Offbeat: Early 2014

We're about to exit January 2014. This month we (privately) marked the one year anniversary of No Goddamn Dancing, which got me thinking about everything we've accomplished. That probably deserves it's own post...but I did recall a series of posts I started with the tag "Offbeat", and thought that right now is a perfect time to do another.

Seattle has an amazing arts scene, and many artists dabble across multiple media. It means we as an audience get to experience some pretty special and unique things! Here's a round-up of some of those things that are coming up in the next couple months.

EMP's Sound Off! 2014
Sound Off! is entering its 13th year as our region's best known Battle of the Bands. It's geared towards the all-ages scene; all participants are under the age of 21 and residents of the PNW. It's helped break several well-known local bands, including Kithkin, The Lonely Forest, Schoolyard Heroes, Brite Futures, and Tomten. We like that this event specifically gives attention to young artists, giving them the opportunity to win radio air play, recording time, gear, and of course to play the EMP's fabulous Sky Church (it supposedly has the best sound system in the Town!) Tickets are $12 GA, $8 with student ID. Here's the upcoming shows list:

Semifinals #1: Saturday, February 8
Dames, Laser Fox, Sophia Duccini, Tommy Cassidy

Semifinals #2: Saturday, February 15
Manatee Commune, Nabii Ko$mo, The Onlies, Thee Samedi

Semifinals #3: Saturday, February 22
Calico the Band, Fauna Shade, KSneak, Otieno Terry

Finals: Saturday, March 1

City Arts' Genre Bender
When: February 15 and 16
Where: Cornish Playhouse at the Seattle Center

$20 advance, $30 door
Much like Fremont Abbey's The Round series, Genre Bender melds multiple mediums in one promising show. Unlike The Round's approach, which is to display multiple mediums in separate but equal parts all in one night (music, poetry, painting), Genre Bender takes five sets of artists and asks them to produce a collaborative, multidisciplinary work. The pairs include a performer and a fashion designer; musicians with radically different approaches; a singer/songwriter meets a dancer/choreographer; a drummer and an electronic musician; and a choreographer and a filmmaker. I love pushing boundaries and this event is sure to expand your ideas about art!

Sync Music Video Festival
When: February 28, 7pm
Where: SIFF Cinema Uptown
$15; $10 for SIFF members
A music video festival presented by the amazing film-wonders at SIFF, Artist Home (the producers of Doe Bay Fest, Timber! Music Festival, etc.), and the Seattle Weekly. This event will feature works from four well-respected directors, a mix-tape showcasing other talented directors, and songs by great local bands like Tennis Pro and Cumulus. Proceeds go to fund the next film project of the night's "Best Director".

A few other notables that I have to mention:
Moisture Festival 2014 (comedy/variete/vaudeville) is scheduled for March 20 thru April 13 at Hale's Ales' Palladium, the Broadway Performance Hall, and a special April Fool's night at Teatro Zinzanni. Their volunteer orientation is 2/17, which I highly recommend doing (catch the show for free, meet the artists backstage? It's awesome!) We wrote about Moisture Festival last year -- you can read that post here.

Sasquatch! Festival Launch Party -- get free tickets from the Neptune this Saturday, February 1st for FREE entry to the launch party at the Neptune on Monday, February 3rd. Last year was the first one and it was a lot of fun, plus there was a surprise performer. Free concert, surprises, and getting to be among the first people to know the lineup for this year's festival? Neat!

Bumbershoot Launch Parties -- Bumbershoot got on the launch party bandwagon, too. This year they'll have TWO - one in April to announce their theatre/Words & Ideas/visual arts/spectacle programming; and one in May to announce their music lineup. Sure to be a good time, more info is yet to come.

Cathedrals, by Fremont Abbey

The Fremont Abbey presents Cathedrals 5 at St. Mark's Cathedral this Saturday, April 20th, starting at 8pm. You know St. Mark's? It's that big, glowing, boxy building in north Capitol Hill that you can see prominently while driving along I-5 through Seattle, day or night. The drawing on the show poster below is fairly accurate.

