These Months in Photos: December & January

December was a whirlwind and frankly, I just didn't have time to get out to many shows or write much in the blog. January has been much better for time management, huzzah! We saw some really great shows these past two months, including watching dudes bouncing around gleefully in the pitch dark to Pete Swanson's unique brand of dancey noise at Chop Suey; the double drumming bonanza of Gems at The Josephine; the last show of Lou Lou Hernandez at Cafe Racer; and Wind Burial slay at the Sunset Tavern. Enjoy the photos; lot's of great shows coming up in February, see you out there!

Gems: double the drums, heavy on the fog. 12/15, The Josephine.

Chris Davis, Motor IX presented by Debacle Records. 12/20, Chop Suey.

Pete Swanson, Motor IX

Kairos at Columbia City Theater, 1/16

Wind Burial's 'Wind Burial' EP Release Show, along with pals Golden Gardens. 1/16, the Sunset Tavern.

Lou Lou Hernandez played their final show at Cafe Racer on 1/24. We'll miss them!

Ecstatic Cosmic Union rounded out the night, 1/24, Cafe Racer.

Gabriel Mintz and Kevin Murphy (The Moondoggies) played Hilliard's Brewery on 1/25.

Motor X, presented by Debacle Records on 1/31 at the Lo-Fi, featured (clockwise from top left): Airport, Patternmaster, Raica, and Apartment Fox.

The Mantles warm up the crowd for wimps' EP release show, 1/31 at Victory Lounge.

wimps' 7" release show. We dug the new songs! And the Victory Lounge was packed!

Artist Review: Golden Gardens, 'Bellflower'. Our Exclusive Premiere Of The New Record!

At this point, I think it’s safe to say that Golden Gardens' Narcissus EP got people’s attention. The last few months since its release have seen the duo of Gregg Alexander Joseph Neville and Aubrey Rachel Violet Bramble headline a Brickbat Mansion boat tour down the Willamette in Portland, perform repeatedly with Suzanne Perry of revered 90’s ethereal pop act Love Spirals Downwards, and execute their intensely personal live show in every corner of the city from Neumos and The Crocodile to Columbia City Theater and The Josephine.

However, in the midst of this hive of activity they’ve also managed to record the companion EP to Narcissus, titled Bellflower, and we are thrilled to be able to offer you an exclusive premiere below!  It’s not scheduled to release digitally until 12/10, but the limited edition physical CDs are available today (10/29) as a run of 50 handmade, hand-designed discs. Each pure white disc will be uniquely stamped and numbered, and will include unreleased tracks from the How Brave The Hunted Wolves sessions. Word to the wise: the Narcissus discs were offered in a similar way and it sold out in a flash, so if you want one of these you need to move quick. Once the EPs are gone you won't be able to purchase the EP again until December.

The differences between Bellflower and Narcissus are really dramatic. While Narcissus standouts like “My Viridescent Heart” and “Blue Eyes of a Broken Doll” seek to immerse the listener in a sort of delicate, sun-kissed daydream, new tracks like “I’ll Burn Alone” and “Carmilla” are serious and even somewhat aggressive. This is all intentional of course. The two EPs are meant to guide the listener through the cycle of infatuation from its apex of quixotic adoration, to the inevitable disappointment that emerges when outward realities fail to match inner expectations. On this second half of the journey, Golden Gardens showcase incredible dexterity by dipping considerably back into the coldwave/post-punk aesthetic that made How Brave the Hunted Wolves so engaging. Not only does Bellflower retain every ounce of the character that the duo have become known for, but "I'll Burn Alone" might be my new favorite Golden Gardens song. But hey, decide for yourself. 

Get your copy of Bellflower here while they last. There are now only 49 available.

This Month In Photos: September 2013

hey hey hey! September had some great shows featuring a great local talent, the multi-talented visuals maestro Randall Skrasek (who also performs his own music as Rainbow Wolves). Check out the gorgeous colors at the Jetman Jet Team show at the Josephine and Ecstatic Cosmic Union show at Cafe Racer! Also, the new venue Atlas Space, associated with Atlas Clothing in Fremont, is booking more great shows, and Beats and Bohos opened up a new shop in Greenwood (moved from Ballard). Enjoy the photos, see you out there in October!



