The Imaginary Zine is a 60-page old school printed zine recounting our first 10 years with some of our favorite blog posts and stories from our imaginary friends. It is extemely limited with only 333 handcrafted zines made.
It also includes a cd chock full of rare, live, or exclusive songs by some of our favorite local artists, including The Long Winters, BOAT, Tullycraft, Exohxo, Tennis Pro, Math & Physics Club and many more!
New girl crush alert! I am seriously digging on the ladies of Lady. Their sweet beats and soulful harmonies are completely irresistible with a feminine sass that just dares you not to like them. And you can bet your ass I’m gonna be there when they play Neumos tonight.
These girls have some serious chops: both already have had successful solo careers, peaking in the last decade. Nicole Wray, who hails from Atlanta, was brought up through the business by none other than Miss Superfreak herself, Missy Elliot. Nicole’s single, “Make It Hot”, went gold way back in 1998. Rounding out the other half of lady is UK darling Terri Walker, her debut album was nominated for the Mercury Prize. When the two met in 2009 they decided to team up to make a record based on their shared passion for hip-hop, R&B, and classic soul. Well, they did just that, and guess what? Their self-titled debut album kicks ass!
Okay, it's not THAT far of a throwback, but it's hard to believe that this photo is already seven years old!
Maybe you remember that most excellent two-night stand The Wrens did for KEXP's Yule Benefit at Neumos back in 2005? We sure do! The Wrens played with Okkervil River (both nights!) (!!!!!) and a bevy of other bands including Harvey Danger -- and fresh off of CMJ was none other than our own Imaginary Victoria on one of her first visits to Seattle, years away from being an official imaginary. She grabbed this shot all those years ago, and today seemed like just a good a day as any to fondly remember all those early 00's indie rock shows.
What's your favorite 2005-ish music memory? Were you in Seattle? Or busy watching bands like The National and Pela at tiny east coast clubs? Let us know in the comments!
Latest comment by: davidly: "I saw 16 Seattle shows in 2005, but the memories are Paul Westerberg at the Showbox singing solo with his guitar standing on a drummer stool and Neko Case in a downpour that would not stop at the Zoo. Happy memories!"
Love beats death, so Graveyard on February 13th at Neumos is a fine way to usher in the red of Valentine’s Day.
Close your eyes when Graveyard starts their fuzzy-but-crisp psych-metal clatter, and you’ll think of Savoy Brown or Humble Pie, a whipped-up, throaty bellow from the 1970s. Yes, Graveyard has the moniker of a Nordic metal throwdown, and they can wield a fierce six-string solo. They skip speed and growl and instead rein in their time signatures so they have a more patient and unfurling vibe, much like their Gothenburg, Sweden, predecessors, Soundtrack of Our Lives. If you caught Ebbot Lundberg and his Soundtrack compadres back in the mid-2000s, then you have an idea of the double-kickdrum power, the big guitars, and Lundberg’s girth and proportionate yowl.
We were elbow-to-elbow with all our best pals in the front row at Neumos Saturday night, in the name of love, fundraising, and the one and only Jenny George. Yep, this past weekend was the 8th annual Dancing on the Valentine fundraiser, and it was jam-packed with great local bands belting out our favorite Cure tracks. The money's still being tallied, but judging by the crowd, we're sure that the night went a long way toward the annual Leukemia and Lymphoma Society donation -- take a peek at the photos below and relive all the fun! We were particularly enamored with Lesli Wood (as usual), Adra Boo, NighTrain, Panama Gold, and those fellows in Fox and the Law:
Lesli Wood with Jupe Jupe
Latest comment by: Imaginary Amie: "Agreed. Simply gorg, V! And seeing all the amazing photo-ness makes me feel a little less sad that I couldn't be there. xoxoxo"
Lesli Wood (of The Redwood Plan) with Jupe Jupe last year at DOTV7.
Photo by: Ben Haley
Every year I tell you guys to get tickets to Jenny George's annual Dancing on the Valentine benefit show, and every year you listen to me, so I figure there's no reason to stop now! As previously mentioned, this year's show theme is A Cure for Leukemia - featuring local bands covering songs by The Cure, with all proceeds from tickets and raffles going to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Jenny drops the grand total off at their door each year on her birthday, and it's truly a thing of joy to watch. Last year we raised a total of $7, 714.83, and this year they're gunning for at least $10,000 with a bigger venue at Neumos, and an online art auction that's will run through the weekend. (PSST: There's still a chance to bid on some amazing pieces and get them for an awesome price!!!).
