Thursday, February 27, 2014

SWL #51: Slow Bird, "Backfire"



This song is an anthem from the very beginning, making it an excellent opener to Slow Bird's latest record, 'Chrysalis'. Jennae Quisenberry comes in over percussion reminiscent of a military drum line with her pretty but resolute declaration: "Gonna raise an army up/ gonna build an army/ guns are cleaned and safety's off". The song's charm lies in juxtapositions like this; obviously the topic is dark and the drums are utilitarian, but the other instrumentation and vocals are so beautiful -- layered, reverb-y guitars, keys, and synths. Then, at the 2:50 mark, the march of war dissolves away, and we see this song is not about a war of countries, but of hearts. Quisenberry croons "You know I blame you/ I know you blame me, too".



Quisenberry, with Matt Street on synthesizers/drums and Joshua Dore on guitars, have put forth a whole album of lovely, dangerous songs and listeners can find a battle cry of their own on any of the tracks from "Chrysalis". Even the slower songs have a power and grace that makes me feel ready to take on the world. Lucky us, Seattle, they've been playing around town recently, gearing up for their LP release soon. Keep a look out for show announcements on their Facebook page, and listen to/buy the digital album at their bandcamp here.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Exclusive: Stream "Songs For Hungry Ghosts" by Craig Salt Peters


"Songs For Hungry Ghosts" is easily one of the most widely anticipated indie pop records to come out of Seattle this year. Not only is this the first release to emerge from the Craig Salt Peters project in the 8 years since 2006's "Whooping Crane Dance", but the project's transformation into a flawless live band consisting of Craig, as well as Zach Burba (iji, Megabog), Jacob Jaffe (Love In Mind, Younger Shoulder), and John Broback (Hana And The Goose) -- essentially a who's who of our local DIY scene, has only made the possibility of a new full-length more exciting. At NGD, we fell hook, line, and sinker. After coming across their gorgeous three-song teaser EP last August, we not only added it to that month's best of list, but we also featured "Seeing You" on our SeattleDIYPop Mix soon after.


Left to right: John Broback, Jacob Jaffe, Craig Peters, Zach Burba


For these reasons and more we're thrilled to be able to offer a sneak peak of "Songs For Hungry Ghosts" in its entirety before it officially releases on Lost Sound Tapes on March 14th. In addition to amazing songs like "Seeing You", and "Patience", which were included on the teaser, we also highly recommend you check out great new ones like "I Don't Wanna Miss You", and "The Year We Lived In Liberty”.

Keep your eyes on Lost Sound Tapes for your chance to preorder the 14 track cassette tape complete with digital download. Enjoy!

3/12 edit: the preorder is up!!! Purchase a copy on the bandcamp page and get the digital download now!


Sunday, February 23, 2014

*Updated 2/22* Upcoming Seattle Shows



Hey everyone. PSA: for those who haven't heard, we are hosting our first NO Goddamn Dancing local music showcase on Saturday, March 22nd at the Highline Bar in Capitol Hill. We're not really looking to become promoters, but we thought that a night of dreamy pop music would be a great way to celebrate the release of our newest compilation, "Send Me to Dream". So far, the bill is: VibraGun, Wind Burial (formerly Snowdrift), and Nostalgist. We really think it would be worth your time to come out that night and hang out with us. Genre-jumpers and new blood are especially welcome. RSVP here.

Big names: beat-smith Com Truise, aka Seth Haley, is returning to Seattle to play Chop Suey on Monday night; UK Producer (and co-owner of London's Diagonal Records) Powell is headlining the next MOTOR night on Thursday at the Highline alongside Black Hat, Chris Davis, and Mood Organ. Black Hat's debut LP is coming out early next month on Hausu Mountain, so the odds are pretty good that we'll be getting some new material. Also, those Russian-American, rock-a-billy weirdos known as the Red Elvises are returning to the Tractor on Saturday, and electro-industrial innovators Skinny Puppy are playing over at the Showbox that same night.