 

I saw My Brightest Diamond perform at Cathedrals 2 back in November 2011, and was wowed by the ambiance that St. Mark's Cathedral offers. These performances feature artists you wouldn't typically see in a cathedral, performing tailored sets adapted for the unique acoustics of the massive space. What results is a really special event that it seems only the Fremont Abbey knows how to put on. Cathedrals 5 features Shenandoah Davis, Mirah, and The Moondoggies performing an acoustic set. Davis is a classically trained pianist living in Seattle, who cites influences such as Debussy and Kate Bush and is described as "orchestral pop". Mirah, an Evergreen State College alum, is an indie artist who recently toured with Thao Nguyen of Thao and The Get Down Stay Down. The Moondoggies' music has been described as "what the heart of American music should sound like..." by the guys at emohippiebullshit.com, and has received favorable reviews and by NPR Music and KEXP.

Fremont Abbey sets up an event that feels like "a giant living room" with informal seating. Sure, folks will be sitting in the Cathedral pews, but you are also welcome to bring blankets and cushions and prop yourself up against the wall or lay out on the floor. Just another reason I love the Abbey.

2013 Seattle Poetry Grand Slam

It's not music. There are no instruments in slam poetry, except for your voice. Still, the artists who will be competing in the Seattle Poetry Slam's 2013 Grand Slam do manipulate words using volume, and they have incredible rhythm, pace, and in some cases, showmanship. Some local slam poets are also musicians and singers. Mary Lambert, who sings the hook on Macklemore and Ryan Lewis's song "Same Love", has been in the Seattle slam poetry scene for years.

Slam poetry is an art unto itself, and I am including it here on our blog and filing it under "offbeat". I would hate for you to miss the opportunity to see our great Seattle artists in their most important local competition of the year! The Seattle Poetry Grand Slam will be held from 8pm to 10pm on April 27th at Town Hall Seattle; doors are at 7pm. The top performers will make up the Seattle team that will compete in August at the National Poetry Slam in Boston.

 Karen Finneyfrock and Tara Hardy, two Seattle Slam legends, perform a duet, "sand", a few years ago.

The Seattle Times just published a wonderful interview with the Seattle Slam Master, Daemond Arrindell. I think Daemond has been at every slam I've ever been to, including the weekly slams that occur at Re-Bar on Tuesday nights. You should go check out the article.

Our Picks for Record Store Day 2013 (April 20th)

Local record shops serve an important cultural role by connecting people to their local scene, local businesses, and to the broader world. It’s for this reason that since 2007 the third Saturday in April has been devoted to Record Store Day. The now international holiday is celebrated by labels and artists of all sizes and genres with the release of unique titles and reissues that encourage people to get out and buy--most of which are not available elsewhere. The official list of releases has been announced and we’ve gone through and picked out the titles that we’re most excited about. You can find the entire list here, and the list of participating Seattle stores here (everybody from what I can see).