In addition to the all the kick-ass music, Ben Haley's famous photo booth, tunes by DJ Mike Steve, and Jenny's son Atticus making a special appearance, DOTV has teamed up with Uber to offer 50% off rides to and from the show (just enter code SEADOTV before requesting a car on your Uber app!), and partnered with both KEXP and CityArts Magazine for some much-appreciated support!
Dancing on the Valentine: A Cure for Leukemia is THIS Saturday! Doors at 8pm, tix $15, 21+ at Neumos. Get tickets now at Sonic Boom, or online here. This show has sold out the past 3 years! So DO NOT wait. To entice you further, I've included a breakdown of the bands playing this year after the jump - along with a list of the raffles we're going to bundle up for the. best. raffle. prizes. EVER.
Who's going to join me for some Hot Hot Hot times on Saturday!?!?!
You guys! There are only a few more weeks until Dancing on the Valentine 8: A Cure for Leukemia!
In case you haven't heard of DOTV before (what!), the fabulous Ms. Jenny George, a survivor of Leukemia, decided to start this benefit 8 years ago to give back to the organization that provides support to cancer patients, and is working hard to find a cure. The benefit has grown each year to raise more money for LLS, and this year DOTV is hoping to raise at least $10,000 to beat the hell out of last year's record-breaking $7,000+!
The 2013 show features local bands covering the music of The Cure at Neumos on Saturday, 2/9, with all proceeds from ticket sales and raffles going to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The line-up is FIERCE this year, with Adra Boo, Daniel G. Harmann and The Trouble Starts, Erik Blood, Gibraltar, Head Like a Kite, Hotels, Lesli Wood (of The Redwood Plan) w/Jupe Jupe, NighTrain, Panama Gold, The Grizzeled Mighty, Vox Mod, and interludes by DJ Mike Steve. Plus! Our own Imaginary Dana will be emcee'ing, and Jenny's handsome son Attitcus will be making a special appearance on stage at the beginning of the night to sing some Robert Smith!!!
We've got a pair of tix to giveaway to a lucky winner, so you can spend your donation dollars on raffle tickets instead. Email us at tig {at} threeimaginarygirls {dot} com with the subject line "Lovecats" anytime between now and 5pm Monday 2/4 for a chance to win 'em. We'll notify the winner Tuesday am.
{Dancing on the Valentine presents: A Cure for Leukemia: A Tribute to The Cure benefitting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society | Sponsored by CityArts, KEXP, and Uber | Saturday, Feb 9 at Neumos | Doors at 8pm | $15 adv, 21+}
Seattle is divided into two parts: those who know Charles Bradley (and The Menahan Street Band) and those who don't. If you know Charles Bradley + Co., you've already got tickets for their show at Neumos tonight, and you'll probably be there at doors to get a spot up front (after you've tuned in to the KEXP in-studio they're doing at 1pm, of course). You've bought the album and seen the movie.
And you were beside yourself at Bumbershoot and Sasquatch! these past two years at getting a chance to see them live.
And if you don't know Charles Bradley, well -- you're in luck. We're here to help you out. Here's his official video for "The World Is Going Up In Flames" off of last year's smash, No Time For Dreaming.
So far, the self-titled first full-length from Poor Moon hasn’t received as much notice as some other Fleet Foxes-related acts, but that is certainly no fault of its own: on Poor Moon, deceptively simple arrangements of lilting vocal melodies and folksy instruments float just above preciousness in a macramé hammock.
Containing sounds drawn out of every aisle of a vintage record store – from Neil Young to barefoot, school bus-dwelling hippies and long-forgotten glossier pop groups – Poor Moon unsurprisingly bears a lot of resemblance to Fleet Foxes, especially on album closer “Birds.” If we're going to generalize, for the most part, this side project is Fleet Foxes shorn of their more experimental and psychedelic elements. I could forgive you for considering Poor Moon to be Fleet Foxes declawed, but I couldn't agree. For my money, the restrained elegance of Poor Moon is exquisite.
