SWL #14: Amenta Abioto, “Awake”

 
I’m pretty excited about Opening Flower Hymns, Amenta Abioto’s gorgeous full-length debut. The Portland artist is a jack-of-all-trades (e.g. actor, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist) whose energetic live performances and innovative experimentation with minimalistic soul and tribal textures have gained her growing notoriety, and with songs like “Awake” in her repertoire you can be sure she won’t be slowing down anytime soon. Like most of her work, the song begins as what sounds like a vocal exercise and builds over time until the initially isolated musings start to loop back and find one another. The effect is that “Awake” takes you off guard during its unassuming introduction, and just moments after it all comes together with Abioto’s soulful melismatic capstone, she cuts the loop and it ends abruptly. Opening Flower Hymns was released at the end of last month (March) and you can get it on her bandcamp. No word on a physical release just yet, but if the past is any indication you can bet that she’ll be back in Seattle soon and we can bug her about it then.

SWL #13: Nod and the Hob Goblins, "Morning Again"

Lost Sound Tapes is a great place to look for good local music and I’ve been finding a lot there recently. Nod and the Hob Goblins dropped their self-titled debut last June, but the physical cassette (clear bright green, of course!) has just been released as an edition of 100 as of the beginning of March. According to the label, the band, which features the perennially listenable Jenny Williams and “a rotating cast of players and singers from Middle Earth” produces “doo wop music invoked from deep within the forbidden forest”. I have no idea what that means, except that from listening to songs like “Morning Again” it’s obvious that they had a great deal of fun making this quirky little stripped-down amalgam of indie sweetness and 50’s harmony. That feeling is part of the reason this song is so wonderful, and after Williams sings, “I’m just so glad to be home” you can almost see them all sink back into the forest mist. I can't find any information on upcoming shows for the band, but you can still get your copy of their tape here.

*Updated 4/7* Upcoming Seattle Shows

Hey all. There are relatively few shows this week, but a bunch of solid ones nonetheless. Gothic/post-punk icon Nick Cave is coming to the Paramount with his Bad Seeds, space-rock guru Spiritualized will be at the Neptune, and singer/songwriter Jessie Ware (who among other notable contributions to music, just told Big Pun's estate "Fuck Big Pun" when they started whining about samples) at the Crocodile. However, if you don't want to drop a bunch of cash on expensive STG tickets (and who can blame you?), there are still a bunch of cheap local shows to choose from. The Electric Tea Garden is hosting a night of stellar synthpop tonight (Sunday) with Philadelphia's Void Vision, New Orleans' Pressures, and a DJ set by Dr. Troy of Seattle's Medical Records. Likewise, 'Mo-wave, Seattle's queer music and arts festival, has some promising acts (with the 13th at Chop Suey being the best option in my mind), and weirdo instrumentalists the Corespondents are staging a two day party at the Josephine for the release of their new record, Land of the Low People. Have a great week! 

April

7 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at Paramount Theater

7 Pressures, Void Vision, Futility and Dr. Troy at Electric Tea Garden

8 Spiritualized at Neptune

9 Jessie Ware at The Crocodile
13 'Mo-Wave Day 2: Team Dresch, Gaytheist, Big Dipper, Magic Mouth, Night Cadet Eric Blood, Wishbeard, Eighteen Individual Eyes at Chop Suey
13 OCnotes, Pollens, and Amos Miller at Columbia City Theater 

13 CD release Party Deux: EURODANCEPARTYUSASUPERCOOL, Correspondents with Ava Grapes, Prawnyxx at The Josephine

14 ‘Mo-Wave day 3: Blackie: a tribute to Blondie, Dynasty Handbag, Double Duchess, DickBinge, and Pony Time, at Chop Suey