Tangerine CD release show for their new EP, Radical Blossom. The Comet. 9/6.

LURES

Marika Justad of Tangerine

Land of Pines had a very energetic set

Vaudeville Etiquette. Fundraiser for Water For People at Carpenter Creek winery. 9/13.

Grand Opening party at the new Beats and Bohos at 7200 Greenwood Ave N. 9/13.

Jetman Jet Team, Snowdrift, Clear Black, and The Blinding Light at The Josephine. Visuals by Randall Skrasek. 9/13.

Snowdrift.

Quinn, drummer for Jetman Jet Team.

Cory Brewer at Heartland. 9/19.

Erik Ryan at Atlas Space. 9/20.

Lou Lou Hernandez at The Josephine. 9/21.

Golden Gardens with special guest Suzanne Perry of Love Spirals Downwards. Barboza. 9/22.

Waysayer at Atlas Space. 9/24.

Ecstatic Cosmic Union, Rainbow Wolves, Perpetual Ritual, and Sacred Signs at Cafe Racer. 9/27.

Perpetual Ritual

Rainbow Wolves, aka Randall Skrasek, aka THE guy to go to for awesome visuals!

Ecstatic Cosmic Union.

Eleanor Murray at Heartland. 9/28.

This Month in Releases: June 2013

LPs/EPs (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER):

Hausu, Total (Bridgetown, Hardly Art)
This record is staggering in scope—assimilating the melodic introspection of the late 80’s D.C. post-hardcore scene (e.g. Rites of Spring, Fugazi) with the biting urgency of west-coast emotive hardcore (see Gravity Records) and patches of highly proficient math and indie-rock style arrangements. 

Neighbors, I Love Neighbors (Lost Sound Tapes)
Admittedly, the terms “slacker” and “lo-fi” don’t inspire much hope in me for more than nostalgia-mining, but Neighbors channel freakbeat/mod, garage, and protopunk influences in a way that feels both familiar and fresh. On what is by far their most cohesive work to date the band demonstrates their penchant for producing pop music that's as dancable as it is relatable.
 

Golden Gardens, Narcissus (Neon Sigh)
Despite Narcissus' brevity it is fairly epic in scope. The four tracks, each strongly differing both sonically and lyrically from one another, make up a concept piece chronicling the cycle of infatuation, from the high of the initial crush to the depths of the aftermath. New fans will fall for the gorgeous dream-pop ambiance, and old fans will find that both members have grown increasingly confident in their abilities.

Sibling Rivalry, Only Child (self-released)
Arising from the ashes of The Family Band, Sibling Rivalry is an alt/indie rock band from Seattle and Redmond, WA. On the first official non-single offering from the band, the 6 piece delivers with a collection of endearing, post-rock flavored tracks that harbor just enough kick to keep your summer days mellow but danceable. 
 

Hibou, Dunes (self-released)
Former Craft Spells drummer Peter Michel returns with his highly anticipated second EP. On songs like "Sunder" Michel demonstrates that the indie pop acumen he demonstrated on his Glow/Hollow single was just the tip of the iceberg. Dude is only 19; really interested to see where he goes next!
 

Secret Colors, Days Off (Group Tightener) 
On his latest release, and first for Brooklyn's Group Tightener label, Matt Lawson expands the scope of his Secret Colors moniker to include an approach more akin to traditional dance music. Although we thoroughly appreciated his improvisational catalog, it's obvious from his recently work with the now defunct Stephanie and collaborations with Jeff Johnson of the Numbs that Lawson has much more than that up his sleeve. "Days off" is his biggest step yet into that bold new direction and we dig it.
  

