We are over-the-moon excited about this Friday night, when the Vera Project will be filled with indie-pop giddiness and sweet melodic musings of one of our favorite  bands, Allo Darlin', and stellar opening band The Wave Pictures.  

The night is also a celebration of Three Imaginary Girls 10th Anniversary!  This is the first show in our series of anniversary celebrations and we would love to mark this special event with you, Allo Darlin' and The Wave Pictures.

It's been over two years since Seattle has had our Allo Darlin' fix, when they sold out the Rendezvous on their first visit to the Pacific Northwest back in October, 2010.  Since then, they've recorded and released (just last month) their amazing sophomore effort, Europe.  It's beautiful and smart, with lush engulfing waves of orchestrated pop and moments subtle unassuming diary entries. The album is clever, while steering clear of pretentiousness or preciousness… and white vinyl versions of it will be for sale at the merch booth!

And don't just take our word for it.  KEXP, who knows a lot more about what's what, is in love with them too. If you've listened to 90.3fm/kexp.org recently, you've likely heard the first single from the album Europe, "Capriconia."  It's catchy, without losing its ability to tug at your heartstrings (that pull you home!!!) and bring a tear to your eye (don't worry, we wont tell anyone you got so touched).

The show is all-ages and doors are at 7.30pm.  Don't dilly-dally, because the opening band is The Wave Pictures, visiting us all the way from London (as well).  They have a freshly-released brand new album, chock full of pop songs that some have described as gawky, sublime pop… but I like to think of them as a sweet blend of Hefner, Clinic, and Jonathan Richman, with the wits of John Peel.  I predict that seeing their set will add points to your indie-coolness klout score.

There's going to be so much imaginary love at the Vera Project this Friday, this show is not to be missed.  I don't want you to truly regret missing this double-bill of UK radness and imaginary anniversary fun, so here's a couple more reasons you should go:

more...

at Paramount Theater

I shouldn't have to tell any of you this, but if you missed M83's sold out performance at the Paramount Theater this past Thursday night, you missed one hell of a show. 

Backed by lighting effects that at times looked a lot like giant multi-colored neon glow sticks, M83 started their performance the same way they did at their Neumos show this past November -- with Hurry Up, We're Dreaming's opener "Intro" -- and they never looked back. Half of the balcony where I was at was standing from the very start, and midway through the set, the lead single from HU,WD (and probably their most popular song to date) "Midnight City" got pretty much everyone who was still sitting down up on their feet and dancing. One of my minor qualms with their Neumos show last November was the lack of any saxaphone solo during Midnight City, since it's such an energetic, climactic moment in the song, and as cheesy at it sounds, I just want to hear that saxaphone kick in at the right time. This time around, they brought in a live sax player to belt out the solo, and people seemed pretty excited about it. 

Considering that their Neumos show was just a little over five months ago, moving over to the Paramount Theater was a big step up for the band. Gonzalez seemed a little overjoyed and grateful to be playing a sold out show at such a massive venue. He even took a moment between songs to voice his amazement at it all saying "This is such a huge fucking venue for us, it's exciting!" Towards the end of the set, Gonzalez asked to have some of the lights brought up so he could take it all in, which he did briefly before emphatically collapsing to the floor, almost in disbelief.

more...

Ben Kweller's been a little off my radar. I mainly know about him via a mix given to me that contained "Wasted and Ready," which is a fine song. He's definitely someone I've been interested in, but I'm better at keeping up with movies than I am with music -- and so my awareness of Mr. Kweller faded into the background. Until now.

His new album Go Fly a Kite has been rocking my world since I picked it up this weekend on RSD and I seriously LOVE IT you guys. It's packed with power-pop goodness and great lyrics (take a listen to opening track "Mean to Me" below), and bonus! The box transforms into a diorama!!! Look at it. It's covered in super-neat illustrations by Josh Cochran and it's blacklight-friendly! 

And so -- this guy's live show kind of snuck on me, because it's this Saturday at Neumos. And I bet it's going to be awesome. Kweller is playing with Sleeper Agent, which upon a brief listen, seems like the perfect match. I'm diggin' their fun, jumpy pop vibe. More importantly: this show is all ages AND 21+, so you can bring some underage music fans with you. 

{Ben Kweller with Sleeper Agent | Neumos | Saturday 4/28 | Doors at 7pm | $16 ADV at Moe Bar or etix.com | 21+ Main Floor, All Ages Balcony}

I picked a copy of The Sexy Accident's new album from the TIG stacks because its title is Ninja Ninja Fight Darth Vader, which is cool for many reasons, and apparently the name of a song by band member and songwriter Jesse Kate's 5-year-old son. This Kansas City band turns out tunes that range from happier pop to slower, folky ballads, and all about "youth and aging, also love, sex and wine" -- according to the promo card I got with the CD. I really like the vocals! 

The video above is an older one, and while "Savage Love" isn't on this album, I felt like I had to share, because it's too cute not too. You can download all their tunes, old and new, for free on their site. And if you want to throw a few dollars their way, they'll donate it to charity instead. 

