Radiohead: Now That's What I Call Music! (Vol. I)

Radiohead plays Auburn's White River Amphitheater on Wednesday, Aug. 20.

I want to say three things about Radiohead. But, I only have time for two. So, here goes.

1. Radiohead played Bremerton (EndFest) in August, 1997, alongside Matchbox 20 (yes, that's pre-Twenty), Foo Fighters and, headliners The Offspring. The Offspring were better.

2. Before Radiohead became the sweet-stinkin' shit that they are today — SKIPPING Bremerton? WTF? — they were scratchin' by trying to make it just like everybody else. And what's this? They're so HUGE now they've headlined almost every one of this summer's concert shindigs. AND, they're giving their album away for free (right, pay what you want. I don't "buy" that. And I didn't. Till it came out on vinyl. But I digress.)

What I'm trying to say is that the pre-Kid-A Radiohead wasn't so arrogant. Before Thom Yorke started spending his Sunday afternoons with his kids at the Oxford University's Museum of Natural History, he spent his waking hours, as our colleague John Roderick calls it, "dancing like a red-assed monkey," trying to get people to hear his records. Yorke and co. event went so far as to cast their lot in with BACKSTREET BOYS, HANSON, and SPICE GIRLS by landing "Karma Police" on the teenie-bop compilationNOW That's What I Call Music, Vol. 1.

Guys, that's so indie. That's so hip. That's so torn-black t-shirt, I can't even stand it. Do me a favor. Tomorrow night, throw some of your less-fortunate colleagues from the old days a bone. Maybe play Brian McNight's "Anytime," Cherry Poppin' Daddies' "Zoot Suit Riot," or K-Ci & JoJo's "All My Life." That's my favorite.

Just, don't forget where you came from!!!

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Rodriguez: The Real Raw Footage

Considering the title of this post, you probably thought I was gonna write about Ice Cube's Raw Footage, didn't you? Nah...I'm talking about real raw. Light In the Attic, a label truly on a roll this summer after releasing the Greatest Album By A Local Band Of 2008, the Saturday Knights' Mingle, have just dropped a grand reiusse of Cold Fact, the 1970 debut of an elusive singer-songwriter named Rodriguez.

Rodriguez hails from Detroit, MI. Still lives there, as a matter of fact. But he's a phenomenon of Dylan-esque proportion in such far-flung locales as Australia, South Africa, and Middle Earth...er, I mean, New Zealand. Apparently he never removes his sunglasses, often performed with his back to the audience in the 70s, and was working construction when he was "rediscovered". But mythologies aside, his record Cold Fact is some bad-ass stuff, with songs about dope, inner-city unrest, crime, etc., etc...cold facts, in other words. But for all the raw subject matter, Rodriguez's music was quite palatable. Comparisons have been made to Dylan, Arthur Lee, and a hipper, early James Taylor (see Monty Hellman's cult classic Two-Lane Blacktop for proof the dude was once cool) His voice is a mix of honey and dope smoke. His melodies are plucked out on a classical guitar for added mellowness. They are all pretty much oozy street grooves, like a not-so-white-knuckled On the Corner (with the exception of "Only Good for Conversation", which is a monster fuzz onslaught!) Everything on this album is solid, and his lyrics and melodies will be stuck in your head...permanently. Check out the track posted above ("Sugar Man"), then go buy this sucker immediately.

Topics: CD review

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Ra Ra Riot: The Rhumb Line

Ra Ra Riot performing "Too Too Too Fast" at the Bowery Ballroom in March

Because Syracuse band Ra Ra Riot underwent some serious trauma, their following— which is sizable— had to wait a good long while for this record, which hits stores today. First, the band lost its original lead singer within the first year of Ra Ra Riot's existence (according to Pitchfork, anyhow). Then, drummer John Pike was found dead in Buzzard Bay last year after disappearing from a party in Providence, Rhode Island the night before. I can't think of many fledgling bands who endured the death of a member and decided to soldier on anyway, but Ra Ra Riot did, and for that, I have to offer up my utmost respect.

The thing is, though John Pike helped write at least half of The Rhumb Line, death pervades this record all the same, even though the music itself is hardly funereal: every track is light, bouncy chamber pop ornamented with melancholy strings that contrast (but somehow, don't clash) with the album's accelerated pace. There's even a slight '80s vibe to this record, what with their Kate Bush cover, "Suspended in Gaffa" and melancholy synth-pop ditty "Too Too Too Fast" (video above).

