*Updated 1/18* Upcoming Seattle Shows

Sooo much good stuff this week! Fans of Hardcore should definitely check out the Mercy Ties show at the Highline on Tuesday ('A Dim Lit Place' was just released on Glory Kid); either the Deadkill free show at Easy Street Records, or their record release show for 'No, Never' (out on Good to Die) on Friday night at Chop Suey; and Idaho screamo band Ice Hockey over at Black Lodge.

The three best touring shows this week are definitely at Neumos. Experimental electronic artist Nicholar Jaar is coming with his Darkside project on Wednesday; Canadian DJ Ryan Hemsworth will take the stage the following night; and indie-poppers Yuck will be playing the next in support of Glow & Behold, their sans Daniel Blumberg follow up to their 2011 debut. 

Other local shows: Pony Time with Killer Ghost at the Sunset tonight--either band is capable of taking the roof off of that place; experiment pop songstress (and long time NGD favorite) Briana Marela is going to be playing a free show at Vermillion on Tuesday. No word on when her latest, Reykjavik-inspired record will be released but we are waiting with bated breath. Fans of dark, experimental punk should check out the Stickers, Universe People show at the Lo-Fi on Thursday--especially now that MTNs have been added. Finally, if you're into the weirdo experimental psych stuff, don't miss the Ecstatic Cosmic Union, Lou-Lou Hernandez, Karnak Temples show at Cafe Racer on Friday night. ECU's 'XCU' was almost universally praised in the year end lists and the word is that we are officially on our last release from Lou-Lou Hernandez...sad thought. 

Anywho, all this and more below. Stay tuned from more news about a new mix that we are working on featuring the creme de la creme of Seattle's shoegaze and dream-pop scene. Have a great week!