14 Naomi Punk, The Exquisites, Wild Moth and Elch at Black Lodge

15 Johnny Marr at Neumos

15 Bad Religion at Showbox at SODO

15 The Telescopes, LSD, Flavor Crystals, Black Nite Crash at the Comet.

16 Bat for Lashes at the Showbox at the Market

17 Medical Record Showcase Pressures, Void Vision and Futility at Electric Tea Garden

18 Prince at Showbox at the Market

18 The Revival Tour 2013 with Rocky Votolato, Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music), Tim McIlrath

(Rise Against) and more at TRACTOR TAVERN (venue change)
18 Airport, Black Hat, Bankie Phones, and Magisterial at Electric Tea Garden

19 Big Eyes, Shivas, Hornet Let and Mega Bog at the Josephine

19 Gems with Gold Wolf Galaxy and Vox Mod at The Sunset

19 Prince at Showbox at the Market (Sold Out)

20 Abbey Arts presents CATHEDRALS: Mirah, Moondoggies acoustic, Shenandoah Davis at St Mark's

20 The Men and Dude York at Vera Project

23 James Blake at The Neptune 

24 Purity Ring at Neptune

24 Grave Babies, Dreamsalon and Starskate at the Mercury

25 Yours, EP release with 1-2-1-2 and Moose Portrait at the Crocodile

25 Week of Wonders, Seacat, Detective Agency and Say Calm at Columbia City Theater

26 Chad Valley and Ski Lodge at Barboza

26 Space Needles, Universe People and the Gallow Swings at Blue Moon

28 Golden Gardens, Snowdrift at the Sunset
30 Mindless Self Indulgence at Showbox at the Market

30 Crystal Castles at Moore 
May

1 Bleached, EX-COPS and Guests at Chop Suey

1 New Build with NO CEREMONY/// at Neumos

2 Marina and the Diamonds with Charli XCX at Showbox at the Market
2 & 3 Allen Stone's Prom-Themed Bumbershoot Final Lineup Announcement Party at The Crocodile 

4 Metz at Neumos

5 Stacian, Samantha Glass and DR. Troy at Electric Tea Garden

10 Kisses and Trails and Ways at Barboza

10 Dude York, Vapor Trails (Ron 9/Love Battery) Pytons, We Are Golden at The Highline

12 The Appleseed Cast, Hospital Ships and Guests at Chop Suey           

15 MGMT at Showbox SODO

16 Hair and Space Museum and JJAAXXNN at Electric Tea Garden

17 Yo La Tengo at Showbox at the Market
17 Beat Connection at Neumos

17 Golden Gardens, Tokyoidaho, Kelli Frances Corrado at Columbia City Theater

19 Cannibal Corpse and Napalm Death at El Corazon

19 Vox Mod with Dairos (ft. members of Pollens and Totem and Cabana at Barboza

22 Flying Lotus with Thundercat at Showbox SODO

23 (Portland) Haim at Keller Auditorium

25 Thermals and WIMPS at Neumos

25 Avi Buffalo at Barboza 
June 2013

6 They Might Be Giants at Showbox at SODO
7 Alkaline Trio at Showbox at the Market

14 Mount Kimbie, Holy Other and Vinyl Williams at Neumos

16 Dreamsalon, Fuzzy Cloaks, Chest Cavity/ BBQ Party at Leather Lounge
21 The Dandy Warhols at Showbox at the Market

22 Camera Obscura at Showbox at the Market 
July 

17 The Postal Service at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, OR

19 Peter Murphy performing only Bauhaus material with Ours at Showbox at the Market

26-28 Capitol Hill Block Party

SWL #12: Wimps, "Stop Having Fun"

Wimps don't necessarily write songs for the punk or alternative youth, in my opinion. This song, which features the yelling break "Everyone! Stop Having! Stop Having! Fun Right Now!", is made for those of us who have grown up, gotten "adult" jobs, and find ourselves thinking those things we swore we never would, like "Pull your pants up! I can see your underwear!", etc. Of course the song is tongue-in-cheek. That's what makes it fun (despite the demand to stop having said fun). Hand on my hip, finger wagging, I quote the line from the song "It's that time of the month for you to shut up!" whenever I'm feeling silly.