That said, I doubt this album is gonna light the music world on fire or anything, even if it is on flagship label Barsuk Records; it's not really musically groundbreaking in any significant way, and the lyrics to some of their songs, like "Can You Tell," get a little too melodramatic and, uh, emo for my cynical ass (sorry to resort to that term, but you catch my drift). That said, it's also a fun album, even if it's not my cup o' tea. I don't think I'd go out and buy it, but I'd be happy to listen to it in someone else's car or on KEXP. Frankly, I probably would've liked it better four years ago, when I was still listening to Deathcab for Cutie ALL the time and lamenting their post-Transatlanticism popularity (little did I know what would come to pass!).

Topics: CD review

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Beloved Local Guitarist Joe Shikany Dies in Tragic Accident

Just got a voice message from Connie Dunn, owner of the Rimrock Steak House on Lake City Way. Last night, at a lake north of his native Spokane, Joe Shikany, the wonderful veteran guitarist from the Davanos, Powercell, N-Sane, and the Paul Rodgers Band, died after being struck by a fallen tree in heavy winds. Dunn says that the Rimrock will be staging the wake to end all wakes tonight in the Stirrup Room, which will feature live music from Shikany's local bands. In the course of my researching this story about the bar, the bands, and their neighborhood, I didn't meet a single person who didn't adore Shikany. I adore him too, and know that he'd like nothing more than for everyone to show up at the Rimrock and raise a glass to honor his life.

Topics: Rock Star Deaths

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When Seattle’s Hip-Hop and Film Collides…

The result is Emerald City, a short film about a young man growing up in Seattle. Written and produced by Henry McComas, of Crooked Lake Productions, Emerald City was created with his deaf brother in mind. The tag is embodied both in the production and the film’s plot: “If you can’t hear the music, feel it.”

Emerald City revolves around the recurring vision of main character Elijah, also known as MC Ellipsis. The vision visits Elijah’s childhood in Louisiana, the death of his brother and the mic that he can’t imagine losing. I had a chance to see the film, and the excitement and plot that McComas comfortably fits into the span of 13 minutes is stunning.

It may be short, but the attention to detail is immaculate. The film’s visuals are subtly but purposely altered to fit the mood and the action; some scenes are smooth and flowing, others a little fuzzy around the edges and others gritty and choppy. And, of course, music fits mood immaculately. Featuring local hip-hop scene leaders such as Kublakai, D. Black and Logics, Emerald City is something that represents and speaks for the city. With parts of the film’s creation taking place in nearly every neighborhood in Seattle, the message of the city is embedded deep within.

After being widely embraced by the local hip-hop community, McComas took the film overseas where it started drawing attention after being accepted to the Cannes, Swansea Bay, and Iñigo Film Festivals. It was also just (today) accepted to the Raindance Film Festival, the UK's largest independent film festival.

The film’s local “red carpet” debut is this Friday [August 22, 8 p.m., Box Car Ale House, 3401 Gilman Avenue West]. Later on, McComas said Crooked Lake might end up posting the full film online and selling DVDs at local shows.

“I have respect for Seattle and the people who created it, and because of that I get the love and respect back,” McComas told me. “It’s all about the love for the music and the lifestyle.”

Check out the trailer below, and if you get as hyped as I am make sure to hit up Box Car Ale House on Friday night.

Topics: Happenings and Music Video

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Preliminary REVERBfest Line-Up Announced

See Me River (photo by Kyle Johnson)

I couldn't be happier about how the line-up for this fall's REVERBfest is shaping up. Independent booking agent Kwab Copeland did a beautiful job of synthesizing the suggestions of SW music writers (including the very bossy directives of yours truly) and diversifying the schedule to showcase the wide range of top-notch artists this city boasts.

While I love hitting festivals in and out of town that feature touring nationals, there's something very powerful and touching about the reality that we can put together such an amazing line-up using nothing but local artists. REVERBfest takes over multiple music venues and clubs throughout Ballard on Saturday, October 4th. More ticketing info and scheduling details will be announced soon.

