If you’ve never heard of Eighteen Individual Eyes before, you may not be alone -- but if you don’t take a listen now, you soon will be. Irene Barber’s soaring siren call is so thoroughly appealing that it’s easy to ignore the hint of danger lying in the jangly, dirty guitars underneath. Although tender, their songs are eerily disturbing. It's a transfixing combination.
EIE’s talent was obvious on their early EP, Slightly Frightened, Mostly Happy. For their soon-to-be-released debut full length, Unnovae Nights, the group recorded with Matt Bayles (Minus the Bear) and took a big leap forward. You can hear how beautifully Bayles picked apart the intricate tangles of their sound on the track “Four Poses,” available to listen now.
Riveting, modern yet vintage-without-trying, just the right amount of haunted and desolate vibes while remaining full to the very seams.
These are the notes from my first few watches through the official video for "Nothing Is The News" by Damien Jurado, off the much-anticipated, almost-released new album Maraqopa, but they might as well be the words that describe both the music and Damien as a whole from a fan and listener perspective. To date, there's been nothing Damien Jurado has done that hasn't been fully immersive:each album a project unto itself, each track an experience, each phase clearly defined, described, presented, and finally ventured on from. The last album, Saint Bartlett, is a perfect example of this, where we traveled along for the story of the tracks, sat listening in the rain, stood stage-side and were all scarred beautifully by our favorites -- and now, the time has come to shelf it for the takings-on of a new journey. It will always be there when we need the nostalgia, of course, or when that phase of the journey re-presents itself sometime down the line -- but as of today, it's Maraqopa time.
Our friends at Secretly Canadian describe this latest work as "the most vital and engaging... heard from Damien in five plus years of working with him here at Secretly Canadian. In this second project with producer Richard Swift, Damien's folk roots are fleshed out with flourishes of blues, psychedelia, and soul breathing a whole new world into Damien's sound" andinform us that "with each visit to National Freedom, Jurado is exploring, taking risks. He's not only freeing his songs. The gate is opened wide to allow us all into his once-isolated musical universe. One gets the sense he's just now hitting his stride." We couldn't have put it any better ourselves, and strongly encourage you to pick up the album as soon as you're able -- preorders are alive and well here, or, take the in-person trip with us and several hundred of your closest friends for the record release party next Friday {2/17} at the Neptune, where you can see Damien play live and pick up a real-live copy at the merch table.
We know we've already warned you to buy tickets to Dancing on the Valentine Seven (and the Ragged Tiger), because WE KNOW this thing is gonna sell out - but just in case, here's another reminder, and a chance to win a pair of tickets so you can spend your money on booze and (LOTS of) raffle tickets instead!
DOTV7 is officially ONE WEEK AWAY, and ALL ticket and raffle proceeds go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Here's another look at the awesome lineup of Northwest bands that will be on stage at The Crocodile covering Duran Duran songs:
Just send us an email to tig {at} threeimaginarygirls {dot} com with the subject line "Sing Blue Silver" sometime between now and 5pm on Wednesday, February 8. We'll pick a winner and notify you on Wednesday night so you and your date have time to plan outfits for Friday!
Just when we thought the new track from Nada Surf, "When I Was Young" {off the stars are indifferent to astronomy, which is officially out tomorrow on Barsuk} couldn't get any better, we stumbled across this gem of a video. While it's definitely a stripped-down version that doesn't have the same big, building, wall-of-sound vibe that the full band delivery brings, the intimacy and DIY element make this rendition a treasure of a whole other caliber -- and, of course, seeing and hearing this has gotten us that much more excited for the currently-sold-out show at the Tractor next Thursday.
Yep. Believe it or not, Nada Surf is playing at the Tractor. What's that? You didn't get tickets in time? Well, you're in luck: we're giving away a pair to one lucky winner, and you've got a whole week to enter to win! Just send us an email to tig {at} threeimaginarygirls {dot} com with the subject line "PicturesInOurPretendWallets" sometime between now and 5pm on Friday, January 27th. We'll pick a winner over the weekend, and notify you on Monday morning that you're headed to Thursday's show.
Good luck!
{21+ / 8p doors / SOLD OUT / Say Hi opens. Hat tip to Laura Musselman for sending the video our way!}
***UPDATE: Only two more days left to enter to win!***
It's a whole new year with a fresh round of shows to get excited about -- and to kick of the ticket giveaways, how about a pair for one of the PNW's new favorite local bands? Pickwick will be playing at The Doug Firdown in Portland next this Friday, January 13th, and you can enter to win a spot +1 on the guest list!
In case you haven't had an ear to the ground these last few months, Pickwick is taking the world by storm at pretty much every turn: a ginormous success of a show at the Neptune, followed by some time in the studio slated to birth an album that half of Seattle already has on their 2012 top-ten list; placing at number nine on KEXP's best 90.3 of 2011, firmly sandwiched between Beirut and Adele with a scant EP; and gorgeous, seemingly effortless videos that keep surfacing like Sound on the Sound's Doe Bay Sessions and the now-famed UW reading room rendition of Blackout.
Ready for a road trip? Just send an email to tig {at} threeimaginarygirls {dot} com with the subject line "PickwickInPDX" anytime between now and noontime next this Wednesday, January 11th.
