Music

Inaugural Soul United Film Festival Gets Under Way May 3rd, 2012 From 7 to 10pm at Cinebarre in Mountlake Terrace

Here’s the latest from my friend Davin Michael Stedman: The very first Soul United Film Festival takes place May 3rd, 2012 from 7 to 10pm at Cinebarre in Mountlake Terrace. The festival features a unique program of music videos and short films, produced on both a local and national level. The Soul United Film Festival …

X, The Last Surviving Original Punk Band, Will Rock Portland’s Crystal Ballroom on May 11 and Seattle’s Showbox Theater on May 12th, By Holly Homan and Mike Kowalski

Perennial L.A. punk-rockers, X, are touring the West Coast right now, before heading to Europe to join Pearl Jam this summer. Now celebrating their 35th anniversary as a band, X is the last musical group out of the iconic “class of ’77,” which featured such greats as The Ramones, The Clash and The Sex Pistols, …

Legendary Ska Masters, The Skatalites, Along with Seattle’s Georgetown Orbits, Bring Smooth Jamaican Ska to The Nectar Lounge, By Holly Homan

On Tuesday evening April 24, I headed to Seattle’s artsy Fremont neighborhood to The Nectar Lounge – where legendary Ska band The Skatalites were playing. The Nectar Lounge is a great little club with an ample dance floor, a large loft and even a covered patio where patrons can go smoke and still watch the …

DANCE CRAZE – THE BEST OF BRITISH SKA… LIVE – 2 TONE RECORDS

http://youtu.be/pl8j_nFpajI This movie includes all of the following 2 Tone bands and songs live: “Nite Klub” – The Specials “The Prince” – Madness “Ne-Ne-Na-Na-Na-Na-Nu-Nu” – Bad Manners “007 (Shanty Town)” – The Bodysnatchers “Three Minute Hero” – The Selecter “Ranking Full Stop” – The Beat “Big Shot” – The Beat “Concrete Jungle” – The Specials …

THE ANIMALS AT NIGHT – ONE DOWN, ONE TO GO – All Profits From Single Will be Donated to PAWS

Here’s the catchy and cool new single from The Animals at Night. As you can read below, all profits from the sale of the single will go to PAWS. Here’s the band’s Youtube description: “One Down, One to Go – Official video by Marlon Schaeffer and the Animals at Night. Purchase the single here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/one-down-one-to-go-single/id517282887 …

Mark Lavon “Levon” Helm – May 26, 1940 – April 19, 2012 – An Exemplary Musical Life, By Tom Kipp

[4/19/2012 – On his website, the family of Levon Helm has announced, “Levon Helm passed peacefully this afternoon. He was surrounded by family, friends and band mates and will be remembered by all he touched as a brilliant musician and a beautiful soul.”] A proud native of Arkansas, Levon Helm put the American, not to forget …

Musicians Across the World Pay Tribute to Levon Helm – Robbie Robertson Visits One Last Time and Praises Helm

[Update 4/19/2012 – On his website, the family of Levon Helm has announced, “Levon Helm passed peacefully this afternoon. He was surrounded by family, friends and band mates and will be remembered by all he touched as a brilliant musician and a beautiful soul.” The material below was posted earlier in the week, prior to …

Levon Helm – King Fish – Take Me to the River – A True Innovator Who Will be Missed, By Davin Michael Stedman

[Update 4/19/2012 – On his website, the family of Levon Helm has announced, “Levon Helm passed peacefully this afternoon. He was surrounded by family, friends and band mates and will be remembered by all he touched as a brilliant musician and a beautiful soul.” The material below was posted earlier in the week, prior to …

Longboat – So Gangsta

Longboat’s Igor Keller doesn’t like it when I use a certain G-word to describe him. The word is not “gangsta.” Igor’s fine with that. He’d love it if we all called him our original gangsta. The G-word Igor doesn’t like is “genius,” which is a word I keep coming back to whenever I hear tunes …

Summer Meltdown Video Debuts; Festival Lineup Announced, By Steve Stav

When it comes to music festivals, there’s nothing like a little audience participation. To stoke the fires for the 12th annual Summer Meltdown Festival in Darrington, Wash., organizers have taken grassroots involvement to the next level. Featuring fans proclaiming “I Meltdown!” in a variety of ways, an e-commercial for the August 10-12 extravaganza debuts today …

Real McKenzies – Westwinds – CD Review – “So Hard the Music Explodes Likes a Beer Keg,” By Holly Homan

[The Real McKenzies will rock the house at El Corazon in Seattle, Wa on 5/18.] Westwinds is the new release by The Real McKenzies and it’s traditional Real McKenzies. Westwinds is part traditional Scottish folk music, complete with bagpipes, with a heavy dose of drunken punk thrown in, then shaken so hard the music explodes …