Photo Source: The Torn ACLS

The Torn ACLS are headlining a show at the Rendezous this Friday, September 7th. Orca Team and Hounds of the Wild Hunt complete the lineup.

Their newest release is Real Risks, a five song EP they dropped back in July. Although they clearly bear the badge of indie pop, The Torn ACLS do not diverge into twee or overtly saccharine territory.

"Easy For A Reason" pulls together clever, heartfelt lyrics with a jittering beat and slightly eerie backing vocals. The latter half of the tune floats along with a generous air that is sure to lift you out of your seat.

On "Mad," they start off simple and quiet – it is the jumpy snare transition that moves The Torn ACLS into more uptempo, nuanced songwriting. The supplementary percussion, keys, and handclaps help populate the track with catchy variables. The singer’s vocal style resembles Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie to some degree, but The Torn ACLS opt for understated, thoughtful melodies rather than grandiose, love-centric compositions. 

Check them out at the Rendezvous on the 7th of September – tickets are $5 for the 21+ show starting at 10pm. You can listen to "Mad" below and explore the rest of their EP on their bandcamp page. Pick up a digital copy for only $3, or a CD for $5.

– Cameron LaFlam

Photo Source: Seattle Peach

Nightmare Fortress are headlining at The Black Lodge on Thursday, September 6th, with Mass Games, Trash Fire, and Wishbeard also on the bill. It is the vinyl release show for their debut EP Until The Air Runs Out.

The self-dubbed "grave rave" group are sure to rob listeners of shut-eye; their music is made of many layers, delving ever deeper into a fathomless core. "Hang You On The Wall" is one of the darkest and most infectious bone-rattling tracks of late. Its beginning sounds an alarm, as if forecasting the terror and wonder that lies ahead. A wall of buzzing synth, coupled with Alicia Amiri’s evocative vocals, generates a concoction with viable portions of post-punk, shoegaze, and dance music.

"The Castle" starts off with a more pensive air. The beat-making on the song is haunting, as if in desperate search of the voice that accompanies its music. Rather than rote head-bobbing, "The Castle" causes a wave-like flow to pass through you again and again. One’s listening becomes a vessel for Nightmare Fortress’ eerie soundscapes to articulate themselves.

Check out The Black Lodge on the 6th of September to see Nightmare Fortress. The show starts at 8pm. They will be a natural fit – one can easily imagine their music playing on the set of Twin Peaks. Stream "Hang You On The Wall" to start and then check out their Soundcloud page for the entire EP. Sweating Tapes is releasing the record; it is available for $6 digitally, or $12 on wax.

– Cameron LaFlam

Photo Source: Dog Shredder

This upcoming Saturday, Dog Shredder are playing at The Highline with Rose Windows and Kayo Dot.

Their latest EP Brass Tactics – released in April via local Seattle label Good to Die Records – is a maelstorm of sweat, blood and adrenaline. All three songs do battle with the listener, evidenced before the aural inferno even takes off by their names: "Battle Toads," "Battle Snakes," and "Battle 07."

"Battle Snake" is heavy and lightning-quick. The pace of the song does not relent, leaping from lick to lick in a powerful and precise dance. Math rock’s signature stop/start dynamics and time signature flips are present, but what once was asymmetrical guitar looping is furious progressive rock spit from the maw of Dog Shredder. Part monster of metal, part creature of incessant progression, part pure thrash, their musical chimeras bridge the gap between technical brilliance and exuberant, emotional energy.

"Battle 07" is a significant departure from the two prior tracks; a lone, aching synth conjoins with Josh Holland’s obscured vocals in a bizarro post-punk ballad. The clinking of wrenches and chains slinks in through industrial-like programming. What feels like a desperate cathedral sermon gradually distorts itself into a dystopian anthem.

September 1st at The Highline will be an excellent show – do not miss Dog Shredder and the rest of the lineup! The 21+ show begins at 10pm and costs $10. Check out "Battle Toads" below and visit their bandcamp to stream all of Brass Tactics. The EP is available digitally for $4, or through GTD Records on vinyl for $10.