Hi Mary, have you heard anything of theirs other than this one track? Their bandcamp has a good selection of songs: http://pickwick.bandcamp.com/track/hacienda-motel
We've had the pleasure of seeing Brandi Carlile twice in as many years: most recently during a full-bore daytime set at this year's Austin City Limits festival, and prior to that at an intimate-yet-packed house at the Crocodile back in 2010. Both sets were packed with energy and positively enrapturing from start to finish, whether Brandi + band were playing sing-a-long, clap-a-long crowd favorites or simply serenading the masses with sweet, sweet ballads.
Fans of The Story and of her earlier work will agree that, long story short, you just can't go wrong at a Brandi Carlile show. That said, and with what basically amounts to a guarantee of an incredible evening, we're beside ourselves with excitement to announce that we'll be giving away a pair of tickets to Brandi's New Year's Eve performance at the Neptune this Saturday night. Come and ring in 2012 with us!
For a chance to be there with bells on, just send an email over to tig {at} threeimaginarygirls {dot} com with the subject line "LetItBendBeforeItBreaks" sometime between now and 10am on Friday, December 30th.
If you didn't buy or win any tickets, all is not lost: Pickwick will be playing a free all-ages set tonight {December 6th} at Easy Street! They'll be taking the stage at the Queen Anne store at 7p. The house will probably be packed, so make sure you get there early!
More info if you need it at the Easy Street site here.
***
Holy crow! It's December already (Batman)? Seriously! 2011 is zipping along in the HOV lane to it's inevitable end, and so far as we're concerned, there's no better way to close it out than with a handful of killer shows: this coming week has us up to our armpits in the likes of the National and the Cave Singers, both doing two nights of performances, and there's some great art and dance events happening as we pull into the weekend: namely, two nights of BENT writing workshop benefit shows, with some spoken word artists at the Fremont Abbey Friday and a straight-up dance partySaturday. Come next Monday, we'll be bopping along in the front row to Telekinesis {with the Young Evils!} at the Crocodile, and then, finally: Soul-Night BoogieDown Fest 2011 with one of our new favorite move-your-booty bands, Pickwick, on Thursday, December 8th at the Neptune.
Phew! Can we get a "hell yes!"? Yes! How about we give away a pair of tickets to see the fine gents of Pickwick??!?! Hell yes!
Latest comment by: Mari: "It WAS an awesome night! Unforgettable! :) Jared, were you there?
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Making your best-ofs, everyone? Well, do yourself a favor and go way back in your journals, blog posts and Excel sheets to the beginning of the year: don't forget that among other first-quarter gems, Telekinesis's 12 Desperate Straight Lines came out in 2011! How could you have forgotten already? What about that show at the Crocodile back in March, where you fell in hearts with Mal de Mer and couldn't stop kicking your feet to the beat? And that great interview we did with Michael Benjamin Lerner, too?
Now that your memory is sufficiently jogged, let's bring it back to this (well, next) week: Telekinesis will be playing the Crocodile this coming Monday, December 5th -- and MBL & Co. are hitting the stage with none other than the Young Evils! Talk about a blast! We're so excited to spend the night with these fine ladies and gents that we want to send you and a friend to the show. It's a hyperlocal new-classic indie-pop lineup if we ever saw one! Exclamation points! !!!!! So, let's talk contest details:
Is it just us, or is this just what Feist songs feel like sometimes? A little cold, a little desolate, a lot beautiful, a touch of sun -- Feist can be all of these things depending on the track, but the common thread in all of her output is simple: talent. From Metals to those gorgeous bedroom recordings -- please tell us you've heard that deconstructed version of "Intuition"?? -- to catchy numbers like "1234" and "Mushaboom," everything Feist does is brilliantly gorgeous. She's sunny and hopeful sometimes, desolate and yearning sometimes, and always right on the money.
So, we're particularly excited to be gearing up for her upcoming show at the Moore next Thursday {November 17th}. And we've even got a pair of tickets to give away to a lucky winner! The competition for this one is sure to be fierce, so make sure you take the time to tell us why we should choose little ol' you over everyone else. Ready?
We've told you before, and we're going to keep telling you again and again until you get on the water wagon with us: Hey Marseilles is a fan-fucking-tastic band. If you're already down, you know the goodness of which we speak. And on the odd chance you've been living under some type of musical rock these last few years in Seattle, fret not: we are about to introduce you to your new favorite band.
Hey Marseilles is everything we like about a group: mostly due to the fact that they make good, smart music. Typically billed as "orchestral indie pop," we like to add in the fact that their sound is intelligent, with something lush and layered about it -- but not too layered, these guys are on the money in their mixes -- and recognizably familiar, without being predictable. Add in that sometimes-present vaguely European-tinged funeral parade -slash- carnival vibe {think DeVotchKa, minus the pomp and overwhelmingly sad angst they're prone to} and Hey Marseilles literally have a sound on the block that no one else has got.
Sold? Of course you are! Whether you're a long-standing HM fan or are just getting hip to their sound, there are two things you need to do if you haven't already: one, pick up To Travels and Trunks on every format imaginable if you don't have it already, and play it until it wears out. And two, get yourself a ticket or five to their upcoming show at the Neptune this Saturday. {Tickets are available for purchasing here.} They'll be taking the stage with Bryan John Appleby and Nick Jaina, and the whole night is in celebration of their new 7", Elegy. And PS: we've got a pair of tickets to give away to the show!
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