DOORMOUSE, DJ NAHA, FIRESTORM VIPER, NOGUNRI, BACTERIA, SUBMUNITION
(Noc Noc) See Data Breaker, page 55.
THE FITNESS, ANNA OXYGEN, SABA
(Seattle Art Museum) See Live Wire, page 47.
LOW, SAETA, MINES
(Chop Suey) Low is the least boring of the boring bands, and before you start working up a knot in your skivvies, let me qualify that. Like Damon & Naomi and other minimalist hushcore bands, Low mixes it up enough to keep you from falling asleep, or doodling in a desperate attempt not to nod off. This is somber stuff, though, sung in near monotone by drummer Mimi Parker, and perhaps no other band makes such little noise out of its accompanying instruments. A warning to newcomers or drunkards: If you even whisper when Low is on stage, believe you me, you're going to get shushed by an entire roomful of annoyed, supportive fans. KATHLEEN WILSON
GOMEZ, LEONA NAESS
(Showbox) British band Gomez straddle the line between electronica-flecked folk pop and starry-eyed space rock and blues. "Tijuana Lady," off their 1998 debut, is a gorgeous, dusty slow-burner, and unfortunately I haven't heard anything that matches the emotions on that track from the band since (although the title track off In Our Gun is damn pretty as well, showing off how well the band's vocal harmonies blend together). Gomez release their fourth album later on this spring--after this tour, unfortunately. In the meantime, they're hitting the road with singer Leona Naess. JENNIFER MAERZ
FRIDAY 2/6
DEK, SMOOSH, THE WILD HAIRS, SQUIRLY BOYS
(Old Fire House) See preview, page 39.
DEL THE FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN, SLEEP, BLUE SCHOLARS, MR. HILL
(Chop Suey) See Stranger Suggests, page 23.
THE MEAT PURVEYORS, CAROLYN MARK
(Tractor) See Drunk by Noon, page 49.
THE SOUL EXPLOSION: FELICIA V. LOUD & THE SOUL, SID LAW & THE MERCY KILLERS, SILENT LAMBS PROJECT, DARRIUS WILLRICH, DJ ILLUSION
(Capitol Hill Arts Center Lower Level) Two years ago, local rapper Blak of Silent Lambs Project explained to me that he and his partner Jace were planning to hold shows in intimate spaces like cafes and lounges. Club venues, he believed, were too large and dramatic for the kind of personal performance they had in mind--a performance that would be closer to a book reading than a rock show. It wasn't that SLP were going to entirely abandon clubs and concerts, but were going to pursue more shows in spaces like CHAC's Lower Level, which is a lounge that offers almost no barrier between performer and audience. I recommend drinking one of the Lower Level's better wines during SLP's hiphop show. CHARLES MUDEDE
POST STARDOM DEPRESSION, ROTTEN APPLES, THE JET CITY FIX
(Crocodile) Here's a good bill that personifies what a night of live music is at its stripped-down best: FUN for all concerned. Rotten Apples throw plenty of sassy-sweet shade with their plucky blend of punk and power pop, while Post Stardom Depression, to paraphrase the late, great Grand Funk: They're coming to your town to help you party it down, they're an American band. KATHLEEN WILSON
THE BRIEFS, THE NEW TOWN ANIMALS, MEA CULPA, THROWAWAY ANGELS
(Fun House) Just when you thought they'd broken up, they're back--the Canadian Briefs, AKA the New Town Animals. And they've returned for two shows this weekend--this one for the night owls and then again at 4 O'clock Punk Rock at the Sunset. Time to pogo in white sunglasses before the Animals break up the band again. JENNIFER MAERZ
SWEATY NIPPLES, POINT 1