– Cameron LaFlam

Photo Source: Erik Blood

Erik Blood is playing at Vibrations 2012 tomorrow, the second annual day festival curated by Cairo. Other musicians performing include King Dude, Night Beats, Witch Gardens, Stickers, and more.

Blood’s latest is the full-length Touch Screens which came out earlier this month. His music tends to oscillate between raucous, drum-driven works and subtler, pulse-beat pieces which lift their bouyant weight to levitate.

"The Lonesome Death of Henry Paris" introduces itself orchestrally before mutating into a hypnotic pairing of bass and beat. His vocals are clear, without effect, speaking sans reservation; their forthrightness makes for good storytelling. Urgent noises start to erupt halfway through, including the entrancing reverberations of a siren-like synth.

"Constance and Casey," on the other hand, tears right into the fabric before letting up on the gas a bit. The guitar see-saws and whirs like My Bloody Valentine; the passages which bookend the shoegazey, psychedelic spinning are tap your foot, come and sing along worthy.

Touch Screens malleability as an album is of the highest order, revealing its water-like quality that allows its sonic forces to form whatever shape is necessary for the song at a given moment.

Make sure to check out Volunteer Park tomorrow August 25 between 1:00-10:00pm for Vibrations. Attendance is free! Listen to "Amputee" below and check out Erik Blood’s bandcamp to stream the entire record. You can purchase a copy for $10.

– Cameron LaFlam

Photo Source: Baby Island

This Thursday, August 23rd, Baby Island will play a set at The Vera Project for The Believer Love Songs for Lamps Cassette Release. A big kaboodle of artists are due to perform, including but not limited to Calvin Johnson, Broken Water, Shana Cleveland and the Sandcastles, and Happy Noose.

The four piece group released their debut album – which is self-titled – back in February of this year. Baby Island’s quaint, solitary name captures the minitature worlds that revolve in their songs. Rarely eclipsing the three minute mark, each creation embraces their gentle psychedelic grip. Fans of ’60’s and ’70’s pop music with a twist will respond well to the material.

The Beatles, Beach Boys, The Zombies, Love – these are undeniable pop pillars of yesteryear that draw reasonable comparison. After all, Baby Island’s record cover is a clear homage to Love’s classic 1967 LP Forever Changes. For whatever weight they pull from decades past though, the outfit also contributes a modern indie rock vibe with tracks like "Backwards and Forwards" and "Live With It."

"Woke Up" catapults itself into catchiness with precise licks and a soothing, rhyme-ready singer. Faint warbles of psychedelia begin to shake themselves into the mix as the singer’s voice echoes and spirals out into the distance.

With over ten bands featured at the show – every band that appears on The Believer magazine’s cassette compilation – this is not one to be missed. The show costs $9, with doors at 7:30pm. Check out "Woke Up" from Baby Island below, and then visit their bandcamp to hear the rest of their eponymous record. Digital copies are available for $5, and on cassette for $7.

– Cameron LaFlam

Photo Source: Dreamdecay

Dreamdecay are playing at The Josephine this Friday, August 24th. The other groups performing are Matt Akers, Mutant Video, Gag, and Nudes.

These musicians have penned a document overflowing with sonic fury in Fern, which was released earlier this calendar year. Dissonant and chaotic, intensely cathartic and rhythmic – Dreamdecay’s feedback frenzy spins a web that is hard to disentangle from.

Take track "II" for instance, whose opening riff would not sound out of place in a Fugazi song. This vibe quickly dissolves into a heavier, punchier affair as the cymbals come crashing and the vocals meander on in – landing somewhere on the measuring stick near Michael Gira of Swans, and the vocalists of Young Widows and Daughters.

Song "IV" captures their most balanced blend of angular math rock and noise rock; except it has been tossed in a blender and coughed back out as a mass of raw venom. 

Their music is fearless and peerless in the Northwest because of its thirst for unadulterated noise and energy. They carry with them the relics of noise rock’s forefathers – bands like The Jesus Lizard or Sonic Youth – and yet they ultimately convey and champion their own passion rather than another’s.

See Dreamdecay at The Josephine coming up on the 24th of August. You can stream "IV" below and then visit their Soundcloud to hear all of Fern. The record is available for purchase via Great Plains Records.

