SxSeattle Send Off Party Friday, March 6

On Friday, March 6th a handful of Seattle area bands headed to Austin for South by Southwest will play a send off showcase 9 pm at the Tractor. Champagne Champage, New Faces, Hey Marseilles, Battle Hymns round out the bill. Tickets for this 21 and over show are $8 and are available at Sonic Boom or through the Tractor.

The SxSeattle party in Austin will be held March 21st from 12-6 at the Palm Door. For more information and to RSVP (it's a free all ages event), go here.

Seattle Soundbite, Thursday March 19th

For many of us working in creative mediums, a part-time job in the food service industry will carry us through the leaner times of our professional lives. In a music city like Seattle, with a full-fledged gastro-culture to boot, thousands of musicians, artists and writers moonlight as servers and bartenders as a way to make ends meet.

Seattle Soundbite is the fund raising take on the lifestyle: bands perform, participating restaurants offer street style food and we all delight in the stipulation that performing bands need to have at least one member working within the food service industry. This year's event will be held Thursday, March 19th at the Showbox SoDo. It's $15 and the Helio Sequence headlines. (Proving that even signed Sub Pop acts still have to schlep pasta for a living.) Other acts on the bill: Bird Show of North America, Sue Quigley, Doctor Doctor, Puget Sound System, Truce and DJ Reflex. Proceeds benefit the Washington Restaurant Association, The Vera Project and Pro Start.

Foodies rejoice - participating restaurants include: Barrio, Cantinetta, Crémant, OddFellows, Palace Kitchen, Pike Street Fish Fry, Purple Cafe & Wine Bar, Quinn's, Ray's Café, Red Door, Serafina, Tango and Via Tribunali.

More information about Seattle Soundbite can be found here.

The Gits & Home Alive

As a music writer living in a city with a rich and storied music scene, every now and then I'll check out various films and documentaries about Seattle's ongoing role in the music world in an attempt to educate myself. Last week I watched The Gits, the 2005 documentary about the post-punk group and the 1993 brutal rape and murder of their lead singer Mia Zapata.
For me, a non-native Seattleite, these kind of movies promote a better understanding of historical events that took place before I moved here, and The Gits fit the bill. Grunge-era names are dropped, venues and shows referenced, and among the film's many touching moments: the mention of non-profit organization Home Alive, the self-defense studio Zapata's friends created in response to her murder. Sadly, after 16 years, Home Alive is closing within the month. Lack of funding and debt is to blame.

This news aside, for anyone with an interest in Seattle music history, I recommend The Gits. I had heard of Zapata but never grasped how universally loved and respected she was within the music community and beyond until now. Concert footage shows Zapata's amped, electric performances, her voice commanding and gravelly; friends and family remember her loving spirit and offbeat goofiness. Home Alive says: "Mia was a living, thriving, raging testimony of the power of unleashed artistic expression."

Curse of the rising star: she was 27 at the time of her death.

New 2009 SXSW Schedule Posted

Finally! An official list of bands, when to see them, where they're playing...just blogged about it at Prefix. Read all about it here.

Wintergrass

Wintergrass, Tacoma's annual bluegrass festival, starts this Thursday the 19th and will run through the 22nd.

Kim Ruehl, writer for Americana rag No Depression and Roots correspondent for Sound writes: "Wintergrass takes place in downtown Tacoma, WA. The performances are spread over a couple of hotels and a nearby church. Friday and Saturday mornings are workshops galore on everything from overcoming stage fright to mastering Old Time fiddle. The hotel lobbies are replete with impromptu jams.

This is a Bluegrass music festival, but there is a lot of appreciation for Old Time Music. A lot of the jam sessions include people playing Old Time tunes. Many of the performers are old school bluegrass, though there are occasionally some Old Time bands and some contemporary country/folk singer/songwriters. Performers include well-known legends as well as local and regional newcomers."