You don’t have to take my word for it, though. Poor Moon will be playing at Neumos with Tom Eddy + Pollens on September 20. Tickets are only $12, but if you’re feeling lucky enough, you might get in for free! Just shoot us an email at tig {at} threeimaginarygirls {dot} com with the subject "SendMeToPoorMoon" anytime between now and 2pm on Monday, September 17. We'll choose a winner Monday afternoon, and send you an email letting you know that you (and your choice of +1) are on the list for Thursday's show.
Good luck!
{Neumos / 21+ / $12 adv / 8pm doors. Tickets and more info available here. Photo credit: Kyle Johnson.}
If you live in Seattle, dig live music, consider yourself in the know, and haven’t yet seen Champagne Champagne -- seriously, what have you been doing? Well, fret not: now is your chance. There's no excuse not to get your pretty self down to Neumos this Thursday {yep, that's the 13th} to get your mind blown.
On their self-titled first album/demo, MCs Pearl Dragon and Sir Thomas Gray took us in all directions, from sampling Mr. Rogers to hazily rapping about Molly Ringwald girls. They opened for Macklemore back in 2011 and graduated up the ladder to touring with Wu Tang Clan and a gig on Warped Tour. And somewhere in-between, they had time to release the EP Private Party on French label Platinum Records, bringing producer/instrumentalist DJ Gajamagic onboard. Champagne Champagne certainly keeps busy, getting all kinds of shit done and finding time to play their hometown on a regular basis.
If you want to get more familiar: the track “Four Horsemen” has a Daptones-style horn-heavy beat, giving an exuberant backdrop to the apocalyptic lyrics. Our favorite raucous genre-bending trio throws everything at you: punk, electro pop, hip hop, and socially conscious rhymes, sometimes all in the same song! They've also collaborated with THEESatisfaction -- listen to “Bird Lives” and you will want to move to an ashram and do hookah-fueled yoga all day. Guaranteed.
Seriously, if that isn’t enough incentive to be at Neumos on Thursday, I just don’t know what is.
{Champagne Champagne with The Knux / 8p doors / $10 adv / 21+. Photo courtesy of Last FM.}
Wild Nothing is the dream-pop solo project of Blacksburg, Virginia native Jack Tatum. The project started in the summer of 2009, while Tatum was a senior in college, and by the spring of 2010 he already had a much-heralded debut album under his belt. On Gemini, Tatum’s vocals are pleasing and even keeled, never reaching a fever pitch, yet never completely falling out of the picture either. Comparisons to Bradford Cox’s projects Deerhunter and Atlas Sound aren’t far off -- you could also put Wild Nothing in the same ballpark as local act Craft Spells or even the more laid back work of The Radio Dept., just to give you a general idea of their sound.
Tatum followed up Gemini with the EP Golden Haze, a title that, for me, most accurately encapsulates the sound of Wild Nothing, as these songs do indeed sound like a beautiful golden haze. Last month Wild Nothing released their sophomore album Nocturne -- take a listen to the first single (and the album's most instantly likeable track), “Shadow”:
If you like the sound, you can catch Wild Nothings at Neumos this coming Sunday, September 9th.
Of note: opening up the Neumos show are Brooklyn band Diiv. Diiv were formed by Beach Fossils guitarist Zachary Cole Smith, and named after a 1990 Nirvana B-side “Dive”, although they’ve since changed to the phonetical homonym “Diiv” because a 90s Belgian act already had the name. Smith is an avid fan of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, although Diiv’s sound bears little resemblance; and Smith has also confessed an affinity for Kraut rock, citing Can and Neu! as influences. Those influences show up in a number of the tracks on Diiv’s debut album Oshin, which came out earlier this summer on Captured Tracks, the label also responsible for all of Wild Nothing’s releases.
Listen up and make your way to Capitol Hill for Sunday's show. I'll see you there!
{Wild Nothing, Diiv, Naomi Punk / 8:00 doors / $15 adv / all ages. Photo courtesy of Wild Nothing.}
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Imaginary. You could call it that.
Imaginary. You could call it that.
A chat about our favorite songs this week on KUOW's Weekday show
A chat about our favorite songs this week on KUOW's Weekday show
A chat about our favorite songs this week on KUOW's Weekday show