http://slog.thestranger.com/blogs/slog/ Seattle's #1 Weekly Newspaper. Covering Seattle news, politics, music, film, and arts; plus movie times, club calendars, restaurant listings, forums, blogs, and Savage Love. en-us Copyright 2013 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. editor@thestranger.com (The Stranger Editor) webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:00:01 -0700 Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:15:00 -0700 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/18/lou-reeds-the-original-wrapper-vs-dee-dee-kings-funky-man http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/18/lou-reeds-the-original-wrapper-vs-dee-dee-kings-funky-man Emily Nokes <p>Did you know <strong>Dee Dee Ramone</strong> had a brief rap career under the name Dee Dee King? Are you familiar with <strong>Lou Reed</strong>'s rap song "The Original Wrapper"? </p> <p>I'm having trouble deciding which one is bestworst. <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/06/18/lou-reeds-the-original-wrapper-vs-dee-dee-kings-funky-man?cb=4b6889e33d90ca53fa80c2ad40c97e9f">Please help me decide. </a></p> Horrors Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/18/lou-reeds-the-original-wrapper-vs-dee-dee-kings-funky-man?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=17055088&id=comments 0 Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:34:06 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/18/the-song-i-listened-to-over-and-over-again-after-i-had-my-heart-broken-for-the-first-time http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/18/the-song-i-listened-to-over-and-over-again-after-i-had-my-heart-broken-for-the-first-time Megan Seling <p>Okay, my heart wasn't "broken" because I wasn't really in love because I was only 13. His name was Jason, we held hands once, talked on the phone a few times, and we never kissed. It lasted one week in 7th grade (Monday through Friday, not even the weekend) and I don't remember why we stopped "dating" (read: stopped awkwardly standing next to each other in the hallway between classes). Still, when it was "over," I was crushed and I listened to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96hmKX3Hd7c">Janet Jackson sing "Again" </a>every day and night for days, thinking "Yes, Janet, YES. Thank you. You know exactly how it feels."</p> <p>Overall everything about this memory (and middle school, for that matter) feels so, so insignificant, but that was also <strong>the first time in my life I purposefully turned to music with therapeutic intent</strong>, which is actually not at all insignificant. It's kind of sweet and awesome.</p> <p>Now, <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/06/18/the-song-i-listened-to-over-and-over-again-after-i-had-my-heart-broken-for-the-first-time">tell me about your very first therapeutic song.</a></p> Music Life http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/18/the-song-i-listened-to-over-and-over-again-after-i-had-my-heart-broken-for-the-first-time?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=17053503&id=comments 0 Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:39:30 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/18/not-even-joking-michelle-shocked-is-playing-2013-san-francisco-pride http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/18/not-even-joking-michelle-shocked-is-playing-2013-san-francisco-pride Kelly O <p><a href="http://sfist.com/2013/06/18/michelle_shocked_to_promote_her_per.php"><em>From SF-ist:</em></a></p> <blockquote><p>Professional attention-seeker and onstage ranter Michelle Shocked has announced she will return to San Francisco to play a free concert on Sunday, June 30th &#8212; the closing night of S.F. Pride festivities. Adding to the already bizzarre and controversial setup, Shocked's concert will coincide with a press blitz/egotrip coordinated across the <em>SF Examiner</em> and <em>SF Weekly</em>.</p> <p>While many, including ourselves, hoped Shocked's dubious relevance would fade once her tour was cancelled and the retweets died out, the alt-folk singer thrust herself back into limelight late last week. She took to Twitter on Friday to announce the free concert, the <em>SF Weekly</em> exclusive, a treasured spot in the 2013 Pride Guide spread and a forthcoming opinion piece in the <em>Examiner</em>.</p></blockquote> <p><u><a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/06/18/not-even-joking-michelle-shocked-is-playing-2013-san-francisco-pride">Continue reading &#187;</a></u></p> Music ??!! LGBTQITSLFA http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/18/not-even-joking-michelle-shocked-is-playing-2013-san-francisco-pride?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=17052808&id=comments 0 Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:44:00 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/17/that-chilling-moment-when-a-songs-lyrics-smack-you-right-in-the-feelings http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/17/that-chilling-moment-when-a-songs-lyrics-smack-you-right-in-the-feelings Megan Seling <p><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe style="border: 0; width: 400px; height: 42px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1587843425/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/t=2/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="http://houndsofthewildhunt.bandcamp.com/album/hounds-of-the-wild-hunt">Hounds of the Wild Hunt by Hounds of the Wild Hunt</a></iframe></div></p> <p><strong>&#8220;I never learned to swim, and I&#8217;m tired of holding my breath.&#8221;</strong> &#8212;<em>&#8220;Monster in Montauk,&#8221; Hounds of the Wild Hunt</em></p> <p>Several months ago I watched a woman end her life. Sort of. Maybe. It&#8217;s still unclear what exactly happened. See, back in October my husband and I were in New York City&#8212;visiting friends, eating everything on Momofuku Milk Bar's menu, and riding public transportation that isn't worthless&#8212;and one night we decided to take the Roosevelt Island Tramway over the East River to Roosevelt Island to gaze at the city&#8217;s skyline from across the water. It was a dark, chilly October night, the perfect fall night for a walk. It was just a few days before Halloween and, no fucking joke, we saw a person in a Grim Reaper costume walk past us and disappear down an escalator to get on the subway. The Grim Reaper had a scythe. It was spooky and funny at the time, but now it's just spooky.</p> <p>While strolling down the sidewalk that follows along the river, a man who we didn't know was behind us, started yelling at us. He was shouting something about the police and a woman and the river. He ran towards us, he didn&#8217;t speak English very well, and kept insisting we call the police. After 15 seconds, maybe 30, I don't know, we realized what was happening.</p> <p><u><a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/06/17/that-chilling-moment-when-a-songs-lyrics-smack-you-right-in-the-feelings">Continue reading &#187;</a></u></p> Music Life http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/17/that-chilling-moment-when-a-songs-lyrics-smack-you-right-in-the-feelings?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=17046872&id=comments 0 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:47:56 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/17/mosquitoes-dogs-birds-forest-music-from-ghosts-on-saturday http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/17/mosquitoes-dogs-birds-forest-music-from-ghosts-on-saturday Kaia Chessen <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/5f44/1371501025-hungry_ghosts_pic.jpg" class="zoomable"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/5f44/1371501025-hungry_ghosts_pic.jpg" alt="IN COWEN PARK, THE BUGS BUZZ IN THE KEY OF D From left to right: Christian Pincock, Neil Welch, Natalie Mai Hall, John Teske." title="IN COWEN PARK, THE BUGS BUZZ IN THE KEY OF D From left to right: Christian Pincock, Neil Welch, Natalie Mai Hall, John Teske." width="500" height="282" /></a><ul><li class="imageCredit"></li><li class="imageCaption">IN COWEN PARK, THE BUGS BUZZ IN THE KEY OF D From left to right: Christian Pincock, Neil Welch, Natalie Mai Hall, John Teske.