Heavenly Waters
First things first: Congratulations to the Turn-Ons for selling out the Crocodile last Friday night. It was a celebration honoring the release of their cinematic scrapbook of shoegazing splendor, East–a CD that, I might add, already sold out in every store where it was featured. Good show. And, oh! That was a gorgeous suit (Vivienne Westwood?) guitarist Corey Gutch had on. I could be quite happy seeing more of that kind of thing on local stages.
And speaking of singers who can turn themselves out, Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess is coming to the Crocodile on February 4, opening for Starsailor. Burgess, who I’ve gone on record several times to mention has a smile that could crack open the sky… wait a minute… what’s this I’m reading on www.timburgess.com about him pulling out of the tour on account of his solo album, I Believe, having not yet been released in the States? If that’s the case I don’t blame him, but bummer nonetheless. Maybe he’ll change his mind before the Crocodile show–I’m keeping the date in my book just in case. Burgess also mentions on his website that a new Charlatans record will be coming out in the next couple of months.
And since I’m already on a Brit kick, I’m giving you early warning that British Sea Power is due to swing by the Croc on February 24. If you missed the first time they played in Seattle last November, be sure to see them on this return date. Their performance was, in a word, tremendous, and if you thought they couldn’t possibly reproduce the lush sound of their 2003 release The Decline of British Sea Power live, you would be very wrong. Remember that unbelievably great Delgados show way back in 2000? British Sea Power’s recent show at the Croc was every bit as potent. If my hearing has suffered irreparable damage lately, I blame it on The Decline of British Sea Power because, well, the louder the better, especially on headphones.
People in bands as disparate as the Lashes and Vendetta Red (confidential to about six people: There you go!) have sung the praises of the new Muse album Absolution, and having just finished listening to it for the first time I have to agree, even if it is a shameless example of what it is to be overwrought. Whereas their first two albums, 1999’s Showbiz and 2002’s Origin of Symmetry, were also shameless–in their admiration of Radiohead–Absolution blows away all those comparisons with a peerless display of breathtaking pomp.
And finally, our own Death Cab for Cutie, who have been called Seattle’s Beatles, are set to appear on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn on Monday, January 19. Their album Transatlanticsm was recently singled out by the New York Times as one of the top 10 albums of 2003. And with that, I end this column as I began it: with hearty–and proud–congratulations.