The absolutely incredible Savannah, GA based rock trio CUSSES will be performing at Tonic Lounge in Portland on April 18 and at the Comet in Seattle on April 17. The band is touring in support of their debut, self-titled full-length, which features the song “Don’t Give In,” which can be heard in the stark, visually …
Oh dear Jesus, here it comes again. I’m going on a Brandi Carlile binge again. The last time was really bad. Despite of any of her personal preferences – she’s on my pregnancy spree list. You might ask what my ‘pregnancy spree list’ is. Well let me tell you. I’m building a time machine and …
PD: Friday morning came like a dull thud. Fell out of bed and down to breakfast just before the kitchen shut. The morning was more challenging than any previous that week, and I hated missing perfectly good sets starting at noon, but there are only so many 03.00 roll-ins one can manage without deleterious effect …
A million and half people have viewed this awesome cover of Fleetwwod Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” and have loved it to death. Three years ago Lissie made cover song history with her cover of Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness” wherein she took an eloquent hip hop declaration of independence, added tequila and her Joplinesque …
Saturday night March 30 Seattle’s Neptune Theater hosted the legendary Mike Nesmith. Once one fourth of the sixties bubblegum band The Monkees, now an artist in his own right, Mike Nesmith came on stage spot on time at eight o’clock. There was no opening act, just Nesmith and a backup band. He opened with the …
These two lovely, dark, deep, delicious, and lonely-sounding tunes, both reminiscent of Pink Floyd, are from the recent album, Two Halves, by UK via Berlin songwriter, Lukas Creswell-Rost. Creswell-Rost created and recorded these tunes in 2007 and 2008 while “stuck in his tiny attic bedroom somewhere in Northern England, with nothing else to do but …
This video is my great uncle, the magnificent Daniel Santos AKA “El Jefe” when he was a young buck. He was a phenomenal singer and they used to call him the Frank Sinatra of Latin America. He had 12 wives. He told his biggest fans Fidel Castro and Che to kiss his ass when they …
Illustrious English singer/songwriter Billy Bragg blends elements of folk with punk all with twangy but grinding acoustic guitar licks. Bragg’s songs focus a lot on left wing politics, pointing out injustices of war and crimes against humanity. Some of his songs are about relationships. Imagine Woody Guthrie meets Bob Dylan meets Joe Strummer and combine …
Wednesday night March 27, 2013, Seattle hosted legendary ska masters, The Specials. I saw The Specials for the first time fifteen years ago almost to the very day. It was a festival called Bored Stiff sponsored by KNDD (back when they were still playing good music). The concert was held at Snoqualmie Summit, in the …
Mike Hughes: Thursday was another hot one in Austin. I was playing with that ‘SXSW conundrum’ — do I go and see British bands, especially ones that are going to be playing down the road from me in a few weeks? The decision today was a resounding yes, so I said farewell for a few …
Sadplant is a “a D.I.Y. punk band” from Westbrook, Connecticut. Formed in 2007 by husband and wife team Ben Kerr (aka ‘Ben Social’ – guitarist/lead vocals) and Amy Wappel (bassist/vocals), they’ve already released seven albums, all self-recorded and produced, quit their day jobs and put their show on the road (in a truck with their …
This live version of Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic” is OK, although the foghorn needs some help. But I should have flagged this file: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVAnlke_xUY, the original album version. It’s the heart of Moondance, a nearly perfect album. This song seems to be about a spiritual quest and also about an act of love as …
Mike: Wednesday was going to provide no respite on the sleep front. You gotta have a plan for SXSW and mine was to aim for one or two main ‘must-do’s per day, then fill in the rest. Today’s first imperative was to see Tegan And Sara, who I last saw in 2010 at the Roundhouse …
Here’s a new song for which I wrote the lyrics. The Cynz from NYC did the music and the video for it. It’s got the old ’77 New York feel to it. This will be on their new EP, which should be coming out shortly called Blame it on the Kiss. Thats a very young …