1. At the Drive-In, Relationship of Command 12-inch vinyl 
2. Best Coast, "Fear of My Identity"/"Who Have I Become" 7-inch vinyl 
3. Black Lips/Icky Blossums, "Cowboy Nights" 7-inch vinyl 
4. Bonobo, The North Borders 10-inch vinyl box set 
5. David Bowie, "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" 7-inch vinyl 
6. Billy Bragg, "No One Knows Nothing Anymore"/"Song of the Iceberg" 
7. Braid, Frames & Canvas 12-inch vinyl 
8. Brian Eno and Grizzly Bear, "Lux"/"Sleeping Ute" (Nicolas Jaar remixes) 10-inch vinyl 
9. Cake, "Sheep Go to Heaven"/Jesus Wrote a Blank Check" 7-inch vinyl]] 
10. Captain Beefheart, Frank Freeman's Dance Club 12-inch vinyl
11. King Dude, Sing Songs Together 7-inch vinyl 
12. The Cure, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me 12-inch vinyl 
13. Cut Copy, Bright Like Neon Love 12-inch vinyl 
14. David Bowie, "Drive-In Saturday Night"/"Drive-In Saturday Night (Russel Harty Plus Pop Version) 7-inch picture disc 
15. Earth Crisis, Firestorm 12-inch vinyl 
16. Flaming Lips, Zaireeka vinyl box set 
17. Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson, "The Bottle" 7-inch vinyl 
18. The Glove, Blue Sunshine 12-inch vinyl 
19. Grizzly Bear, Horn of Plenty 12-inch vinyl 
20. The Hold Steady, "Criminal Fingers" 7-inch vinyl 
21. Hüsker Dü, "Amusement" 7-inch vinyl 
22. Daniel Johnston, Fun 12-inch vinyl 
23. The Joy Formidable, A Minute's Silence 
24. Junior Boys, Even Truer 
25. Stephen Malkmus and Friends, Ege Bamyasi 12-inch vinyl 
26. Mercury Rev, Deserted Songs 12-inch vinyl 
27. MGMT, "Alien Days" cassette 
28. Misfits, "Side By Side: Skulls" 7-inch picture disc 
29. Moby, "The Lonely Night" 7-inch vinyl 
30. Moon Duo, Circles Remixed 12-inch vinyl 
31. Thurston Moore, The Only Way To Go 12-inch vinyl
32. No Bunny, Love Visions 7-inch vinyl box set 
33. Orange Juice, Texas Fever 12-inch vinyl 
34. Orange Juice, Rip It Up 12-inch vinyl 
35. Orange Juice, The Orange Juice 12-inch vinyl 
36. Orange Juice, You Can't Hide Your Love Forever 12-inch vinyl 
37. Van Dyke Parks, Super Chief vinyl 
38. Van Dyke Parks, Song Cycle vinyl 
39. Phoenix, "Entertainment" 7-inch vinyl 
40. A Place To Bury Strangers, Strange Moon 12-inch vinyl 
41. Placebo, B3 EP 10-inch vinyl 
42. Public Image Ltd., "Public Image"/"The Cowboy Song" 12-inch vinyl 
43. Pulp, "After You" 12-inch vinyl 
44. Pussy Galore, Groovy Hate Fuck 12-inch vinyl 
45. Rhye, Open 12-inch vinyl 
46. Rise, Face to Face 10-inch LP 
47. Ty Segall, Ty Rex 2 7-inch vinyl 
48. Sigur Rós, Agaetis Byrjun LP 
49. Elliott Smith, Alternate Versions from Either/Or 7-inch vinyl 
50. Sonny & the Sunsets, "Imagine" (John Lennon cover) / "Surfer Girl" (Beach Boys cover) 7-inch vinyl 
51. Sonny & the Sunsets, Tomorrow Is Alright 12-inch vinyl 
52. Superchunk, "Void"/"Faith" 7-inch vinyl 
53. Surfer Blood, "Demon Dance"/"Slow Six" 7-inch vinyl 
54. Tame Impala, Tame Impala EP 12-inch vinyl 
55. Tegan & Sara, Closer Remixed 12-inch vinyl 
56. Various Artists, The Taste of Burger Records cassette 
57. The Thermals, Desperate Ground Demos EP 7-inch vinyl 
58. Destroyer, This Night 12-inch vinyl 
59. Trashmen, Live at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go St. Paul Minn. 1966 7-inch vinyl 
60. Sharon Van Etten, "We are Fine" 7-inch vinyl 
61. Jozef van Wissem featuring Jim Jarmusch, Apokatastasis 7-inch vinyl 
62. The xx, Jamie xx Edits 12-inch vinyl 
63. Frank Zappa, "I'm the Slime"/"Montant" 7-inch vinyl
64. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Animal X 
65. Garbage, Because The Night 10-inch

The Argument for Vinyl: Six Practical Reasons Why You Should Be Buying It

Notes: see my Neighborhood Guide to Buying Music in Seattle for more on where to get new and used records. The title image is a 50x magnification that I took of actual record grooves via light microscopy.