Widesky, Flotsam (Bridgetown)
Seth Chrisman is a multi-instrumentalist from New Mexico that records ambient drone-scapes under the moniker of Widesky. On Flotsam, Chrisman ruminates on the concepts of oceanic turbulence and debris as they pertain to the physical and emotional world, and the results are staggering. So staggering, in fact, that Bridgetown has already had to run a second pressing of the cassette.
 

Pitschouse, Pitschouse (self-released)
Without a doubt, the first EP from dream/indie-pop band Pitschouse is one of our favorites to come out of Seattle this year. By melding wistful guitar work with playful piano melodies and a unique sense of warmth, the trio has managed to created a highly distinctive sound that more than stands up to repeat listening. Finger's crossed that the next few months will yield a physical copy of this record. 7/8 update: I am a complete tool; you can buy the physical CS or CD through Jigsaw Records here.

Mutant Video, Missing Fingers (Iron Lung)
Iron Lung describes MUTANT VIDEO as "The penultimate hash-mark in the workbench of John Carpenter meets American punk soundtrack-core" and we couldn't agree more. Though Missing Fingers is somewhat darker than their previous work, largely by virtue of its austerity and growing hardcore undercurrent, these songs find the band as evocative as ever.

Teams, One World 開発 (Fin Records)
I've been a fan of teams since I first heard their collaboration with Personal La Ave, "Freak Licker", on their 2011 debut full-length. However, on their latest for Seattle's Fin Records, they show off a somewhat more bare approach to dance music than in previous releases--ultimately trading their former chill-wave leanings for an approach more indebted to the Chicago house scene. Great for a lazy afternoon.
 

Warm Static, Static Session 1 (self-released)
This is not an official release per se, it's a loosely structured live session that was recorded by Alex Miller at Warm Static's first Seattle show at the Josephine on June 8th. However, as improvisational musings go this is really phenomenal. For this set, the project, which remains the experimental playground of JetMan Jet Team drummer Quin Dickinson, was expanded to include synthesizers and samples from Alex Nagy (also of JJT). Find a quiet spot and listen. It's just a shame you can't see Randall Skrášek's gorgeous visuals too.

  

Mixes/Compilations:

Anacortes Unknown Music Series Vol 3 sampler (assembled by The Business Records)
The Anacoretes Unknown Music Series Vol 3 is taking place this July 19th, 20th, and 21st at The Unknown in Anacortes; however, Anacortes' The Business Records put together a really nice preview mix featuring Karl Blau, The Hive Dwellers, LAKE, Genders and many more. 

 


Twitch and Gloam: Dark Sounds from the Pacific Northwest (Flat Field Records)
Named CityArt's album of the month, this compilation from the folks at Flat Field Records is gorgeous, dark, and available now for consumption. 
 

This Month In Photos: May 2013

The series of shows we attended in May were richly diverse, spanning many different venues across Seattle and many different styles as well. These included two festivals, Debacle Fest and Northwest Folklife Festival. Probably can't find two more different festivals, but we had a blast at both. We are looking forward to a great summer of music!

  

Debacle Fest, 5/4, first night of the festival, held at FRED Wildlife Refuge.

From left: Marielle Jakobsons, Brain Fruit, Expo 70

Parzival (left) and Impossible Bird (center) at Cafe Solstice, 5/4. Very nice to hear new music from both.

Black Hat, Debacle Fest MOTOR, held at The Lo Fi, 5/5.

 

The Holy Deep Sea Divers, Heartland, 5/11. Giving "communion" with holy water and marshmallows. We had a blast at this show...funny, plus the music was rad, too!

The Weatherside Whiskey Band, 5/11, Conor Byrne. Many great musicians up on one tiny, but mighty stage. I love upright bass!

Admiring the art surrounding us at Black Lodge for the Black Pus/MTNS/Numbs show (Tyler, left; Nikki, right); 5/15.

The Numbs (left) and Black Pus (right), Black Lodge, 5/15. Crazy awesome night.

Moose Portrait, Vermillion Art Bar, 5/16.

Kelli Francis Corrado, Columbia City Theater, 5/17.