One group performing this year is "old time string band" The Tallboys. They're well-practiced musicians, a fun band to see live and really bring an "old-timey" feeling to their set. If you've heard of them, you know they're kind of a fixture on the NW folk circuit: they're the house band for the Tractor's bi-monthly square dancing night (highly recommended, every other Monday), and vocalist Charmaine Slaven is an organizer of - and performs at - NW Folklife.

Charmaine has the unique ability to buck dance (a kind of folk clogging/tap dance) and play guitar at the same time. It's really interesting to watch. She teaches clogging workshops pretty regularly, and will be offering one this year at Wintergrass on Saturday at Collings Church at 11:15am.

Iron and Wine - New Album and Upcoming Tour

Straight off the Sub Pop press: "On May 19, 2009 Iron and Wine will issue Around the Well, a 2-CD/3-LP collection of rare tracks ranging from out-of-print to never-before-released. In support of Around the Well Iron and Wine will be performing ten intimate shows in five cities. Each individual show will be wholly unique, as Iron and Wine will turn the set list over to the fans to create. In addition, Iron and Wine have begun work on the follow-up to The Shepherd’s Dog and plan to release a new album in spring, 2010."

Here in Seattle, Iron and Wine play two shows: May 4th at the Vera Project and May 5th at the Triple Door. Tickets go on sale for all shows February 20th and are will-call only.

In 2004 when I was living in Alaska, I interviewed Sam Beam over the phone. It was an interesting conversation; one editor I worked for put it this way: "He does not sound like a fun guy to have at parties." I later saw him play in San Diego at the Belly Up; it was a good show, but his stage presence was awkward and lacked confidence, and I've heard similar things about his other shows. He's clearly uncomfortable in the spotlight, and while he may not be the easiest person to talk to, his shyness is real and not play acting like it sometimes is with other folks of the indie ilk. The two part interview at Prefix is here: Interview: Iron and Wine, Part 1; Interview: Iron and Wine, Part 2.

Mandy Moore and Ryan Adams engaged...

It's a fact, folks. Yet as this news infiltrates every corner of the blogosphere, another piece of the Ryan Adams story is still grinding my gears: the fact that Mr. Adams has landed a regular column at BlackBook (a pop culture and urban life website), writing about whatever he chooses, whenever he feels like it.

Maybe it's part jealousy on my part - wait...it is - but struggling (and talented, hardworking) writers are killing each other for that kind of deal. Lack deadlines, preferential editing - maybe not the best terms for shaping a great writing voice, but it definitely does wonders for the ego. And it's a regular (assumably paid) gig, which would seal the deal for a great many of us.

Which brings me to my point: with celebrity comes access. Ok, we all know that already, but an independently famous name attached to a new medium clouds one's genuine assessment of it. (Another headline topping story these days: actor-cum-rapper Joaquin Phoenix.) In the case of Adams' column, it's hard for the average reader (especially readers who are also Ryan Adams fans) to distinguish if it's worth checking out because of the huge back story that comes with it. The name is enough to pull readers in, but that fact alone doesn't mean it's any good.

Reading his posts, it's clear that Adams possesses a certain lyrical quality that helps him as a songwriter, but there's no argument about it: an established name like Chuck Klosterman blows the whimsical musings of Adams out of the water. Maybe BlackBook is a place for such a voice as Adams', and I'll have to accept that the standard of judgment for a "musician-cum-writer" is quite different than that for "music writer."

I'll admit it again: I'm jealous. I wish the world we lived in didn't roll over every time a celebrity said "Please," where front page access like Adams' was actually doled out to stimulating and absorbing new voices. But we don't live in a world like that. So I'll just say it: Ryan Adams, I actually like a lot of your music and think you're on to something; you have a new EP out - let's talk about that. Your column? Meh.

And that's what really grinds my gears.