Local: If your into electronic music you should head to Vermillion tonight for the Diogenes tape release show (listen to 'Swap Meet' here), but nu-gaze fans should consider the Ringo Deathstarr show at El Corazon instead. The Austin band's newest 12", 'God's Dream', is being released by Neon Sigh late next month, but you can pick up your copy early tonight. Tomorrow night go see post-rock/math-rockers Chung Antique at Highline with Postmadonna; check out the free TacocaT album release in-store for 'NVM' at Sonic Boom Records in Ballard on Tuesday; have your face melted off by LA hardcore band Nomads when they take over the Black Lodge on Wednesday with Olympia favorites White Wards; hit the Josephine on Friday for the 3rd monthly installment of Guitar Worship Service to see how many ways there are to make noise with a guitar; and consider rounding out the week with the Grave Babies, Stickers, HO9909, and Health Problems at Black Lodge on Saturday. Ian Crist Kurtis, the singer for Health Problems and the genius behind the new Bosnia release on Hanged Man puts on a show that needs to be witnessed to be believed. 

More below. Have a great week! 


February

23 Ringo Deathstarr, Purple, Kingdom of the Holy Son, and more at El Corazon
23 Diogenes, Quivive, Dex Amora & J’von, Vaughn Illa, and Smear at Vermillion
23 Cheatahs, Slowbird, and Dude York at Tractor
23 Public Service Broadcasting, Kiev, and XVIII Eyes at Nectar
24 Xiu Xiu at Barboza -- cancelled
24 Not From Brooklyn, Moose Portrait, and Tiburona at Barboza
24 Killer Ghost, Bad Blood, Adult Books, and Wyatt Blair at Therapy Lounge
24 Chung Antique, Postmadonna, Mi’ens, and Yes Bear at Highline
25 Com Truise at Chop Suey
25 Rare Air with Panabrite, DJ Explorateur, DJ Veins, Visuals by Christian Petersen (I Want You) at Q Nightclub
25 TacocaT at Sonic Boom Records--Free
26 Nomad, Deathraid, and White Wards at Black Lodge
26 Dial UP: Stylss feat. Gang$ign$, Eastghost, Quarry, DJAO, D’Nelski, and DJ Hojo at Q Nightclub
27 MOTOR XI ft Powell, Black Hat, Chris Davies, Mood Organ, and Dr Troy at Highline
27 Universe People with Zebra Hunt and Special Guest at Sunset
28 King Dude, Run Forever, Krill, and Murder In The Woods at Black Lodge
28 Vamos, Ava Luna, Bigfoot Wallace and His Wicked Sons at Victory Lounge
28 Cataldo, Heatwarmer, and The Comettes at Tractor
28 Master Musicians of Bukkake and Lilac and Champagne at LoFi
28 Guitar Worship Service at Josephine
28 A Tribute to Swami Records at Chop Suey