Kwab is still trying to nail down a few more, but here's just a small sampling of what's already on tap:

Greyskul
Onry Ozzborn & The Gigantics
See Me River
DJ B-Girl
Truckasauras
The Braille Tapes
Wizdom
17th Chapter
The Moondoggies
Red Jacket Mine
Little Penguins
Elder Mason
Husbands Love Your Wives
Blood Red Dancers
Man Plus
Hazelwood Motel
Michael Vermillion
IMAGUN
Kublakai
The Lonely Forest
The Curious Mystery
Neon Nights
Coffin Break
Emeralds
Black Whales
Thee Sgt Major III

Topics: Concert News, Love, and REVERBfest 2008

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Novoselic On The Daily Weekly

It's Tuesday, which means its Krist Novoselic Day on The Daily Weekly. Check him out!

Topics: Elsewhere on the Web

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Big Headed and Bad Assed with Balloons

Mad Rad are blowin' up!

Topics: Love

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Rockin' out with Pat Benatar's Illegitimate Daughter

Well, not really. But the similarity between my college partner in crime Kelsey and Pat Benatar is striking. And fittingly, Kelsey loves Pat. On Friday we discretely filled a gallon of orange juice with booze and shared the mimosa-esque poison on a bus from downtown to Emerald Queen Casino. During the hour we progressed from speaking in low voices and darting paranoid glances around the bus to loudly announcing how awesome our plan to make Metro a party bus was.

People who saw Kelsey and I would automatically assume we were seeing Pat. And mind you, we're in our early 20s, so we aren't really her main demographic. Seeing a concert with a friend who looks like the headliner is totally weird. The reactions you get from other people in the audience are priceless.

As for the real Pat Benatar, she looked and sounded awesome. The lady is TINY but has got a big voice. And it was pretty cute to see her note the way she's still infiltrating pop culture. "This is for all the Guitar Heroes out there," she noted proudly before launching into "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" which is featured on the addictive video game. She also performed an awesome rendition of my personal favorite, "Love is a Battlefield." I mean, it wasn't the BEST concert I've ever been to. But it was definitely fun. My favorite '80s performance has still got to be Billy Idol at the Paramount.

Psuedo Pat Benatar became quite drunk on both drinks and the illusion of her (not) connection with the real Pat. "Can I please meet her? I'm like, her twin," she lamented to the security guard. "I wish I could do that for you," he answered. "But Pat Benatar's gone, honey."

And so, the illegitimate daughter was left in a cigarette-ridden casino to fend for herself.

Topics: Reviews

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God...Er, I Mean, Neil Young...Is Coming

Full deets below!

Continue reading "God...Er, I Mean, Neil Young...Is Coming"

Topics: News

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The Drive-By Truckers and Hold Steady Team Up

Damn, I thought the pairing of Roky Erickson and the Black Angels was inspired, but the announcement this morning that the Truckers and Craig Finn's traveling circus are joining forces for a fall tour is ridiculously good news.

Apparently Hold Steady frontman Finn credits witnessing the Truckers' Southern Rock Opera tour back in 2002 for inspiring him to start making music again after Lifter Puller broke up.

Hold Steady's Craig Finn

The mutual admiration runs deep: sayeth Trucker co-leader Patterson Hood, "We're all really excited to tour with The Hold Steady. They're one of the greatest bands out there now and their new album is amazing. Craig writes songs I wish I'd written."

Drive-By Truckers' Patterson Hood

They are calling the tour "the Rock and Roll Means well" tour, lifted from a Drive-By Trucker lyric in the song "Marry Me." The line is reportedly one of Craig Finn's favorite lyrics (which he often quotes): "rock and roll means well but can't help telling young boys lies." Word. They are giving us two dates here in Seattle (more ticket info can be found over here):

Thu 30-Oct Louisville, KY Coyotes @ City Block
Fri 31-Oct Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
Sat 1-Nov Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
Sun 2-Nov Tallahassee, FL The Moon @ FSU
Mon 3-Nov Raleigh, NC Lincoln Theater
Wed 5-Nov State College, PA The State Theatre
Thu 6-Nov New York, NY Terminal 5
Fri 7-Nov New York, NY Terminal 5
Sat 8-Nov Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
Sun 9-Nov Boston, MA Orpheum Theater
Tue 11-Nov Toronto, ON Phoenix Theater
Wed 12-Nov Pittsburgh, PA Carnegie Music Hall
Thu 13-Nov Bloomington, IN Bluebird
Fri 14-Nov Chicago, IL Riviera Theater
Sat 15-Nov Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Sun 16-Nov Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Wed 19-Nov Boise, ID Big Easy
Thu 20-Nov Seattle, WA Showbox
Fri 21-Nov Seattle, WA Showbox
Sat 22-Nov Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
Sun 23-Nov San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
Mon 24-Nov San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
Tue 25-Nov Los Angeles, CA Wiltern

Topics: Concert News

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Where's John?

