Indie Rock and Indie Pop

Dinosaur Feathers

Smashing Pumpkins to Play Portland, Arcade Fire Burns Up the Billboard Charts, and M.I.A. Sets Clip-Art to Music

​MFNW: Just in case you need another reason to attend this year's MusicFestNW, Corgan and Co. play the Wonder Ballroom Sept. 11. (If you're staying in town that weekend, Smashing Pumpkins also play Showbox Sodo on Sept. 10.) Merge Records: Arcade Fire's Suburbs topped the Billboard charts la ... More >>

City Arts Fest: Big Boi, She & Him, Gogol Bordello, Belle and Sebastian, Oct. 20 to 23

big dog​From the department of "reasons to call in sick for a week", the first annual City Arts Fest is another reason we're in for a stellar Rocktober. Among the highlights are Belle and Sebastian and She & Him playing separate shows at the 5th Avenue Theater on October 20 and 22, respectivel ... More >>

The Short List: This Week's Recommended Shows 

big dog​From the department of "reasons to call in sick for a week", the first annual City Arts Fest is another reason we're in for a stellar Rocktober. Among the highlights are Belle and Sebastian and She & Him playing separate shows at the 5th Avenue Theater on October 20 and 22, respectivel ... More >>

Most Popular Library CD Requests: Seattle Wants LCD Soundsystem and Band of Horses (But Still Waits for Gaga)

There are more than 300 Seattle Public Library members waiting to hear Infinite Arms--as long as the album is free, of course. ​Apparently, Seattle's musical taste (well, at least when it comes to free music) hasn't changed much in the last six months. More and more Seattle Public Library memb ... More >>

Ok, Block Party. I Admit It. I Enjoyed You This Year.

Renee McMahon​If Bumbershoot is the matron of Seattle music festivals, Capitol Hill Block Party is its face-paint-wearing lush of a little sister. There's an undeniable meat market vibe at Capitol Hill Block Party, one that's amplified by the sudden baring of so much flesh after ten months of ... More >>

Tonight: Capitol Hill Block Party Day 1, Bobby Valentino, Red Heart Alarm

​Capitol Hill Block Party Day 1, with MGMT, Yeasayer, Holy Fuck, Shabazz Palaces, Bear In Heaven, Head Like A Kite, Macklemore, Unnatural Helpers, Jaguar Love, Champagne Champagne, Fences, Chris Pureka, Stay Hi Brothers, The Physics, Candidt, J.Pinder, Helladope, Mahjongg, Police Teeth, Naomi ... More >>

Capitol Hill Block Party

​Capitol Hill Block Party Day 1, with MGMT, Yeasayer, Holy Fuck, Shabazz Palaces, Bear In Heaven, Head Like A Kite, Macklemore, Unnatural Helpers, Jaguar Love, Champagne Champagne, Fences, Chris Pureka, Stay Hi Brothers, The Physics, Candidt, J.Pinder, Helladope, Mahjongg, Police Teeth, Naomi ... More >>

An Incomplete History of Hipster Headdresses

Inappropriate appropriation in rock circles.

Wolf Parade: The Closest We're Gonna Get to Neutral Milk

How NMH got a booth at Expo 86.

Short Division

Math rockers Maps & Atlases meet their indie-pop audiences halfway.

Mimicking Birds

Math rockers Maps & Atlases meet their indie-pop audiences halfway.

Tonight: KUBE 93 Summer Jam at the White River Amphitheatre

​KUBE 93 Summer Jam. White River Amphitheatre, 40601 Auburn-Enumclaw Rd., Auburn, 360-802-1469. 6 p.m. $32.50-$86. Summer Jam is the antithesis of the Capitol Hill Block Party: a commercial concert filled with overplayed radio anthems, overpriced alcohol and inebriated college kids. In other w ... More >>

KUBE 93 Summer Jam

​KUBE 93 Summer Jam. White River Amphitheatre, 40601 Auburn-Enumclaw Rd., Auburn, 360-802-1469. 6 p.m. $32.50-$86. Summer Jam is the antithesis of the Capitol Hill Block Party: a commercial concert filled with overplayed radio anthems, overpriced alcohol and inebriated college kids. In other w ... More >>

MGMT Debuts Video for Second Congratulations Single, "It's Working"

"It's Working" is the second single from MGMT's Congratulations - the music video is thankfully (or disappointingly?) not nearly as batshit crazy as the one for the record's first single, "Flash Delirium." There are no creepy dancing old people, and nothing gets pulled out of anyone's throat. "It' ... More >>

Chiddy Bang

"It's Working" is the second single from MGMT's Congratulations - the music video is thankfully (or disappointingly?) not nearly as batshit crazy as the one for the record's first single, "Flash Delirium." There are no creepy dancing old people, and nothing gets pulled out of anyone's throat. "It' ... More >>

The Dead Weather, MGMT, Atmosphere, Yeasayer Confirmed to Headline Capitol Hill Block Party

Jack White in Seattle makes me a happy lady.​Sorry Courtney Love, but this year's Capitol Hill Block Party lineup is fucking awesome and has got me more excited for the summer concert season than yesterday's Bumbershoot announcement did. Friday, 7/23 MGMT - Yeasayer - Holy Fuck - Shabazz Pa ... More >>

Sasquatch!

