Say What?

Those who say Seattle isn't the place to get signed anymore will have to argue with former U.K. resident John Wesley Harding, who inked a deal with Hollywood Records last week. Harding was positively beaming at the Showbox as he and pal Peter Buck took in the excellent Joe Strummer set, saying he was off to Memphis in a couple of days to put the finishing touches on an album that will be released on Scott McCaughey's Malt label.

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The Crocodile was host to the first show of hot new band the Now, a slightly wacky trio who obviously love the Who as much as they do Cheap Trick. By the way, that "slightly wacky" tag applies to all but Jon the drummer, who, though kick-fucking-ass, is without a doubt out of his mind.

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Carissa's Weird is another local act people should make an effort to get out and see. A four-piece band of shoegazers who play pretty, indie-rock, basement-makeout-party stuff, Carissa's Weird could also find work as mimes should the band thing not work out. The sound was so ridiculously low at the Breakroom that much of the audience seemed worried that all those years of not wearing earplugs had finally taken their toll. Once the P.A. was turned on (far too late in the set), things were pretty spectacular, and I look forward to seeing this band again.

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Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes may be having a tiffy time with bandmates Chilli and T-Boz because they're not using her songs, but TLC has finally announced a Seattle date for their current tour. The trio will play KeyArena on Jan 10. Opening for TLC is Christina Aguilera, who, thanks to Hurricane Floyd, I got to see perform live as I sat in The Late Show with David Letterman's studio audience. But let me tell you -- the girl lip-syncs mucho, and she does it poorly. In other much-awaited show news, Modest Mouse will join Red Stars Theory and 764-HERO on Friday, November 19 at the University of Washington Hub Ballroom.

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Homerecorded Culture has re-released its lovely Northwest compilation ...Can't Dance, Too Wet to Plow... which features tracks by Colin Spring, Built to Spill's Doug Martsch, Love as Laughter, and Madigan as well as 12 other regional artists. Those looking for a beautifully packaged disc worthy of gift-giving should contact Homerecorded Culture at P.O. Box 23236, Seattle, WA 98102.

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Finally, congratulations on a job well done to Marigold, four boys who have managed to survive growing up in Springfield, Oregon (a.k.a. Jerkville, U.S.A) to become the Northwest's current best young rock band, poised for greatness if their recent Saturday night show at ARO.space was any indication. And I'm sure it was.