Anyone who has read this blog will probably not be surprised to hear that I spend a good amount of time searching through record shops, thrift stores and merch tables for new and used vinyl records. That's right, I said "vinyl records", and while that's clearly your cue to write me off as a pretentious, vintage obsessed, hipster luddite, I want you to stay with me for one more minute while I make my case. The fact is that the vinyl consumer is a small, but growing niche in the US. From 2011 to 2012 the number of vinyl records sold experienced a 17.70% increase, which beats both CD sales (with a sad 13.50% decrease), and digital album sales which only gained 14.10% according to the Nielsen SoundScan. This doesn't mean you should throw out your computer (vinyl sales were still only 3.9% of digital sales), but it does provide compelling evidence that the average record buyer has grown to incorporate more than just your neighbor's hippie kid and his Led Zeppelin obsession. There are many practical reasons for someone to buy vinyl and that is exactly what this post is about.

Vinyl sales in millions from 1993 to 2011.

1. It Looks Better

Vinyl is more attractive from an aesthetic point of view because the album art is scaled to the 12.375”/31.43 cm LP format, as opposed to the 4.75”/12.1 cm size of compact discs. We have a cultural obsession with attaining greater and greater heights of picture definition and size on our TVs; why shouldn't the same logic be applied to our music? If you don't believe that LPs look better, then try picking up an early Beach Boys record and not falling in love with the vibrant colors. I own lots of digital music, but the truth is that the user-friendly iTunes format succeeds in sterilizing my favorite albums, whose liner notes, and yes, even creases, are part of the listening experience.

A few of my favorite local and national/international records. Thanks to Nikki for helping me take this image!

2. It Doesn't Cost THAT Much More

In fact, a record like I mentioned above will probably only cost you between $1 and $5 (yes, cheaper than iTunes or Amazon MP3s) at shops like Jive Time Records, Everyday Music, or the Melrose Vinyl Mall, and while new titles do come with a premium, it usually isn't more than a few dollars greater than the corresponding CD price here in Seattle ($12-18 on average at Sonic Boom). Even the record player itself is available for under $150. 

3. You Can Still Take It With You

So you’re thinking, “Assuming I do buy the disc and the player, what am I supposed to do, only listen to music at home?” You’re right, that used to be an issue, but nowadays almost every release comes with a personal download code so you can get the MP3 files free of charge.

4. Vinyl Is More Engaging
Differences in media format change how the listener internalized the album. For example, playing a record involves changing the side, which forces the listener to be more engaged. In addition, because it's slightly harder to listen to a single song on a record than on a CD (tapes are similar in this respect), you are more likely to listen to the record as a distinct entity (as it was intended). You may or may not care about these things, in fact they may be inconvenient in many cases depending on what you're listening to and when, but nonetheless, these are good reasons why you should own vinyl copies of your favorite records.

5. Just About Everything Is Available On Vinyl These Days!

For many years, vinyl was such a specialty item that it was impractical to purchase it. Releases were expensive and not routinely available for many small-run and independent titles. This is no longer the case; small-town residents can now purchase material online and those of us in sunny Seattle rarely need to go further than Capitol Hill, Ballard, or Fremont to find whatever we want. The internet-fueled flattening of the music industry has made it more and more cost effective for small businesses to cater to the growing vinyl niche. 

6. It Sounds Better

You may have heard that records produce a better sound than CDs…this is both correct and incorrect. Vinyl is analog, meaning that it is produced from the actual sound waves the make up the original recording. In contrast, CDs work by converting that sound into a binary sequence of 1s and 0s (i.e. digital) by taking snapshots of the original material (44,100 times per second is the standard) with the degree of accuracy that is specified by the amount of data in each sample, called the bit number (16 bits is the standard). Many people contend that modern recording technology has advanced to the point where it isn't theoretically possible for the human ear to hear the difference between records and CDs; however, both early CDs and electronic files (which sacrifice still more information in the interest of space) are clearly inferior to analog recordings. Some people claim that they can't tell the difference, but I frankly think that's bull. (More on how CDs work here).

Have anything to add? Post a comment below.

Urban Avant Garde + Sprouting Wings @ Urban Light Studios

Looking for something rad to do tonight in Seattle? Check this event out!

Urban Avant Garde + Sprouting Wings 

"Bring your ears, your eyes, and your thirsty appetites to Greenwood's Urban Light Studio on March 8th from 6-11pm"...for a well-rounded dose of the arts!

