Tag: seattle

PLAYING SEATTLE: 10 Underground Gems of 2018

Seattle rock outfit Thunderpussy during a typically raucous performance. Photo by Victoria Holt, c 2018.

As much as 2018 was a good year for Seattle’s established music names – shout-out to Brandi Carlile for “By The Way, I Forgive You” and its six (!) Grammy nominations – it’s been surprisingly phenomenal for fresh voices and indie artists on the rise. Bear with me as I get sentimental; here are ten underground gems from Seattle artists in 2018.

Marlowe (L’Orange & Solemn Brigham) – Marlowe

Marlowe is the break-out album from a new duo of Seattle-based beatsmith L’Orange, and North Carolina-based rapper, Solemn Brigham. L’Orange is known for his nostalgia-soaked tracks, looping obscure vintage radio finds like an old-school crate-digger. Over those, Solemn Brigham raps conscious lyrics with that easy-yet-aggressive flow reminiscent of Kendrick’s early mixtape days.

Red Ribbon – Dark Party

Red Ribbon’s Dark Party is aptly named. While melancholic and cynical, the release is unexpectedly upbeat and fun to dance to, achieving a combination of dark and light that is often-attempted by musicians but rarely well-executed. Each song on Dark Party is a new psychedelic, trance-world, accented with new age flute, droning, and reverb-y guitar. Like a spiritual guide, Emma Danner’s soothing, slow-simmering vocals lead the listener through.

ParisAlexa – Bloom

ParisAlexa’s Bloom captures her rise on the Seattle scene. After many appearances at local events over the last few years, ParisAlexa has a sizable and devoted following of fans and critics alike, including the covetable support of KEXP, who recorded her in a live session in April. Bloom is a coming of age portrait, depicting ParisAlexa in a raw, sensual state, claiming her newfound womanhood. And it’s saturated with the echoes of neo-soul artists like Bilal, Erykah Badu, and pop singers like Alicia Keys and Mariah Carey.

Rat Queen – Worthless

Born of the quirky, colorful musings of two best friends, Jeff Tapia and Daniel Derosiers, Rat Queen’s “Worthless” is all about quick and twisted little ditties that pack a juicy pop-punk punch. Tapia’s growling and dominating vocals match Derosiers’ playful energy on drums, turning what could’ve been a just-for-fun party album into something anthemic: the chronicles of twenty-something punks and misfits just getting by in a changing city.

Bad Luck – Four

If noise-jazz could be your thing, brace yourself. Bad Luck, the tenor-drums duo featuring Neil Welch and Chris Icasiano, is an explosive, dynamic organism of sound experimentation. With a mic-ed sax, Welch creates wide swathes of atmospheric sound that converse with Icasiano’s energetic and impressive percussion. Four is (you guessed it) their fourth release since 2009.

Leeni – Lovefool

Leeni, also known as Prom Queen, is a wizard synth-pop producer and singer-songwriter who made national news a few years back for her clever mash up of the themes from ’90s TV show Twin Peaks and Netflix hit Stranger Things. Leeni’s 2018 release, Lovefool, is akin to that mash-up; one moment dark and brooding, the next bright and manic. Creating dreamy mirages of ’80s synth and ethereal singing, Lovefool gets lost in lush, velvety soundscapes.

Steve Tresler and Ingrid Jensen – Invisible Sounds: For Kenny Wheeler

Though largely unknown outside of the area, Seattle has a rich legacy with jazz music and education. Our high school jazz bands consistently win the prestigious Essentially Ellington contest, and we have been home to jazz musicians like Quincy Jones and Ernestine Anderson. Local saxophonist and teacher Steve Tresler teamed up notable Canadian jazz trumpeter Ingrid Jensen to record Invisible Sounds as a tribute to jazz music legend Kenny Wheeler, who passed away quietly in 2014. The album is a spirited, expansive, and gorgeous merging of two of the most powerful Pacific Northwestern voices in jazz.

