DJ B-MELLO & DV ONE VS. SLIMROCK
(Seattle Art Museum) See Stranger Suggests, page 23.
DE LA SOUL, LIFESAVAS, MASSIVE MONKEES, SILENT LAMBS PROJECT, JENNIFER JOHNS, VITAMIN D
(Premier) See the Truth, page 42.
FRUIT BATS, BRENT ARNOLD AND THE SPHERES, THE PREONS
(Chop Suey) "Brooding," "lugubrious," and, most importantly, "epic" are words that come to mind while one is listening to the music of Brent Arnold and the Spheres. Singer/composer Brent Arnold, who was once a member of the great Young Composers Collective, brings to rock emotions from his jazz and classical background that are as expansive and epic as the sea--the subject and theme of several of his songs. His voice is not that of a singer but a poet, and there is very little variation on the CD in terms of song range or content, thus creating the sense of a program, a large project, with each song linked to the next until forming as a whole the architecture of an idea. In a word, the CD is technically thorough, and the idea it completes is, as far as I can tell, that of longing; it is an epic of longing, the kind of longing that only the sea can inspire. CHARLES MUDEDE
FRIDAY 3/19
JACKSTRAW, FOGHORN STRINGBAND, LITTLE JOE
(Tractor) See Drunk by Noon, page 33.
YEAH YEAH YEAHS, SHOPLIFTING, BOOK OF BLACK EARTH, ENTRANCE
(Neumo's) Among the explosion of intelligent, energetic post punk into the mainstream, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have managed to keep their music as interesting as frontwoman Karen O's colorful, fashion-forward image. Her emotional range has only broadened over the years; the love songs on Fever to Tell could both raise your mercury level and shatter your thermometer in the same set of songs. Opening this sold-out show are some excellent under-the-radar acts, including Shoplifting (see Sunday's listing) and Book of Black Earth (see Live Wire, page 41). JENNIFER MAERZ
BLĂĂDHAG, THE ABODOX, ME INFECTO
(Fun House) Having finally had a chance to see them live, I'm now an even bigger fan of local trio the Abodox. Their short blasts of mathmetal riffs and jackhammer beats create an intensity that the band only ratchets up on stage, as they play facing each other, forming an instrumental tantrum in their inner circle that explodes with each foaming roar from the vocals. JENNIFER MAERZ
THE HATERS, JOHN WIESE, NOGGIN, THE BROKEN PENIS ORCHESTRA
(LO_FI Performance Gallery) Wiese just finished his set and it was brutal--massive static swells and bright, oscillating tones. You're thinking, "Dude, this guy's the Jerry Bruckheimer of noise," when a large and heavily-inked hand grips your shoulder. You trepidly turn to face a hulk of a man dressed in an all-black Mexican wrestler get-up. He is GX Jupitter-Larsen, AKA the Haters. Without a word, he yanks you on stage, slings a truck tire over your shoulder, and goes at it with an amplified power drill. After 20 minutes or so the sonic assault ends. You now have tinnitus and are sickened by the noxious burnt-rubber fumes. Mr. Larsen softly thanks you and offers a few thoughts on entropy, though you are unable to follow his circuitous logic. "This is irony," he declares. "And irony is funny." DANIEL MITHA
FRUIT BATS, KIND OF LIKE SPITTING, SOME BY SEA
(Vera Project) Whether due to their inaccurate-yet-unshakable "emo" tag or to their cred-compromising 2002 opening dates for Saves the Day, too many people jumped off the Kind of Like Spitting boat years ago. But Ben Barnett, the band's singer/songwriter/visionary, is still making some of the finest underrated indie rock in the Northwest, with each successive album better than the last. Barsuk-released Bridges Worth Burning (2002), easily their finest record to date, showcases a louder, more angst-ridden, less gushy-gushy sound than their previous CDs, and it's on par with any of the forced-vibrato, screamy/singy shit that's coming out of Omaha these days. The band always seems to be on the verge of breaking up, though, so see them now just to be safe. Sub Pop's candy-coated Fruit Bats headline, ready to serve up their warm, syrupy folk balladry, just in time for spring. NICK KOCH
SATURDAY 3/20
SOURCE OF LABOR, ENCORE, BEYOND REALITY, VITAMIN D, BOOM BAP PROJECT, DV ONE & DJ KITMAN
(Vera Project) See the Truth, page 42.
SEIJI
(Baltic Room) See preview, page 33.
