This last quarter of the season – depending on where you live – when you’re really trying to make every day without rain and cold count. No wonder so many yearn for the “Endless Summer.” As an aside, I remember the first time I went to a Southern California beach – Zuma, Malibu. Driving thru …
When I hear this song, I can smell the 80s. I can taste it. You can cut the wistfulness with a butter knife; the Beatles of my generation. Now I know why my mom would get so “weird” when a particular Roy Orbison or Everly Brothers song would come on the stereo. – Steve Stav
I’ve spent a bit of time in nursing homes over the last several years. There are two things I find especially fascinating. First is what people bring with them to this one little room. The condensing down of all worldly goods to the very most meaningful. The second is the deathbed gathering of relatives. The …
After 72 years, Sir George Ivan “Van” Morrison is still wandering through buttercup summers and playing new games down in the hollow. “Transformation,” (above) a song from his upcoming album, his 37th, forms his latest summer into fall meditation. It’s gold baby, this “Transformation,” and it comes to us just as northern hemisphere leaves turn …
Thirty-five years ago I discovered ska music – in particular, Two-Tone ska music. The Selecter was one of those Two-Tone bands who were my first real introduction to ska music. As far as I know they never played Seattle – not since I’ve known of them. Really, they’ve barely set foot on US soil. Though …
The sonic fireworks for this song start at 1:02. Be sure to stick with it at least that far. The Blow’s new album, Brand New Abyss, is a lightning rod. A wild assembly of frequencies produced out of a thrust of electroacoustic punk energy, the album is a search for a new sound of rebellion …
Last weekend my wife and I went to Northwestern University to attend the musical, Tommy, by The Who. Undergraduate students performed with a nine piece band, including a french horn. I retrieved my Tommy album upon return to the abode to check the liner notes. John Entwistle is credited with the horn playing. And then …
After spending the fifth and sixth of August watching the Blue Angels fly, I ended the weekend with yet another trip to El Corazon. This time it was to see a group called the Bombpops. This quartet from Ocean City, CA, has two very charming young women fronting the band. They shared lead vocals and …
On the night of August third I ventured out to one of my favorite haunts, El Corazon. This time it was a hard core punk show with He Is Legend headlining. He Is Legend is a five-piece from Wilmington, NC with lots of hair. They are fronted by the very energetic and dynamic Schuylar Croom. …
It was a warm Saturday night when I ventured out to a place I’d never been before called Pono Ranch. Nestled under the Ballard Bridge on the north side of Seattle’s Ship Canal (a canal that separates north and south Seattle). This time I was taking in some more ska/reggae put forth by Seattle’s Yogoman …
Robyn Hitchcock, Robyn Hitchcock (Yep Roc) Is it possible that, at the midpoint of his seventh decade, Robyn Hitchcock has delivered his finest album? Certainly, it is his strongest sounding work in decades. Taking nothing away from his excellent past collaborations with Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, Peter Buck, and Scott McCaughey, much credit here must …
Just listened to Simon and Garfunkel’s Bookends. So many things anachronistic about the activity — 1967 album, listening to a whole album, actually was an LP I digitized. And I’m not the first to observe the weirdness of Paul Simon, who sings “how terribly strange to be 70” being over 70 now. I think Simon …
GTO Orion Anderson – Guitar | Cale Wilcox – Bass | Timmy Conroy – Keys/Vocals | Harald Bell – Drums | Sean Jensen – Saxophone | Colin Pulkrabek – Trombone MONKEY CURTIS “Curtron” MEACHAM – Guitar/Vox MICAH “MC Brown Crown” TURNEY – Drums AADITH “Fishbone Army” SRINIVASAN – Bass DUSTIN “El Duece” JAMES – T-bone/keys …
I don’t know how it took me so long to find this, but now that it’s here I’ve been repeating it ad infinitum. It’s fantastic. Beirut-born Maysa Karaa has got to be one of the greatest Arabic language singers of all time, at least among American classic rock fans. Karaa has created an exquisite, exotic …
After about a decade in hiatus mode LA’s Tiger Army is back at it with a new album and new tour. I had the utmost pleasure of seeing them at Seattle’s Showbox on July 2, this time co-headlining with Murder By Death. I arrived just after Tiger Army came on stage and just before they …
