Sasquatch 2010 Announced

My Morning Jacket is headlining!!!

My Morning Jacket, Massive Attack, Pavement, Ween, Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Band of Horses, The National, LCD Soundsystem, Tegan & Sara, Broken Social Scene, Passion Pit, She & Him, Public Enemy, Nada Surf, The New Pornographers, The Xx, Dirty Projectors, OK Go, Drive By Truckers, Kid Cudi, Deadmau5, The Long Winters, Minus the Bear, The Mountain Goats, Quasi, Camera Obscura, Fruit Bats, Brother Ali, Midlake, Dr. Dog, The Hold Steady, Caribou, Simian Mobile Disco, City & Colour, No Age, The Temper Trap, Vetiver, Miike Snow, Portugal. The Man, Telekinesis, The Middle East, Mayer Hawthorne, Why?, Girls, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, Wale, The Lonely Forest, Japandroids, Boys Noize, Yacht, Laura Marling, Patrick Watson, Freelance Whales, Past Lives, Cymbals Eat Guitars, The Low Anthem, The Very Best, Phantogram, Neon Indian, Hudson Mohawke, Nurses, The Tallest Man on Earth, Fresh Espresso, Mumford & Sons, Jets Overhead, Tune-Yards, Shabazz Palaces, Fool’s Gold, Morning Teleportation, Z-Trip, Dam-Funk, Local Natives, Avi Buffalo, Booka Shade, A-Trak, Yes Giantess, Craig Robinson, Rob Riggle, Garfunkel & Oates, Luke Burbank and more.

Holy shit, the best festival in the country this year (so far) is Sasquatch!

The Get Up Kids DVD Trailer

According to this Punknews.org article, the Something to Write Home About reissue is out September 7 and includes a DVD with a full live performance of the album, as well as archival footage. I really hope there is more archival footage than what I've already seen on YouTube. I also wonder where these shows were filmed. If I remember correctly, one of the shows (maybe it was the On a Wire tour in 2002?) I saw at the Showbox in Seattle was being filmed...

Check out the trailer above. The 19-year-old in me can't wait!

The Future of Music?

I don't know what this really is, or why it was made, but it's awesome.

Found via The Stranger's music blog, Line Out

Floor Fest '09

My friend Casey is booking three awesome shows this week at the venue she is helping to manage, The Ground Floor. Between WhAAM and the Ground Floor, Bellingham's all-ages scene has never been stronger. Help create an even brighter future by showing up at these shows and telling your friends. Every single one of these shows is going to be a good time. I am especially stoked to finally see Hour of the Wolf!

August 11th - $5.00
- Xibalba (Ponoma, CA)
- Envision (Bham)
- Media Mind (Seattle)
- Torerro (Bham)

August 13th - $7.00
- Hour of the Wolf (Prescott, AZ)
- Wolves and Thieves (E. Bay, CA)
- Touche Amore - (Los Angeles, CA)
- ManEatingWolf (bellingham-sters)
- Bully (angry young enumclaw punks)

August 16th - $5.00
- Unrestrained - (Vermont)
- Unrestrained - (PDX)
- Not Sorry - (Seattle)
- The Helm - (Seattle)


Check out this goofy Hour of the Wolf zombie attack music video:

Bellingham's Tribute to Michael Jackson

This footage was shot last night at 11 PM in the heart of downtown Bellingham. These guys have done this before (last time was Halloween) and I was pretty impressed that they were able to pull this together again with such a large crowd with relatively short notice. I didn't film this, but I was there. The best part was definitely the homeless guy who comes in around 1:45 in the video. According to Lauren, who lives downtown, MJ's music was blasted with a crowd out there until about 2 AM!



Rest in peace, Michael!

Björk - Voltaic Preview

This is almost too much! I can't believe BELLINGHAM has one of the only confirmed screenings so far!!!!!! Thank you Pickford Cinema! I was lucky enough to see this tour live on my birthday 2 years ago, but this DVD looks incredible!

Beat-boxing MADNESS

Holy crap. I had to share this. Do you think he had help by some post-production? Hands on a Korg perhaps?

My Golden Birthday

Just wanted to check-in and let the blogosphere know that I am not dead. In fact, I am pretty stoked on life at the moment! My boyfriend has been in town from Birmingham, AL, for the last week or so, meaning that blogging has been close to the last thing on my mind.

Also, I just had my golden birthday yesterday, so I have officially entered my mid-to-late 20s! We celebrated by driving to Seattle last night to meet up with some friends, get some food and beer, and see Helms Alee perform. They were incredible as always and this time they played 4 or so new songs, some still instrumental. It was rad. Oddly enough, the show wasn't advertised much and the room was pretty empty when they played. Way more people showed up to see them the last two times I've seen them in Bellingham (see evidence here and here - can you spot me in both images?)