– Cameron LaFlam

Photo Source: Robin Dupuy

The Absolute Monarchs are hitting the Seattle Center stage this weekend on Friday, August 15th. They, along with Wayfinders, are opening for the seminal band Love Battery.

This four piece released their debut LP this past spring on Good To Die Records; the name of the album is 1. Its hybrid, in-your-face jams carry a lot of punch, driven straight to your gut with fiery shouts and yells.

Consider the opening track "Attack," which lives up to its name, blistering all the way through. Beginning with a twisting and shimmering riff, it quickly shifts into an immensely powerful shouted chorus. This song will knock the dust right off your old speakers.

"Fell in Line" starts off with an off-kilter and chugging guitar line before switching into a head thrashing anthem. The Absolute Monarch’s medley of abrasiveness and catchiness does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.

Post-punk, noise rock, alternative rock – you could stamp their music with these descriptions and more. What they do ecstatically bring to Seattle’s sonic round table is an infectious sense of melody told through a kaliedoscopic view of loud music.

Catch The Absolute Monarchs at the Mural Ampitheater this Friday the 17th starting at 5:30pm. The Concerts at the Mural series is a great summertime opportunity for fans and musicians to come together for outdoor performances. Admission is completely free! Listen to "Fell In Line" below and then check out their bandcamp to stream all of 1. You can purchase a copy on cd or vinyl courtesy of GTD.

– Cameron LaFlam

Photo Source: Naomi Punk

Naomi Punk are joining several bands at the Cairo Gallery this Friday, August 17th before blasting off on their first full U.S. tour. On the bill with them are M. Women and Black Hat.

The three piece dwell in a sonic realm of jarring, angular rhythms, thick punkish riffs, and well-timed, mantra-like vocal melodies. With members hailing from Olympia and Seattle, Naomi Punk has played countless shows across the northwest over the last several years, including a recent showcase at the local radio station KEXP. Their most recent release The Feeling came out this past April; their other album is the eponymous Naomi Punk which debuted in 2009.

The Feeling is a storybook example of an album that is greater than the sum of its parts. Over the course of its approximate thirty five minute lifespan, it creates a feeling of suspense and mystery for the listener; song to song they connect like an elliptical orbit, passing through familiar grounds and picking up the essential nodes, then moving forth to forge new images and memories. 

Their mixture of punk and grunge is unique in its stalwart decision to shy away from break-neck speeds. Every note and beat are in tremendous sync; you feel the weight of each syllable and riff as if every second prior to that contributes to the present impact.

These songs are interupted – or rather, conjoined by – shorter instrumental pieces which convey more of this feeling, whatever ineffable feeling that may be. Tracks like "CLS + Death Junket" and "Eon of Love" feel evocative and pure alongside their noisy counterparts, which are no less emotional. This album is anything but cold, anything but sterile or vacant.

Naomi Punk play at Cairo on the 17th of August with an 8pm start time. All-Ages. Listen to the record’s closing track "The Buzz" below and make sure to stream the entire thing at their bandcamp. It is available for purchase through Couple Skate Records on vinyl.

– Cameron LaFlam

Photo Source: River Giant

River Giant are hitting the High Dive stage this Thursday with The Crying Shame and The Swearengens. 

The trio released their debut full-length this April; the eponymously titled River Giant soars and wails its way through ten tracks. Their fondness for bands ’70’s era bands like Crazy Horse and The Band jumps out readily, but not in an overbearing or detrimental way. They tackle motifs of Americana through their modern lens of alternative rock music.

The strength of their songwriting is what sticks out first – they know how to build a foundation of a song without making it wearily repetitive. From there, they add upon the established contours by working to excitable climaxes, slowing down passages, or letting guitarist/vocalist Kyle Jacobson fly high with his pipes like a wild river on the loose. Their use of dynamics is appreciable in every song.

"Pink Flamingos," "Western," and "Fast Heart" are a few standout tracks, among others. At moments they are straightforwardly country rock, other times heavy rock ignited with feedback, and other songs sound downright folksy – taken in full though, River Giant cannot be pinned down by the confines of a single genre. Good luck getting their songs out of your head once they snake their way in!