Ninja Ninja Darth Vader won't be "for sale" until April 21, but in the meantime, take a listen to "Love Doesn't Get Old" below. I think it's worthy of a donation, for sure.

Prom Queen, the newest solo project by my pretty friend Leeni, has a lush 60s-esque sound that started as covers and has now evolved into an album full of original songs called Night Sound that will be released offcially on 4/24 at The Can Can.

Simliar in feel to her Romeo + Juliet project (whose album I reviewed last Spring), Night Sound is tailor-made for David Lynch films. Packed full of romantic, dark tunes with vintage appeal -- and I still don't understand why he hasn't called Leeni up and asked her to make him a soundtrack, like NOW. Sounds great, right? And The Can Can is the perfect venue for Prom Queen's CD release...so I'll see all you Muholland Dr. fans there. 

Side note: I like to think that she made the spooky video for "Black + Blue" above just for me (she didn't, but I like to THINK it anyway), because HELLO. It's scary! And rad. And I ♥ it. 

{Prom Queen with Vince Mira | The Can Can | April 24 | 9pm | 21+ | $7}

...that's a lot of "S"s up there. In the title. But anyway! 

Sometimes I feel like I need an imaginary intern to go through all the rad stuff that ends up in my inbox, because there's so much of it that between regular job madness and life radness, it's hard to find time to listen or view it all. Yeah, yeah, I know: #firstworldmusicbloggerproblems. (I'm not really complaining, because I wouldn't trade this gig for anything, people). 

And so I came across this band, Sleepy Vikings, who describe themselves as "Southern Shoegaze", and I am definitely digging it. They have an album out called They Will Find You Here on New Granada, and you can find a new single here called, "Horse Song." It's kind of dreamy and wonderful, and it makes me think of long summer days on blankets in grass-filled fields - soft, billowly white flower stuffs blowing in the breeze. Yeah, I'm a sap. But I like it. I really really like it. 

Maybe you will too?

Photo by: Kelley Jackson; Lucy Pearl Photography 2011

more...

You guys! Best Coast is coming to Seattle on May 22 and playing at The Neptune! The Drums and Best Coast in the same month? I am in imaginary music heaven. Crazy for You is one of my most-played albums, and I've been excitedly anticipating the release of their second CD, The Only Place, since they announced it. You can grab a free download of the first single on their site! Awesome. 

In addition to loving their lush, retro-esque pop, I am also tottally enamored of their killer West Side Story-inspired video out for "Our Deal", Directed by the amazing Drew Barrymore, and starring the equally amazing Chloe Grace Moretz, Alia Shawkat, and...Donald Glover! It's so pretty. I could watch it over and over (which is what I've been doing for the past hour or so). 

I suggest you grab tix quick, because I suspect this show will sell out. 

{Best Coast with Jeff the Brotherhood | Tuesday, May 22 | Doors @7pm, Show @8pm | Neptune Theatre | All Ages, Bar w/ID | $18 ADV, $20 Day of}

We here in imaginary land were already fans of Kissing Party, the melodic Indie Pop band from Denver whose fuzzy, catchy tunes make us want to pirouette in our knee highs and Converse. 

Anyway! This new video came our way so I thought I'd share. I'm not exactly sure what's going on in this (deliberately) scratchy beach adventure, but I do know it ends with a knife fight - and hey, everybody loves knife fights, am I right? No? Oh. Well, maybe you'll like the song anyway, because it's pretty amazing, knife fight or non. 

And if you love it, you can download their whole album, Wasters Wall, for $9.99 here.

One of my favorite bands ever (that my awesome friend Carl introduced me to) is Smoking Popes—who, in addition to creating catchy, hyperkentic lovelorn tunes, totally kill it live every. single. time. they play—and they are FINALLY releasing some new songs!

On May 1, The Complete Control Sessions: Smoking Popes will be released on SideOneDummy Records, both digitally and in a limited vinyl pressing. Vinyl will be pressed in black, black w/gold splatter, and gold w/black splatter (fancy!).

This live EP will have classic Smoking Popes ballads "Writing a Letter" and "Grab Your Heart and Run", plus two new songs: "Let’s Call It Love" and "Hey Renee"—and a cover of the Les Mis song "I Dreamed a Dream." AWESOME.

Download the EP or order a record off SideOneDummy’s webstore on 5/1. I’m so excited! Who else is excited?

at The High Dive

Remember how I told y'all to be at The High Dive on Friday to see the most excellent PDX band Blue Skies for Black Hearts take the stage? I hope at least some of you made it out, because they TOTALLY ROCKED IT. (duh, like they wouldn't) 

Anyway! There was a last-minute band addition, so BS4BH played first, and super-early, starting their set just after 9pm. I am happy to report that even though the crowd was scarce, the boys gathered an impressive menagerie of dancing (in Seattle? WHAT?) groups near the stage by the time they were 2 songs in to the set. The boys in The Ames (the Belligham-based band that followed) seemed particularly impressed, and were very enthusiastic about getting down to some grooves. Again: dancing? in Seattle? WHAT. Just another of the many side-effects Blue Skies offers when rocking their audiences' socks off. 

{More photos after the jump} 

more...