Music Features
Music
Grand Archives
It would seem most appropriate to review Grand Archives’ debut LP without any comparison between it and front man Mat Brookes’ former outfit, Band of Horses. It seems only fair to critique this first Sub Pop release based solely upon its own musical merits. Yes, a somewhat unclean break between Brooke and BOH front man Ben Bridwell was the catalyst for Grand Archives, but, nonetheless, they should only be viewed as an entirely separate entity … 
Music
Blue Scholars
Blue Scholars are Seattle hip-hop, through and through. They grew up in
Seattle, they met at the University of Washington, they rhyme about
Seattle, and Seattle loves them for it. “Wherever I live, I absorb it
and write about it. But after traveling I’ve seen that there is
something unique in these communities,” says Geologic (or Geo) as I sit
and chat with him and Sabzi at a Pioneer Square café.
Music
A Resurgence in Folk
Seattle has a music scene built on noise. We birthed grunge from our asphalt loins, and in the many years since, we've become a hotbed for new trends in the amplification and production of beautiful, sweet noise. With music reaching a level of accessibility unknown prior to the advent of digital production, our noisy little burg has been overrun with new acts focused on pushing the envelope of complex craziness. The Cops, The Valley, The Hopscotch Boys, Black Eyes and Neckties, Truckasaurus—the list goes on and on. 
Music
Sub Pop: 20 years in the Making
The seed for Sub Pop as we know it was planted by Bruce Pavitt in a fanzine released in 1979 named Subterranean Pop. In 1986, after a series of cassette compilations under the same name, Pavitt released a compilation entitled Sub Pop 100, and the next year Green River’s Dry as a Bone EP. By 1988, Pavitt befriended Jonathan Poneman and the two put out Soundgarden’s debut EP, Screaming Life. This release now serves as a golden stake of sorts, simultaneously marking the beginning of grunge as international phenomenon and Sub Pop’s start as a legitimate record label. 
Music
Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie epitomizes the indie act signing to major a label and trying in earnest to maintain their credibility as an act outside mainstream rock. Getting their start as Ben Gibbard’s Bellingham based solo project (then named All Time Quarterback), Death Cab has since soft-rocked the vote with Bruce Springsteen, accompanied primetime television on The O.C., sallied their way off Barsuk Records and signed to Atlantic in 2004. 
Music
Drive-by Truckers
In the Drive-by Truckers' latest release, Brighter Than Creation's Dark, the band takes strides to bring out their roots. The Truckers' nineteen-song compilation takes a bit of a toned down approach and spotlights their ensemble of singers and songwriters. Lead singer Patterson Hood wrote nine songs, guitarist Mike Cooley wrote seven and bassist Shonna Tucker wrote another three. Their yearning to visit their subdued southern roots is clearly evident in this album. While still including a few rocking anthems, there is a clear divergence to more old-time country. 
Music
Jackie Greene
Discovered at an open mike when Dig Music's owner happened to be there,
singer/songwriter Jackie Greene is a captivating performer who works
well in simple, sparse environments. Signing to the label almost
immediately, the California native worked countless clubs and bars
before his discovery, a fact made more interesting when it's considered
that he was a teenager during that time.
Music
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
For more than thirty years, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has married the intricate rhythms and harmonies of their native South African musical traditions to the sounds and sentiments of Christian gospel music. The result is a musical and spiritual alchemy that has touched a worldwide audience representing every corner of the religious, cultural and ethnic landscape. Their musical efforts over the past three decades have garnered praise and accolades within the recording industry, but also solidified their identity as a cultural force to be reckoned with. 
Music
Devil Makes Three
With a slightly punky perspective on vintage American blues, The Devil Makes Three is a breath of fresh musical air on its eponymous Milan debut. Laced with elements of ragtime, country, folk and rockabilly, the critically praised, drummer-less trio – consisting of guitarist/frontman Pete Bernhard, stand-up bassist Lucia Turino and guitarist Cooper McBean – brings forth a genuine approach to acoustic music that is deeply steeped in rhythm. 
Music
Ghostland Observatory
There is some truth to be found in the recent rash of negative reviews regarding Austin, Texas’s electro-funk duo, Ghostland Observatory and their second album, Robotique Majestique. Yes, the twosome tends towards a dumbed-down hodgepodge of electronica, 80s synth-fusion, and rock ‘n’ roll. Sure, the blinding sheen of hype that accompanied their second album may only be skin deep. And yes, you might describe their music as “Daft Punk for frat boys” (thank you Pitchfork). 
Music
The Long Winters
The line-up of John Roderick’s The Long Winters is chock-full of Pacific Northwest luminaries and power-pop all-stars from the past decade. It began as a duo of Roderick and Sean Nelson of Harvey Danger fame (not to mention Nelson’s stint as a KEXP DJ and as a writer for The Stranger). Shortly after the two quickly recruited Death Cab for Cutie drummer and producer Chris Walla to contribute to the Long Winters’ first album, The Worst You Can Do Is Harm. Occasional Posies bassist and Sky Cries Mary vet Joe Bass and Brian Young of Fountains of Wayne added to the debut as well. 
Music
Fleet Foxes Self-titled Album Review
Ten years ago, two friends started writing songs in their basement, attempting to follow in the footsteps of some of their favorite folk groups. Robin Pecknold and Skyler Skjelset were only teens listening to their parents’ old albums and jamming out. This jamming would eventually turn into one of the hottest indie albums of 2008. 
Music
The Felice Brothers
Ian, James and Simone Felice were in the midst of a Wild Turkey sluggin’ live set recently at the Showbox. Greg Farley, with a washboard slung tightly under his arm blew fiercely into a harmonica before finally—in a stroke of improvisational percussion genius—pocketing the mouth harp and slamming the leg of the washboard into the crash cymbal of Simone’s drum kit. As the sound reverberated through the crowded space of the Showbox, I smiled. American music is back. 
Music
The City of Music StoresSeattle's vibrant music scene is buttressed by its collection of top-tier music stores. They're so superlative, one could say that the medley of stores strewn throughout the city blend together like the accompaniment to a mellifluous, operatic aria. If you read that, though, and you have any sort of barometer for hackneyed metaphor, you'd probably let out a contemptuous sigh and roll your eyes—like a record store employee. "What's next?" you might say, "Food metaphors like 'put in one part selection, one part location, a dash of in-store performances'? That sounds like a recipe for Worst Lead to an Article in the Music Section Ever." But we do have a chirpy selection of stores. Kind of like a mix-tape. |
Up and Coming ShowsMos Def:
Sat. Dec. 13th @ the Moore
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