It is officially summer and you need to be listening to something bright and cheery. Might I suggest local band Tullycraft's newest record Disenchanted Hearts Unite? Like the Mates of State, Tullycraft showcase bouncy male/female harmonies and soft, poppy melodies, but their music is a bit more lo-fi and adorably twee-pop oriented. There's also a bit of They Might Be Giants-esque fun in there, complemented with subtle punk rock distortion. Fans of Superchunk will absolutely adore it. And wouldn't you know, the band (which includes Stranger art director Corianton Hale) happens to be playing an all-ages show at Ballard's Sunset Tavern, of all places, on Saturday, July 9.
"We wanted to make [the show] all ages because Tullycraft hasn't done all ages in Seattle in years," says Imaginary Girl Liz, of Three Imaginary Girls, who are presenting the rare event. "This being an afternoon show, we thought it would be a great opportunity to invite the kids in to see the indie-pop-tastic lineup." Things start at 4:00 p.m. and entry will only cost you four bucks.
Speaking of all-ages rock shows in unlikely places, new local promotion company the Skamission is hosting a night at Bellevue Skate King this Tuesday, July 12, (insert "putting the roll back in rock and roll" cliché here). Ska lovers Jahn Stuckey, Kristof Dols, and Eddy Hewitt founded the Skamission back in February. "The idea came about because we noticed that when it comes to ska music, the Northwest has a bad rep," says 20-year-old Stuckey. "The second Ska is Dead tour didn't come by, and many other tours haven't either. It's understandable because many of the national bands haven't always witnessed great turnouts in the Northwest."
In an effort to turn the local ska-hating rep around, Stuckey and company have set some pretty lofty goals, hoping to prove there are still kids in town who want something to skank to. "We don't feel those [poor] turnouts truly represent how people feel here. The Pulverts, a local ska band from Woodinville, played their farewell show to several hundred people, and many other local bands have shared bills with big names and continue to bring in pretty good-sized crowds," he explains. "We feel that this is enough to show that the ska bands in the Northwest are ready to move forward and create national interest... they just need some help."
Aside from booking locally, the Skamission would like to eventually help local bands with national tours and maybe even press a few records. For now, though, they're gonna work on the local scene, setting up shows like this one at the Skate King, which starts at 7:30 p.m. and features local bands the Recliners, the Georgetown Orbits, and Alki Beach. The best part? The $7 admission includes free skate rental! MEGAN SELING