Chemical Clock – Plastic Reality

Plastic Reality will be the final release from Chemical Clock, a experimental jazz group made up of local avant-garde, jazz, and funk musicians who met during their time in the University of Washington’s music program. Their third album, Plastic Reality, is chock full of manic synth patterns and angular melodies that build into thunderheads of sound. It’s a triumphant culmination of a decade making boundary-pushing music together.

Thunderpussy – Thunderpussy

Thunderpussy’s self-titled full-length is a glam rock firestorm. In some ways, the band picks up where artists like Heart left off, as a self-possessed all-women rock group that oozes sensuality, musicianship, and sheer power on their own terms. They put on a hell of a live show, too.

Car Seat Headrest – Twin Fantasy

The brainchild of Will Toledo, Car Seat Headrest is probably the biggest artist on this list. 2018’s Twin Fantasy is a completely re-recorded version of an album he put out in 2011 and follows 2016’s Teens of Denial, which was named one of Rolling Stone’s 50 best albums of 2016. Twin Fantasy doesn’t disappoint either; Toledo has maintained the self-deprecating awkwardness that makes him so relatable and revelational as a indie rock singer-songwriter.

PREMIERE: The Gods Themselves “Glamour & Grime” EP

Summer’s here and it’s time for dance parties by the pool. Every year, we’re treated to albums built for rooftop fun, their core aesthetic made for hot days and warm nights by the light of a disco ball. Seattle’s disco punk darlings, The Gods Themselves embody those vibes on their new EP Glamour & Grime – the title of the record tells you all you need to know.

TGT lays out some strong licks alongside their traditional disco beats; “Big $” is a rapid-fire attack on the dance floor, drums wailing next to a steady guitar riff. Lead singer Astra Elane takes center stage on tracks like “Marilyn Monroe” and “Mark on Me”; her ability to throw her voice into the void enthralls, that pitch-perfect echo twisting, grinding its way to repeat listens. TGT told Northwest Music Scene that the album was inspired by the band’s feature on last year’s Seattle episode of Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown:

“The Glamour & Grime EP was entirely inspired by our encounter with Tony Bourdain and his crew, our appearance on Parts Unknown and our trip to New York that coincided with the show’s air date. The man was kindred and turned on by the same things we were: movies, books, music and the beautiful contrasts in life, like the dichotomy of glamour and grime. We dedicate this album to him and all those who he connected with on his journey in this plane.”

Listen to Glamour & Grime below:

The Gods Themselves’ new EP Glamour & Grime is out TODAY. Buy it on Bandcamp HERE. 

ONLY NOISE: Nevermind Nirvana

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I’m getting a lot of funny looks on the train these days. It might be because protruding from the sleeves of my tiny motorcycle jacket are two hands, holding a book. A book with Céline Dion on the cover. Perhaps my fellow commuters are confused as to why a young, angry looking woman is reading an actual piece of literature about the Quebec chanteuse everybody loves to hate.

The paperback in question is Let’s Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste by critic extraordinaire Carl Wilson. It is part of the acclaimed 33 1/3 series, in which musicians, journalists and the like write a smallish book about one specific album, in whatever style they desire. While so many of these books have been penned about canonized works – Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures, The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, David Bowie’s Low, etc. – Carl Wilson chose to invert the model by writing about something he…hated. But here you won’t find reckless diatribe. Instead of mindlessly spouting insults, Wilson steps back and asks: ‘why do I hate Céline Dion?’ What evidence can support the squirming reaction upon hearing her voice when she is literally loved by millions?

For music makers, critics, and enthusiasts, there is often an invisible and ever-changing list of what is cool to love. But there is a sister list for the opposite – what’s cool to hate. It sounds juvenile but one of the things I’m learning from Wilson’s book is that much of what makes up taste politics is just as juvenile as a high school cafeteria.

