Last Night: The Posies in Bremerton

All photos by Chris Kornelis.

The Posies played Winterland, in Bremerton, during their "20th Anniversary" tour on Thursday, May 15. The Posies play Neumo's Saturday night.

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Topics: The Morning After

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New Mates Of State: Just Like the Old Mates of State

The new Mates of State album, Re-Arrange Us, is indistinguishable from most every other Mates of State album. I could comment on various tracks, but if you've heard previous Mates of State albums, then you've heard tracks that sound a lot like these tracks: simple keyboard accompaniment and lots of dreamy guy-girl two-part harmony.

Here's the thing: Nobody sounds like Mates of State except for Mates of State. Hence, there's no real need for them to evolve. And fuck, I don't want them to: Getting one of their discs in the mail is like Christmas in July. Re-Arrange Us is a gorgeous, economical listen. If it doesn't depart from what's gotten the Mates thus far, all the better. Prog-rock ain't for everyone.

Topics: CD review

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Photos: Mudhoney, Fleet Foxes at The Sunset

Mudhoney fucking rule.

Duh.

However, it's been several years since I've seen Mark Arm and company, so perhaps I'm biased by fermentation. Additionally, Arm has never had the opportunity to front the way he did during Sub Pop's semi-secret showcase at the Sunset last night. Because he's entirely free of guitar wielding duties on their new record, The Lucky Ones, Mr. Arm commanded the stage with a refreshing, gleeful, and downright intense presence, complete with coonskin cap (see Sarah Murphy's excellent photos below). Honestly, I wasn't terribly psyched about the Sub Pop 20th Anniversary festival, but now I'll go just to see them.
— Hannah Levin

Mudhoney performed at The Sunset on Wednesday, May 14 at The Sunset in Ballard. All photos by Sarah Joann Murphy.

Fleet Foxes

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Topics: Shutter to Click

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Live Music Tonight: Lykke Li

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Lykke Li, El Perro Del Mar, Anna Ternheim
Triple Door Mainstage, $17, 7:30 p.m.
"For you I keep my legs apart, and forget about my broken heart." So goes the painfully honest breakthrough hit "Little Bit" by Sweden's newest indie-pop darling. Lykke Li (pronounced Lick-ee Lee) possesses a demure voice ideal for confessing such vulnerability. Her introspective”�and totally sexual”�lyrics are set to a background of sparse instrumentation and gentle beats. Though Li's voice is about as audible as a whisper, she easily commands the attention of a rowdy crowd, luring them in with the promise that she'll share her deepest secrets.
— ERIKA HOBART

Topics: Happenings

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Sasquatch I Heard This: White Rabbits

Photo by Lucy Hamblin.

Judging from White Rabbits' “Cotillion Blues”� and “Beehive State,”� the pair of tracks on this year's Gigantic Singles offering, this New York City six-piece will feel right at home among the Eastern Washington tumbleweeds. “Blues”� comes equipped with a slide trombone and saloon-style piano reminiscent of classic spaghetti westerns, and brings a hint of ragtime, the perfect soundtrack to your next round of fisticuffs. It's not until I wander into the band's 2007 full-length, Fort Nightly, that I get a feel for their trippy eclecticism, inspired more by their urban haunts than the ghost towns they frequent on the road. Barroom shuffles are only a piece of this equation, which also includes slick productions of standard indie-radio fare. Here's hoping they bring more of the former when they head west.

White Rabbits play Sasquatch! Wookie! stage, 3:40 p.m., Sunday, May 25.

Topics: Sasquatch 2008

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INTERVIEW: Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips

Photo by J. Michelle Martin

The Flaming Lips will finally unveil Christmas on Mars — the forever-in-the-works quasi-sci-fi film directed by frontman Wayne Coyne, and which features the entire band plus Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock and actors Elijah Wood, Adam Goldberg, Steve Burns, and others — at Sasquatch! on Saturday, May 25th, the night before the Lips headline the main stage with their U.F.O. Show spectacular.

I caught up with Coyne via phone from his native Oklahoma the other day, and the super-friendly singer-guitarist was happy to talk about Christmas on Mars (though intent on keeping the plot and other specifics of the film under wraps until its world premiere at Sasquatch). After the jump, our conversation, plus the completely bizarre Christmas on Mars trailer to whet your appetite.

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Topics: Sasquatch 2008

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Photos: The Dirtbombs at Neumo's

All photos by Mackenzie McAninch.

The Dirtbombs
May 13, 2007
Neumo's

Topics: Shutter to Click

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Sasquatch I Heard This: Mates of State

So here’s the backstory behind indie-pop band Mates of State: Organist Kori Gardner and drummer Jason Hammel were involved with other people when they initially met 10 years ago. But sparks flew, daily e-mails were exchanged, and soon the two were inseparable. Then they got married... and they’re still happy. Blechhhh! LKDSFJALSF! I know, I know. But the grudging truth is that these kids are fucking adorable.

I had the pleasure of meeting Kori and Jason at Bumbershoot two years ago. They talked about music for say, 30 seconds, and then excitedly told me about their brush with fame: Ice Cube was on their flight to Seattle.

Okay, okay. The cheese factor is high. But Mates of State use it to their advantage. Their songs are filled with call-and-response verses, harmonized choruses, and swinging tempos. I don't care if you've got the heart of Cruella DeVille— I promise this googly-eyed couple will get to you.

Mates of State play Sasquatch! Wookie! Stage. 6 p.m. Sun., May 25.

Topics: Sasquatch 2008

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This Morning's Death Cab Email

Received this email from Matt, Reverb's Navy Yard City correspondent this morning. What do you think? Was Letterman genuine? And is Nick Harmer's hair/beard a little too Lucifer chic?

"I just finished watching the Death Cab performance on Dave. Good.
Smallified, "posses yer heart" or whatever. Look for it on the
YouTube, er somethin'. Note finishing shot of Bass Player looking
like the devil with horns. You can always tell when Dave likes the
bands on. He likes the Death Cab. Ya know he likes 'em when he's
always up front about the CD/record in the beginning of the show."

Topics: Grapevine

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Live Music Tonight: Tapes 'N Tapes

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Tapes 'n Tapes, Showbox at the Market, $15, 8 p.m.

Topics: Happenings

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