</li></ul></div></p> <p>Deep in the forest of Cowen Park on Saturday, an ensemble of musicians played for a small audience. There were only maybe twenty people, performers included, but in the cozy clearing surrounded by trees and fallen logs, with <strong>a stream trickling</strong> nearby and a footbridge suspended overhead, it was standing-room-only. In order to find this space, where bassist <strong>John Teske</strong> and saxophonist <strong>Neil Welch</strong> have performed for the past three years, audience members were directed via Teske&#8217;s website on a treasure hunt through the trees. &#8220;<strong>Take a left into the ravine</strong>,&#8221; we were instructed. &#8220;Enter the clearing; walk toward the wooden footbridge,&#8221; and so on.</p> <p>After hiking for some time, passing staircases and hopping across creeks, we found musicians amid the foliage: two on saxophone, one with a trombone, another with a bass and a cello. As the crowd formed, Welch began a startling solo. It was an onslaught of rapid-fire notes, <strong>messy, manic, bubbling over</strong> and subsiding on repeat. Welch was absorbed, trance-like, in his sound, which first resembled the cry of an excited animal and soon dissolved into a loop of unapologetic shrieking. Finally, it petered into a slow succession of guttural blows. Though a repeating single note, the sound was not stagnant. It was set to the counterpoint of the audience slapping mosquitos against their skin, of <strong>dogs barking in response</strong> from far away, and of birds caw-cawing.</p> <p><u><a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/06/17/mosquitoes-dogs-birds-forest-music-from-ghosts-on-saturday">Continue reading &#187;</a></u></p> Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/17/mosquitoes-dogs-birds-forest-music-from-ghosts-on-saturday?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=17046173&id=comments 0 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:25:06 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/17/see-the-intelligence-la-luz-and-pony-time-for-free http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/17/see-the-intelligence-la-luz-and-pony-time-for-free Megan Seling <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/f730/1371494209-music-feature-570.jpg" alt="LA LUZ, THE INTELLIGENCE, PONY TIME: Trifecta!" title="LA LUZ, THE INTELLIGENCE, PONY TIME: Trifecta!" width="500" height="351" /><ul><li class="imageCredit">KELLY O (TOP AND RIGHT) / EMILY DENTON</li><li class="imageCaption">LA LUZ, THE INTELLIGENCE, PONY TIME: Trifecta!</li></ul></div></p> <p>This Wednesday Neumos is hosting our dream show&#8212;The Intelligence, La Luz, and Pony Time. We never shut up about these bands! Like, ever! For proof, <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/a-dream-show-if-we-may-say-so/Content?oid=17004410">see this week's music feature</a>. </p> <p>Want to see what all the fuss is about? We have some free tickets to give you! Two pairs, to be exact, to two lucky readers. It's our show, we can do what we want. To enter, just e-mail your first and last name to <a href="mailto:freetickets@thestranger.com">freetickets@thestranger.com</a> with <strong>I wanna go to the dream show!</strong> in the subject line.</p> <p>Wanna skip all this nonsense? <a href="http://www.strangertickets.com/events/7849105/the-strangers-music-box">Buy your own tickets right now!</a> They're just $12 a pop.</p> <p>The show is 21+, doors open at 8 pm, and it's gonna be great. Come!</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/17/see-the-intelligence-la-luz-and-pony-time-for-free#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=17045755&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/17/see-the-intelligence-la-luz-and-pony-time-for-free?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=17045755&id=comments 2 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:21:07 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/17/ivan-and-alyoshas-gear-gets-stolen-rhapsody-gives-em-10000-but-they-still-want-your-cash http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/17/ivan-and-alyoshas-gear-gets-stolen-rhapsody-gives-em-10000-but-they-still-want-your-cash Megan Seling <p>Ivan &amp; Alyosha had their van, trailer, and gear stolen while on tour. THAT SUCKS. Man, does that suck. I hate hearing stories of bands being ripped off like this, even when they're boring folk bands with ties to Mars Hill. And while I certainly understand asking fans to help cover the costs of the stolen gear, I also hope that every band everywhere has their shit insured. <a href="https://www.musicproinsurance.com/">Here's a place to start</a>, if you don't.</p> <p>In Ivan &amp; Alyosha's case, though, I was sent a professional press release about their <a href="http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/ivanandalyoshavan">Pledge Music campaign</a>, to help replace the stolen gear. If you give 'em $50, <strong>you get a phone call from the band</strong>. In that press release, it states that:</p> <p>* Rhapsody has donated $10,000<br />* Amazon had donated $5,000<br />* Noisetrade is donating ad space and fans can tip/donate when downloading the band's album for free<br />* From June 24-July 1, Dualtone Music Group will give 100% of the net proceeds from digital and physical retail to the band</p> <p>And you're still asking fans for money? STILL? That's what insurance is for, right?</p> <p><u><a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/06/17/ivan-and-alyoshas-gear-gets-stolen-rhapsody-gives-em-10000-but-they-still-want-your-cash">Continue reading &#187;</a></u></p> Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/17/ivan-and-alyoshas-gear-gets-stolen-rhapsody-gives-em-10000-but-they-still-want-your-cash?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=17045014&id=comments 0 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:18:51 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/14/closure-celebration-moving-on-caf-racers-bat-countrys-last-hurrah http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/14/closure-celebration-moving-on-caf-racers-bat-countrys-last-hurrah Adrian Ryan <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2013/06/14/1371253091-bat_country_image.jpg" alt="Bat Country" title="Bat Country" width="500" height="367" /><ul><li class="imageCredit">Courtesy Kook Teflon</li><li class="imageCaption">"This album has become something between a beautiful baby to deliver and a demon to exorcise." </li></ul></div></p> <p><small><em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/batcountryusa">Bat Country</a>&#8217;s album-release/last hurrah is tomorrow at <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/columbia_city_theater/Location?oid=23945">Columbia City Theater</a>. With the <a href="http://themongreljews.com">Mongrel Jews</a>, <a href="http://www.houndsofthewildhunt.com">Hounds of the Wild Hunt</a>, <a href="http://bakelite78.com">Bakelite 78</a>, and <a href="http://www.jasonwebley.com">Jason Webley.</a> 8 pm, $10<br /></em></small><br />Among the victims of last year&#8217;s tragic and infamous Caf&#233; Racer shootings was &#8220;Meshugunah Joe&#8221; Albanese, an underground punk renaissance man and icon of Seattle&#8217;s neo-cabaret scene. Joe was a pivotal member in many projects and bands, including the Nu Klezmer Army, God&#8217;s Favorite Beefcake, the Circus Contraption Band, and an eight-member ensemble called Bat Country that includes Melissa Cerise-Bullock, who co-founded the band with Mikey Sellars in 2006, and Bill Cerise-Bullock, her husband. </p> <p>The release performance of Bat Country&#8217;s farewell album, <em>Love is the Only Engine of Survival</em>, is tomorrow at Columbia City Theater. With tracks like &#8220;Knockin On My Coffin&#8221; and &#8220;God Better Watch His Back,&#8221; the 12-track work is appropriately described as &#8220;Doom-Americana&#8221;&#8212;powerful, florid, poetic&#8212;a growling dark carnival of gallows humor that delights and sometimes disturbs. I spoke with Bill and Melissa via email.