The book goes into far denser socioeconomic arguments for the origins of taste – which I won’t attempt to replicate as it’d be a tall order to do Wilson’s writing justice. But one thing I will recycle is this question: why do I hate ____________? And furthermore, what’s it like to be allergic not to schmaltzy pop that all of your friends hate along with you, but something everyone you know adores?

Ok. Here goes. Get the wood for my crucifixion. Tell my family I love them. If Carl Wilson had an advice column tending to the ambivalence of blind dislike – dislike you can’t always explain, I would write to him:

Dear Carl,

Why do I hate Nirvana?

-The Guilty Washingtonian.

One thing Wilson and I have in common is not only that we strongly dislike a commercially successful, wildly popular artist, but also that we both hail from their place of origin: Wilson from Quebec, and I from Washington State. I don’t doubt that this affects the perception of said recording artists. When inundated with something for years on end, you have one of two options – embrace it or run for cover. There is rarely an in between, especially for the likes of Dion and Nirvana, both extremes on opposite sides of the musical spectrum. Does anyone ever say, “Oh, yeah, Céline Dion, she’s alright. I won’t put it on, but I won’t turn it off either?” No. Likely this could be said for Nirvana as well, a band whose zenith was a worldwide phenomenon, but also a local victory for the Pacific North West. And that last factor makes me feel like an enemy on home turf. The visiting team…but hey, I’m from here!

I’ve tried to like Nirvana, believe me. I assumed I would. I don’t even remember how I heard of them, and this is coming from someone whose weekly column is practically a temple to remembering the exact moment you first hear a band. I just remember…knowing. Like their names and story and that album cover had been taught to me in daycare before I could form cognitive boxes to put things in. Nirvana was in the water growing up. It still amazes me that Seattle hasn’t erected some statue of Kurt Cobain right next to the one of Jimi Hendrix on Capitol Hill.

When did my knowledge of Nirvana go from intrinsic local legend to awareness of their sound? Likely it was when a combination of curiosity, perceived coolness associated with the wearers of their t-shirts, and the CD subscription club collided. Remember that staple of music consumption in the 90s and 00s? Those chintzy catalogs filled with mostly awful but some classic albums. The promise of “10 CDs FOR 99 CENTS!!!” (And then canceling immediately upon receiving those 10 picks).

So it was through a CD club that I first acquired – of course – Nevermind. I could finally investigate what all the fuss was about. I slipped the disk in. I slipped into that cerulean pool with that money hungry baby. And I felt nothing. Not just nothing, but unmoved. Even agitated, which I guess is something. But it wasn’t an invigorating agitation that some music inspires, just a rash. I couldn’t stand it. You can imagine the kind of confusion this might stoke in a 12-year-old eager to embrace the musical heritage of her region.

Disliking a deeply loved and influential band can’t be so bad, right? These days it’s common parlance to not be that into The Beatles, citing more obscure products of the 1960s instead. But this is not the case with Nirvana, at least not in my experience. I wonder if it’s because the people that grew up with them, that remember and lived in their heyday are now the tastemakers. I’m not sure. What I do know is I’ve never been met with so much adversity when discussing musical taste as when I say that I don’t like this band. It cuts people directly to the quick.

The opinion is seemingly so offensive to Nirvana fans that they attempt to find a manifesto as to why I feel this way. They insist that that my taste is not genuine, and rather born of some pathetic desire to be “cool” or “different.” But I gave up those hopes and dreams when I started listening to The Smiths like everyone else after years of steady resistance. It’s also not the common accusation of regional rebellion, allegedly serving the same purpose of setting myself apart from the masses. The fact of the matter is, disliking Nirvana does absolutely nothing for – as Wilson and Pierre Bourdieu. would say – increasing my “cultural capital.” If anything, it is a detriment to my social interactions when it comes up. I would love nothing more than to stop constantly pissing people off by answering a question honestly. What is that like? Tell me, because I will never know.

