Just as it did a decade ago, and two decades before that, the future of the Northwest rock scene currently resides in a handful of musicians who appear so unfashionable compared to local rock's current standards as to be on the cutting edge. While everything else is being influenced by '70s rock--be it punk, arena-based, or the highly arranged pop and glam spreading glitter at the other end of the spectrum--obviously skilled, complicated rock is quietly burgeoning at small, out-of-the-way shows. Though the shows are sparsely attended, word is spreading quickly about bands such as Portland's 31 Knots and Seattle's the Dutch Flat, two early qualifiers in the leisurely race to become the Next Big Thing.

Though the current incarnation of the Dutch Flat has been in existence for only two months, the band played together as the Good Word for three years in the mid-'90s, in Missoula, Montana. Three members of the Good Word relocated to Seattle, where each began working on different projects--until several months ago, when guitarist Chad Hanson teamed up with Sam Schauer from local band Not the Pilot (which also featured Thomas Wright, now of eXBeSTFRIeNDS), and formed the Dutch Flat. The project began as a four-piece, but now includes five members and a musicianship that expands and contracts from the normal guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, and drums lineup to, at times, one that boasts three guitarists and two drummers, with keyboards woven in for added texture.

Hanson acknowledges that this kind of music, often compared to Unwound or those bands associated with Chicago's prestigious Thrill Jockey label (home of Tortoise and Sea and Cake), can be an acquired taste for ears used to unadorned rock. But within the band's organic, experimental eclecticism, one can pick out a multitude of influences. "Everyone in the band likes different stuff," explains Hanson. "One of the drummers is a DJ and he only likes to play DJ music, and one of the lead guitar players likes nothing but straightforward indie rock. We like so many different kinds of music it's hard to pinpoint anything we'd call an influence. But I definitely like the craft of 'challenging' music, really choosing good notes and trying to make complex rhythm patterns."

As to whether a region born and bred on buttrock and garagey punk, despite its more highbrow aspirations, can readily become passionate about and nurture a sound that is obviously based in challenge, Hanson remains reservedly optimistic. "I've been here for almost two years and I'm not really sure what I think of the music scene yet," he says. "The type of music [made by the Dutch Flat] has been going on for a long time on the East Coast, and a lot of people in Seattle listen to it already and are ready to hear it played locally. It's nothing new, really."

While 31 Knots relies upon its music more than its lyrics to convey intensity, the Dutch Flat features multiple singing voices and intricate harmonies as well as unexpected time changes. In the past, the band has also incorporated projectors and film into performances, but that's on hold for now. "The guy who did that is no longer with us, so we don't have that neat little toy anymore," says Hanson, adding that he hopes to re-incorporate multimedia in the future.

The Dutch Flat is still a work in progress, according to Hanson, who also has a solo project called Chad Badiah, which plays at the Rendezvous on Thursday, May 17. ("Just me and my sample pedal; I do lots of straightforward pop songs but with pretty, intricate sounds. Sam has a solo project too, with lots of samples and guitar loops. It's really pretty and reminds me of Jim O'Rourke.") No recorded material so far for the Dutch Flat, but a demo is in the works. "I think we're still just trying to figure out what we are as a band," he says, and hopes that the band's upcoming show on Wednesday, May 23 at the popular University District all-ages venue the Paradox will garner more recognition, and, hopefully, performance dates, as none are scheduled to follow.