I've never been to this space before, but it looks really cool. Come out and enjoy the work of over 50 of Seattle's visual artists while enjoying music! The musical lineup is:

Patrick Files @ 7:30pm
Wes Sp8 @ 8pm Patrick
Galactic of Death by Stars @ 8:30pm
Casey Ruff & the Mayors of Ballard @ 9pm
Mannequin BBQ @9:30pm
Breakthrough in Field Studies @ 10pm
Ever So Android @10:30pm

This event is part of the Phinneywood monthly Art Walk. Check out the art walk schedules for all Seattle neighborhoods!

BARE 4: another Fremont Abbey gem

As I have said before, the Fremont Abbey puts on some really special, unique events. Their "Bare" concert series is an annual shindig that I first attended in 2012. I adored it. Picture the upper floor of a converted chapel, with high ceilings and wood floors. Folding chairs are set up facing the stage, which isn't much to speak of. The event is intimate by nature. Without the clamor of the usual musical accompaniment (and as I recall, no actual amplification or microphones at this event, either), the singers have to project with a power that they rarely get to exhibit. The audience is transfixed. You are all trying to be extra quiet, given the set-up for the evening, and somehow the singers seem extra raw without guitars and mics to hide behind. Perhaps this is another connotation of the title "Bare".

This line-up is also pretty stellar. Some Abbey usuals like The Cellar Door (who are a lot of fun), and some up and coming stars of the local music scene like Kendra Cox of Lemolo and Pepper Proud. You really should not miss it!

Moisture Festival - Comedy/Variete/Vaudeville

The Moisture Festival is a one-of-a-kind event that is not to be missed in Seattle. As described by one of the organizers, the Moisture Festival is "like touching a bit of pixie dust". It really is magical and it is too awesome not to feature here on this blog as wonderful, unique entertainment!

2013 is the 10th Annual Moisture Festival, and will run from March 21 to April 14.

So what is the Moisture Festival? The description on their website explains that "Comedy/Varietè is an intriguing assortment of entertainment. It is highly skilled performance mixed with many bizarre talents, often humorous, with no limit to the imagination. Presented as a variety show, each act or artist performs his or her routine within a 3-15 minute time slot while being accompanied by a live show band...Aerialists, jugglers, comedians, dancers, rope acts, bubble acts, clowns, acrobats, can can girls, strong women, strong men, tap dancers, drill teams, musical numbers, the weird and the wonderful- all keeping the tradition of Comedy/Varietè/Vaudeville alive."

Moisture Festival acts occur at Hale's Palladium, located on the back side of the Hale's Ales Brewery between Fremont and Ballard, as well as the Broadway Performance Hall on Capitol Hill. There are shows almost every night during the festival, and on the weekends there are late night "risque" shows, burlesque, and day-time family-friendly shows.

I plan on celebrating my birthday at Moisture Festival this year, and am also volunteering as an event-night helper. See you there!

MLK Jr. Day

Happy MLK Jr. Day! Enjoy his "I have a dream speech" over the Chicago house classic "Can you feel it" by the legendary Fingers Inc. 

 

The Bushwick Book Club

The Bushwick Book Club started in Brooklyn, so it is not surprising our own Seattle chapter flourishes at The Fremont Abbey , whose mission is "to curate vibrant & welcoming spaces where people of all ages and incomes can grow in their artistic & social development through arts & cultural experiences."

The concept is this: pick a book and several songwriter/musicians, get them to write songs about the book, and then perform them all in one awesome night! Past books include Nick Hornby's "High Fidelity", Shel Silverstein's "Where The Sidewalk Ends", and Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". They have been performing in this format on a regular basis since at least October 2010.

I have been meaning to attend a performance for a long while, and the next opportunity is coming soon on Friday, January 18, 2013; the subject book is a repeat, Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States". Not only do they promise a chapter-by-chapter performance by 12 different local artists, but there will be "delicious down-home American foods available." Save me some fried chicken!

"Zombie Reagan", by Mike Votava, was recorded from the last performance of this book, and is included on The Bushwick Book Club Volume 1, a collection of songs written for the format.


You can purchase a digital copy of Volume 1, name your price, here

I hope to post more about the cool unique musical activities and venues in Seattle and the greater region. Although I was born and raised in this area, there is always something new!

Cheers! Nikki.O