One of the things I strive to do as a music writer is really analyze why I’m reacting a certain way to something. Is it because of a sound, or a symbol? Because I was told to, or a genuine sentiment? Often I will listen to bands I can’t stand repeatedly, just to make sure I know where I’m at. I once cycled through all of my mom’s Genesis records just to make sure I wasn’t missing something – that I was an educated Genesis hater at the very least. It reminds me of taste buds: how with age they gradually change (well, die) and often people’s food preferences become less rigid over time. For this reason, I make an annual effort to give my most loathed food, the banana, another try. And though it becomes a teensy bit easier year by year, it still makes me gag every time.

So here I sit, listening to all three Nirvana LPs as an attack on my own ego, hoping that I will eventually enjoy them. But they are still mushy bananas to me. My inability to convince people of my honest opinion has been met with such opposition that once an ex-boyfriend casually put on Bleach to see if I would joyfully ask, “ooh! Who is this?!” But it bristled against me like steel wool, and I of course, knew who it was.

To make matters worse for my Nirvana-obsessed friends: I love Hole. That’s like saying you can’t stand John Lennon but you really dig Yoko Ono records, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s not something people like to hear…especially when there is a whole camp of conspiracy theorists who think Courtney Love killed Kurt. It’s like ripping open a scab and packing it with fine salt. But my love of Hole has taught me something about my aversion to Nirvana…that maybe my relationship with the band isn’t so complicated and mysterious after all. I’ve never said Nirvana were a bad band, or bad songwriters. I can appreciate and admit that quite the opposite is true. So if the songs are good, what is it?

It’s just that voice.

Kurt Cobain’s voice alone is what makes my skin crawl. I hate it. And it’s not like I listen exclusively to Chris Isaak and Cher. I completely dig on fucked up, pitchy, gravelly, “bad” singers. Just not this one. I’ll probably never be able to explain exactly why.

I find it hilarious that it has taken me so many years to arrive at such a simple, even boring resolution. No one can really debate vocal preference, right? Every once in a while, it’s kind of nice when a convoluted question can be reduced to a crude, shallow answer. I just don’t like the way it sounds. I just don’t like the way it tastes.

Void of philosophy or agenda I can say: I just don’t like bananas.  For now.

(Maybe I kinda dig this, just a little:)