ROTUNDA
(Mantra Lounge) Womb ranks as one of Japan's top progressive-house labels and Osamu M stands as its most respected ambassador, with the John Digweed seal of approval guaranteeing him choice gigs worldwide. Along with Toshi (Rotunda, L.A.), Nobu (Rotunda, Seattle), and Mark F-R (Uniting Souls, Seattle), Osamu should make the Mantra as hot as wasabi. DAVE SEGAL
THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS, BERLIN, BILL WADHAMS OF ANIMOTION
(Premier) In the race to resell nostalgia for top dollar, I don't know what kind of bill is worse--one that features members of old hair-metal bands like L.A. Guns, or one that features members of '80s pop bands like Animotion and Berlin. It makes you wonder: Couldn't any of these guys make a name for themselves with something besides having been a one-hit wonder 20 years ago? The one band on this bill that I can surely say is worth the trip back down memory lane, though, is the Psychedelic Furs. I saw them perform in San Francisco a couple years back and was stunned at how they hit all the songs note for note, leaving the audience awash in swooning synth rock and perfectly raspy Brit vocals from frontman Richard Butler, who, through some sort of technological wizardry, sounded just as sexy as he did in the old days. JENNIFER MAERZ
GIRL TROUBLE, THE FALL-OUTS, RAZZLE DAZZLE GANG
(Crocodile) Girl Trouble has now, with the same lineup, officially been sportin' 20 years of some heat--bent, broke, and busted... right where it counts... in the Garage! Yep, 7,300 and some odd days LATER, they're still cooking! GT always kinda struck me as above "par" in regards to all the mid-'80s garage bands, as they played it THEIR way and never conceded to the contemporary college/power pop influences, like say, the Fuzztones. Um, I'd reckon they're like a living bridge between "Paisley Pop" and the later "Sleaze/Greasy" angle that pervaded garage rock in the early '90s. Anyways, so, yeah, this is GT's birthday party and, in typical GT cheekiness, there will be "gifts" for all those who attend the (ahem) wig-out! As with all GT shows, this oughta be a DOOZY! MIKE NIPPER
MS. LED, THE HOT ROLLERS, THE NEINS
(Fun House) Composed of three West Coast music-scene veterans, new local band the Hot Rollers' sound inhabits a sweaty, snarly-sweet limbo somewhere between the de rigueur girl garage-pop groups of the late '80s and early '90s and, oddly enough, the quirky, lo-fi punk masterpieces of the Dead Kennedys before they went hardcore and all their songs started sounding the same. Lead singer/guitarist Lori successfully mind-melds Kathleen Hanna's most ovaries-out shrieks with Kim Deal's smoky purr to great effect, while cool-as-a-cucumber bassist Kirsten and wild-man drummer Chris' tight rhythm section throw in '60s girl-group harmonies (as well as their own grunts, moans, and howls). In a remarkable fit of serendipity, this bill itself describes them almost perfectly, bridging the gap between the all-out fun garage/punk/soul of openers the Neins and the highly confessional, post-Riot Grrrl-inflected punk of headliners Ms. Led. BILL BULLOCK
THE TURN-ONS, STARS OF TRACK AND FIELD, ROBERT ROTH
(Graceland, late) Every time I listen to the Turn-Ons, I wonder why this Seattle band hasn't rocketed beyond the local buzz to land comfortably on the hype level of comparable acts like Phaser, Longwave, and Low Flying Owls. The band's narcotic space rock is like a little time-release pill that opens new pockets of blissed-out effects throughout their records, and it's got to only be a matter of time before more shoegazing fans snap to attention and realize the Turn-Ons are delicious head candy. JENNIFER MAERZ
UNITED STATE OF ELECTRONICA, KING COBRA, MERCIR, GUESTS
(Old Fire House) Seattle's anti-violence advocates Home Alive are doing a lot in this city to help teach people how to combat abuse, including offering self-defense classes and a long list of resources on their website. Tonight's show is a Home Alive fundraiser, and it includes a self-starting dance party from United State of Electronica, dirgy art metal from King Cobra, and atmospheric rock from Mercir. JENNIFER MAERZ SUNDAY 3/21
SHOPLIFTING, ANNA OXYGEN, THE WHISP
(Drone Hill) This week they're also playing with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but here's a chance to see Shoplifting in their element, an intimate show at one of the nicest basement "venues" I've visited in this city. Drone Hill is a cozy Beacon Hill space (2711 14th Ave S) that supports experimental (and just generally cool) music, and tonight is no exception. For those anxiously awaiting news about the post-Chromatics group (three members of Shoplifting were in the original incarnation of Chromatics), expect a 7-inch this summer and an EP in August. Until then, be sure to check out this captivating post-punk band live. JENNIFER MAERZ
MONDAY 3/22
ACEYALONE, VISIONARIES, MR. HILL
(Chop Suey) See the Truth, page 42.
THE CHURCH, SEA RAY
(Crocodile) See preview, page 37.
MORIS TEPPER, THE BAD THINGS
(Sunset) Singer/songwriter Moris Tepper has a rich musical resumé, having played with Captain Beefheart as a teenager and having also spent time touring with Robyn Hitchcock, Tom Waits, and PJ Harvey (rumor has it Harvey is joining him on some select dates of this tour). On his solo albums, he incorporates both organic (guitar and banjo) and sampled instruments, blending the blues and folk into his own dark creations. JENNIFER MAERZ
TUESDAY 3/23
FRANZ FERDINAND
(Crocodile) See preview, page 35.
WEDNESDAY 3/24
LYRICS BORN, DIVERSE, JFK, BLUE SCHOLARS, MR. HILL
(Neumo's) See Data Breaker, page 51.
AMON TOBIN, KID KOALA, BONOBO, BLOCKHEAD, DIPLO
(Showbox) See preview, page 33.
CHRIS WHITLEY, ANNE McCUE
(Tractor) See Drunk by Noon, page 33.
LIBRARY SCIENCE
(Cafe Venus) Library Science is a local dub band that recently released a CD called High Life Honey. The CD is not bad, and has several impressive moments; but in general it lacks that dynamite and thunder of collapsing sounds that makes dub the most unreasonable form of popular music. But the calmness of the CD, the lazy steadiness of the drum and bass, may not be part of the live show. On stage, Library Science might be more explosive and insensible. Either way, one hopes a few more CDs will come out of this band. CHARLES MUDEDE
