MF DOOM, KURIOUS, CRTV DISTRCTN, SHADOW GUARDIANS, GUESTS
(Studio Seven, late) See Stranger Suggests, page 19.
ALIEN CRIME SYNDICATE, POST STARDOM DEPRESSION, NOVOTONE
(Neumo's) See CD review, page 34.
50 FOOT WAVE, THE CATCH
(Crocodile) Of late, Kristen Hersh seems to be fielding tons of the same kinds of questions lazy journalists everywhere are pitching at Liz Phair: "It's such a weird novelty that you're a mother pushing 40 and that you still rock--how do you stay so--how you say? Sexy!" Or, "I heard you used to be totally nuts, but now you're, like, all calm and wise! What gives?" What gives is that Hersh, a notoriously complex woman and the compelling star of seminal college-rock tripsters Throwing Muses, has tossed her past work aside and embraced something much more raw and immediate--50 Foot Wave. The tense self-reflection that typified much of Hersh's songwriting with the Muses and in her solo releases is still present here, but the package is--how you say? Raw. Rough. Fast. The angst expressed on 50 Foot Wave's self-titled, self-released debut on Throwing Music is as genuine, immediate, and non-pubescent-y (or midlife crisis-y) as it gets. The explosive dynamic between Hersh and Muses bassist Bernard Georges has taken on a sheen of optimism that acts as a silver lining behind the two loaded, often-delicate solo releases Hersh dropped in 2003--she's been a busy lady, and now's the time for her to have a growlin' good time. JOAN HILLER
MARS ACCELERATOR, TERRENE, BLACK NITE CRASH
(Chop Suey) Tonight local boys Black Nite Crash are celebrating the release of their self-released, self-titled EP. Fans of the Jesus and Mary Chain, the Pixies, and the Church will find the four-piece proudly wear their influences on their guitar strings, churning out fuzzy melodies and moody kickers within these four songs ("See Her Tonight" could've come straight off Honey's Dead). Even with the heavy saturation of common au currant cornerstones, BNC produced a winning EP, one that wraps you in a heavy gauze of brooding atmospherics without weighing down the steadily accelerating tempos in the songs. JENNIFER MAERZ
AN ALBATROSS, I LIKE SEX WITH GIRLS, SCIENCE VICTIM, AMBITIOUS CAREER WOMAN
(Studio Seven, early) If certain strains of music seem to be just a vent for boys and girls to blow out excess sexual tension, that duct is in shambles after An Albatross finishes with it. The Philadelphia band mashes metal, grindcore, glam, and garage into a form it humps the shit out of live, the kind of messy match that leaves the singer's eyeliner sweat-smeared and hot. Locals Ambitious Career Woman might be a little less ferocious in their delivery, but they're still an intense act, blending math rock, metal, and melodies into their post-hardcore mix. Don't be fooled by ACW's name (which I hate to say is unfairly misleading); these guys are far from a cutesy-pants indie rock outfit. JENNIFER MAERZ
MF DOOM
(Studio Seven, late) The busiest man in underground hiphop can slay you from behind a mic or a mixing desk. As King Geedorah, MF Doom (Daniel Dumile) did double duty on 2003's Take Me to Your Leader, crafting a sonic comic book that elegantly swirls in the stratosphere while he and several guest MCs rap science-fictionally hyperbolic like Kool Keith sans scatology. Leader's otherworldly atmospheres and soul-shattering melodies rival the RZA's finest efforts--hell, even Sun Ra's. On Madvillain's dope Madvillainy, Doom and producer Madlib make an oddly strong case for pot's creativity-boosting properties and the outlaw life's fascinating appeal. With Kurious, Crtv Dstrctn, Shadow Guardians. DAVE SEGAL See also Stranger Suggests, page 19.
FRIDAY 4/23
THE HOLY GHOST REVIVAL, THE LIGHTS, THE JESUS CHORDS, THE FAMILIARS
(Old Fire House) See Live Wire, page 38.
RADIO NATIONALS, THE MELLORS, HOLY SONS
(Sunset Tavern) See Drunk by Noon, page 27.