March
1 Graveface Roadshow: The Casket Girls, The Stargazer Lilies, and Dott & Dreamend at Vera Project
1 Grave Babies, Stickers, HO9909, and Health Problems at Black Lodge
1 The Purrs, Rick Bain & The Genius Position, Hypatia Lake, and VibraGun at High Dive
1 Infest, Iron Lung, Gehenna, Warcry, and GAG at El Corazon
1 The Red Elvises at Tractor Tavern
1 Kinski, Bottomless Pit, and Bali Girls at Sunset Tavern
1 Skinny Puppy with Baal at Showbox at the Market
1 Baniszewski & LeBlanc, Danse Perdue, and Amanda Sloan at Josephine
2 SXSW Send-off Party: Midday Veil, NighTraiN, and Airport at Chop Suey
2 Magma: Don Peyote, Finger Fantasy, Kelli Frances Corrado, Barbara Burgio, Samantha Fonteyne, Pulling Out The Light, and Sexes 3/2 at Josephine
2 Mardis Gras! Molotov Colostomy, Sioux City Pete and the Beggars, Violent Expulsion, and more at Highline
5 Pillar Point at Vermillion
5 Dr. Dog at Neptune
5 The Soft Hills album release with Ephrata at Tractor Tavern
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
6 Heavy Petting, Tacos!, Witch Ripper, and Audrey Horne at Vermillion
7 Nervosas, Freak Vibe, Lindseys, and Bad Sect at Victory Lounge
7 Charms, Red Ribbon, Swamp Meat, and Killer Ghost at Waids
7 Hanged Man 3rd Anniversary/ Comp Release at Mansion Impossible
7 New Weather, Dried Up Corpse, Ecstatic Cosmic Union, and WLISPS tape release and SOSPUNWESPUNWEST video premier at Josephine
7 Angel Olsen at Barboza
8 Bog Bodies, Darkmysticwoods, Matlock, Spencer Black, and Lo Cash Ninjas at Ground Zero
8 Wimps, Marriage & Cancer, Mega Bog, and Big Crux at Victory Lounge
8 Ritual Control, Negative Press, and Trrash at Black Lodge
9 Magma Fest: Space Lady, Geneva Jacuzzi, Goddess Kring, and SciFiSol at Chop Suey
14 Trentlange with Golden Gardens and NAVVI at Barboza
14 Alex Menne with Fauna Shade, The Mike Davis Project, and Jessie Houghton at Ground Zero
15 Boats!, Stab Me Kill Me, Killer Ghost, and The Dumps at Victory Lounge
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
15 Escstatic Cosmic Union, Walrus Machine, Stalebirth, Hanford, Kate Olson, The Clour Out of Space, and Throne Lords at Hollow Earth Radio
16 Rene Hell, Raica, and Haniwa Horse at Machine House Brewery
19 The Sounds, with Blondfire at Neumos
19 Purling Hiss and Scarves at Sunset Tavern
20 Kakerlak, Unexamine, Struggle Session, Home, and Veeskre at Josephine
21 Blue Sabbath Black Cheer at Josephine
22 Princess, Argnoaut, Dogs of War, and Into the Storm at Josephine
22 Bullets or Balloons, Bend the Clouds, The Present Tense, and Abstract Friends at Ground Zero
22 God or an Other, Winter in the Blood, Mongrel Gods, and Un at 2Bit Saloon
22 VibraGun, Wind Burial, The Nostalgist and TBA at Highline
22 La Misma, Freak Vibe, Deathraid and more at the Nut Hole
24 Cowards, Lie, Haunted Horses, and Health Problems at Black Lodge
25 Iron Chic, Murmurs, Dead Bars, Cancers at Black Lodge
26 Canadian Rifle, Random Orbits, The Loss + Special Guests at the Kraken
26 St. Vincent at Moore
28 The War on Drugs with White Laces at Neptune Theater
28 The Mothership, Ever-So-Android, Piano Piano, and Devils Hunt Me Down at The Crocodile
28 Distortions presents Valmont’s Pad at Vermillion
28 The Black Lips with The Coathangers at Neumos
28 Sleep Terror, Barefoot Barnacle, L.B.! (Pound), Guns of Barisal at Highline
28 Crimson Scarlet, Dead Cult, and Shadowhouse at Victory Lounge
28 Vatican, Don Peyote, and Endorphins Lost at Josephine
28 Small Black with Snomine at Barboza
29 King Dude, The Ballantynes, and Bad Futures at Rendezvous


April
1 Heiress, Secrets of The Sky, Eye of Nix, and Entmoot at Chop Suey
4 Constant Lovers (Record Release), Gaytheist, and Tartufi at Chop Suey
4 Dinners, Whelp, and Yellow Space Lion at Ground Zero
4 Neutral Milk Hotel at Neptune Theater
5 Dum Dum Girls with Blouse at Neumos
5 Gel-Sol at Josephine
7 Bryan Ferry at McCaw Hall
10 Alexander Robotnick with Airport, Chris Davies, and DJ Dr. Troy at Barboza
12 Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks at Neptune
15 Thou (Nola), Cloud Rat, O Paon, and Samothrace at Black Lodge
16 Chromeo with TOKiMONSTA at Showbox at the Market
17 Godflesh with Special Guests at Neptune (Rescheduled from Oct)
17 The Men, Gun Outfit, and Lures at Chop Suey
19 Usnea, Night Nurse, Countdown to Armageddon, and Druden at Black Lodge
23 Drive By Truckers with Shovels and Rope at Showbox SoDo
23 White Lies with Frankie Rose at Showbox at the Market
24 Zyanose, Frenzy, and Babylon at Black Lodge
26 Shlohmo at Neumos
28 Mastodon with Gojira, and Kvelertak at Showbox SoDo
29 Moon Duo at Barboza


May
22 Potty Mouth, Chastity Belt, Lindseys, and TBA at Black Lodge


July
2 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at Paramount