</p> <p><strong>What is your ultimate goal in releasing Love is the Only Engine of Survival? </strong><br />This album exists because we had to find some way to honor Joe and his immense musical talent, and to honor what we all created with him and let that live on. We are all immensely proud of this album. In the aftermath of what happened, in the wake of losing Joe, our mission was to make this album into something beautiful&#8212;as much of a eulogy for Joe and the band as it could possibly be, in terms of quality and presentation&#8212;and making that available to as many people as possible. This album has become something between a beautiful baby to deliver and a demon to exorcise. </p> <p><a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/06/14/closure-celebration-moving-on-caf-racers-bat-countrys-last-hurrah"><u>Continue reading &#187;</u></a></p> Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/14/closure-celebration-moving-on-caf-racers-bat-countrys-last-hurrah?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=17029860&id=comments 0 Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:22:00 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/13/the-hiphop-list-that-made-206-butthurt http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/13/the-hiphop-list-that-made-206-butthurt Charles Mudede <p><div class="blogImageRight" style="width:262px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/abe6/1371152916-music-follow-570.jpg" alt="music-follow-570.jpg" title="" width="250" height="268" /><ul><li class="imageCredit">Mike Force</li><li class="imageCaption"></li></ul></div>On May 23, the NYC-based hiphop magazine <em>XXL</em> dropped a bomb on the 206 called "The New New: 15 Seattle Rappers You Should Know." No one saw it coming. It simply fell from the sky and exploded on us. The people at the magazine certainly had no idea they had dropped anything like a bomb on anybody; they thought it was just a nice and harmless love letter to a city that provided the latest, biggest name in hiphop: Macklemore. So why did "The New New" do more damage than good to Seattle? The answer is easy: Some felt there were names that should not be on the list, and others felt there were names that were missing from the list. The net effect of these feelings? Hella hate.</p> <p>Not too long ago, while writing at my favorite joint, the Station on Beacon Hill, I overheard some rappers (I will not name names) who were not on the list say things like "I know they are cool, but why are they on the list? They don't even rap," and "You can call me a hater, but what's wrong with hating sometimes&#8212;it's being real. I want to hate, and you want me to hide my feelings? That's not happening."</p> <p><u><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/the-hiphop-list-that-made-206-butthurt/Content?oid=17004442">Continue reading &#187;</a></u></p> Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/13/the-hiphop-list-that-made-206-butthurt?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=17018892&id=comments 0 Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:29:00 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/13/start-saving-your-money-now-sasquatch-fans http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/13/start-saving-your-money-now-sasquatch-fans Megan Seling <p>Today the festival organizers announced that they're <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/06/13/sasquatch-expands-to-two-weekends-with-two-different-lineups">expanding to two weekends, with two different lineups</a>, in 2014.</p> Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/13/start-saving-your-money-now-sasquatch-fans?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=17018524&id=comments 0 Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:13:39 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/13/the-replacements-are-headlining-riot-fest-and-do-reunions-matter-anymore http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/13/the-replacements-are-headlining-riot-fest-and-do-reunions-matter-anymore Megan Seling <p><div class="blogImageRight" style="width:262px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/6d8d/1371145234-the_replacements_-_sorry_ma__forgot_to_take_out_the_trash_cover.jpg" alt="The_Replacements_-_Sorry_Ma__Forgot_to_Take_Out_the_Trash_cover.jpg" title="" width="250" height="250" /></div>Last night Riot Fest organizers announced their line-ups, including the news that <strong>the Replacements would be headlining</strong> all three Riot Fest dates (Chicago, Toronto, and Denver). According to Consequence of Sound, the bands lineup will be <a href="http://consequenceofsound.net/2013/06/the-replacements-announce-reunion-shows/">Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson</a>, and a yet-to-be-announced backing band.</p> <p>The Replacements haven't played since 1991. Westerberg hasn't performed live since 2007. But: This also isn't really the Replacements, right? It's Westerberg and Stinson and whatever lucky musicians they bring on stage with them (by the way, who do you think it'll be?). And, even if you're stoked about the band getting back together, you've gotta admit it's a little weird seeing such an influential, beloved act now <a href="http://riotfest.jcrf9879.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/chicago-lineup-june.jpg">smooshed together on a poster</a> with Blink-182 and Fall Out Boy. Ugh. You deserve better, Replacements.</p> <p>I can think of exactly one band reunion I'd go out-of-my-mind crazy for&#8212;one band that I'd be willing to fly across the country to see play again (if it came to that), and that's <strong>Jawbreaker</strong>. Okay, and maybe <strong>Botch</strong>. Well, and <strong>Pretty Girls Make Graves</strong>, too. And, yes, I did get excited (and I am still am excited) for the upcoming <strong>Waxwing</strong> reunion. Fine, there's more than one.</p> <p><u><a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/06/13/the-replacements-are-headlining-riot-fest-and-do-reunions-matter-anymore">Continue reading &#187;</a></u></p> Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/13/the-replacements-are-headlining-riot-fest-and-do-reunions-matter-anymore?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=17018166&id=comments 0 Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:21:34 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/11/the-art-of-dub-music-portlands-bsi-records-returns-as-zamzam-sounds http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/11/the-art-of-dub-music-portlands-bsi-records-returns-as-zamzam-sounds Charles Mudede <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/7358/1370976654-music-lead-570.jpg" alt="World-class dub in beautiful, hand-printed packaging." title="World-class dub in beautiful, hand-printed packaging." width="500" height="351" /><ul><li class="imageCredit">POLYGON PRESS</li><li class="imageCaption">World-class dub in beautiful, hand-printed packaging.</li></ul></div></p> <p>Back in the late '90s, Portland became an unlikely node in the global circuit of dub music. For those not in the know, dub is a derivation of reggae that came into prominence in Jamaica in the mid-'70s, whose key innovative feature at the time was the transformation of a recording studio into an instrument. Over the past four decades, dub (which strips a tune down to the bones of bass and drums, submerging these elements into a twilit sea of echoes) has gone through many mutations (the most recent of which is UK dubstep) and spread to the four corners of the world. The reason why Portland was one such corner is BSI Records, a label that was owned by Ezra Ereckson, Tracy Harrison, and Josh Derry. BSI not only housed and distributed some of the best dub in the business (Henry &amp; Louis, Jah Warrior, Alpha &amp; Omega), but also represented the Northwest's only dub band, Systemwide, and its leading dubmeister, Alter Echo. Things fell apart in 2004 when the collapse of a European distributor left the label with thousands in unpaid debts. The death of the label was terrible news for dub in general and also for Portland, a city that at the time desperately needed more diversity in its music scene.