Golden Gardens play their upcoming EP, Narcissus, in its entirety. Excellent! Columbia City Theater, 5/17.

Heels to the Hardwood (led by David John, former front man of the late, great Handful of Luvin') rock Hilliards Brewery, 5/18. Solid music. Keep your eye out for these guys around town this summer and at the Fremont Solstice main stage!

Was super fortunate to be invited to watch Impossible Bird record their forthcoming album! 5/24.

Neat art outside the studio.

Briana Marela, Vera Project Stage, Northwest Folklife Festival, 5/27. Super talented.

Artist Interview/Review: Golden Gardens

The cover of Narcissus, GG's newest EP out June 11th.

I'm not gonna lie, I am smitten by Golden Gardens, and since my Songs We Love write-up of "Transparent Things" I've only gotten worse. It's lucky for me then that I didn't have to wait too long to hear more from Aubrey and Gregg, who are gearing up to release their next EP, Narcissus (above image), on June 11th with Seattle's Neon Sigh collective and were all too happy to give NGD an early listen. But never fear, we're passing part of that privilege on to our readers in the form of an exclusive track from the release, "Blue Eyes of a Broken Doll", which you can stream below.

Our impression? This is clearly some of their best work to date, and despite Narcissus' brevity it is fairly epic in scope. The four tracks, each strongly differing both sonically and lyrically from one another, make up a concept piece chronicling the cycle of infatuation, from the high of the initial crush to the depths of the aftermath. I think that new fans will fall for the gorgeous dream-pop ambiance, and old fans will find that both members have grown increasingly confident in their ability to impart to each song with exactly what it needs to leave you awestruck for the few seconds that bridge each track.

Recently, Aubrey and Gregg agreed to talk a little more with me about life in Golden Gardens land:

You’ve been releasing material pretty consistently over the past couple of years; has the process of writing a record changed much or is it the roughly the same for you?

A: When we first started the project, Gregg was living 3,000 miles away in Florida (while I was here in Seattle). We basically had to write and the record the way we did, which was essentially Gregg writing/recording musical compositions or parts thereof and then file sharing them with me. I would write/record vocal melodies/harmonies and then share with him. This would go back and forth until we had a final version we were happy with. It sometimes was a quick process, but it often took awhile. I think our strongest material has been conjured up since we both have been living in the same place; we do still record separately, which I think is just a convenience thing mostly, but now we mix in the same room which has been ridiculously fun and rewarding.

G: As an artist I seem to do my best writing in solitude, even when working collaboratively, so it tends to be "come up with idea for melody, record, send to Aubrey, edit or expand based on feedback." Things have adjusted on the technical side as we have gotten more comfortable with ourselves as musicians and have started to learn more about how production works. We have been able to sculpt our sound much more accurately as we have grown as musicians and artists.

"No one is trying to control what we do creatively."

One of the things that I think fans of How Brave the Hunted Wolves will recognize in Narcissus is that despite covering a range of approaches, these songs fit really well, which gives the EP as a whole a lot of character. Is this cohesion something you intentionally set out to accomplish? 

G: I feel the way the songs work together is a little bit of a mixture of intentional effort and happy accidents. A couple of the songs took longer to work into shape than the others, but from listening to the songs, they're probably the ones that sound the most effortless. A couple of songs are a million miles from their original seeds, "As I Lay Hidden In the Garden" was in another key, "Blue Eyes for a Broken Doll"'s main riff was originally written on guitar. As the songs were written, then expanded and shaped, how everything held together began to feel natural.

A: Lyrically, when I started working on these songs I wanted to dig a bit deeper artistically and try to write from a more personal place. I usually write from a mostly imaginative place, one where the lyrics tell more of a fictional story. This time I wanted to try and write from within; to craft songs that are directly tied to myself, my feelings, my experiences. It was a challenge, but a very rewarding one. I also wanted to explore a theme on this album, namely infatuation. So if there is a character or progression that develops on the album, I think it's one of a person who is going through the cycle of infatuation - that initial excitement, hope, the projected fantasy, all the way through to reality, dissolution of ideals, the end of the crush - but in that very self-centered, self-preserving way, hence "Narcissus."