(Doc Maynard's) It's like that theory Ashton Kutcher is trying to convince us of lately in his new movie The Butterfly Effect: If you have the ability to go back and change the past, what dire effect would those seemingly benign changes exact on the future? What if, on that fateful day in 1991, I hadn't thrown a chair quite so forcefully to the ground when I got tired of waiting in line to pay for it? Surely the guy in front of me, who turned out to be Davey Nipples, bass player of the unknown-to-me band Sweaty Nipples, wouldn't have cranked around to deliver a stink-eye so withering that when we were introduced months later, I bawled him out for his unfair treatment, because who was he to be shooting attitude that afternoon when he himself was waiting to pay for a cardboard box brimming with ridiculous stuffed animals? So here it is, 2004, and Sweaty Nipples are having a reunion show tonight at Doc Maynard's. They may be out of style, but I will go to my grave saying their shows are super fun, and ever since the chair-dropping incident, we've been great friends. And I am nothing if not loyal. KATHLEEN WILSON
BLĂ–Ă–DHAG, THE NEW MEXICANS, SCHOOLYARD HEROES, KANE HODDER, THE INTERROGATION
(HUB Den at the UW) Schoolyard Heroes' record, The Funeral Sciences, has only been out for about three and a half months, but the band's already almost sold out of the first pressing. Pretty impressive. So, if you haven't yet picked up a copy, now's the time, because while they will be getting more CDs to meet the demand, the new records won't have the limited-edition (and totally awesome) glow-in-the-dark artwork that the first run has. Lucky for you, you'll be able to buy a copy at the show tonight... which you'll be going to anyway, since the Heroes are playing with BlöödHag, the lit-core band with the genius motto "The faster you go deaf, the more time you have to read." MEGAN SELING
THE LIGHTS, TYCO PARTY
(Comet) This carnival of events is called the Raucous Caucus, and it promises drag queens, DJs, and drinking games. It's all in the name of Howard Dean, as this political party (emphasis on party) is meant to raise money for the presidential candidate, register the last of the lazy asses out there to vote, and pull people together to participate in the Washington caucus the next morning. Headlining the whole shebang are Dean's two favorite bands in the whole world, Tyco Party and the Lights, and just to keep the Clinton Democrat image going, the Caucus will provide a presidential-worthy kissing booth so you can have "relations" with whichever "woman" you like. JENNIFER MAERZ
SATURDAY 2/7
OLIVER LIEB, TAJ & GIANNI, MARQ
(Premier) There's a new club in town, and this one is coming into the ring super-sized. Premier, located at 1700 First Ave S (near Safeco Field), has a 1,500-person capacity over a 23,000-foot space. This is no dive bar, kids. Although they have future plans for rock and hiphop shows (Method Man, March 5), opening night at Premier is all about the dance music, with Germany's Oliver Lieb (See Data Breaker Parties, page 55), a CD release party for Taj & Gianni's Live in Turkey, and Marq on deck. JENNIFER MAERZ
SOUND OFF! 2004: IDIOT PILOT, MASSIVE HABIT, MECHANICAL DOLLS
(EMP Sky Church) For two years now, the Experience Music Project has hosted Sound Off!, an all-ages battle of the bands, giving local under-21 acts the chance to play the Sky Church and compete for some pretty insane prizes like free studio time, equipment, and a slot at Bumbershoot. The call for entries went out late last year and the response was bigger than ever. Well, the nine finalists have been chosen and now, for the next three Saturdays in February, three bands will play, with each night's winning band advancing to the finals (which take place on February 28). Tonight, Idiot Pilot, Massive Habit (who you might remember from last year's competition), and Mechanical Dolls all take a stab at advancing, and you should know that crowd reaction/participation is a factor in scoring, so show up and cheer on your favorite. If you're not familiar with the bands, and want to get a better idea of what you're in for, there are MP3s and press info, as well as the complete Sound Off! schedule, posted at www.emplive.com. MEGAN SELING
YO, SON!