THE TURN-ONS, FILM SCHOOL, MAN OF THE YEAR
(Crocodile) The Turn-Ons have the fuzzed-out thing down perhaps more than any other band in this town. Like the Verve? That, too, is represented. Check out their recently released CD East because it's pure proof, my friends. Man of the Year is a likeminded act with a dose more pop, featuring a singer whose voice is sweet and high like a girl's. KATHLEEN WILSON
COMEBACK: COLBY B, DJ PORQ, DJ FUCKING IN THE STREETS, MC CHOMPERS
(Chop Suey) Unfortunately, I missed the debut of Comeback, the "hella gay dance mashup for homos and their admirers" last month. But luckily this free freak fest is comin' round again, so I hit up my friend (and Drunk of the Week columnist and photographer) Kelly O for highlights from the premiere night: jazzercise jams; free bologna sandwiches; hiphop, electro, new wave, and R&B cuts; and, she says, "Everyone--and I mean everyone--was really horny." All that, plus breakdancing bunny rabbits, make for good times, my friends. JENNIFER MAERZ
VENDETTA RED, KANE HODDER, MUZZLE, ATALANA
(NW Showman's Hall, Puyallup) Sure the drive to Puyallup is a bit out of the way, but I wouldn't tell you it was worth it unless it really was. And it is! Tonight's all-ages show not only features some stellar local bands, but all the proceeds are being donated to Washington State's Youth Suicide Prevention Program. For a decade, the not-for-profit organization has been on a mission to fight against suicide by bringing awareness to the issue and supplying suicide-prevention training and resources. For more information about the program, or to volunteer or donate, visit www.yspp.org. MEGAN SELING
SATURDAY 4/24
STELLASTARR*, THE KILLERS, EVENING
(Crocodile) See preview, page 29.
SUFFERING AND THE HIDEOUS THIEVES, THE HOLY GHOST REVIVAL, HIDARI MAE, IN PRAISE OF FOLLY
(Vera Project) See All Ages Action, page 49.
SWELL, HYPATIA LAKE, STARS OF TRACK AND FIELD, THE GLASSES
(Chop Suey) Here's what I want to know: Did Swell move into the vicinity or something? This is the third time (not that I'm complaining) they've played Seattle in as many months. If you're still a Swell no-see, then here's yet another chance to check them out. And Hypatia Lake, with their swirliness and raggedness, are the perfect bill mates. KATHLEEN WILSON
SUNDAY 4/25
TV ON THE RADIO, HINT HINT, APOLLO HEIGHTS, DJ SUSPENCE
(Neumo's) See Stranger Suggests, page 19.
OUTRAGEOUS CHERRY, GUESTS
(Fun House) The first time I attended the CMJ music festival in NYC, Detroit's Outrageous Cherry sent me home with two albums: their 1994 self-titled debut, Outrageous Cherry, was noisy and airy at the same time; my favorite, however, was Nothing's Gonna Cheer You Up (oh what a wonderfully pessimistic title), which upped the jangle and fuzz and plenty of pop. The leadingly named Out There in the Dark (1999) added strings and trumpets and has since replaced Nothing's Gonna Cheer You Up as my favorite Outrageous Cherry album, mostly because it sounds pretty and spooky all at once. The Book of Spectral Projections (2001) was too bluesy for my psychedelic pop tastes, and frankly, I lost interest after that. Last year saw the band's release of Supernatural Equinox, which was as jammy as its hippie name sounds. KATHLEEN WILSON
CYPRESS HILL, BAD LUK, DJ THEORY
(Showbox) The life expectancy of a rap group on a major averages two albums, if that. Cypress Hill reached magic number seven with the recent release of Till Death Do U$ Part. After a listen or two, B-Real, Sen Dog, and DJ Muggs have their careers hanging by the threads of the almighty dollar bill. Is there anyone who can remember the last time he or she actually bought a Cypress Hill album? Over a decade has passed since Cypress Hill left their impact on hiphop and mainstream culture with their self-titled debut in 1991 and Black Sunday in 1993. Those albums had everyone from hiphop heads to potheads singing along to anthems about "Pigs," "Hits from the Bong," and "How I Could Just Kill a Man"--and of course the frat boy favorite "Insane in the Brain." MARC MATSUI
MONDAY 4/26
BETTY X, SCREAM CLUB, STINK MITT
(Graceland) See preview, page 32.