</p> <p>Late last year, the ghost of BSI rematerialized as ZamZam Sounds&#8212;a label run by pretty much the same people (Ereckson and Harrison) that distributes many of the same bands (Alter Echo, Alpha &amp; Omega, Henry &amp; Louis). But this time around, the label is much more of an art project than a straight dub distributor. BSI had the feel of a commercial project, whereas ZamZam has the feel of a gallery whose world-class dubs are packaged in some of the most beautiful covers out there. "At its simplest level," Ereckson wrote to me recently, "ZamZam Sounds really grew out of my wife Tracy's and my desire to make records again. Running BSI Records and doing all the art and design together in the late '90s into the '00s was a colossal amount of work, as in those days we were able to sometimes sell several thousand copies of a release on CD and vinyl. With Josh Derry, aka Alter Echo (and partner Jason Lohr and publicist Ryan Michie), we were building something we actually thought we could make a living at. [When that didn't happen]... it took many years to get over that, both financially and personally. We said many times that we would never get into the label game again."</p> <p><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/the-art-of-dub-music/Content?oid=16951302"><u>Continue reading &#187;</u></a></p> Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/11/the-art-of-dub-music-portlands-bsi-records-returns-as-zamzam-sounds?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=17001437&id=comments 0 The Art of Dub Music: Portland's BSI Records Returns as ZamZam Sounds Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:32:00 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/10/i-hate-you-monday-and-i-want-you-to-die http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/10/i-hate-you-monday-and-i-want-you-to-die Megan Seling <p>Just kidding, Monday. I'm just cranky. I have had this <strong>lung-crushing cough</strong> for several days now, is all, and I haven't been sleeping well because of it. And even though I'm finally starting to feel better, Monday, I still just want to crawl in bed and hide until I can breath without having to hack up a wad of snot from the throat first. You know? </p> <p>Anyway, Monday, I'm trying to stay posi. I'm listening to <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/album-review-rvivrs-the-beauty-between/Content?oid=16951306">RVIVR</a> and <strong>Iron Chic</strong> and <strong>Jackson 5</strong>, but that's just not doing the trick so far. My to-do list is daunting, my energy level is at about 20%, and this coffee isn't helping. </p> <p><u><a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/06/10/i-hate-you-monday-and-i-want-you-to-die">Continue reading &#187;</a></u></p> Music Life http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/10/i-hate-you-monday-and-i-want-you-to-die?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16991396&id=comments 0 Mon, 10 Jun 2013 10:28:38 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/06/the-glorious-21st-century-life-of-cyndi-lauper http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/06/the-glorious-21st-century-life-of-cyndi-lauper David Schmader <p><div class="blogImageRight" style="width:262px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/853c/1370547265-scaled.cyndilauper_web1.jpg" alt="scaled.cyndilauper_web1.jpg" title="" width="250" height="313" /></div></p> <p>Cyndi Lauper burst onto MTV in 1983, became an immediate pop superstar, did some confusing things with pro wrestlers, and eventually settled into the life of a mid-level music professional, making new records, performing for good-sized crowds, but never replicating the chart success or cultural import of her first years. (See also: Cowboy Junkies, k.d. lang, the Indigo Girls.)</p> <p>However, unlike k.d. lang, the Indigo Girls, or that sleepy lady from Cowboy Junkies, Cyndi Lauper decided to try her hand at <strong>writing a Broadway musical</strong>, and this year, <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/cyndi-lauper-musical-kinky-boots-leads-tony-nominees-with-13-20130430"><em>Kinky Boots</em> earned more Tony nominations than any other show</a>, including Best Musical and Best Original Score for Lauper. (The Tony Awards ceremony goes down <a href="http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/news/articles/2013-03-13/201303131363142069857.html">this Sunday</a>, when Lauper will be competing against Tim Minchin for the Best Original Score award, which is a wonderful thing to type. Good luck to them both.)</p> <p>Whatever happens at Sunday's Tonys, the mere fact of <em>Kinky Boots</em>' glorious reception has already worked a small miracle: transforming Cyndi Lauper's forthcoming tour&#8212;celebrating the 30th anniversary of Lauper's classic debut <em>She's So Unusual</em>, which will be played in its entirety&#8212;<strong>from a nostalgia trip into a victory lap</strong>. Helping everything greatly: the eternal brilliance of <em>She's So Unusual</em>, which fades near the end after trotting out 5 or 6 astoundingly great songs. A modern-pop spin on the <em>Dusty in Memphis</em>-ish model of girl-singer records, <em>She's So Unusual</em> cherry-picked great tunes from the pop songbook for reinterpretation by Lauper. (Have you heard the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aLNwOxPsjg">original "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"</a>?) Impressively, Lauper's "Time After Time" (sob!) holds its own against a punk classic by the Brains and one of the richest songs ever written by Prince.</p> <p>On Sunday, June 16, at the Pantages Theater in Tacoma, Cyndi Lauper will be <strong>performing <em>She's So Unusual</em> in its entirety</strong>. <strong>It is going to be awesome.</strong> <a href="http://www.broadwaycenter.org/season/showDetails.asp?key=513&gclid=CJCPl8rzzbcCFWFxQgoddyYAXA">Full info here</a>.</p> <p>After the jump, please enjoy the performance that made the world fall instantaneously in love with Cyndi Lauper (and her mom).</p> <p><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PIb6AZdTr-A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/06/the-glorious-21st-century-life-of-cyndi-lauper#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16966114&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Music History Theater http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/06/the-glorious-21st-century-life-of-cyndi-lauper?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16966114&id=comments 5 The Glorious 21st-Century Life of Cyndi Lauper Thu, 06 Jun 2013 12:35:53 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/06/nine-inch-nails-a-new-song-and-a-seattle-date http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/06/nine-inch-nails-a-new-song-and-a-seattle-date Megan Seling <p>Hey NIN fans! Look! Yesterday Nine Inch Nails released their new song "Came Back Haunted," which will be on their upcoming record <em>Hesitation Marks</em> (out September 3rd). Here, hear:</p> <p><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F95453832"></iframe></p> <p>And! This morning the band announced a North American tour...</p> <p><a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/06/06/nine-inch-nails-a-new-song-and-a-seattle-date">Continue reading &#187;</a></p> Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/06/nine-inch-nails-a-new-song-and-a-seattle-date?