This performance is from almost two years ago in Wenatchee, WA:

Remix vs. Original

Being somewhat of a musical purist, I am usually not too fond of remixes. Especially when people mess with Björk's music. She is no stranger to remixes either; she released an album of remixes called "Telegraph" and her singles almost always include remixes. I just never really like them.

Until now. Watch the original video for "Declare Independence" (directed by mastermind Michel Gondry) on top and then watch the remixed video and song. I like the remixed song and video much, much better. The original is probably my least favorite song on "Volta," so I guess this isn't too surprising. Anyway, check out the remix (below the original version) and how much better it is.





What remixes do you like more than the original?

Torche - Healer & Across the Shields (videos!)

Ever since I received Torche's "Healer / Across the Shields" record, I've been itching to post the music videos that came with it on DVD. Well, finally someone ripped them to youtube and "Across the Shields" is now a featured video on Myspace Music. So check em out already!!

Torche - Headbangers Ball - MTV Shows

Sleeveface is awesome!!!

Check out this site, http://www.sleeveface.com. I want to submit one!!!

Trial - The Vera Project in Seattle - 4/22/09

What an awesome and crazy show. I love standing just behind where the stage-divers land so I don't get hurt, but I still get to witness the craziness up front. At least one guy got totally knocked out and another had a bloody face or nose. I know it sounds cheesy, but singer Greg Bennick spoke between songs about a lot of things important to the band, like using the energy and feeling from a show like that one to inspire yourself and transform the world around you. He talked about the Vera Project and how that venue is living proof that we can all find inspiration in ideas and make them into something real. For the most part, he keeps a very positive edge to his message which is rare in hardcore. If he was some sort of atheist minister, I'd totally go to his church. The dude knows how to speak and how to motivate.

I only got 3.5 hours of sleep the next night before working, but it was totally worth it. This was my second time seeing them, and they are easily the most intense, inspirational band in the history of hardcore (as I know it, anyway).

Here's the night's setlist I nabbed from http://xstuckinthepastx.blogspot.com

I Don't Believe in Earth Day

Because you should live every day like it's Earth Day.



In other news, I'll be driving (by myself, ironically) down to Seattle after work to see hardcore legends Trial play a sold-out show at the Vera Project with 108, Pulling Teeth, Skin Like Iron, Lewd Acts, Wait in Vain and Parasitic Skies. Life rules.

Record Store Day

Record Store Day is tomorrow. Check out the list of participating stores (3 in Bellingham!) and the list of exclusive items. I'll be picking up the My Morning Jacket exclusive double 10", the Sonic Youth 7"s, the Pavement live album and possibly the Sublime 7" (they were my favorite band growing up and it has two of my favorite songs).

Are YOU going record shopping tomorrow?

Kylesa - "Static Tensions"

This is my first record review of something I have been digging lately. Let me know what you think of the album if you pick it up.

First off, I need to mention that I had not heard Kylesa before this release, and I've yet to go back and check out anything else they've released. Some friends whose taste I usually trust never say anything good about this band so I always hesitated. However, Last.fm has recommended this band to me every time I log on, so I decided I should finally check out the new record; and I am glad I did. I think you should do yourself a favor and check out this album without any preconceived notions of this band.

Kylesa has two drummers, live and on the recordings. Being a drummer, I think this is a huge part as to why I love this record so much. The percussion is often simple and tribal, but very powerful and heavy-as-shit. For the most part, the drummers are playing the same thing and at times almost sound like a single kit. But then other times (like the toms during the beginning of "Unknown Awareness") it sounds like a marching band's worth of drummers playing their cadence and heading straight for you.

I really dig the occasional psychedelic tones that some of the songs have, especially on the closing track "To Walk Alone." It's nice to hear a band like this taking some chances and being successful in the end, without being overly experimental and boring. I like that the there are no six minute songs on this record. I love the dual male-female vocals. The flow is perfect and there is enough variety that it never looses my attention. So far, this is looking to be one of my favorite records of 2009.

P.S. Check out the song below. It's not very good audio quality, but should give you an idea of what to expect. Go to their Myspace page to hear my favorite track on the record, "Unknown Awareness." Also, do yourself a favor and listen to this album with headphones.

Standout tracks: Unknown Awareness, Only One, Almost Lost, Nature's Predators
Recommended if you enjoy: Torche, Helms Alee, Baroness, Zozobra

Kylesa - Scapegoat

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Upcoming Shows this Weekend (+ Monday)

Friday, March 27
Envision, Horizons, Rebuilt, Wolfellatio
@ 1100 21st St.
Bellingham, WA

Envision are all good bros and I am excited to see them live for the second time. Check out the demo HERE, which I hear they will have at the show in cassette format. I would post a video from their last show that I recorded, but they'd get pissed. Fuck it, they won't see this. Click HERE for video I filmed from their first show at a different house in Bellingham.

The other bands should be good too. Dragline used to play with Rebuilt occasionally, Horizons has some members from Daggermouth, and I've been meaning to see Wolfellatio. Be there or go to the other house show in town - support local music!