KRAFTWERK
(Paramount) See preview, page 27.
THE THRILLS, JASON COLLETT, CRYSTAL SKULLS
(Crocodile) Counting among their fans pop culture bishops like Dave Eggers, Morrissey, and Noel "the-Beatles-are-bullshit" Gallagher, Ireland's the Thrills really don't need any more positive publicity. But goddamn, these boys are catchy. Their summery 2003 debut, So Much for the City, stands as an infectious, Grandaddy-tinged tribute to the Beach Boys, replete with enough piano-shimmer, guitar jangle, and sugary harmonics to make Brian Wilson proud. Opening tonight are Seattle's own Crystal Skulls, the ingeniously named four-piece whose lineup reads like a pedigree of local music royalty. Smart and supple, the Skulls offer some of the most promising art-inflected indie rock Seattle has produced in years. Bring an extra pair of pants; this show will make you shit yourself. NICK KOCH TUESDAY 4/27
SAVATH & SAVALAS FEATURING PREFUSE 73, JUANA MOLINA, DJ NOBODY
(Chop Suey) See Data Breaker, page 47, and Stranger Suggests, page 19.
THE FIGGS, SGT. MAJOR, MIKE VIOLA (OF CANDY BUTCHERS), JAKE BRENNAN
(Graceland) See preview, page 37.
BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE, GUESTS
(Neumo's) If Broken Social Scene ever need a name change, they should choose "Exclamation Point." This Canadian collective may not have the deafening roar of Strokes-level hype behind them, but they've got something a million times better--a steadily growing hum of true believers made up of real music fans won over by the band's exuberant, refreshing take on indie pop and bound and determined to convert their friends. If you want to rediscover what it's like to have a crush on an album, pick up BSS' You Forgot It in People--or even better, catch their buoyant, intoxicating live show. You'd have to have a hard, cold heart (or deaf ears) to not be won over. If no one's started a "Broken Social Scene Army" yet, it's only a matter of time. BARBARA MITCHELL
BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB, THE RAPTURE, THE STARLITE DESPERATION
(Showbox) A couple of days ago I got a long-ass e-mail explaining that hallelujah thank the lord, raise your hands to the sky, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club has been released from their evil record label, Virgin Records. They're forging on with their current tour even without the label support, instead relying on the faithful audience that loved them for sounding like the Jesus and Mary Chain and still loves them now that they don't sound so much like that band anymore. My guess, after reading that long-ass e-mail, is that they'll put on a happy show no matter what. KATHLEEN WILSON
WEDNESDAY 4/28
THE ELECTRIC SIX, THE HISS, THE BLACK PANTIES
(Neumo's) Lately I've been getting the shakes for some seriously badass, throw-me-down-in-the-backseat-and-go-at-it rock 'n' roll. I'm talking bands that ooze an attitude that's tight in the crotch and loose with the guitar solos, bands that strut confidence built on a love for the classics of rock but roughed up to fit modern times. Listening to Panic Movement by the Hiss, I was sure I'd gotten my hands on the next in line from the long lineage of Scandinavian rock royalty--they're brothers in arms with groups like Turbonegro, the Hellacopters, Gluecifer, and even early Division of Laura Lee. But this four-piece is actually from Atlanta, where they muddy the mix with an undercurrent of red-blooded Southern rock and some slow stoner haze. The result is kick-up-the-dust-and-ride rock 'n' roll, one that you can take out for the night and not know where it's gonna leave you. JENNIFER MAERZ
THE PLOT TO BLOW UP THE EIFFEL TOWER, OPHELIA AND THE GREAT IDEA, MURDERED HOUSEWIVES
(2nd Avenue Pizza) While a lot of post-hardcore acts feel as welcoming as a six-inch serrated knife, San Diego's the Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower are infused with so much doe-eyed love for their fans that they strip them during shows (well, the last time they came through town they stripped the shirts off the guys, leaving a squirming mess of sweaty boy flesh packed into 2AP's cramped back room). While the band's music is angular, aggressive, and inspiringly energetic, the guys in the band are playful as a pack of puppies, attracting new fans to their flame every time the band plays a show here (which as of late has been quite often). JENNIFER MAERZ