Jack White in Seattle makes me a happy lady.​Sorry Courtney Love, but this year's Capitol Hill Block Party lineup is fucking awesome and has got me more excited for the summer concert season than yesterday's Bumbershoot announcement did. Friday, 7/23 MGMT - Yeasayer - Holy Fuck - Shabazz Pa ... More >>

Minus the Bear Follows 2010's Trend with First Dangerbird Release OMNI

​Artist: Minus the Bear Album: OMNI Label: Dangerbird Records Release date: May 4 Rating (Skip, Stream, or Buy): Stream Download: "My Time" Closely following Death Cab for Cutie and Blue Scholars, Minus the Bear's Suicide Squeeze debut EP This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic was one of ... More >>

CD Review: MGMT Heads in a New, Tripped-Out Direction with Congratulations

​Artist: MGMT Album: Congratulations Release Date: April 13 Rating (Skip, Stream, or Buy): Stream Listen: Entire album streaming here. While it certainly is no Oracular Spectacular, MGMT's sophomore effort plays up the band's obvious talent in an almost completely new way. Holding on to their ... More >>

MGMT's New Video For "Flash Delirium": It's, Of Course, Crazy As Shit

​The music video for "Flash Delirium," the first single off MGMT's forthcoming Congratulations, is here, and yeah, it's really fucking weird. The Andreas Nilsson-directed clip (he's done videos for The Knife, Jose Gonzalez, and Peter, Bjorn, and John) features French poodles, old people, and ... More >>

Another Leakage Victim: Listen to MGMT's Entire New Album For Free

Congratulations will be officially released on April 13.​MGMT's hotly anticipated second album, Congratulations, leaked this weekend. But before you start feeling too guilty, the band went ahead and made the whole thing available for streaming on their own website. I just started listening to ... More >>

Free MP3: MGMT's Brand New "Flash Delirium"

Jon Bergman​MGMT has released a song from the forthcoming Congratulations (out April 13) - "Flash Delirium" is available for free to download. Fans of the uber-hit Time To Pretend might want to prepare themselves - the track is scaled down in a big way from the songs on that first record. Desp ... More >>

Five Awful Band Names We Take for Granted: First Up, Death Cab for Cutie

Death Cab for Cutie sells great music under a cheesy name​As time wears on, it's becoming increasingly difficult for new bands to come up with an original moniker that offers a hint as to what that band might sound like without either participating in copyright infringement or making the band' ... More >>

Last Night: Surfer Blood, Atlas Sound, Fresh Espresso and the Lineup for Sasquatch '10

Abbey BradenSurfer Blood played the Crocodile Monday, February 15​It stands to reason that the bands slated to perform at an inaugural Sasquatch launch party would also be booked to play the festival. That turned out not to be the case last night at the Crocodile last night. The only band on t ... More >>

A.M. Music News: Abbey Road For Sale, Bernstein on DVD, Beach House on Record Store Day

​-- Reverb: Obviously the big news of the day is the Sasquatch! 2010 lineup release: My Morning Jacket, MGMT, LCD Soundsystem, Vampire Weekend, etc. -- Sub Pop: Beach House is releasing the Zebra EP for Record Store Day. It's available only at your favorite local record store starting April 1 ... More >>

Sasquatch 2010: My Morning Jacket, MGMT, Band of Horses, Massive Attack, and the Rest of the Lineup Is Announced

My Morning Jacket​As it happens, our predictions were a tad bit ambitions this year ... and completely off the mark. Now we can sit around guessing how many hours MMJ will play. 3-day tickets are $170, back on sale Wednesday, via Ticketmaster. What do you think? Is it worth $170? Among the ba ... More >>

Alec Ounsworth

My Morning Jacket​As it happens, our predictions were a tad bit ambitions this year ... and completely off the mark. Now we can sit around guessing how many hours MMJ will play. 3-day tickets are $170, back on sale Wednesday, via Ticketmaster. What do you think? Is it worth $170? Among the ba ... More >>

Peter Gabriel and Indie Rock: Two Great Things that Could be Better Together

Peter Gabriel is releasing an all-orchestral indie-rock covers LP titled Scratch My Back.​Two tracks from Peter Gabriel's upcoming album -- his first in seven years -- are now available for free streaming or download. The good news is that you don't need to be a Lloyd Dobler-esque fan to enjoy ... More >>

Isaac Brock Will Be "Defriending Cancer" With James Mercer and Neil Hamburger at The Moore Next Month