Artist Interview: Big Eyes

Kaitlyn Eldridge is the ultimate momma bear to the music she’s created her whole teenage and adult life. She was always that cool girl (although she might not think so) that played in adolescent bands, while the rest of us expressed our teenage angst with black jelly bracelets and charcoal eyeliner. After relocating between coasts and changing up band members, Big Eyes is now past the toddler stage and will be releasing its third full-length, Stake My Claim tomorrow, via Don Giovanni Records. Current members include Malcolm Donaldson, Paul Ridenour, and Griffin Harrison.  They’ve also got quite a bit on their plate for these upcoming months. In the meantime, check out Kait’s interview with Audiofemme below. Not only did she tour with Against Me!, but (dare I say it) she hasn’t bought into the PokemonGo hype.
 Audiofemme: What I personally like about you guys (and gal), is that your sound is very punk-y, powerful driven, cool, & unique. The new album IS totally that. I know the fans can’t wait for it’s release on August 19th. “Stake My Claim” is kickass, and rockin’ as usual. What would you say is different on this third album than say… Hard Life?
Kaitlyn Eldridge: On Stake My Claim, I think I’ve grown a lot more confident in my singing and guitar playing. I’ve always been the sole songwriter in Big Eyes, so on our third album I’m finally embracing the fact that the band is and always has been based around been me, instead of continuing to hide behind the dudes in the band. The lyrics are a lot more self reflective. I think the production on each album has been getting better and better as well!
When you relocated to Seattle in those past years, what did you learn about the music culture over there that’s different from here NYC?
KE: The cost of living is more affordable out in Seattle (compared to NYC), so people can work on their bands more full time. That’s why I moved there for a few years. Everyone’s rent in NYC is so damn expensive that sometimes you don’t get to put in as much time as you’d like into your band, since everybody has to work so much! There are also a lot less people in Seattle than in NYC, so you have a lot less options for “scenes.” I felt like we had a harder time finding similar bands to play with, which was both a blessing and a curse. Sometimes it helped us stand out, but most of the time it left me feeling like an outsider.
You’ve had some lineup changes. How did Big Eyes become a 4-piece band?
KE: When I relocated back to NYC, I had to completely start from scratch. I had seen Paul playing bass in a band called Lilith Velkor, and I thought he was a great bass player and had a musical style that would fit well with mine. I met Griffin and Malcolm, who now play drums and bass, respectively, through their previous band Past Life. Their band coincidentally broke up at the same time we were looking for a drummer, and Paul had shown interest in switching over to guitar, so we combined forces, and now I am happier than I have ever been with the sound and “vibe” of Big Eyes!
Tell us about Don Giovanni Records & how it is working with them.
KE: Don Giovanni Records put out our first album Hard Life back in 2011, and very shortly after, we relocated to Seattle. At that point, DG was more of northeast based label, so it didn’t seem like the greatest fit for our second album, Almost Famous (which was released on Grave Mistake Records in May 2013). I moved back to NYC in 2014, and Don Giovanni had expanded so much in the years I was gone, so it really felt like the right move joining back up with them. What I’ve always really liked about Don Giovanni Records, is that they’re a label for “misfit” bands. There aren’t any trend-hopping, flavor of the week, niche bands on this label. It’s all bands that don’t really fit into any other scene, so they somehow all fit together on Don Giovanni. I think there’s a lot of unique personality and sincerity coming from the bands on DG!
 It’s no secret that you’ve opened up for Against Me!. Any awesome memories you can share?
KE: We played at The Rave in Milwaukee, and they have this closed off abandoned swimming pool in the basement that is apparently “haunted.” We went down to check it out with the other opening band, Tony Molina Band, and our friend Shelby (who was Against Me!’s roadie)… I didn’t see anything myself, but a couple people in our group swore they saw a ghost while we were down there!
Kait- tell us about your sweet tattoos! 
KE: My first tattoo was on my right wrist when I was 17. It’s the Descendents Milo drawing. I got Allroy, the ALL cartoon logo, on my other wrist a couple of years after that. I have my high school band’s logo, which is a cartoonish drawing of the world looking sad with a bandage on it’s head, along with “FTW” written above it on the back of my left arm. I have “HARD LIFE,” the title of our first album, written on my right arm. And my last and most recent tattoo is the Ramones pinhead skull on my upper left arm which I got in early 2013. All of my tattoos are black, no colors. 
Does anyone in the band play PokemonGo? If so, what is your strongest Pokemon & are you thrilled to be travelling over the next month… and hopefully catch them all?
KE: I’ve tried it out but it drains my battery too much! We will be playing a lot of Magic The Gathering though.
The band’s Twitter page has a couple published concerns surrounding insects. Who is scared of ants?
KE: I’m not scared of them, I’m just startled very easily!
You play your fair share of shows in Brooklyn. Is the dynamic of the audience different from when you played in Canada?
KE: People seem to let loose a bit more in Canada! Folks in Canada just seem happier…I wish I could move there!
There’s a lot going on for you guys right now. In the upcoming weeks, you’ll be touring while the new record drops. Then you’re off to play NAMF with a bunch of awesome bands. Any plans for the fall & the new year?
KE: We’re playing The Fest in Gainesville, Florida in late October. We’re doing a short tour around it, hitting some east coast cities on the way down and the way back up. I’m really looking forward to spending Halloween in Athens, Georgia with some buddies! Hoping to hit the west coast and Europe sometime next year as well.