"You Are The Blood" - Sufjan Stevens covers Castanets for AIDS awareness Compilation

February 16th, 4AD releases Dark Was The Night, a compilation of covers in support of HIV/AIDS awareness group Red Hot Organization. It's packed with notable contributors, among them Iron and Wine, Andrew Bird, and Asthmatic Kitty's very own My Brightest Diamond and Sufjan Stevens, who covers fellow AK group Castanets' "You Are The Blood." "And," says Asthmatic Kitty, "if you've been listening for a while, you may have heard it ["You Are The Blood"] before: on Cathedral, the 2004 debut of Castanets." It's a haunting, reverb-laden melody, featuring the skillful placement of Belltower's ethereal back-up vocals.

If you've never heard of Belltower, allow me to enlighten you: Belltower is Bridgit DeCook, the soulful chanteuse whose voice and talents can be heard throughout the Asthmatic Kitty catalog. Currently hard at work in San Francisco recording new material, Belltower made a name for herself wearing a number of hats: in 2005 she toured Europe with Stevens as an Illinoisemaker, singing, playing glockenspiel and keys, and continues to record with the indie juggernaut; as part of the prolific San Diego indie scene, recording and performing with Asthmatic Kitty matriarch Liz Janes; and notably here, as an original member of Ray Riposa's Castanets.


Full disclosure: While some Scrimshaw readers may know Bridgit to be my best friend, everything I have said here is honest, true, and real: Belltower is an expressive and enchanting performer, an insightful songwriter, and a true pleasure to know. Lately she's been playing at Edinburgh Castle in San Francisco. Learn more about Belltower here: Official Belltower Myspace Page, and check out her AK profile here: Belltower.

Michael Gira at the Tractor Tavern

Michael Gira, founder of Young God records and member of post-punk groups the Swans and Angels of Light, will play a 9pm show Wednesday, March 4 at The Tractor. He plays the bill with Larkin Grimm, fellow Young God recording artist.

Around Seattle we have Calvin Johnson as the go-to man for all things K Records related: he's always got his hands in something: producing some band, playing some show, making some art. At Young God, that man is Michael Gira, always on the lookout for curious acts, lending his production talents and insights to every new artist signed to the label.

It should be an interesting show, and I recommend it. I expect a mixed crowd of hipsters, folk heads, and aging 80's industrial black t-shirt types. The Tractor is an interesting venue for the eccentric, often avant-garde stylings of Gira and Grimm, though I think the acoustics will be great if they're planning a string-heavy set. Grimm tours later in the month with Akron/Family and Vetiver (that's Joanna Newsom and Devendra Banhart).

A while back, I reviewed a couple bands off the YG roster. You can read my review of Fire on Fire's The Orchard here: Fire on Fire: The Orchard, and my Akron/Family Love is Simple review here: Akron/Family: Love is Simple.

While you're at it, check out The Tractor's upcoming shows, they've got a lot of solid acts coming through soon: Richard Buckner, local band Fences, Shelby Lynne, The Pica Beats, Great Lake Swimmers, the aforementioned Elvis Perkins, and Clem Snide, to name a few.

Indie 103.1 FM - A Sweet Memory

Just as Scrooge McDuck has a huge vault of gold to swim around in, so do we have an ocean of superior, non-commercial music here in Seattle: the inimitable 90.3 KEXP, our very own alternative station. With professional, knowledgeable DJs (who choose their own playlists) and die-hard community support, KEXP has managed to thrive in the difficult times facing radio these days. But not all cities are so lucky. Ex-Seattelite Gina reports this news from L.A.: "Our indie station here in LA 103.1 has gone off the airwaves and is just online now. So sad."

This story broke last month, and while it may not be topping the headlines right now, it should still be a lesson to us all: fringe stations need our financial support. Without corporate financing or intensely creative marketing, independent radio stations are going the way of the dinosaur. The fact that "the" indie station in L.A. - a teeming metropolis with hundreds of trend-setting acts - has gone off the air is a harbinger of more disturbing times to come (along with them even more homogenized Clear Channel slurry.)

Course the irony is that refusing to play the corporate game invites financial hardship - the very thing corporate sponsorship prevents (along with free will), and it's only with our support that these hold-outs can hold out. So pledge often, rally behind the little guy, and God forbid the day we ever have to move to L.A...