January

19 Pony Time, Killer Ghost, Gangrene Gang, and Shark Toys at Sunset Tavern

20 Netherfriends, and iji at LoFi

21 Mercy Ties, Cold Blue Mountain, Noise-A-Tron, Audrey Horne at Highline

21 Deadkill at Easy Street Records--Free!

21 NAVVI, Briana Marela, and To Hide Our Numbers at Vermilllion (Free)

22 Disappears, Dreamsalon, Gang Cult at Chop Suey

22 Dial Up: Single White Female, Ash Luk, Teen Girl Dies at Rave and Hojo, DJAO, and Tony Snark at Q Nightclub

22 Darkside at Neumos

23 DTCV, Tangerine, and Charms at Chop Suey

23 Universe People, Stickers, and MTNS at Lo-Fi

23 Ryan Hemsworth at Neumos

23 Stickers, Universe People, and MTNs at LoFi

24 Ice Hockey (IA), Dear Mister Manager, Carrion Cathartid, and Fearless Leader at Black Lodge

24 Ecstatic Cosmic Union, Lou Lou Hernandez, and Karnak Temples at Cafe Racer

24 Patterson Hood at the Crocodile

24 Deadkill (record release), Dust Moth, Rookery, and Into Violence at Chop Suey

24 Yuck at Neumos

25 Posse, Koda Sequoia, Swamp Meat at Blue Moon

25 Michael Bisio and Matthew Shipp duo at Chapel Performance Space 

26 Hounds of Hate, White Wards, and Wet at Black Lodge

29 Dent May, Jack Name (White Fence), and Acapulco Lips at Chop Suey

29 Dial Up: Rap Class and Philip Grass, DJAO, D’Nelski, and Dutty Wilderness at Q Nightclub

29 Matt Owen & The Electic Tuba, Crystal Beth and The Boom Boom Band, WISCON at Lo-Fi

30 The Pharmacy, Detective Agency, and Zebra Hunt at Waid’s

31 White Denim at Neumos

31 Washed Out

, Kingdom Crumbs, and Kisses at Neptune

31 The Spoils, The Cosmonauts, and more at Waid’s

31 MOTOR X: Airport, Apartment Fox, Patternmaster, and Raica at the Lo-Fi

31 Despise You, Iron Lung, Transient, Body Betrayal, and Endorphins Lost at Black Lodge

31 USF, Red Alder, and Children of Kids at Atlas Space

February

1 Slow Bird, Piano Piano, and NGHTBLND at the Crocodile

1 The Helm, Low Sky, and She at Black Lodge

1 Chastity Belt, Wishbeard, and Mega Bog at Columbia City Theater

1 The Jesus Rehab, Hounds of the WIld Hunt, and Tangerine at The Sunset

1 Baniszewski & LeBlanc, Crystal Beth, and Nancy Drew Pentagrams at Hollow Earth Radio

4 Pure Bathing Culture  and La Luz at Neumos

4 Reggie and the Full Effect, Dads, Pentimento, and Honorable Mention at Vera Project

4 Oneohtrix Point Never, The Sight Below, and Nordic Soul at The Crocodile

6 Red Martian, Dirty Sidewalks, Balms, and Vibragun at Lo-Fi

7 Duane Pitre, Total Life, Brain Fruit at Teatro De La Psychomachia--Cancelled

7 White Lies with Frankie Rose at Showbox at the Market

7 Mos Generator, Ancient Warlocks, Argonaut, and C.F.A. at Columbia City Theater

7 Tessitura || Richie Dagger's Crime || Lobsana at World of Beer -- Capitol Hill

8 Wind Burial, Levator, and Randy Hicks Band at Blue Moon

9 Haunted Horses, Noise-A-Tron, and Vats at Vermillion

10 Quilt at Barboza

11 Delorean at Barboza

13 Murmurs, Pink-HOUSE, and Sashay at Black Lodge

15 Marissa Nadler at Fremont Abbey

15 The Presidents of the United States of America at Showbox at the Market

15 Masturbatory Dysfunction, Jodie, #TITS, Breathe Glass, and Wilson Shook at The Josephine

16 Band of Horses at Moore

16 Piano Piano, Chapel Supremesus, and Lazer Kitty at Rendezvous

18 Pixies at Paramount

19 R. Stevie Moore, Chastity Belt, and The Memories at Chop Suey

20 Jetman Jet Team, Blackstone Rangers, Soft Shadows, and Golden Gardens at LoFi

20 Gaytheist, Drunk Dad, and The Great Goddamn at Chop Suey

21 Real Don Music, GEMS, and Industrial Revelation at Lo-Fi

21 The English Beat at Showbox at the Market

21 Sun Kil Moon at Neptune

22 DJ Spooky at Barboza

22 Mutual Benefit with Julie Byrne at Barboza

24 Xiu Xiu at Barboza

24 Not From Brooklyn, Moose Portrait, and Tiburona at Barboza

25 Com Truise at Chop Suey

25 TacocaT at Sonic Boom Records--Free

27 Universe People with Zebra Hunt and Special Guest at Sunset

28 Master Musicians of Bukkake and Lilac and Champagne at LoFi

March

1 Infest, Iron Lung, Gehenna, Warcry, and GAG at El Corazon

1 The Red Elvises at Tractor Tavern

1 Kinski, Bottomless Pit, and Posse at Sunset Tavern

1 Skinny Puppy with Baal at Showbox at the Market

5 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. with Chad Valley at Neumos

6 Real Estate at Neumos

6 J.C. Satan, King Dude, and Grave Babies at Chop Suey

15 Lesbian, Sandrider, and Lords of the North at Columbia City Theater

15 Atomic Bride, Gladiators Eat Fire, Ghost Town Riot, and Keaton Collective at Barboza

28 The Black Lips with The Coathangers at Neumos

April

5 Dum Dum Girls with Blouse at Neumos

16 Chromeo with TOKiMONSTA at Showbox at the Market

17 Godflesh with Special Guests at Neptune (Rescheduled from Oct)

23 Drive By Truckers with Shovels and Rope at Showbox SoDo

July

2 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at Paramount

Album Review: Vibragun, 'Vibragun

Stop. Scroll up. Push play. My preoccupation with VibraGun’s long awaited debut record began immediately, and I have little doubt that yours will too. The 100% true story is that “Send Me To Dream” was the first thing I heard when I woke up that morning, and by the time I got to the third track, “Dream Disintegrate”, I was already trying to simultaneously navigate PayPal to get my download, and Facebook to tell everyone about it. The message I posted said, “I don't care what you are doing; go download this record from Seattle's VibraGun. This will be one of the best of 2014.” I still mean it; this is an amazing piece of music.

For those audiophiles, like myself, who discovered the early ‘90’s shoegaze aesthetic years after it had been dead and buried, the nu-gaze revival to this point has often been more miss than hit. It seems that the process of exonerating the genre also revived the confusing discussion about what sounds actually made shoegaze up to begin with, which naturally led to dogma. Don’t get me wrong, there are a bunch of killer bands out there (listen to Jetman Jet Team), but many more are just nostalgia acts playing paint by numbers—the individual pieces sound right, but taken together the songs feel scripted.