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ONLY NOISE: A Love Letter To KEXP

In the 1973 film American Graffiti, restless high school students zip around in classic cars, aimlessly careening through the night for the sake of motion alone. Characters wind up in different scenarios; burglaries, burger joints, brawls…kid stuff. But the one consistent element between every car ride is the radio; specifically the station tuned to the legendary, real-life DJ Wolfman Jack. Despite the seemingly chaotic habits of the characters, their differing tolerances for mischief and crime, their ability to drag race-they all tune into Wolfman Jack regardless. His gospel is the only thing they can all agree on: the gospel of rock n’ roll from the lips of a once-revered Disc Jockey.

The kids in the ‘60s may have had Wolfman Jack. John Peel rescued youth culture in the decades after. But for those of us born into an era of pre-programmed radio stuffed to the seams with commercial content, it’s difficult to imagine a golden age of rogue radio DJs. If there was some magical frequency out there playing The Germs or Throbbing Gristle, it sure as shit wasn’t broadcasting in Arlington, Washington. It wasn’t until my dad moved almost an hour south from my small hometown for work that our antenna could pick up the station that would change the way I thought about music, and radio. That station was, of course, 90.3 KEXP.

I am thinking of KEXP now because, well, I am listening to it. Not streaming it online from afar in Brooklyn, but right here, in Seattle. Right now DJ Cheryl Waters is playing “Human Performance” by Parquet Courts. Earlier in her set, Waters spun tracks like Cat Power’s “Sun,” Beirut’s “Elephant Gun,” and the brand new Let’s Eat Grandma cut, “Eat Shiitake Mushrooms” among countless tracks I’d never heard before. Each is song different from the last, abiding by no confining genre guidelines-just exceptional music curated with a whole lotta love.

The publicly supported radio station was founded in Seattle in 1972, originally under the call letters KCMU. The switch to KEXP didn’t occur until 2001, right around the time Seattle billionaire Paul Allen commissioned that multi-colored metal tumor to strangle the base of the Space Needle: the Experience Music Project. EMP and Paul Allen partnered with the station, providing it with operating support for a handful of years. It put the EXP in KEXP, I guess you could say.

The station is now independent and operated by Friends of KEXP, and is largely funded through its audience, holding biannual pledge drives and promoting its donation-based membership program year-round. The weeklong pledge drives are a small price to pay for largely interruption free year of music. Upon first hearing commercial-free KEXP, I didn’t think it was legal to do that…broadcast sans advertising. I figured this must be some pirate radio, Pump Up The Volume starring Christian Slater shit. These guys must be in a bunker somewhere. Surely no one else had stumbled upon this gem. I may have been wrong, but it did feel like my own secret station-a safe and nurturing place I could curl up into.

For someone crawling out of a sleepy lumber town, the thought that any contemporary DJ could possibly spin a Wire song was unfathomable. Not only did KEXP play Wire, they would do so at 11 a.m. on a Tuesday. They didn’t have to hide their more obscure selections in the wee hours.

Each afternoon returning from high school, I would shut myself in my room, spread out the night’s homework, and turn on the radio to soak in the invaluable musical lessons KEXP had to offer. Sitting at my little desk it was often difficult to focus on the seemingly useless algebra and inaccurate history chapters. How could I when there were far more interesting things floating out of my speakers? Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, Fela Kuti, The Cramps, Art Brut…I would jot down lists of the bands I liked, later making a trip to Tower Records (R.I.P.) in the University District or Silver Platters to scavenge for CDs.

The most critical turn in my relationship with KEXP came about in that familiar scenario: sitting at my desk doing homework some weeknight…I think I was preparing for a debate the next morning. I sat, reluctantly flipping through note cards, when a storm rolled over the speakers of my Sony boombox. It was a simple gospel melody, but the voice preaching was nowhere near saintly. It sounded like gravel in a blender, like a diesel truck with emphysema, like an ex-convict whose diet consists solely of petroleum and wing nuts. The song was “Lord I’ve Been Changed” by Tom Waits. Nothing was the same after that. Waits has since become my favorite artist of all time, completely altering my perception of what makes music great, and what makes art worthwhile. I think it’s safe to say that that night changed my life forever, and it was of course all because of the good people at 90.3 FM.