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16965414&id=comments 0 Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:07:23 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/04/hey-look-an-awesome-show http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/04/hey-look-an-awesome-show Emily Nokes <p>Now doesn't this look fun? <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/06/04/come-to-this-awesome-show-the-intelligence-la-luz-and-pony-time">You should come</a>!</p> <p><a href="http://www.strangertickets.com/events/7849105/the-strangers-music-box"><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/c6b1/1370381095-musicbox-01.png" alt="musicbox-01.png" title="" width="500" height="699" /></div></a></p> Events Music Nightlife http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/04/hey-look-an-awesome-show?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16948172&id=comments 0 Tue, 04 Jun 2013 12:30:10 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/04/who-is-this-sequin-bow-tie-edition http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/04/who-is-this-sequin-bow-tie-edition Emily Nokes <p>Do you know who this is? <strong>Hot hints</strong> and a chance to win <strong>free tickets</strong> to their show, <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/06/04/who-is-this-sequin-bow-tie-edition?cb=1813de9878691fa67242ddbb54a58333">right over here</a>!</p> <p><a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/06/04/who-is-this-sequin-bow-tie-edition?cb=1813de9878691fa67242ddbb54a58333"><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2013/06/04/1370331253-dontcheat-01.png" alt="DontCheat-01.png" title="" width="500" height="402" /></div></a></p> Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/04/who-is-this-sequin-bow-tie-edition?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16947564&id=comments 0 Tue, 04 Jun 2013 10:10:45 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/31/a-gunk-rock-odyssey-talking-trash-with-ricky-ticky-router-table-of-the-trashies http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/31/a-gunk-rock-odyssey-talking-trash-with-ricky-ticky-router-table-of-the-trashies Emily Nokes <p><em>The Trashies <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Event?event=16865092">play the Black Lodge tonight</a> with La Luz, Nucular Animals, and Peace.</em></p> <p><div class="blogImageRight" style="width:312px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/ef7b/1370036378-music-trashies-570.jpg" alt="The Trashies" title="The Trashies" width="300" height="211" /><ul><li class="imageCredit"></li><li class="imageCaption">The Trashies</li></ul></div>Once upon a time, three dudes from a small paper-milling (i.e., foul-smelling) town in Washington called Longview/Kelso (okay, technically two towns, but there's no real separation) met a kindred spirit from San Diego. "Kindred" might actually be the wrong word to use; how about "garbage" instead? Four garbage spirits, united in their disregard for cleanliness, giving a shit, and the daily grind, set out on a gunk-rock odyssey that has persevered, on and off, since 2004.</p> <p>The Trashies, as they came to be known&#8212;their personas are Ron Wolfman on guitar, Ricky Ticky Router Table on drums, Jesse-Cody Trashington on keyboard, and Billy Goat on bass&#8212;started by way of a jam session in the rotting basement of the now-defunct 24/7 Haus, a punk house/venue in Seattle's Central District. (Disclosure time: I once lived in this house, and I know these trash men personally. But fear not! I'm 98 percent certain I would still be writing this!) Their first jam session produced a song called "Taz Tattoo" (You got a Taz tattoo, what the fuck you gonna do?), followed by "Chicken Sandwich" (Hold the lettuce, hold the tomato, don't forget the extra mayo/get daddy a chicken sandwich), and "Nude Beach" (I looked through binoculars/a total failure/maybe next summer?), and the imbecilic, avant-savant punk tone was set. "'Nude Beach'&#8212;that let me know that we were a real band&#8212;that's when I knew we needed to pursue this," Ricky says, during a near-incoherent interview at the Elysian Brewery. Besides the hilarity of the Trashies concept&#8212;satirical rejection/celebration of small-town, white-trash backwardness&#8212;the songs themselves are really catchy, and the lyrics are so stupid they're smart. Kind of.</p> <p><u><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/a-gunk-rock-odyssey/Content?oid=16895064">Continue reading &#187;</a></u></p> Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/31/a-gunk-rock-odyssey-talking-trash-with-ricky-ticky-router-table-of-the-trashies?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16922105&id=comments 0 Fri, 31 May 2013 14:49:00 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/28/everything-that-happened-at-sasquatch-2013-the-puke-the-pop-chips-the-puppies http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/28/everything-that-happened-at-sasquatch-2013-the-puke-the-pop-chips-the-puppies Emily Nokes <p><div class="blogImageRight" style="width:212px;"><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2013/05/28/1369765674-1369762674-r-img_6845.jpg" class="zoomable"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2013/05/28/1369765674-1369762674-r-img_6845.jpg" alt="Tilson XOXO" title="Tilson XOXO" width="200" height="195" /></a><ul><li class="imageCredit">kelly o </li><li class="imageCaption">Tilson XOXO</li></ul></div><em>The Stranger</em>'s <strong>Sasquatch Team of Excellence Oh Thirteen</strong> is pleased to announce: WE WENT TO SASQUATCH SO YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO! </p> <p>Here's literally almost everything that happened:</p> <p><strong><u>FRIDAY</u></strong></p> <p>- The road to Sasquatch is littered with <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/24/the-road-to-sasquatch">fine reading materials</a> and <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/24/on-the-road-to-sasquatch-part-two-show-us-your-what">confusing/enticing car paint</a>. <br />- It's windy, but <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/24/the-windy-grounds-of-sasquatch">the first three minutes of (S)asquatch</a> look great! <br />- What rhymes with <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/24/spotted-above-the-mainstage">shmacklemore</a>? <br />- <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/25/sasquatch-digest-friday">Friday Digest</a>: <strong>Telekinesis</strong>, Macklemore, and fancy-boy jingle rock... WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE? <br />- <strong>Derek Erdman</strong> experiences the strewn bindles and cosmik debris of <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/25/rose-windows-cosmik-debris">Rose Windows</a>, <strong>Anna Minard</strong> sees RA Scion at <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/25/ra-scion-always-rules">the unpronounceable stage</a>, <strong>Bree McKenna</strong> considers sexy hoods at <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/25/black-rebel-motorcycle-club">Black Rebel Motorcycle Club</a>.<br />- Anna Minard on <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/25/akronfamily-make-music-for-elephants">Akron/Family's improper name slash</a> and otherwise satisfactory music. <br />- <strong>Josh Bis</strong> takes proper <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/25/photos-friday-at-the-sasquatch-festival-of-music">proper photos</a> and marries them with proper words!</p> <p><u><a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/28/everything-that-happened-at-sasquatch-2013-the-puke-the-pop-chips-the-puppies">Continue reading &#187;</a></u></p> Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/28/everything-that-happened-at-sasquatch-2013-the-puke-the-pop-chips-the-puppies?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16892383&id=comments 1 Tue, 28 May 2013 13:03:00 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/24/kelly-o-gets-down-with-the-clown http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/24/kelly-o-gets-down-with-the-clown Kelly O <p><em>Insane Clown Posse play El Corazon tonight and tomorrow night. Tickets are still <a href="http://www.elcorazonseattle.com/">available here</a>.