From the first listen it’s clear that VibraGun are an obvious exception to this argument. For all the things that ‘VibraGun’ has going for it, its most endearing feature is its sonic patina. Far from rehashing a particular influence, Bergstrom and crew have managed to make the record I’ve wanted all along: one that feels so immersive, and so continuous with the space-rock, dream-pop, and shoegaze scenes that dominated the time period, that it’s hard to believe it didn’t spend 20 years in the back of some garage.

In addition, the band’s refusal to stoop to idolatry allows them to play around with a wide variety of approaches. For example, while “Send Me To Dream” and “All The Cool Kids” build on treacherous, Swervedriver-esque guitar riffs, “Dream Disintegrate” and “Get Away” seem more indebted to Ride, or Cocteau Twins due in no small part to Amber Joy Smith’s lovely lead vocals and John West’s mellifluous bass work. “Get Away” also has the benefit of having one of my favorite transitions in recent memory. Just after the 2 minute mark when Smith sings, “I’m just trying to find my way”, the percussion drops away and is replaced by the slow strum of an acoustic guitar. The track then commences the transition to the slow-burning outro that seems like it would be right at home on “A Storm In Heaven”.

These are just a few examples, but I assure you that many more await you. In fact, there really isn’t a bad song on this entire record. Having been slightly bogged down with work for the past week I couldn’t have asked for a more appropriate companion than ‘Vibragun’; every time I move on, it seems to bring me right back again. It would truly be a shame if this record didn’t get the praise it sincerely deserves. 

Download your copy of 'VibraGun' from their BC here, and don't forget to check them out on Februrary 6th at LoFi with Red Martian, Dirty Sidewalks, and Balms. 

*Updated 1/12* Upcoming Seattle Shows

Oh man am I running behind this week; sorry guys, it's self service once again. Hope everyone has great week!

January

12 EXPO ‘91: Corey J. Brewer, Maryhane Dunphe, Dragging An Ox Through Water, Elisa Ball, and Lori Goldston with Dan Sasaki at Cairo Seattle

