*Updated 5/5* Upcoming Seattle Shows

Hey all. Goddamn Debacle Fest, right?! The first couple of days have been amazing and you still have time to hit the last show on the bill, a special edition of Debacles' MOTOR showcase featuring Black Hat, Hieroglyphic Being, Strategy, and more. However, if Debacle isn't your thing, have no fear, Hibou is going to be dishing up some killer electropop at Heartland and Medical Record/No Sleep Seattle are having their monthly showcase at Electric Tea Garden at the same time. Other shows: Black Lodge is hosting Foot Village, a four drummer tribal-noise collective, and Clipping, a rap-noise outfit that "take Death Grips' staccato noise to the next level"...I can't even comprehend that sentence. Both from LA. Local label Hush Hush is having a free event at Arabica Lounge featuring label head DJ Alex and Vox Mod. Kisses, fresh off their recent signing with New York's Casine Records are coming to Barboza with Trails and Ways, and last but not least, Black Hat, Crystal Hell Pools and Indignant Senility (scroll to number 8) at Cairo Seattle. What a killer line up. Have a good week. Now I need to go back to work...

May

5 Debacle Fest Day 3 at Lo-Fi Performance Gallery 
5 Medical Record Rx with Stacian, Samantha Glass, Alicia Amiri, and Dr. Troy at Electric Tea Garden   
5 Slam Dunk, Audrey Horne and Hibou at Heartland

4 Metz at Neumos

8 Foot Village, Clipping, Haunted Horses, and WaMu at Black Lodge

9 Hush Hush showcase with DJ Alex and Vox Mod at Arabica Lounge (Free)

10 Kisses and Trails and Ways at Barboza

10 Vapor Trails (Ron 9/Love Battery) Pytons, We Are Golden at The Highline (Dude York no longer on Bill)

11 Oh! Pears, No Grave, Scarves, and Craig Salt Peters at Heartland

11 Indignant Senility, Crystal Hell Pools and Black Hat at Cairo Seattle

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

13 Colleen Green, So Pitted, and Blooper at Heartland

15 MGMT at Showbox SODO

15 Constant Lovers, X-Suns, Dust Moth, and Black Swees at Barboza

15 Black Pus, MTNS, and Numbs at Black Lodge

16 Moose Portrait and Children of Kids at Vermillion

16 Hair and Space Museum and JJAAXXNN at Electric Tea Garden

17 Little Wings, Heavy Hawaii and Mega Bog at Cairo Seattle

17 Dude York, The Crap, NEEDLES//PINS, and the Steve Adamyk Band at Heartland

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

18 White Rainbow, Airport, and USF at Cairo Seattle

19 Cannibal Corpse and Napalm Death at El Corazon

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

19 Mitts, Swamp Meat, Joey Molinaro and Slashed Tires at Leather Lounge

20 Medical Records Rx with IM NAMEN DES VOLKES, SH6RL6S6 and guests at Electric Tea Garden

21 Karl Blau with Baby Copperhead and the Weblos at the Crocodile Back Bar

22 Flying Lotus with Thundercat at Showbox SODO

23 (Portland) Haim at Keller Auditorium

25 Thermals WIMPS and La Luz at Neumos

25 Eagle Teeth, Eric Ryan, Richie Dagger’s Crime and Johnny Balderama at Tubbs Wiskey Bar

25 Avi Buffalo at Barboza 

29 Inc. with Kelela, Dj Total Freedom at The Crocodile

31 Tom Eddy, Heatwarmer and Pollens at the Tractor

June 2013

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

8 Small Black with Heavenly Beat at Barboza

14 Mount Kimbie, Holy Other and Vinyl Williams at Neumos

16 Dreamsalon, Fuzzy Cloaks, Chest Cavity/ BBQ Party at Leather Lounge

16 Golden Gardens, Jetman Jet Team, and Space Waves at Chop Suey

21 The Dandy Warhols at Showbox at the Market

22 Camera Obscura at Showbox at the Market 

July 
4 Airport, YOURYOUNGBODY, Leatherdaddy at Comet

11/12 Rancid at Showbox SoDo

13 Sub Pop’s Silver Jubilee, Georgetown Neighborhood. Free!

14 Tuxedo Gleam, Jollapin Jasper, Love Cop, and More at Electric Tea Garden

14 Thunderbird Atlanta, Children of Kids, Wes Sp8, and Werebearcats at Hi-Dive

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

17 Portugal. The Man. Showbox at the Market

18 The Postal Service at Key Arena

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

30 Feral Fauna, Children of Kids and Karmedic at Nectar Lounge

26-28 Capitol Hill Block Party

August

16/17 Melvins at Neumos

September

5 Godspeed You Black Emperor at Showbox SoDo

Debacle vs. Decibel

Is there a difference? Tomato, to-mah-to? Turns out the names sound similar, but there are many key differences. First, let's get the logistics out of the way:

  

Debacle Fest

• When: May 3-5, 2013 
• Where: FRED Wildlife Refuge, The Highline, and The Lo Fi Performance Gallery 
• Cost: $40 for 3-day pass, or $15-20 per night (advance versus door), with a $7 Saturday matinee show (note: advanced passes are no longer available--it's this weekend!) 
• Age: This is the 6th Annual Debacle Fest! Bigger and better this year. 
• Who's playing: Full line up here. Includes local artists like Brain Fruit, MTNS, and Black Hat as well as more nationally recognized acts like Palm Dates, Expo '70, Nate Young (of Wolf Eyes), and Matt Carlson (of Golden Retriever). 