Sunday June 18th was not only Father’s Day but also the day the Mad Caddies played in Seattle. This time they returned to the Nectar Lounge in the one Seattle neighborhood that’s kept its counter culture charm, Fremont. Front man Chuck Robertson came out sporting his usual scruffy look (unshaven, unkempt) and his usual overdose …
A year ago, Darling Cora released, “Yearn” the first single off her debut album, Heart Strung Out and EPB was quick to latch on to the magic. This spring she released a beautiful video (above) to accompany the song. If you have yet to discover this promising Toronto artist, please take this oppoortunity to do …
On Sunday night June 11 I had the extreme pleasure of seeing Boston’s ska band, Big D & the Kid’s Table do a show at Seattle’s El Corazon. This time they were commemorating the tenth anniversary of the release of their iconic album Strictly Rude, which they performed in its entirety (among other songs). They …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hlqRi_6sKQ Absenté Reo is an engineer, producer, multi-instrumentalist and remixer from Brighton, UK who produces a range of soundtrack, acoustic and contemporary dance and future bass under various pseudonyms. While travelling through USA, Cuba, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Australia, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil; Blind Rivers Absenté Reo collected …
The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said …
Los Angeles poppers the Rebel Light have a new song for you. It’s called “Where Did All the Love Go?” and vocalist and keyboardist Will Steil emailed to say, “When I wrote this song, I am not sure anyone could have predicted the political chaos our country would have descended into… each breaking news headline …
On August 4, Dan Wilson will return with Re-Covered, a unique album that finds the Grammy-winning songwriter reinterpreting songs from his storied career that he wrote for and with other artists. The album, which marks his third solo studio release, is now available for pre-order on iTunes and Pledge Music and includes instant downloads of …
The recent EP from Championships is a delight. It has six carefully crafted pop classics all written and sung by Cameron Heger, the Championships mastermind. Gifted as he undoubtedly is, Heger gets by with a lot of help from his talented friends. On his last recording, an eponymous debut in November of 2015, it was …
On the way to forging his own way in music, Van Morrison penned a sentimental ditty called “Brown Eyed Girl.” Sung with gusto over a simple, three-chord melody, the song remains Morrison’s biggest hit 50 years later. “Brown Eyed Girl” is still sung around campfires and is an oldies station staple, but I think it’s …
A couple weeks ago I was working up an acoustic arrangement of Van’s song, “Crazy Love,” for May May and me to sing with another couple. After a few passes at it, I abandoned it for a different song by a more harmony-inclined band. Despite the catchiness & simplicity of “Crazy Love,” it just isn’t …
Mavis Staples is one of the very true American voices left. She sang with the Staples Singers and had many hits with that group. Mavis early on became the featured singer there given her unique sound. Her voice was low and passionate and the only one of its kind. Mavis is a national treasure. I …
Thursday May 4 I had the esteemed privilege of seeing punk rock cover band Me First & the Gimme Gimmes. Me First, for those of you unfamiliar with them, are a punk band who turn non-punk songs into punk songs. “Songs like Leavin’ On A Jet Plane,” “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” etc. Jay Bentley on …
The album cover art is easily the winner for the world’s worst cover art released by a legendary musician, but damn, I love the Etta James Live From San Francisco album from 1981. She can even make this Eagles tune sound genius. – Pat Thomas is the author of Listen, Whitey! The Sights and Sounds …
On Saturday night after spending all day at the Punk Rock Flea Market selling my wares, I headed to the Tractor Tavern in Seattle’s old Ballard neighborhood. Playing was the Reverend Horton Heat doing a (semi) solo acoustic show without his long-time sidekick Jimbo on bass and no drummer. I arrived just after eight (did …
Seattle ska band It Gets Worse have long been a favorite of East Portland Blog. They are in the midst of a good, long run of success and have just released a video for “Cool Kids.” The band will be appearing at the Nectar Lounge in Seattle on June 18 with Mad Caddies and The …