14 Childbirth (cassette release), Half Breed and more at Chop Suey

14 Katie Kate, XVIII Eyes, and Wishbeard at Barboza

14 Plastic Boner Band, Jacob Sundstrom, Abe King, and Charlie Dickey at the High Dive

15 The Thermals at Neumos

15 Chain and The Gang, Shivas, Monogamy Party, and The Exquisites at Black Lodge

15 Dial Up: Tremel, Soffos, Fugal + Hojo, D’Nelski, and Dutty Wilderness at Q Nightclub

16 Wind Burial (record release), Golden Gardens, and Kylmyys at Sunset Tavern

16 StaG, Kairos, and Lazer Kitty at Columbia City Theater

16 They Rise, We Die; Case and Cntrl; and the Hague at Lo-Fi

17 Wooden Shjips and Kinski at the Crocodile

17 Surfer Blood, The Wild Ones, and Cock & Swans at Sunset Tavern

17 Coward, Kaleidosaur, and Pitbull at Chapel Performance Space

17 Speed of Sound in Seawater, and Postmadonna at Vera Project

17 Slow Year, Sky Mall, and Red Alder at Cairo Seattle

17 Black Nite Crash, Trentalange, and Like Lightning at Columbia City Theater

18 Angst Hase and/or White Limo, Marcus Price, Funky Photos, Dasm?, A-A-A-A O-O-O-O, and more? at 18th and King

18 UFOBI, Bath House, and Fabulous Downey Brothers at Cairo Seattle

18 CTPAK Records’ ‘Welcome to Heaven’ DVD release Patry with Bardo Basho and Weapons of Mass Destruction at Company 

19 Pony Time, Killer Ghost, Gangrene Gang, and Shark Toys at Sunset Tavern

20 Netherfriends, and iji at LoFi

21 Mercy Ties, Cold Blue Mountain, Noise-A-Tron, Audrey Horne at  Highline

21 NAVVI, Briana Marela, and To Hide Our Numbers at Vermilllion (Free)

22 Disappears, Dreamsalon, Gang Cult at Chop Suey

22 Dial Up: Single White Female, Ash Luk, Teen Girl Dies at Rave and Hojo, DJAO, and Tony Snark at Q Nightclub

22 Darkside at Neumos

23 DTCV, Tangerine, and Charms at Chop Suey

23 Universe People, Stickers, and MTNS at Lo-Fi

23 Ryan Hemsworth at Neumos

23 Stickers, Universe People, and more at LoFi

24 Ecstatic Cosmic Union, Lou Lou Hernandez, and Karnak Temples at Cafe Racer

24 Patterson Hood at the Crocodile

24 Deadkill (record release), Dust Moth, Rookery, and Into Violence at Chop Suey

24 Yuck at Neumos

25 Posse, Koda Sequoia, Swamp Meat at Blue Moon

26 Hounds of Hate, White Wards, and Wet at Black Lodge

29 Dent May, Jack Name (White Fence), and Acapulco Lips at Chop Suey

29 Dial Up: Rap Class and Philip Grass, DJAO, D’Nelski, and Dutty Wilderness at Q Nightclub

29 Matt Owen & The Electic Tuba, Crystal Beth and The Boom Boom Band, WISCON at Lo-Fi

30 The Pharmacy, Detective Agency, and Zebra Hunt at Waid’s

31 White Denim at Neumos

31 Washed Out, Kingdom Crumbs, and Kisses at Neptune

31 The Spoils, The Cosmonauts, and more at Waid’s

31 MOTOR X: Airport, Apartment Fox, Patternmaster, and Raica at the Lo-Fi

31 Despise You, Iron Lung, Transient, Body Betrayal, and Endorphins Lost at Black Lodge

31 USF, Red Alder, and Children of Kids at Atlas Space

February

1 Slow Bird, Piano Piano, and NGHTBLND at the Crocodile

1 The Helm, Low Sky, and She at Black Lodge

1 Chastity Belt, Wishbeard, and Mega Bog at Columbia City Theater

1 The Jesus Rehab, Hounds of the WIld Hunt, and Tangerine at The Sunset

1 Baniszewski & LeBlanc, Crystal Beth, and Nancy Drew Pentagrams at Hollow Earth Radio

4 Pure Bathing Culture  and La Luz at Neumos

4 Reggie and the Full Effect, Dads, Pentimento, and Honorable Mention at Vera Project

4 Oneohtrix Point Never, The Sight Below, and Nordic Soul at The Crocodile

6 Dirty Sidewalks, Balms, and Vibragun at Lo-Fi

7 Duane Pitre, Total Life, Brain Fruit at Teatro De La Psychomachia--Cancelled

7 White Lies with Frankie Rose at Showbox at the Market

8 Wind Burial, Levator, and Randy Hicks Band at Blue Moon

9 Haunted Horses, Noise-A-Tron, and Vats at Vermillion

10 Quilt at Barboza

11 Delorean at Barboza

13 Murmurs, Pink-HOUSE, and Sashay at Black Lodge

15 Marissa Nadler at Fremont Abbey

15 The Presidents of the United States of America at Showbox at the Market

15 Masturbatory Dysfunction, Jodie, #TITS, Breathe Glass, and Wilson Shook at The Josephine

16 Band of Horses at Moore

16 Piano Piano, Chapel Supremesus, and Lazer Kitty at Rendezvous

18 Pixies at Paramount

19 R. Stevie Moore, Chastity Belt, and The Memories at Chop Suey

20 Jetman Jet Team, Blackstone Rangers, Soft Shadows, and Golden Gardens at LoFi

20 Gaytheist, Drunk Dad, and The Great Goddamn at Chop Suey

21 Real Don Music, GEMS, and Industrial Revelation at Lo-Fi

21 The English Beat at Showbox at the Market

21 Sun Kil Moon at Neptune

22 DJ Spooky at Barboza

22 Mutual Benefit with Julie Byrne at Barboza

24 Xiu Xiu at Barboza

24 Not From Brooklyn, Moose Portrait, and Tiburona at Barboza

25 Com Truise at Chop Suey

28 Master Musicians of Bukkake and Lilac and Champagne at LoFi

March

1 Infest, Iron Lung, Gehenna, Warcry, and GAG at El Corazon

1 The Red Elvises at Tractor Tavern

1 Kinski, Bottomless Pit, and Posse at Sunset Tavern

1 Skinny Puppy with Baal at Showbox at the Market

5 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. with Chad Valley at Neumos

6 J.C. Satan, King Dude, and Grave Babies at Chop Suey

15 Lesbian, Sandrider, and Lords of the North at Columbia City Theater

15 Atomic Bride, Gladiators Eat Fire, Ghost Town Riot, and Keaton Collective at Barboza

28 The Black Lips with The Coathangers at Neumos

April

5 Dum Dum Girls with Blouse at Neumos

16 Chromeo with TOKiMONSTA at Showbox at the Market

17 Godflesh with Special Guests at Neptune (Rescheduled from Oct)

23 Drive By Truckers with Shovels and Rope at Showbox SoDo

July

2 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at Paramount