They play this Thursday, August 10th at the High Dive for $8. Doors are 8pm; it should be a racuous affair. Check out "Fast Heart" below for a quick listen and carry on their bandcamp to stream the whole record. It is available for purchase for $10.

– Cameron LaFlam

Photo Source: Raz

King Dude is set to appear for a stellar show this weekend at The Comet Tavern. Wino and Conny Ochs are headlining on their Heavy Kingdom tour; Isis & The Ghost is on the bill as well. 

This solo project features the aforementioned artist projecting "dark pagan-fueled folk" into the stratosphere, and he does so with masterful confidence. His latest release Love came out in November of last year courtesy of Dais. The ten tracks are immediately pervasive –  "Don’t Want Me Still" sounds, on one hand, so far away, and yet its layers of echo and distance seem to emit signals from within your own body.

"Spiders In Her Hair" features a bouncy, uptemo riff that sets the tone for TJ Cowgill’s deep and resonant vocals; they are pensive and tuneful. Or take a listen to "Eternal Night" which seems to rumble along some cavernous wagon road, filled with spirited harmonies and an incessant, rattling rhythm.

King Dude’s take on folk as-it-were is no straight and narrow path. His material on Love becomes greatly enriched by buzzing, humming, singing, and other peculiar effects that give rise to a singer-songwriter surrounded by a field of subterranean sounds.

He will appear at The Comet this Sunday, August 12th. Doors are at 8:00pm for this 21+ show that costs $10. Listen to "Eternal Night" below and check out his bandcamp to hear Love all the way through. The album is for sale digitally and on vinyl. Also, keep on the lookout for his upcoming record Burning Daylight which is due out on October 16th.

– Cameron LaFlam

Photo Source: Atomic Bride

Atomic Bride are going to appear at The Funhouse for a performance on Friday, August 10. Also on the bill are School Shootings, F-Holes, and Autolite Strike.

Back in May the five piece released their latest LP Dead Air. They have been putting on shows since 2007; the work put in since then to create their current record is palpable. They are governed by no one particular sound, spiraling through bouts of surf, alternative, punk and horror rock.

Take the track "D.N.A." for example, which transforms their surf-infused vibe of a modern B-52’s hit into a sing-song, rocking affair. They channel elements of former Seattle band Schoolyard Heroes but morph into something noticeably more punk and New Wave in behavior.

"Radio Recession" on the other hand rhythm-rides right in with a Dick Dale-like surf lick before breaking out with the straightforward energy of an alt-rock chorus. "American Meltdown" lands somewhere inbetween bands like Black Sabbath, Rob Zombie, and the Meat Puppets; but the song is not derivative in any sense of the word. Blending heaviness and country twang, Atomic Bride are fearless in their creations and thus are difficult to classify and pigeonhole. Kudos to them on their undeniable versatility.

Check out Atomic Bride on the 10th of August at The Funhouse for $6. The show begins at 9:30pm. In the meantime, visit their bandcamp page to stream the entirety of Dead Air and purchase it digitally or on CD. A preview of the band is below in the track "D.N.A."

– Cameron LaFlam

Photo Source: Grave Babies

Grave Babies are gracing The Funhouse stage this Friday for Day Two of the venue’s Pizzafest extravanganza. Other acts that night include The Biz, Golden Pelicans, The Yolks, and Shannon and the Clams. 

The group put out the Gothdammit EP in April courtesy of Hardly Art; the five tracks combine bouyant waves of synth with crunchy drum beats, warm bass tones, and solemn vocals.

"Fuck Off" is the first song on the record, both searing and lovely in its use of distortion, melody, and noise. Underground tremors seem to swell from all around when listening to Grave Babies – the music is otherwordly and dark, yet pinned down and precise in its rhythmic effect. "Bloodstains" behavior is similar in its regard for laying the foundation with subterranean and industrial-like sounds.

They will be at Pizzafest 2012 this Friday, August 3rd. The show begins at 7:30pm – and for only $12 you can enjoy eight bands in all. Stream Grave Babies’ song "Bloodstains" below and then check out their soundcloud page for more. You can also pick up their new EP for $11 through Hardly Art’s website.

– Cameron LaFlam