Decibel Festival

• When: September 25-29, 2013 
• Where: All across Seattle. Both Showboxes, Crocodile, Triple Door, Neumos...even a Party Boat. I want to party on that boat! 
• Cost: As of May 2nd, only festival passes were available. $200. You can get the "green" pass for $210 and pay for the mitigation of your carbon footprint. 
• Age: This is the 10th Annual Decibel Festival! 
• Who's playing:  The first of 3 waves of artists was announced on April 16. Acts include The Orb, Light Asylum, Olafur Arnalds, Young Galaxy, Teen Daze, Helio Sequence, Shabazz Palaces, THEEsatisfaction, Lusine, and Vox Mod (so far). Bigger names, comprised of some locals but mainly nationwide acts.

Comparing the two:

Debacle Fest is this weekend, and it runs the gamut of "electronic, drone, noise, techno, improvised, metal, and synth". Decibel Festival music overlaps, but just barely on the pop/electronic side of things. Debacle Fest is more experimental and it showcases a lot of the label's artists (though certainly not exclusively). Part of the proceeds go to support our local Hollow Earth Radio, this year's non-profit beneficiary. Debacle Fest has some nationwide acts, but it has a more distinctly local feel.  

Decibel is shorthand for the official title of the event: Decibel International Festival of Electronic Music Performance, Visual Art and New Media. The festival's first wave of artists (there will be two more, which highlights its large budget and scope) throws out several local artists that many folks will recognize, particularly Helio Sequence, Shabazz Palaces, and THEEsatisfaction--high quality artists that grab the attention of a wider audience (2012 had over 26,000 attendees), but don't necessarily make me think "electronic" first and foremost. Hopefully those that come for the big acts will end up delving into the rich and varied festival lineup.  

Progressive vs. full-on experimental

Small venues versus some of the largest venues in the city.

$40 versus $200 for festival passes.   

Both Debacle Records and the folks at Decibel conduct showcases throughout the year in Seattle, with these festivals being their big culminating events. Either event will broaden your horizons in electronic music!

SWL # 18: Hibou, "Glow"

The career of Hibou, aka the solo project of former Craft Spells drummer Peter Michel, is limited but promising. So limited in fact that he only has 2 releases to his name at the moment: the Hibou EP, which was released this past November, and the Glow/Hollow singles, which he put out in February. However, his highly listenable concoction of “surf ethereal beats” is gaining the 19-year-old attention in local and national circles, especially as his sound continues to evolve. In contrast to the tropical vibes of his first EP, “Glow” is a more measured jam whose heavy post-punk/dark-wave influence and dreamy ambiance are reminiscent of contemporaries like Wild Nothing. To be clear though, Michel isn't simply mining the chill-wave sound for mass appeal or mimicking the successes of his former project; "Glow" not only provides powerful evidence of Michel's ability to arrange thoughtful electro-pop, but it also gives us here at NGD more than enough reason to keep our eyes peeled for his new EP, Dunes, which is supposed to be out in the next month or so on June 13th. Until then, you can see Hibou alongside Slam Dunk and Audrey Horne on the 5th of this month (May) at Heartland.

This Month in Photos: April 2013

April 2013 had some great shows and neat moments! Definitely topping the list: Pollens, Rocky Votolato's debut of a new Waxwing song (the video of which can be found at our forthcoming YouTube channel), Record Store Day, and Golden Gardens (photos from which have been turned into our 2nd animated gif, below). Enjoy!

Fey Moth, 4-13, Columbia City Theater. Check out her awesome giant drum! So much bass in your face!

Pollens, 4-13, Columbia City Theater. These ladies blew us away with their harmonies.

MTNS, 4-14, Vermillion Art Bar. MTNS are coming...

MTNS. Brutal.

Punishment, 4-14, Vermillion Art Bar. Reading the synopsis on the back of an old VHS tape for ambiance...for the life of me I can't remember why. This dude is always awesome.

The Revival Tour, 4-18, Tractor Tavern

RECORD STORE DAY! Huzzah! 4-20, Sonic Boom

St. Mark's Cathedral, 4-20

Shenandoah Davis, 4-20, Cathedrals 5

Mirah, 4-20, Fremont Abbey's Cathedrals 5 at St. Mark's Cathedral

The Moondoggies, 4-20, Cathedrals 5

Snowdrift, 4-28, Sunset Tavern

Golden Gardens, 4-28, Sunset Tavern.

Golden Gardens Animated GIF! 4-28, Sunset Tavern

make animated gifs like this at MakeAGif