KEXP not only exposed me to music I’d never heard before and to the records I would grow to love, it also taught me how to re-contextualize my tastes and break free from the boundaries of genre. After trying on a new subculture every few years for the better part of a decade, strictly adhering to each one with sonic intake and dress code, it was a relief to let the edges blur a little. I was no longer militant about remaining within the confines of what was punk, or mod, or rockabilly, or ska, or glam-I could eat all of them in one meal and add other flavors should I so desire. KEXP taught me that listening to The Dead Boys one minute and Dolly Parton the next was not only ok, it was totally badass, and far more realistic for the diverse needs of the human mind.

The versatility KEXP champions is not new to the station. Back in the KCMU days amidst a heavy indie rock rotation, they were the first station to play artists like Grandmaster Flash, which is no small thing. Yet another milestone for KCMU, just on the heels of the name change, was that it was the first station in the world to stream high quality (128 kilobit per second) online audio 24/7. That may sound a bit jargony, but think of all the online radio platforms that have followed suit since, and it’s rather impressive.

When people learn that I am a native Washingtonian, they often want to talk about music. And why wouldn’t they? Our alumni include Quincy Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Neko Case, Bing Crosby, Rickie Lee Jones, Kurt Cobain, Mark Lanegan, Mia Zapata, Carrie Brownstein, and countless others. But despite Seattle’s rich musical history, it is maintaining a fruitful present as well. 90.3 provides a sort of congealing community approach to nourish that kind of progress. Music is a main artery here, and I like to think KEXP is the heart of it all, pumping blood for the love of it.

EP REVIEW: Joseph Sant “Sea White Salt”

Joseph Sant

Joseph Sant just released Sea White Salt, and it’s a pure string of ambient tracks. His new EP includes the single “Nor’easter,” which can possibly relate to his voyage from Seattle, to right here. He now seems to like Brooklyn, performing at places like Pete’s Candy Store, with no shortage of dreaminess. In the core of the new release, there lies influences of the atmospheric presences of New York City. Performing along with Sant is Gabriel Galvin on guitar, Georgia Tan playing bass, Stirling Krusing on harmonica/lap steel, and Tyler Graham with percussion. Together, they deliver some organic, shapely harmonies.

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#NEWMUSICMONDAY: Hibou “In The Sun”

Hibou

Coming from Seattle, Hibou is Peter Michel. The debut album will be released September 18, but for this #newmusicMonday we’re sharing one of our favorite tracks – “In The Sun.” It’s a heady song evocative of happiness, that mysterious emotion evading any music lover who relates to High Fidelity  – yet holds the cheese. Hazy guitars and nostalgic vocals create a perfumey track for anyone who has had to Google the symptoms of a smile to figure out what’s going on.

Listen to “In The Sun” below.

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FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Seattle’s Capitol Hill Block Party – The Femme’s Picks

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Capitol Hill Block Party is Seattle’s beloved street party meets music festival. Usually convening at the end of July, this is the block party’s third year running. Taking up over six city blocks, it showcases more than 100 artists. The neighborhood of Capitol Hill, traditionally known for its colorful artist and music fueled culture, will be entirely occupied with parties, DJ sets, and many other events aside from the Block Party itself. It isn’t so often that new local bands have the opportunity to play alongside world renowned acts such as TV On The Radio, The Kills, Father John Misty, RATATAT, Toro y Moi, etc. Below are a few local bands playing that you definitely shouldn’t miss because you’re waiting in line for a festival beer. 

Charms

Sunday 4:45PM @ Cha Cha

So Pitted

Sunday 2:15PM @ Neumos

Thunderpussy

Friday 11:15PM @ Neumos

Bread & Butter

Sunday 8PM @ Neumos

SSDD

Friday 6:45PM @ Cha Cha

Bad Future

Friday 5:45PM @ Cha Cha

Tickets are still available for this weekend’s festivities here.

