social interaction with a person on the end of the bar. Fear not passive aggressive Seattlitte with these short and easy steps you will blend in with the coolest natives this side of the international district. In fact take this as lesson one: never call your local china town “china town,” this limits the term to be exclusively Chinese. Instead be as politically correct as possible and name it international district. This way you can encompass not only all asian cultures but also indirectly list off all cultures that you as an American are unfamiliar with. This way racism is replaced with ignorance...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even frontwoman, Rachel Flotard of Visqueen felt compelled to announce, mid-set, “…you can come up here...even if you don’t have a camera.”

But security issues and organizational issues aside (and there were plenty) Seattle was offered a few pure rock moments...Read MORE!

 

 

 

 

 

To say that The Meat Puppets have survived would be an insult. Drug charges, fatal overdoses, a felony assault conviction, multiple gunshot wounds and severe addictions to illegal substances was the price paid for they’re twelve studio albums.

But what rock band’s story couldn’t boast such clichés?

The ‘Pups reunited in 2006 and in May of this year released Sewn Together, the much anticipated follow-up to their 2007 reunion album, Rise To Your Knees. But fair warning: If you’re expecting the typical reinvented, revamped, aged alt-indie rock band looking to grub a few last ducats for retirement then you’re going to be disappointed.

Originally, The Meat Puppets formed in 1980 in Paradise Valley, a small suburb just outside of Phoenix, Arizona. Nearly thirty years later I played cell phone tag with Meat Puppets frontman, Curt Kirkwood, as the legendary alternative rock band made it’s way across the desert and through the mountains to the Mormon stronghold Mecca of Salt Lake City, Utah.

I sat in my living room and sipped black coffee while Curt manned the caravan and out ran swarms of black flies at seventy miles an hour.

This is what we talked about:

 

 

Free Metallica

Visit www.livemetallica.com and you'll notice a few changes. Over the past few years Metallica has offered full downloads of whole concerts - everything from their current World Magnetic Tour to performances way back in 1982. But, like most bands, Metallica has recently hopped in bed with Apple itunes, so not only will be able to find single song downloads from the Metallica catalog on itunes but you'll also be able to purchase singles straight from Metallica's official website, traditional itunes pricing will apply at both sites: 99-cents per single or $9.95 for the whole concert.

LiveMetallica features 269 plus shows and every setlist is different and, according to the band and Rolling Stone Magazine, "...there’s also dozens of free downloads of concerts spanning the band’s entire career."...