The Seattle four-piece The Hoot Hoots have a host of shows coming up, and their flashy, out of control pop sensibilities will be on display around the Northwest in the coming weeks.  Their sonic melange is intricate and dense, and their influences are particularly well used in their songs.  The upbeat, overwhelming orchestral compositions of Neutral Milk Hotel are a definite reference point, but what they take from The Unicorns I find even more noteworthy.  What The Unicorns did so well that The Hoot Hoots have paid attention to is related to song structure.  The Unicorns hardly, if ever, repeat lyrics; their choruses are never standard fare.  And when considering this from a songwriting perspective, the transitions and overall flow of a song is directly influenced by the very inclination to infuse this variety.  What I’m also impressed with is their ability to boisterously belt lyrics about outer space and somehow seem tender at times as well- even in the same song.  They’re a strange amalgam of influences, that bunch, and really, they are an incredible live band. 

    •    Sep 21    John’s Alley 
    Moscow, ID

    •    Sep 23
    Hogan’s Pub 
   Clarkston, WA

    •    Sep 24
    Raw Space
      Ellensburg, WA

    •    Oct 06
     High Dive
         Seattle, WA

    •    Nov 05
    Benbow Room
 Seattle, WA

    •    Dec 17
    Benbow Room
 Seattle, WA

 

The Seattle four-piece The Hoot Hoots have a host of shows coming up, and their flashy, out of control pop sensibilities will be on display around the Northwest in the coming weeks.  Their sonic melange is intricate and dense, and their influences are particularly well used in their songs.  The upbeat, overwhelming orchestral compositions of Neutral Milk Hotel are a definite reference point, but what they take from The Unicorns I find even more noteworthy.  What The Unicorns did so well that The Hoot Hoots have paid attention to is related to song structure.  The Unicorns hardly, if ever, repeat lyrics; their choruses are never standard fare.  And when considering this from a songwriting perspective, the transitions and overall flow of a song is directly influenced by the very inclination to infuse this variety.  What I’m also impressed with is their ability to boisterously belt lyrics about outer space and somehow seem tender at times as well- even in the same song.  They’re a strange amalgam of influences, that bunch, and really, they are an incredible live band. 

    •    Sep 21    John’s Alley
      Moscow, ID

    •    Sep 23
    Hogan’s Pub
     Clarkston, WA

    •    Sep 24
    Raw Space
       Ellensburg, WA

    •    Oct 06
     High Dive
          Seattle, WA

    •    Nov 05
    Benbow Room
  Seattle, WA

    •    Dec 17
    Benbow Room
  Seattle, WA

 

Seattle Weekly’s Reverb Festival is right around the corner.  And, as usual, there are many fantastic, spacey, shoegaze-bent bands getting ready to grace the stages around Ballard.  Witch Gardens are quite possibly the cream of this crop.  They’re a smooth, minimalist pop quintet, with simple drum beats, well-honed harmonies, and interesting guitar licks that don’t grow tired or regurgitate a lot of the girl-group hooks prevalent in their genre.  Witch Gardens’ June 30th LP debut Alice, Agatha, Branch & Christ definitely has affinities with the latest release from the Cults, but is probably more closely related to the Vivian Girls’ work, albeit a more relaxed, less angsty side of the Darger dubbed band.  They play Oct. 8th at the NY Fashion Academy stage from 9:30-10:15pm.     

Seattle Weekly’s Reverb Festival is right around the corner.  And, as usual, there are many fantastic, spacey, shoegaze-bent bands getting ready to grace the stages around Ballard.  Witch Gardens are quite possibly the cream of this crop.  They’re a smooth, minimalist pop quartet, with simple drum beats, well-honed harmonies, and interesting guitar licks that don’t grow tired or regurgitate a lot of the girl-group hooks prevalent in their genre.  Witch Gardens’ June 30th LP debut Alice, Agatha, Branch & Christ definitely has affinities with the latest release from the Cults, but is probably more closely related to the Vivian Girls’ work, albeit a more relaxed, less angsty side of the Darger dubbed band.  They play Oct. 8th at the NY Fashion Academy stage from 9:30-10:15pm.     