4/28 at The Sunset

When you were interviewed following the release of The Somnambulist in 2011 you had still yet to perform a live show, but when I saw you at the Sunset a few weeks ago I was blown away by how intimate the performance was. How important is the show aspect and how do you convey “music written in solitude” (to quote you Gregg) for a room full of concertgoers. 

G: The performing aspect of what we do has become very important since we started. Since nearly the start we have been using visuals as part of it, between short experimental films that Aubrey has made, and more recently visual treatments that our friend Randall Skrášek has been putting together have been part of the experience. I think we really try to treat our shows as performance art - we are trying to bring the intensity of these feelings and stories to life in some way.

A: We don't wear jeans and t-shirts to perform. We dress up, we have moving visuals and dreamy lights when possible, we have different live musicians at various shows - we make an effort to create something special, alchemical on stage. Our music is very intimate by nature I think. I sort of go into a possessed trance and forget about the room I'm in when I start singing; I just feel the music and then I am transported to my own little world. Golden Gardens Land.

 "I think we really try to treat our shows as performance art - we are trying to bring the intensity of these feelings and stories to life in some way."

For How Brave the Haunted Wolves you guys choose to work with Seattle’s Neon Sigh collective. What drew you to them initially and why did you decide to continue the relationship for the Narcissus EP?

G: We've established a really great working and personal relationship with Chris Bendix, who runs Neon Sigh. He has been working closely with us to put on live shows and has been playing bass guitar at some of our performances. Neon Sigh has been a great home for us during our last album cycle, so it made sense to stick around.

A: Listening to him talk about wanting to help bands he already loved and really seeing what a music fan he is at heart made it a no brainer for us. It's a very organic, laid-back experience and not so unlike doing it ourselves; we just get an extra boost on promotion and shows. No one is trying to control what we do creatively. We wanted to continue in that vein with the release of Narcissus. And as Gregg said, he's also joined Golden Gardens' live line-up on bass, which you can check out at the CCT show next week!

Click here for tickets

Did they have anything to do with this late-night, shoegaze/goth/ethereal-themed cruise down the Willamette River that I've been hearing about?

A: Nope! That was entirely organized by DJ Wednesday and DJ Curatrix, the ladies of Brickbat Mansion, a monthly shoegaze/ethereal/dreampop night in Portland. We met them when we played a show at The Lovecraft Bar (where Brickbat is hosted) in December of 2011. We've been good friends for a while and they regularly spin our music at their monthly night.

The cruise is going to be extra fancy - DJ Wednesday has been friends with Suzanne Perry of the band Love Spirals Downwards (and one of my favorite voices in music of all time) for years and has arranged for her to come up and perform at the event. This is exciting enough on its own, as Love Spirals Downwards material hasn't been performed live in quite some time, but even what's even more exciting is that Suzanne has requested for us to be her "backing band" for the night! So, in addition to playing a regular set of our original music, we will be teaming up with her to play a set of LSD songs. It's a dream come true for sure; it's going to be a really special event

I hope you're not thinking of leaving us here in Seattle for greener grass in Portland?

G: Oh dear me, no. We'll be sticking around in Seattle.

A: No no no no no! I will admit that Portland audiences can be a bit more... welcoming... than Seattle ones, but the Seattle environment is almost too perfect for the music we make and the city has really embraced us which makes my heart all glittery-sparkly.

Are there any other big plans for Golden Gardens on the Horizon? Any dream gigs you’d like to make happen? 

G: There are all sorts of dreams, like tours I'd like to go on, venues I'd like to play, bands I'd love to open for. We have a few fun things in the planning that we will be announcing soon, though.

Do you want more? Is June 11th too long to wait? Well, it just so happens that you can hear the new record live this Friday night at Columbia City Theater. This will be an awesome show and we'll definitely be there!