The Deepsleep Narcotics Company - New Album

Word on the street is that local electronic group The Deepsleep Narcotics Company will soon begin looking for distribution and label support for their forthcoming new album. With Seattle legend Steve Fisk (stay with me now as we look back at a few of his success stories: Nirvana, Soundgarden, the Screaming Trees, etc.) manning the mixing controls and crediting original Santana drummer Michael Shrieve as "drum consultant," this is definitely something to brag about. While perhaps best known for the more organic rock sounds of their past, both Shrieve and Fisk have made moves beyond their earlier, defining years: Shrieve plays often with his band at ToST in Fremont, where The Deepsleep Co. plays a regular monthly show, and Fisk, amongst many projects, recently crafted the original, ambient score - along with fellow NW man-about-town Ben Gibbard - to Kurt Cobain biopic, About A Son.

Catch The DNC every last Saturday of the month at ToST - FYI: no shows this month - and look forward to more posts about this "electroacoustic" group soon.

Croc Update

The Stranger recently posted news and photos from the slowly transitioning Crocodile Cafe. It's a still a mess, but UK group the Ting Tings are already selling tickets (via Ticketmaster) for a show there in April...

Other slated changes to the space: a "stand-alone" Via Tribunali restaurant, which will also serve food at the venue. I'm guessing this would officially end the famous Crocodile brunch, and I can't say I'm that excited about it. (I'm not that crazy about Via Tribunali pizza, and it's more spendy than fries and burgers.) Not sure if Ticketmaster is going to be a fixture there, either.

But I'm rooting for the club. Amidst all the rubble, it's hard for me to visualize an opening anytime soon (club PR now says March), but I'm looking forward to seeing the Croc up and running again.

Read more about it here: Crocodile Update.

Juana Molina live @ KEXP

Tune in Tuesday, February 10 at 12pm to hear Juana Molina live @ KEXP. (They'll archive the performance if you happen to miss it.) She plays a show the night before in Bellingham, and will then perform that evening at The Triple Door at Third and Union for a 7:30 show.

Ever since I got my hands on 2006's Son, I can't get enough of this quietly experimental, multi-instrument usin' Argentinian singer-songwriter. Her recent album Un Dia, came out last year.

Here's a calendar of KEXP's upcoming in-studios: Live @ KEXP.

Here's Juana Molina's Myspace page: Juana Molina @ Myspace.

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis was mentioned in that Elvis Costello post. Been meaning to get around to this news: her label, Team Love (NYC based label co-founded by Conor Oberst) periodically puts up whole albums to download free. It's neat, and how I scored the Jenny Lewis album with the Watson Twins. They've got some good titles up right now. Create an account and listen! Go here: Team Love Library.

Moving along to another Elvis...

The ubiquitous Elvis Costello, that is. I don't have a TV, so sometimes an otherwise widely known moment in pop culture can go right over my head. So for all of you out there like me, Mr. Costello now hosts his own music series on the Sundance channel, Spectacle: Elvis Costello With...

To me, this is the next logical step in his quest for world domination. As venerated Prefix poster Jim Allen put it: "It's apparently not enough that the New Wave pioneer (yes kids, before he earned his thick veneer of respectability he was once a rock & roll enfant terrible) can be seen just about everywhere you look -- here's Elvis duetting with Lucinda Williams on her new album, there he is performing on late-night TV with Jenny Lewis, hey, wait a minute...I've got Elvis in my breakfast cereal!"

I have always admired Elvis Costello. He's a brilliant, sassy, tongue-in-cheek lyricist (the art of which he practically invented), creates "complex pop" songs in his sleep, and is a seasoned crooner of the highest pedigree. There was a time in my life when I was borderline obsessed with the man. Only when Prefix posted a Fall Out Boy video featuring Costello, the self-asserting voice inside my head leaked out into the discussion: "Anyone who’s available all the time for anything and anyone – especially a high-profile personality like Costello – eventually becomes less interesting. That’s why it’s no surprise to me that he appears on the FoB record; rock God that he is, he’s afraid to lose his edge by not always being there when the next big thing happens, and this has resulted in some less than discriminating choices. Take for example his divorce from Cait O'Riordan (from the Pogues) and his soon thereafter marriage to Diana Krall. To me, that signaled a major shift away from his punk/new wave roots to a more marketable persona with the potential to attract an even bigger fan base."

