It's with a sick lump in my stomach that I report that three members of Portland pop-punk act the Exploding Hearts were killed in a car accident last Sunday, July 20. According to news reports, the band was traveling back from a San Francisco show around 6:00 a.m. when the driver, bassist Matt Fitzgerald, hit gravel just north of Eugene and tried to get back on I-5, causing the vehicle to roll over. Fitzgerald died later at the hospital, and drummer Jeremy Gage and frontman Adam Cox were thrown from the van and pronounced dead at the scene. Only guitarist Terry Six and manager Rachelle Ramos survived (she was wearing a seatbelt). The news is pretty gut-wrenching, even if you didn't know the band (and personally, I only knew their music), especially when you take into account that they were all so young--Cox was the oldest at age 23.
This tragedy furthers a sad summer, as too many Northwest artists have already been injured or killed in various accidents. On Monday morning, July 21, I received an e-mail about a benefit for Josh Skins, drummer for the excellent Portland dub act Systemwide, who was struck by some asshole in a hit-and-run accident (breaking Skins' pelvis, legs, and ankle). There will be a benefit performance to help his skyrocketing hospital bills (since they never caught the guy who caused the accident) on Saturday, August 2, at the Fez Ballroom in Portland. I don't know what to say to either party's close friends and families, except to express the condolences and sympathies that are flowing from the Northwest music community.
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A buzzed-about Brooklyn band is making its way to Seattle this week, and if you blink you'll miss it. The Tapes Records act Japanther--who Vice called "one of the hardest fucking bands in Brooklyn right now... they sound like Iron Maiden, Throbbing Gristle, and Lightning Bolt gave birth to a squealing little baby with flaming guitars for arms"--bring their bass/Casio/drums and cassettes to the Punkin House on Thursday, July 24. (More information and house location at www.tapesrecords.com.) I can't wait for the sonic chaos to ensue.
Speaking of chaos, the seventh annual Dead Baby Bike Race hits Seattle on Friday, August 1, when the city's most badass bike messengers compete for prizes as well as entrance into the World Messenger Challenge. The party starts with registration from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., and continues throughout the evening with beer, bands (Camarosmith, the Gloryholes, the Ones, Tyco Party, and the Black Panties), and what promises to be a very eventful competition, especially since the DBB Club is known to barhop around Seattle on self-made bikes. For more information, ask your local messenger or e-mail daninfecto@yahoo.com.
Seattle's shoegazing stronghold continues with Black Night Crash, who I saw open for stellastarr* and Longwave at the Crocodile last week. The local quartet built lush walls of sound around their melodies, showing a great force in their talent for effects--creating expansive reverb that converged into dense black holes of feedback that were pure bliss to hear. Add to that a singer who one observer rightly likened to the Church's Steve Kilbey and you have a great up-and-coming band to keep an ear on--and one that's obviously done its historical homework, as their excellent cover pick of obscure '90s British act Adorable left many of us guessing about who authored such a good song in the first place. Black Night Crash play again at Ballard's Sunset Tavern on Thursday, July 31.
The Mexican Blackbirds have a new album dropping on Dirtnap August 4, and they're playing a show to celebrate at the Comet on Saturday, July 26, with Tucson's Knockout Pills (gotta love the Comet's $3 cover charge for shows like this). The new record is a loud, rowdy garage-punk party soundtrack, with lots of rabid animal screams and a recording that sounds like it was taken from some basement show where all hell broke loose. Add another high-quality notch to Dirtnap's roster.
And although it's no surprise to anyone, there are two fewer venues for small bands in the city, as Georgetown's Industrial Coffee and Zak's downtown both officially closed down last week. Now's the time for other alternative spaces to gain strength, though, as those little spots are just as vital to the growth of this city as the big clubs.