Saturday, March 28
United State of Electronica, Velella Velella, Strength
@ the (reopened!) Crocodile Cafe
Seattle, WA

I haven't seen many U.S.E. shows during the last few years, especially compared to the 25 or so times I saw them over a year or two span back in college. They were on sort of a hiatus while working on the new album, but it looks like it will soon see the light of day! Check out a new track over at the Stranger's music blog LineOut. I am more than ready to dance my ass off, see some familiar faces I haven't seen in too long, and have a great time.


Monday, March 30
Pelican, Wolves in the Throne Room, Tombs
@ the (reopened!) Nightlight Lounge
Bellingham, WA

This is the first show that will finally get me out to the newly-reopened Nightlight in Bellingham. Up until this point, it seems like they've been having a lot of hip-hop shows, which I am not as much into in a live setting. Anyway, I am excited to be back there, and even more excited to see Wolves in the Throne Room. They play ambient black metal with really thick guitar tone and minimal howling vocals. I think it'll be really interesting live. I haven't seen Pelican live before either and unfortunately, I am not too familiar with their back-catalog, which I am told is better than the sorta-boring, but still decent "City of Echoes." This will be a fun show, and a warmup for next Saturday's Torche show!!!

Cave 9: 2002-2009

Cave 9 was the only music venue solely dedicated to all-ages shows, usually of the punk / hardcore genre, in the city of Birmingham, Alabama. Due to some complications finding a permanent space and significant debt, Cave 9 is gone. Because my boyfriend has been involved for the 6+ years of Cave 9's life, I personally attended a handful of shows at the original Magnolia St. location, as well as the first show when they moved above Greencup Books. Even though punk rock will live on and kids will find new places to book shows, the permanence and camaraderie of Cave 9 will be sorely missed. The venue changed a lot of lives and put Birmingham on the map. Ask anyone in a punk or hardcore band who toured in the south sometime in the last 6 years, and they'll tell you fond memories of their experience at Cave 9.

The following is a documentary shot in 2007 to let the public know about the function and importance of the venue, as well as their tax issues they faced:



More articles / photos after the jump:


A feature in the Birmingham News about the organization in 2007

Bham.fm reports the closing of the venue

And lastly, a photo after the final show at the venue's original location:

My Bloody Valentine LIVE in Seattle

YES!!! My Bloody Valentine has announced a small string of dates around their Coachella performance, including Seattle on April 27 at the WAMU Theatre. Pre-sale starts next Wednesday. Count me in!



Stream a handful of songs from their masterpiece "Loveless" after the jump:

	My Bloody Valentine - When You Sleep
	Found at skreemr.com

	My Bloody Valentine - Sometimes
	Found at skreemr.com

	My Bloody Valentine - Soon
	Found at skreemr.com

NYC Update

New York has been fantastic so far!



First off; if our experience in the city so far is what it would be like to be here permanently, I could easily live in New York City.

I love being in Manhattan and looking down the road and seeing endless skyscrapers. Something about that is so exciting to me. I love the subway and how easy it is to get around. I am going to be sad to have to go home and drive again. Cars are for chumps, seriously.

We've hit up three museums so far (and will be seeing at least two more in the next 3 days) - The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), PS1 Contemporary Art Center and the Gugenheim. All three were pretty different with MoMA being my favorite so far. Unfortunately we didn't get to see all of it since we slept in, but I really liked the variety of the collections and size of the museum. I really look forward to The Met and the Museum of Natural History. I can only look at so many solid black canvases before going crazy.

The food has been pretty damn good, too. The best by far has been Soy and Sake, a vegan restaurant. The service toward the end of the meal was lacking, but the food was incredible and we loved the atmosphere of the place. The buffalo wings, Philadelphia rolls, eel, and coconut chicken - all delicious and meat-free. Man, I wish we had stuff like this at home. We also hit up Vegetarian's Paradise 2 and a few other random spots we happened to find (pizza, thai, etc). I expected to spend a lot more than I do at home for a meal, and that really hasn't been the case. I splurged at Soy and Sake and spent around $25, but other than that it's been very reasonable.

We've also hit a bunch of record stores (I spent $80 at Generation Records), saw Anamanaguchi at the Union Hall in Brooklyn and checked out the very crowded Barcade (p.s. Ground Kontrol is way better) and looked around Video Games New York.



I'll probably be posting more if I get a moment, but now it's off to bed. My feet need rest!!

Also, our host Traci wasn't kidding when she said that the cats might open the freezer when hungry! We just heard crashing and found the freezer open and wine bottles (thankfully in tact) on the floor. These cats are awesome, but crazy!

Events This Weekend

(Click to enlarge)

Tonight's WhAAM show should be pretty sweet for indie-music fans. I'll definitely be stopping by while on the Downtown Gallery Walk. I just hope the weather gets nicer. As for tomorrow's Winter Commission; check out all that free stuff! Visual art, music and film! For $0. You really have no reason not to be there.