Renee McMahonIsaac Brock will participate in the "Defriending Cancer" benefit on Feb. 11 at The Moore. Tickets are available for between $28 and $48.​It's a uncommon scene to see Isaac Brock shed his Modest Mouse bandmates. To see him do it on the same bill as The Shins' James Mercer is even r ... More >>

Adam Franklin & Bolts of Melody

Renee McMahonIsaac Brock will participate in the "Defriending Cancer" benefit on Feb. 11 at The Moore. Tickets are available for between $28 and $48.​It's a uncommon scene to see Isaac Brock shed his Modest Mouse bandmates. To see him do it on the same bill as The Shins' James Mercer is even r ... More >>

The Short List: The Week's Recommended Shows

Renee McMahonIsaac Brock will participate in the "Defriending Cancer" benefit on Feb. 11 at The Moore. Tickets are available for between $28 and $48.​It's a uncommon scene to see Isaac Brock shed his Modest Mouse bandmates. To see him do it on the same bill as The Shins' James Mercer is even r ... More >>

What I'm Listening To: Jose Gonzalez, Sufjan Stevens, and Other Sad Songs

This is Jose Gonzalez, who is a downer (in a good way). ​For the past few months, I've been attempting to perfect my Pandora Radio station. If you're not a regular Pandora user, here's a quick definition, via my good friends at Wikipedia: "Pandora is an automated music recommendation and Inter ... More >>

Coachella Lineup Announced, Short on Seattle Bands

Tickets for Coachella go on sale at 10 a.m. Jan. 22. ​The lineup for the 2010 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was released this morning, and maybe I'm missing something here, but it seems to be pretty short on Seattle bands. True, there are some great and diverse acts on the three-day ... More >>

Fool’s Gold’s Global Gumbo

The Los Angeles band gives new meaning to the term “world music.”

Last Night: Built To Spill @ The Showbox

Who: Built to Spill Where: Showbox in the Market When: Friday, November 20 Watching Built to Spill last night, I couldn't help but think of what Bill Graham said about The Grateful Dead--they aren't the best at what they do, they're the only one who do what they do. For close to two decades, the ... More >>

The Short List: The Week’s Recommended Shows

Who: Built to Spill Where: Showbox in the Market When: Friday, November 20 Watching Built to Spill last night, I couldn't help but think of what Bill Graham said about The Grateful Dead--they aren't the best at what they do, they're the only one who do what they do. For close to two decades, the ... More >>

Uh, Is This It?: 10 Flagrantly Wrong Things About NME's Greatest Albums of The Decade

​I personally wouldn't touch compiling a Best Albums of the Decade list with a ten-foot pole; besides feeling weird about ranking an unfathomable amount of musical releases over a ten year period and having my own eclectic yet deeply biased taste, I was in seventh grade at the turn of the cent ... More >>

Black Heart Procession

​I personally wouldn't touch compiling a Best Albums of the Decade list with a ten-foot pole; besides feeling weird about ranking an unfathomable amount of musical releases over a ten year period and having my own eclectic yet deeply biased taste, I was in seventh grade at the turn of the cent ... More >>

Dirty Projectors

​I personally wouldn't touch compiling a Best Albums of the Decade list with a ten-foot pole; besides feeling weird about ranking an unfathomable amount of musical releases over a ten year period and having my own eclectic yet deeply biased taste, I was in seventh grade at the turn of the cent ... More >>

The Short List: This Week’s Recommended Shows

​I personally wouldn't touch compiling a Best Albums of the Decade list with a ten-foot pole; besides feeling weird about ranking an unfathomable amount of musical releases over a ten year period and having my own eclectic yet deeply biased taste, I was in seventh grade at the turn of the cent ... More >>

Amy Millan

​I personally wouldn't touch compiling a Best Albums of the Decade list with a ten-foot pole; besides feeling weird about ranking an unfathomable amount of musical releases over a ten year period and having my own eclectic yet deeply biased taste, I was in seventh grade at the turn of the cent ... More >>

Passion Pit

​I personally wouldn't touch compiling a Best Albums of the Decade list with a ten-foot pole; besides feeling weird about ranking an unfathomable amount of musical releases over a ten year period and having my own eclectic yet deeply biased taste, I was in seventh grade at the turn of the cent ... More >>

John Vanderslice

Thursday, September 17

The Short List: The Week’s Recommended Shows

Thursday, September 17

Bumbershoot: Sunday’s Recommended Shows

Thursday, September 17

Live Music Roundup: Tuesday, June 23

Theo JemisonRodriguezRodriguez plays the Triple Door tonight with Arthur and Yu. That starts at 7:30 p.m., is all ages and costs $23. Cursive, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, Box Elders at Neumos, 8 p.m., $15 adv, all ages Listening to Cursive's newest release, Mama, I'm Swollen, it's hard to rememb ... More >>

Cursive

Tuesday, June 23

The Short List: The Week's Recommended Shows

Tuesday, June 23

Sasquatch Music Festival

Tuesday, June 23