Gillian Gaar, longtime scribe to the Seattle scene, author of She’s A Rebel and other books, needs surgery and has no insurance. I hope you can donate, but at least please do try to spread the word around: – Andrew Hamlin http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/Eye-Care-Surgery-For-G3/46013
It’s never too early to start thinking about where to send your child for summer camp. Although any type can teach a child valuable skills, it’s worthwhile to consider sending them to a summer camp that specializes in something they’re passionate about. If you have a budding musician in the family, you might be subjected …
Watching this video I had two trains of thought. One was how impressive this kid is in navigating and playing his instruments, while really holding his own vocally. Some have implied that the fact that Geddy Lee sings like a 12 year old boy is one of the reasons it took Rush so long to …
Flogging Molly are hands down one of the best live acts EVER! Last night’s show at Seattle’s historical Paramount Theater was no exception. They came on stage and waited while the last notes of The Who’s “Baba O’Reilly” waned (which everyone in the audience sang along to) before bursting out the chords to “Another Bag …
Many people who discovered punk rock in the late 1970s or early 1980s have a variation on this story: “I was walking down the street, minding my own business, when a car slowed down and a meathead yelled ‘DEVO!’ Then a beer bottle hit me in the head and the car sped away.” By the …
This vid is trending today. It’s not the vocals or the groove in this Macklemore cover that’s winning over audiences, it’s Tori and Troi themselves, statuesque twins headed for stardom on looks alone and deservedly so. The matching thrift store furs add to the equation, don’t forget them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoy03Ye_2ys
A lot comes along between one’s early twenties and the midst of “thirtysomething” — careers, wives, children — but the spark of youthful, musical chemistry doesn’t always diminish over time. Some fourteen years and six albums after Left Hand Smoke made their first Seatown splash as local-radio darlings, the band certainly still has “It.” Through …
How this CD slipped out here in the U.S. is beyond me. This album displaced Adele atop the charts in the UK and has spawned several hits. There was no push for this on American radio. Emeli has a very mature voice and feel like she has an old soul. The themes here are very …
Seattle writer Chris Estey will chat with Richard Hell, a true King of Punk, live on stage Thursday, March 21, at the Rendezvous in Seattle (2322 2nd Avenue) at 7 PM as part of a show promoted by the University Bookstore. Richard Hell has a new book out called I Dreamed I Was A Very …
The lecture in which Pat Thomas will participate, sponsored by the Northwest Film Forum on 1960s/1970’s underground African American films on Saturday March 23rd in Seattle has been changed from 8 pm to 6 pm – the NEW time for this free event is 6 pm ! After two trips to London (May and October …
This is trending today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c8YMEkTl0U Below are some other cup beat faves of the last few years.
From the album Miracle Temple, out now on Merge Records, and if it’s on Merge, it has to be good.
It’s Sunday night and The Crocodile Café has some great ska happenin’… This time it’s New York’s The Slackers with Seattle’s Georgetown Orbits opening. Ooh la la! I’ve been in the Croc once since they remodeled and the pluses are better stage visibility and better use of the dance floor. But I miss the old …
Reverend Horton Heat & Jello Biafra Rile Up a Sold Out Crowd At Seattle’s El Corazon, By Holly Homan
Friday night and I’m back at Seattle’s El Corazon. This night it’s The Reverend Horton Heat and the legendary Jello Biafra headlining. Preceding are Huntington Beach punks Guttermouth. I arrived quite early, but about fifteen minutes before Spitting Cobras were to take the stage, hunger pangs began to overtake me, so I left the club, …
As Rocket J. Squirrel used to say, “Holey smokes!” Though I doubt Rockey was referring to Flogging Molly, his words fit. Celtic punk heroes, Flogging Molly are returning to the Northwest for two nights, one in Portland at the Roseland Theater on March 11 and one at Seattle’s gorgeous Paramount Theater on March 12. For …