On first listen to Brite Futures’ catchy new album, Dark Past, it might seem like quite the misnomer. The album’s synth-happy mix of New Wave, rock, funk, and dance music packs all the boundless pep of a hyperactive kindergartener on a never-ending sugar high.

"The title Dark Past is a half-serious reflection of the tough times we went through over the past few years," says guitarist Luke Smith, referring to the band’s split with Warner Bros. Records during the days when they were known as Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head (NPSH).
 
The band and Warner Bros. Records had different ideas about NPSH’s artistic direction and the two parties mutually agreed to end the relationship. The band’s dance with the majors left them conflicted – a difficult time that serves as a potent reminder about the importance of creative freedom and what it means to be truly independent. After that experience, Luke, Shaun, Claire, and David decided it was time for a new band name. "For as much attention as being called Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head got us, it was also holding us back," Luke says. "It was nice to shed that name and be our own thing for the first time." 

Dark Past will be out November 1st, but check out new track "Baby Rain" (downloadable on their Facebook). 

Brite Futures – Baby Rain by !Turnout!

Sure, their name is Grave Babies, they sing songs about death and decay, and they sound like they’ve been recorded through a mold covered basement wall.  Deep down, though, these guys are pop stars.  The music is hook-heavy and rife with pretty melodies and harmonies.  The Seattle group was started by singer/guitarist Danny Wahlfeldt who brought in Tyler Robinson on keys/drum machine, Keith Whiteman on drums, and bassist Mitch Saulsberry to round things out. The guys put out a single on Danish label Skrot Up, who then re-released the band’s first full-length, DEATHFACE, as well as a follow up, Blood Skull.  Two tracks from that record have since been released as a single, Pleasures, on Sup Pop imprint Hardly Art, who has been snatching up tons of quality Seattle bands as of late.  Don’t let the death motif fool you; this is pretty music.  Grave Babies is currently on a national tour that will finish October 1^st at the Funhouse with Unnatural Helpers and Stickers.  Check out the video for "Pleasures" below. 

Shenandoa Davis is very talented.  Her vocals are reminiscent of the quavering, fragile, about-to-break delivery of Joanna Newsom, and the compositions of her pieces are no less complex.  This is orchestral pop at its finest.  When Shenandoah allows her music to breathe a bit, when she’s not taking the direct path of pop and instead flirting with beautiful fills, arpeggiated piano and violin trills, she is perfect.  "Sewn up Tight" is an absolute gem.  If it sounds like I’m raving, it’s because I am.  Her music is full of cheese-free longing and a precious sort of nostalgia, and these are the moments I am in awe of- her ability to inject these genuine floating/hanging moments often and without a tinge of artifice, demonstrates her deft skills.  I’ll let you know when she’s in Seattle again, because damn, I really want to see her live!

    •    Sep 18
 Mad Planet – 
Milwaukee, WI

    •    Sep 21 
Whistler – 
Chicago, IL

    •    Sep 27 
Spoonful – Records
 Columbus, OH

    •    Oct 05 
Kungfu – Necktie
 Philadelphia, PA

Lo-fi recordings tend to come under scrutiny these days.  Ever since the explosive, devisive release of Wavves’ self-titled first album, this issue has been floating around.  And if you subscribe to the general drivel of music criticism (this could be considered some), lo-fi recordings seem to be vastly on their way out (as do bedroom style reverb vocals, which I hope never fade away), unless the genre tackled is covering new territory- see How to Dress Well‘s work, the lo-fi instantiation of indie meets R&B.   

The affectation of lo-fi may be worth some small contention here.  When a musician with the spending bread goes into the studio to record an album or EP and uses the studio magic mixing and effects to procure that faraway garage resonance, it seems counterintuitive and possibly even fake as to what a "studio" recording should be.  I was actually disappointed to hear Wavve’s second album sounding so clean, in some small way, it seemed to be a concession to his critics, an acknowledgement of the imperfections of his first recordings and an attempt to convince people that he was actually a stellar craftsman.  These are all aesthetic choices of course, and the general white noise aura of lo-fi has its own characteristics of merit to aesthetes of sound, as well as its pitfalls- not to imply that someone is not an aesthete if they do not appreciate lo-fi, I’m merely saying that it’s oftentimes a cultivated taste.

