Month: May 2012

Ayron Jones and the Way – Baptized – Band to Perform at Portland’s Duff Garage 5/18, the Hoppy Brewer 5/19 and the Good in the Neighborhood Festival 6/24

Check out Ayron Jones and the Way, Seattle’s only all-black, neo-blues, power-rock trio. They began with some potent Jimi Hendrix/Stevie Ray Vaughan influences and have crafted a sound all their own. They recently won the Seattle leg of the global Hard Rock Rising competition and last year won the “Best in Show” award at the …

The Spring Standards – Only Skin – At Portland’s Doug Fir Lounge 6/21 and Seattle’s Crocodile Cafe on 6/22

The Spring Standards’ yellow//gold, released May 1st on Parachute Shooter Records, is a double-disc record flush with rolling piano, wistful strings, and booming percussion. The two emotionally-charged EPs tell intertwining stories of growing up and leaving home to embark on a new adventure. yellow evokes a sense of nostalgia for the trio’s shared childhoods—they started …

Wintersleep – Nothing Is Anything (Without You) – New Inheritors – At Portland’s Doug Fir 5/31 and Seattle’s Columbia City Theater 6/1.

Hailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Wintersleep makes music that MTV Hive has called “a pulsing dose of indie rock, with bright pops of guitar and a glistening synth line.” Having won a Juno Award in 2008 and performed on The Late Show With David Letterman for their 2010 release, Wintersleep’s new album, Hello Hum, delivers …

Free Pussy Riot!‏ By Tom Kipp

This week NATION editor Katrina vanden Heuvel brings attention to an unlikely political cause celebre involving a Russian punk rock collective called Pussy Riot. Some remarkable YouTube video footage accompanies her piece:   http://www.thenation.com/blog/167647/free-pussy-riot?rel=emailNation   And their Wikipedia entry makes clear that PR is a remarkable project all the way around:   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pussy_Riot   This …

Seattle Superhero Becomes Comic Book Hero in New Quickie Video

It’s official: real-life superhero Phoenix Jones now has his very own song, comic-book and comic motion music video! All courtesy of Seattle pop-punk band Quickie. After Quickie penned an anthem about the Emerald City crime-fighter, they commissioned talented local cartoonist Travis Bundy to illustrate a “motion-comic” featuring band-members Lou Trez (bass/vocals), Joe Wolf (guitar), and …

Speaking of Nick Lowe Production Masterpieces, By Rich Horton and Eduard P. Gomez

[Your comments are appreciated, what are some other great moments from Nick Lowe’s career? Please join in below.] For my money, “Bring the Family” by John Hiatt (1987) is Nick Lowe’s production highlight. Lowe’s production of this record (like most of his productions) perfectly suits Hiatt’s songs and arrangements. Only the barest production tricks and …