(Neumo's) It's the end of one era for Yo, Son! and the beginning of another, as the popular hiphop night publicly changes hands with this show. What once was Chop Suey's now belongs to Neumo's, the new Capitol Hill club (in the place where ARO.space/Moe's one stood) and tonight's your chance to check out both the revamped venue and what it's like to go clubbing to hiphop on Saturday instead of Sunday night. DJs Scene and Soul One will be on deck for the event--which, I should add, is FREE this week and next. JENNIFER MAERZ
EARTH, SAY 10 HAIL MARYS, MEDLAR DOSS, SEVERHEAD
(Vera Project) Dylan Carlson is back and he's bringing what one British mag recently coined "the scourge of the Sub Pop catalog," Earth, with him. The droning, experimental metal Carlson's been erecting like a giant tower of noise for the past decade has earned him some hardcore, cultish fans--gluttons for punishment who enjoy being hypnotized by the man's laborious riffs. Tonight's a chance to see the infamous underground metal legend at work. JENNIFER MAERZ
SUNDAY 2/8
THE JEALOUS SOUND, AUDIO LEARNING CENTER, TOURIST
(Graceland) See All Ages Action, page 56.
KYLESA, IRON LUNG, BRAINOIL, WORMWOOD
(Vera Project) See Stranger Suggests, page 23.
DEVOTCHKA, THE WAGES OF SIN
(Tractor) No matter how great it is, most music falls more or less into one category or another, but Denver's DeVotchKa manage to slip away from most genrefications, playing through a truly unique blend of interesting influences. Their "Eastern Bloc indie rock" is a melting pot of spaghetti-Westernish gems and emotional Americana, landing them somewhere between the Dirty Three, a sober Pogues, and an Ennio Morricone soundtrack. The violins, trumpets, accordion, and wailing vocals add to the camped-up misery on their aptly named Supermelodrama, an album that gushes with noir-tinted feeling and paints refreshingly unique narratives through their songs. JENNIFER MAERZ
MONDAY 2/9
DEEP PURPLE
(Paramount) See Some Candy Talking, page 75.
THE MR. T EXPERIENCE, THROWAWAY ANGELS, THE FEMURS
(Graceland) As leader of the Berkeley mainstay band the Mr. T Experience, Dr. Frank has made a singular career of falling in love, getting squashed, and writing hilariously titled songs about it. Check it out: "Even Hitler Had a Girlfriend," "Lawnmower of Love," "Hell of Dumb," "Weather Is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful," "Look Back and Crack," "I'm Like Yeah, but She's All No," "Sorry for Freaking Out on the Phone Last Night," "Oh, Just Have Some Faith in Me," "I Love You, but You're Standing on My Foot," and from his solo album, Show Business Is My Life, "I'm in Love with What's-Her-Name." KATHLEEN WILSON
TUESDAY 2/10
THE PREONS, AQUEDUCT, SABA
(Chop Suey) One-man band David Terry creates catchy, Postal Service-style indie pop under the moniker Aqueduct. Using a drum machine, occasional vocal effects, and keyboards, he creates bouncy music that buoys confessional lyrics about love lost and found. The recent Seattle transplant has been making a buzz in this city already, getting the stamp of approval from the Postal Service's Ben Gibbard, and tonight's show should be a good chance to check him out for yourself. JENNIFER MAERZ
WEDNESDAY 2/11
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS
(Tractor) See Drunk by Noon, page 49.
SAM LOWRY, MR. PLOW, JOE "SPITS"
(Fun House) Singer/songwriter Sam Lowry hangs a dark cloud over his songs, like a slightly more stabilized Nick Cave. His confessional lyrics have been compared to Bill Callahan (smog) and his lo-fi indie folk does have a similar pension for earnest self-expression. You can download his MP3s at www.exilesuite.com. JENNIFER MAERZ
DJ CHEB I SABBAH
(Last Supper Club) Most who try to fuse Indian music to 21st-century electronica sound like bumbling dilettantes. DJ Cheb I Sabbah, by contrast, has decades of experience in both worlds, and his tracks sound like they've been cured for centuries in Nag Champa's finest incense. On albums like 1999's Shri Durga, he balances yogi-pulsed funk with hypnotic Indian percussion, wizened-man chants, and sitar/tamboura embellishments. His music is purest, kitsch-free bliss. With Tunisian vocalist Ghalia Benali, Darek Mazzone, James Whetzel, tabla player Deepayan Acharjya, DJ Advent, and DJ Kazan. DAVE SEGAL