</em></p> <p><div class="blogImageRight" style="width:312px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/e543/1369417670-music-feature-570.jpg" alt="Violent J, the Duke of the Wicked, is on the left. Whoop, whoop!" title=" Violent J, the Duke of the Wicked, is on the left. Whoop, whoop!" width="300" height="211" /><ul><li class="imageCredit"></li><li class="imageCaption"> Violent J, the Duke of the Wicked, is on the left. Whoop, whoop!</li></ul></div>Violent J is a hatchet-wielding, face-paint-wearing, wicked-clown rapper character, and one-half of supernatural hiphop-horrorcore duo Insane Clown Posse. Violent J and childhood friend Shaggy 2 Dope formed ICP in Detroit back in the early '90s and have since released 12 studio albums, 21 singles, seven EPs, and eight compilations on their own label, Psychopathic Records. The duo has earned two platinum and five gold albums (!!). They have a large underground following of dedicated and rabid fans known, of course, as Juggalos. I spoke with Violent J about fatherhood, cheap soda, religion, and boobs. He was extremely friendly, and made me miss the no-bullshit attitude of a born-and-bred Detroiter.</p> <p><strong>You're playing El Coraz&#243;n May 24 and 25. Why the two ICP Seattle shows?</strong></p> <p>Well, it's a small club, and it's been YEARS. No one would book us in Seattle for many, many years. Juggalos have a bad reputation, so for a long time, the closest we could come was Portland.</p> <p><strong>I have to ask. Your songs mention it, your fans guzzle it... why Faygo?</strong></p> <p>You gotta remember, we started out way back in the early '90s, comin' off the heels of the Beastie Boys and Run-DMC. DMC rapped about Adidas, and that was kinda like <em>their</em> thing, and the Beasties, at least back on their first album, used to mention White Castle hamburgers. Those things would link you to a group back then. When we were sitting around working on our very first songs, we wanted to incorporate who we were. We always drank Faygo.</p> <p><strong>Why not Vernors? That's from Detroit.</strong></p> <p>Vernors was expensive! Faygo Cola was only 69 cents for a two-liter. We used to leave the house and walk to the store with no money, and by the time we walked through the alley to get there, we would find at least seven empty bottles on the ground&#8212;then we'd walk away with a new ice-cold two-liter of Faygo, for free.</p> <p><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/kelly-o-gets-down-with-the-clown/Content?oid=16834549"><u>Continue reading &#187;</u></a></p> Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/24/kelly-o-gets-down-with-the-clown?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16864363&id=comments 0 Fri, 24 May 2013 11:01:00 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/22/letters-to-the-postal-service-written-by-hand-with-a-pen http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/22/letters-to-the-postal-service-written-by-hand-with-a-pen Megan Seling <p>To celebrate the Postal Service's 10th anniversary (and mark their appearance at <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Event?event=16280336">Sasquatch!</a> this weekend), a bunch of us <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/letters-to-the-postal-service/Content?oid=16837542">wrote letters to the band</a>:</p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/c626/1369246436-feature-dave-click.jpg" alt="Feature-dave-CLICK.jpg" title="" width="500" height="293" /></div></p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/bbde/1369245791-feature-schmader-click.jpg" alt="feature-schmader-CLICK.jpg" title="" width="500" height="231" /></div></p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px; background-color:transparent; border:none;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/78c7/1369246325-feature-anna-570.jpg" alt="feature-anna-570.jpg" title="" width="500" height="1003" /></div></p> <p><div style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/letters-to-the-postal-service/Content?oid=16837542">Read 'em all here!</a></div></p> Music Mailbag http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/22/letters-to-the-postal-service-written-by-hand-with-a-pen?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16844215&id=comments 0 Wed, 22 May 2013 11:19:55 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/21/siff-scrapper-world-premiere-after-party-the-crocodile http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/21/siff-scrapper-world-premiere-after-party-the-crocodile Kelly O <p>Locally made feature film <em>Scrapper</em> <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/MovieTimes?show=siff&film=16660438">(reviewed here)</a> is throwing an excellent after-party <a href="http://www.thecrocodile.com/event/269085-scrapper-world-premiere-seattle/">at the Crocodile tonight</a>:</p> <blockquote><p>Celebrate the Seattle International Film Festival world premiere of the feature film <em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/281924638610674/"><strong>Scrapper</strong></a></em> at the Crocodile. After the 6 pm premiere screening at the SIFF Uptown Theater the afterparty will begin at the Croc featuring live music from<strong> Rose Windows</strong>, <strong>Kithkin</strong>, and <strong>Ephrata</strong>. Mingle with the stars and filmmakers from the movie including <strong>Michael Beach</strong> (<em>Sons Of Anarchy</em>, <em>Soul Food</em>, <em>Insidious 2</em>) and<strong> Joanna Angel </strong>(Burningangel.com).</p></blockquote> <p>You guys, that's porn star <a href="http://www.burningangel.com/events/gallery/497/joanna-angel-in-scrapper">JOANNA ANGEL!!!</a> Check out the official trailer (and my personal high-fives to director Brady Hall):</p> <p><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="500" height="255" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UlZQLdIjmb4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/21/siff-scrapper-world-premiere-after-party-the-crocodile#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16835948&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Music SIFF http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/21/siff-scrapper-world-premiere-after-party-the-crocodile?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16835948&id=comments 2 Tue, 21 May 2013 16:05:24 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/20/i-will-never-waste-an-opportunity-to-post-the-cartton-video-for-angie-baby http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/20/i-will-never-waste-an-opportunity-to-post-the-cartton-video-for-angie-baby David Schmader <p>And recent days gave me a good but sad one, as this past Friday, <strong>Alan O'Day</strong>, the songwriter who created "Angie Baby" (as well as the #1 hit "Undercover Angel" and the hilariously titled album <em><strong>Caress Me Pretty Music</strong></em>) passed away at age 72. Here's the cartoon video that was made of his career-defining song, which was broadcast on <em>The Sonny and Cher Show</em>. Also, today is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cher">Cher's birthday</a>. Anyway, please enjoy the cartoon "Angie Baby." (And if you need more Angie, don't miss this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg9U-jQjYlU">great live performance</a> and this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuNYEUYtD8c">unnerving computer animation</a>.)</p> <p><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JeAcjRLLjnw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></p> <p>RIP, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-0520-passings1-20130520,0,3271010.story">Alan O'Day</a>.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/20/i-will-never-waste-an-opportunity-to-post-the-cartton-video-for-angie-baby#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16824214&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Death Music TV http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/20/i-will-never-waste-an-opportunity-to-post-the-cartton-video-for-angie-baby?