Mary Mary, the lo-fi Bellingham based indie project of Alexandra Song, Geoffrey Trager and Zach Zinn, just put out their demos, which were recorded on cassette tapes, with French Camp Records.  The tender, angsty authenticity of these recordings I find engaging and accurately reflective of the sentiments contained within their lyrics and compositions.  Long live perfect imperfection.      

Lo-fi recordings tend to come under scrutiny these days.  Ever since the explosive, devisive release of Wavves’ self-titled first album, this issue has been floating around.  And if you subscribe to the general drivel of music criticism (this could be considered some), lo-fi recordings seem to be vastly on their way out (as do bedroom style reverb vocals, which I hope never fade away), unless the genre tackled is covering new territory- see How to Dress Well‘s work, the lo-fi instantiation of indie meets R&B.   

The affectation of lo-fi may be worth some small contention here.  When a musician with the spending bread goes into the studio to record an album or EP and uses the studio magic mixing and effects to procure that faraway garage resonance, it seems counterintuitive and possibly even fake as to what a "studio" recording should be.  I was actually disappointed to hear Wavve’s second album sounding so clean, in some small way, it seemed to be a concession to his critics, an acknowledgement of the imperfections of his first recordings and an attempt to convince people that he was actually a stellar craftsman.  These are all aesthetic choices of course, and the general white noise aura of lo-fi has its own characteristics of merit to aesthetes of sound, as well as its pitfalls- not to imply that someone is not an aesthete if they do not appreciate lo-fi, I’m merely saying that it’s oftentimes a cultivated taste.

Mary Mary, the lo-fi Bellingham based project of Alexandra Song, Geoffrey Trager and Zach Zinn, just put out their demos, which were recorded on cassette tapes, with French Camp Records.  The tender, angsty authenticity of these recordings I find engaging and accurately reflective of the sentiments contained within their lyrics and compositions.  Long live perfect imperfection.      

The Young Evils are on tour parading their dimple-sweet pop charm around the East Coast before they venture homewards to Seattleville.  The duo, who’ve thrown out the dating-a-band-member faux pas in favor of . . . well, dating a band member, released their debut LP Enchanted Chapel in 2010 to positive critical acclaim.  The album was produced by Barrett Jones, who also worked with Nirvana, The Melvins, and Pussy Galore.  Their songs are savory two minute pop constructions that drip enchantment, with straightforward instrumentation and singalong hooks genuinely intoned over gently strummed acoustic guitar.  Nice.

-Sep 08
The Red Room @ Cafe 939
Boston, MA
-Sep 09
Truck America Festival
Big Indian, NY
-Sep 09
Lizard Lounge
Lancaster, PA
-Sep 09
Chameleon Club
Lancaster, PA
-Sep 10
Susquehanna Bank Center
Camden, NJ
-Sep 13
NightCat
Easton, MD
-Sep 14
Black Cat Backstage
Washington, DC
-Sep 15
Rockwood Music Hall
New York, NY
-Sep 15
Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2
New York, NY
-Oct 01
The Tractor Tavern
Seattle, WA
-Oct 02
Doug Fir Lounge
Portland, OR

On August 27th I was down at Cairo, an art space near my favorite pub in Seattle, The Summit in Capitol Hill, to see Broken Water, and I caught a short, tight set by a new Seattle band called M. Women.  They’re a lo-fi pop/grunge three-piece that play catchy, driving tunes that swiftly sweep you up into their currents of cool.  They sound like a more mellow incarnation of The Vaselines.  M. Women are playing the Void in Portland on September 9th and Reed College on September 16th.  Make the drive, it’ll be worth it.

Dead End Social Club Records has announced the release of the debut LP by Olympia, WA indie infused punk band Happy Noose. Happy Noose is a trio of friends that came together after having played in many other bands spanning several decades in Olympia, WA.  "Their music is straightforward enough: good-time, plangent, dirty pop… music aches with desire… Morose, yet joyful. Fumbling, unsure but with a real swaggering gait."

-Everett True-

Seven Seas by happynoose