I will always love Elvis Costello, I just wish his ambitions weren't so obvious, so we could still genuinely marvel at his inspiring body of work and endless pool of talents.

Here's a link to the Spectacle website: Spectacle: Elvis Costello With...

The Boss Martians

FYI: The Boss Martians, a Seattle group whose song, "Hey Hey Yeah Yeah" can be heard in a bunch of those E-Trade "Talking Baby" commercials, have been playing a lot around Seattle lately and have two February shows coming up. In case you'd like to know, here's their Myspace page with all the details: The Boss Martians' @ Myspace .

Throbbing Gristle headlines Coachella

Holy Crap! Throbbing Gristle! Coachella! Then The Sonics and DEVO at SXSW! I'm not a crusty music snob, and I love the ever evolving shape of modern music, but it's nice to witness a little reverence here and there as new forms take their cues from the old.

The Sonics are a band from Tacoma and were at their height in the 60's playing Kinks-inspired garage rock. They had a number of big hits: "The Witch," "Psycho" and "Strychnine," and then pretty much fell off the map. Lately they've been making a comeback and played their first live show after almost 40 years last Halloween to a packed house here at the Paramount Theater in Seattle.

Throbbing Gristle is an electronic group formed in London back in the mid 70's. You can hear the influence of their sound (and other late 70's industrial groups like Can and Cabaret Voltaire), in bands like Portishead with similar droning beats and electronic programming. TG are performance artists as well, and were known to shock their audience (and critics) with raunchy stage antics. It will be interesting to see what kind of energy they bring to Coachella, 30+ years from their heyday.

Check out the official Coachella lineup here: 2009 Coachella Lineup.

Read my review of Portishead's Third here: Portishead: Third

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Elvis Perkins

I love Jim Jarmusch movies, and when I first heard about Elvis Perkins, the one thing that came to mind was a recurring scene from the movie Mystery Train involving a pair of teenage Japanese tourists on a visit to Memphis who argue again and again (albeit in a very quiet, respectful Japanese way) over the real king of rock: Elvis Presley or Carl Perkins.

Much to my hopeful conjecture, Perkins' name is not a cross between the two, nor is there a lot of rockabilly or boogie rhythm in his music, but he does have an interesting back story. Elvis Perkins is the son of actor Anthony Perkins (famous for his role as Norman Bates in Hitchcock's Psycho) and Life Magazine photographer Berry Berenson, who died in the September 11 attacks.

Despite his background, Elvis Perkins has flown below my radar until just recently, when I heard some of the tracks from his debut album Ash Wednesday, and "Shampoo," the single from his forthcoming album Elvis Perkins in Dearland. Admittedly, my taste in music leans towards the singer-songwriter set, and I can't help but love the soulful, unhurried, honest quality of his singing. His new album comes out 3/10, and I mentioned earlier that I'm looking forward to seeing him at SXSW, but he'll be in Seattle at the Tractor Tavern about a week before the festival on March 9th. Going to try to make that show.

At any rate, here's the source of my tangential frame of reference: The Great Mystery Train Debate (That's John Lurie's original score you hear briefly in the background.) And here's some Elvis Perkins for you: Elvis Perkins' Homepage.

Speaking of amazing piano players...

I was lucky to see Cecil Taylor when he came to Seattle for the Earshot Jazz Festival last October. Nearing 80, Cecil Taylor is a founding father of the free jazz movement (his first recordings floored the jazz world back in the 50's), an NEA Jazz Master (The National Endowment for the Arts' highest honor in Jazz), and a visceral, energetic performer despite his advancing years. It was an incredible night, and oh, wait. I wrote this all before in a show review for Seattle Sound. You can read it here: Cecil Taylor at Town Hall.