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16824214&id=comments 8 Mon, 20 May 2013 13:42:10 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/17/otherworldly-precision-man-or-astro-man-transmit-modern-intergalactic-sonic-wave-forms-again http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/17/otherworldly-precision-man-or-astro-man-transmit-modern-intergalactic-sonic-wave-forms-again Grant Brissey <p><em>Man or Astro Man? play <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Event?event=16553373">Neumos tomorrow night</a> with Audacity and Atomic Bride. Tickets are still <a href="http://neumos.com/event/man-or-astro-man-5-18/">available here</a>!</em></p> <p><div class="blogImageRight" style="width:312px;"><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/d7c5/1368680399-music-follow-570.jpg" class="zoomable"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/d7c5/1368680399-music-follow-570.jpg" alt="MAN OR ASTRO-MAN?: A futuristic surf-rock band from outer space." title="MAN OR ASTRO-MAN?: A futuristic surf-rock band from outer space." width="300" height="211" /></a><ul><li class="imageCredit"></li><li class="imageCaption">MAN OR ASTRO-MAN?: A futuristic surf-rock band from outer space.</li></ul></div>Man or Astro-Man? reportedly take their name from the promotional poster for the 1960 film <em>The Human Vapor</em>, known in its origin country of Japan as <em>Gas Human No. 1</em>. Also, Man or Astro-Man? are from outer space, and most definitely <em>not</em> Auburn, Alabama. Around the turn of the century, Alpha and Gamma clone replicas of the band began touring in order to meet popular demand for their highly sought-after intergalactic sonic wave forms. Twelve years after their last documented recordings, and after "years of hibernation," the original lineup of Birdstuff, Coco the Electronic Monkey Wizard, and Star Crunch have returned with their ninth album, <em>Defcon 5...4...3...2...1</em>, which finds their futuristic adaptations of surf rock to be otherworldly in technical precision. The following electronic communications were recorded on May 7, 2013.</p> <p><strong>Your intergalactic sonic wave forms are often documented by one Steve Albini. Is Steve Albini human?</strong></p> <p>Well, what a lot of people don't know is that Steve Albini is actually the inspiration for <em>The Six Million Dollar Man</em>. Last-minute studio changes resulted in the character having "bionic" implants as opposed to the "microphonic" implants Albini employs. Execs felt the world of studio recording was perhaps not as exciting as that of crime-fighting and espionage, so Albini's character was shelved. They then changed Steve's last name to Austin, and Albini became the Pete Best of electrical implants.</p> <p><strong>How have the years of hibernation affected your ability to manipulate your instruments?</strong></p> <p>It didn't affect us as much as it affected our instruments. Those things were dusty.</p> <p><u><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/otherworldly-precision/Content?oid=16766115">Continue reading &#187;</a></u></p> Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/17/otherworldly-precision-man-or-astro-man-transmit-modern-intergalactic-sonic-wave-forms-again?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16779474&id=comments 0 Fri, 17 May 2013 12:04:00 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/17/azerbaijans-contribution-to-eurovision http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/17/azerbaijans-contribution-to-eurovision Dan Savage <p><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/b4PWtkrDi-s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></p> <p>That cute Azerbaijani mime does the best "trapped in a glass box" act that I've ever seen.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/17/azerbaijans-contribution-to-eurovision#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16791364&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/17/azerbaijans-contribution-to-eurovision?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16791364&id=comments 15 Fri, 17 May 2013 09:25:03 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/16/red-room-studios-matt-bayles-talks-shop http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/16/red-room-studios-matt-bayles-talks-shop Trent Moorman <p><div class="blogImageRight" style="width:312px;"><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/d7a6/1368678568-soundcheck-570.jpg" class="zoomable"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/d7a6/1368678568-soundcheck-570.jpg" alt="MATT BAYLES: Seven years ago, he left Minus the Bear to focus on making records." title="MATT BAYLES: Seven years ago, he left Minus the Bear to focus on making records." width="300" height="211" /></a><ul><li class="imageCredit">PHILIP JAMIESON</li><li class="imageCaption">MATT BAYLES: Seven years ago, he left Minus the Bear to focus on making records.</li></ul></div>Matt Bayles is a Seattle-based producer/engineer/mixer (and founding member of the band Minus the Bear) who owns and runs the beloved Red Room recording studio. Bayles's production renders songs raw, yet contained. His low-end heft is an accurate beast. Atmospherics shimmer and bend with a convex glint&#8212;when a song needs to punch, it hits with pronounced girth. Mastodon's Bayles-produced <em>Remission</em> album will straight up make you claw a tree and mark territory. Other Bayles clients include the Blood Brothers, ISIS, the Murder City Devils, Helms Alee, Absolute Monarchs, Eighteen Individual Eyes, Rocky Votolato, Botch, Pearl Jam, and more. Recently, he's been working with Sandrider and Dust Moth on new material. Seven years ago, Bayles left Minus the Bear to focus solely on making records, and people have been marking trees because of him since. Bayles spoke, pronouncing everything perfectly.</p> <p><strong>When you think of mixing and producing, what's the first thing that comes to mind?</strong></p> <p>At its most basic, mixing is the balancing of frequencies, levels, and panning to get things to even out. After you get the tech stuff out of the way, you have to concentrate on what's meant to be the musical hook at any given time&#8212;a guitar nuance, a vocal inflection, a drum fill&#8212;and make it pop. Production is the choices you make to create those moments during recording. Getting the vocal take, the vocal sound, arranging the song so that there are those little things to listen for on the second listen, or a year later, or five years later.</p> <p><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/sound-check/Content?oid=16765311"><u>Continue reading &#187;</u></a></p> Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/16/red-room-studios-matt-bayles-talks-shop?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16779427&id=comments 0 Thu, 16 May 2013 10:01:53 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/15/brute-transcendence-mtns-bring-the-noise-to-the-summit http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/15/brute-transcendence-mtns-bring-the-noise-to-the-summit Dave Segal <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/f43d/1368635289-music-feature-570.jpg" alt="Daniel Enders, a Satan Donkey, and Austin Hund." title="Daniel Enders, a Satan Donkey, and Austin Hund." width="500" height="351" /><ul><li class="imageCredit">Kelly O </li><li class="imageCaption">Daniel Enders, a Satan Donkey, and Austin Hund.</li></ul></div></p> <p><small><em><strong>MTNS</strong> play the <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/black-lodge/Location?oid=659969">Black Lodge</a> TONIGHT with Black Pus and the Numbs!</em></small></p> <p>For their big Debacle Fest matinee performance at the Highline on May 4, Seattle duo MTNS are barefoot and wearing silk slips like it's no big deal. Slender Austin Hund ignites a bass dirge that ripples pant legs. Burly Daniel Enders coaxes crackles from a light theremin, then grabs his drumsticks and stands on his stool in order to beat on the venue's ceiling pipes. Eventually he sits down at his kit and attacks it with feral grace, his face distorted into a demonic grimace.