That's a very good question. You may be unaware, but when John Roderick's not foraging for mushrooms along the forgotten shores of I-5, he's drafting the soundtrack to the next Nissan Pathfinder commercial. We assume he's at work on the latter. But he will return. Soon.

Topics: John Roderick: Reverb Residency

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Live Review: Tom Petty at the Gorge

I love Tom Petty, with or without mushrooms. Everybody knows I love Tom Petty, or at least everybody who reads the Weekly knows I love Tom Petty, because I've proclaimed my love in print for Tom Petty at every conceivable fork in the road (his 2006 show at White River ranks among the very best concerts I've ever witnessed). I'll love Tom Petty until the day I die; and if I die before Tom Petty — doubtful — hopefully he'll love me. But there is a small cadre of rock snobs out there who think Tom Petty is a poor man's Dylan. And unfortunately, this weekend's Petty doubleheader at the Gorge would have been this silent minority's cup of tea.

Petty's first show (Friday night) was pretty cool. He played the hits — "Breakdown," "Learning to Fly," "Last Dance With Mary Jane," et. al. His and the Heartbreakers' onstage lights were situated in such a way that if you were on something stronger than beer, you would have loved it (and I did); the apparatus looked like the skeletal outlining of a longhorn, with liquid drops of light dripping down it. Yet it was an unspectacular show in that there were no surprises. But hey, that's cool, because that's what second shows are for, right? Wrong.

Saturday night's show was a virtual carbon copy of the first, save for the insertion of "Even the Losers" and "Face in the Crowd." This is a band that's been together for about 40 years now. They should know that half their audience has seen the previous show, and drove a long fucking way to see it in the face of hundred degree desert heat. To mimic the prior night's enjoyment — right down to opening both shows with "You Wreck Me" — is either arrogant, lazy, or both. And bringing Steve Winwood onstage four songs in for a half-hour interlude, which Petty did on Friday after the crowd has suffered through the opener's hackneyed blue-eyed soul for an hour, is just cruel. Tom: If you're going to mail shows in like this now that you've gotten your due, don't come around here no more. But hopefully for those of us who love you, you will — and you'll carry more than a putter in your bag next time.

Postscript: There was a freedom-lover from Idaho camped next to us at Wild Horse. His credo: "Do what you want in life, 'cause if you don't, you won't." Think on that.

Topics: The Morning After

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Thursday Night @ Tractor Standing Room Only - Like There Was a Choice

Kate Tucker keeps you on your feet - especially if there's nowhere to sit.

Ok, all you Tractor-goers out there answer me this - is it just me, or is Ballard's beloved tavern/live music venue in desperate need of more seating?

I stopped in last night to catch Kate Tucker and the Sons of Sweden (sadly, I will not get to do the same for their show at Bumbershoot, so I had to take the chance while I could) and while they definitely deserve a standing-room only crowd, it's almost ridiculous how easy that is at Tractor. I counted maybe five chairs, ten stools, and a few booths. All in all, maybe a quarter of the crowd got to sit, and they didn't even all sit at the same time.

Now don't get me wrong - I give the place major brownie points for setting up a venue with a great view of the stage from almost everywhere, and their "be nice" reminders every so often on the walls make me smile. Plus, last night was a rock-solid lineup. Kate Tucker and the Sons of Sweden, proving that Ballardites can still kick ass, were totally on, and fellow performers Christopher Blue, Animals at Night, and Panda and Angel are all middlin' to awesome listening. But I did get a touch tired of standing for the at least four hours of music -especially since I was wearing high-heeled boots. I don't ask much, just a few more chairs. Surely that isn't too hard?

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Lady Gaga hits Neighbours this Sunday.

My newest favorite dance-pop artist Lady Gaga hits Seattle this Sunday at midnight. There's been a string of incorrect information regarding her performance. First it was at 8 p.m. Saturday. Then it was at 12 a.m. Saturday. Well, here's the real info: Lady Gaga is in DALLAS on Saturday. She hits Neighbours Sunday.

Not the most convenient night to get smashed and dance the night away, but you'll just have to suck it up, take a couple aspirin, and down an extra cuppa jo in the morning.

Topics: News

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