ALBUM REVIEW: Aradia “Citizen of Earth”

Aradia

Aradia embodies a style similar to 90’s electronic freestyle without being dreadfully cheesy. Perhaps it’s because she is a multi-instrumentalist, a unique song-writer, and a woman of many sounds. She may be originally from New York City, but she is now based out of Seattle, where she released Citizen of Earth. Her new album is completely harmonious, electronic-driven, with dashes of striking guitar to create a capsule of mystical art.
While the 11-track album may sound playful, inspired with electro-beats and percussion, her lyrics deliver meaningful positivity. “To trust your instincts they’re always right. And now you know that you walk in the light. Don’t hold your breath ‘cuz another day is coming. It’s different now, you don’t have to keep running.” “The Light” was charged by Aradia—showing her fans that her new-wave electronic music isn’t only about dancing, but dancing in luminosity. She seems very in-tune with her natural surroundings, frequently citing examples from fire, starlight, and the how she is one with the sky and sea. “Isolation is a tragedy. The idea that we’re separate is just illusory,” she also remains poetic in “Trouble.” And being that she is in search of another “M-Class” planet, is she also revealing her dark side—a loss of hope?
Her complexity in the album can also be reflected by her unreal style, where she is known for out of this world (literally) fashion designs and style. When she’s not busy writing new songs or putting together a space-travel-star-princess costume, you can catch her performing in an upcoming West coast tour. In the meantime, check out one of my favorite tracks off Citizen of Earth below, “Trouble.”

EP REVIEW: Anne-Simone “Bittersweet”

Anne-Simone PR 1
What goes into the making of a single song? Aside from writing the lyrics and instrumentals, you have to record-mix-edit every second of each recording. Mixing software and code are all things foreign to me. What if there was somehow to see the code in a way that we could understand and actually appreciate? Anne-Simone has brought together both worlds of song making.
Seattle-based and self-proclaimed citizen of the world, Anne-Simone is a positive indie-pop genius.
Genius because the lyrics in her new single “Digitize Me,” compose a computer program. She explains,”This song has a twist. The lyrics make up a running computer program…I was pondering on this well-known quote, ‘programs must be written for people to read, and only incidentally for machines to execute,’ and went ahead and applied it quite literally!” For those that wonder why would she go through the trouble (other than discovering a super unique way to build a song), she’s also a software creator. You can check out the code here.
Anne-Simone’s six-track EP Bittersweet is set to release January 11th. It’s a short dip into her harmonious world. And although she insists that her cup is half-full always, her songs sound hazy. I found her to be admittedly melancholy, like in “Gone So Long” where she showed a more vulnerable self aside from her usual quirkiness in “Digitize Me.” Her lyrics in “Let the Heart,” make her seem to question a critical lover: “I am not a freak, not just a geek. I am not the flavor of the week.” Her song-writing skills shine in the bridge, featuring bongos and what sounds like a jungle theme, she can be super fun even if she’s feeling wistful. And then there’s “Bittersweet,” a ballad constructed with piano and her recurring dismal yet hopeful thoughts. “Fire Rainbow” might flow like the other tracks but contains extra elements with her use of imagery, “…came into my life like summer rain.” “Unsaid” was my favorite track on her new EP; although all her tracks were peaceful and friendly, this one really flowed benignly through me.
It would seem that Anne-Simone has it all figured out. She prides herself in being upbeat, optimistic, and poised. While all that may be true, her new EP mirrored a different side of her- a little dim, sometimes blue. She may be a software creator but not everything is as uniformed as binary numbers; Bittersweet proves that life is more complex.
Whether you will be hanging around the Northwest or not, you can check out her dancing to “Digitize Me” in what looks like the inside of a computer chip.

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