</p> <p>MTNS then launch into a wild, methodical growl and stomp. The twosome's portentous noise rock unexpectedly accelerates with mad energy, revealing roots in speed metal and no-wave. Enders drops a stick twice in 10 seconds, but no matter. The apocalyptic tone's been established.</p> <p>As the set progresses, Hund makes his bass corkscrew and spasm in strange contortions and squeal like a pig (see: <em>Deliverance</em>), with a predilection for ratcheting up the tension to infernal degrees. But MTNS are about more than just speed and power. Their last song of the set&#8212;and the finale of their excellent new album, <em>All Songs Are Spells</em>&#8212;"Hut on a High Peak," shows that they're capable of writing a moving, majestic melody. Marked by an ascending recorder motif, it's one of the best songs by a Seattle band this year.</p> <p><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/brute-transcendence/Content?oid=16765354">Continue reading >></a></p> <p>[ <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/15/brute-transcendence-mtns-bring-the-noise-to-the-summit#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16771476&amp;id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/15/brute-transcendence-mtns-bring-the-noise-to-the-summit?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16771476&id=comments 1 Wed, 15 May 2013 11:56:00 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/14/jim-james-is-my-morning-frankie http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/14/jim-james-is-my-morning-frankie Trent Moorman <p><em>Jim James plays the <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Event?event=16448595">Neptune Theater</a> tomorrow, May 15th. Tickets are still <a href="http://www.stgpresents.org/tickets/by-month/eventdetail/571/-/little-big-show-featuring-jim-james">available here</a>.</em></p> <p><div class="blogImageRight" style="width:312px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/a452/1368480711-soundcheck-570.jpg" alt="MEATCLIFF: Seattle&#8217;s wisest corgi." title="MEATCLIFF: Seattle&#8217;s wisest corgi." width="300" height="211" /><ul><li class="imageCredit"></li><li class="imageCaption">MEATCLIFF: Seattle&#8217;s wisest corgi.</li></ul></div>Louisville, Kentucky, mountain man Jim James (aka Yim Yames) has an unassailable transcendentalism about him. He's rootsy and Zen, and he has a resonant, yodel-throated mine shaft of a singing voice. With James's first solo full-length, <em>Regions of Light and Sound of God</em>, the My Morning Jacket frontman has become a bit of a Southern mystic. His songs swim through expansively altered folk and gospel, each possessing its own calm, rich, tidal sensation. James could not meet me at Electric Tea Garden for an interview, so he sent his holographic interview persona instead. On hand was primordial idiotechno DJ/artist Frankie Crescioni, who was preparing his next set of dankwave by experimenting with water-droplet sounds autotrophing through arena-sized delays. Hologram James and Crescioni hit it off immediately. Meatcliff, Seattle's wisest corgi, was also there. James called for a meditation&#8212;the two sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the sub with their eyes closed. James's mountainous mane and Crescioni's flowing rat-tail fluttered from the vibration coming out of the speakers like a light-blue breeze off the Sulu Sea. Opium incense was near. I asked James questions, but he was too locked into the colossal water-drop kundalini and couldn't speak. Crescioni spoke for him, softly.</p> <p><strong>Where did you learn to sing like you're yodeling in a mine shaft?</strong></p> <p>My grandfather was a great coal miner in Betsy Layne, Kentucky. On his one day off, he liked to go there to assert his dominance over the miners, and sometimes he'd bring me.</p> <p><strong>Do you have any yodeling stories?</strong></p> <p>No, not really. I guess there was one occasion where my grandfather yodeled loud enough to startle a group of wolves away from some friends' sheep, but really it wasn't that exciting.</p> <p><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/sound-check/Content?oid=16699808"><u>Continue reading &#187;</u></a></p> Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/14/jim-james-is-my-morning-frankie?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16755571&id=comments 0 Tue, 14 May 2013 09:37:00 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/13/never-heard-of-em-radiohead http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/13/never-heard-of-em-radiohead Anna Minard <p><div class="blogImageRight" style="width:262px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/4474/1368466960-music-neverheard-click.jpg" alt="music-neverheard-CLICK.jpg" title="" width="250" height="250" /></div><em>Anna Minard claims to "know nothing about music." For this column, we force her to listen to random records by artists considered to be important by music nerds.</em></p> <p><strong>Radiohead</strong><br /><em>Kid A</em><br />(Capitol)</p> <p>I have a relationship to Radiohead that consists mainly of confusion and fear. I've heard <em>of</em> them, and I even went out and bought <em>Pablo Honey</em> when I was a teenager. I just didn't like it, and that was it. Then they became<strong> the Jesus of music</strong> and the world shitted itself every time they took another step, and it freaked me out. I never followed up&#8212;I used to avoid music that I thought I'd be embarrassed if I didn't understand. (I'm curing that impulse weekly now.)</p> <p>When we started this column, I just assumed someone would eventually assign me Radiohead. Right?! But so far the contents have tended more toward <strong>old-school music learnin'</strong> and haven't caught up with the hip kids of the new millennium.</p> <p>So I asked for it. <em>Kid A </em>was decreed, and I went home with determination (and some trepidation). It was a <strong>mostly silent sit-down couch listen</strong>; no running errands with headphones, no sorting laundry, no leaving the room for a minute. I listened to it like I was watching a movie, or waiting to be saved.</p> <p><u><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/never-heard-of-em/Content?oid=16699741">Continue reading &#187;</a></u></p> Music http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/13/never-heard-of-em-radiohead?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16754572&id=comments 0 Mon, 13 May 2013 13:22:10 -0700 The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/13/passenger-ejected-from-plane-for-singing-i-will-always-love-you http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/13/passenger-ejected-from-plane-for-singing-i-will-always-love-you Bree McKenna <p>I just read about the passenger who refused to stop loudly singing an <strong>off-key rendition</strong> of "I Will Always Love You" during an American Airlines flight. She apparently worried the flight staff enough that they hand-cuffed her and had to make <strong>an emergency landing</strong>. Another passenger caught a <strong>secret cellphone video </strong>of her continuing to belt the song out as she was lead to the front of the aircraft in cuffs. The woman was not charged, and she claims that the incident was a caused by a <strong>bizarre diabetic episode</strong>, but American refused to fly the woman on to her destination and she had to make other arrangements.</p> <p><u><a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/13/passenger-ejected-from-plane-for-singing-i-will-always-love-you">Continue reading &#187;</a></u></p> Music Life http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/13/passenger-ejected-from-plane-for-singing-i-will-always-love-you?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16753700&id=comments 0 Mon, 13 May 2013 11:10:00 -0700 The Stranger