Over the last several years, Danish band Efterklang has been blending post-rock, folk, and pop in new and refreshing ways. Their first studio release, Tripper (2004), had prevalent female vocals and a static-ey Postal Service-esque feel to the instrumentation, which often toed the post-rock line. Efterklang’s 2007 release Parades leaned instrumentally toward the orchestral side of thingswithout completely abandoning their electronic roots. The tightly arranged music was seamlessly blended with downplayed and raw-sounding vocals, making for a beautiful, if not slightly jarring, combination.
Efterklang brings something new to the table yet again with their latest album, Magic Chairs (released Feb. 22nd on 4AD Records). Here the vocals take center stage, accompanied by more real live instruments than electronic ones. The album has a much stronger indie-folk-pop feel that the others, giving it more general appeal and palatability to potential listeners. Efterklang’s set looks very promising. This band of Scandinavian multi-instrumentalists is often ten strong on tour, and it should be fun to see how all of these songs come together live at The Triple Door, Seattle’s classiest venue.
Below is a video of Efterklang performing “Cutting Ice to Snow” (from Parades) with the Danish National Chamber Orchestra in 2008.
If you are one who has a hankering for women who are as beautiful as they are talented, make your way over to The Sunset Tavern tonight. Kaylee Cole is visiting us from eastern Washington, and she is sure to take her audience’s hearts back with her to Spokane. Kaylee Cole lays her hand to the piano, and as her touch subdues the keys, her voice pulls the audience in close. It’s intimate, lusty, beautiful.
Kaylee Cole has a smokey tone reminiscent of Fiona Apple accented with a splash of Joanna Newsom. If you pop over to Kaylee Cole’s MySpace page for some pre-show tunes, check out “Ghost Song.” Slow, hollow piano notes create chilling ambiance. Cole’s stylistic vocals are as curious as they are alluring. Not only is Cole a brilliant piano player and singer, she is also a stunning lyricist. In “Ghost Song,” Kaylee Cole sings, “And I, wanna let you in tonight. I, I wanna let you in tonight. And if I lose you, when I lose you, I, I won’t lose you cause you’ll come along. And you’ll be the sounds of the ghost. You’ll be everything I’ve ever lost, but I loved you the most. And you’ll be the story that’s inside on my head. You’ll live on and on though we’re both dead.” Clever, thought provoking, and staggering; three aesthetics that could be Kaylee Cole in a nutshell. Come down to The Sunset Tavern and decide for yourself. Until then, please enjoy the videos below.
Barsuk Records have been so bold as to callBlunt Mechanic, Ben Barnett’s new project, his “finest work to date.” The surprising thing is this: I’m not surprised. Blunt Mechanic rocks. While I can’t be considered an expert on his entire catalogue of work, I only have one album and a cover-EP’s worth of material, but yeah-Blunt Mechanic is good stuff.
Barnett’s known for his work with Kind of Like Spitting, a project that kept him busy for a decade. For that project, Barnett was at the helm with more than a few different collaborators coming and going. Kind of Like Spitting toured the country a bunch of times and released a whole mess of albums. They had something of a cult following and a lot of positive press. All of this positive momentum makes it stand to reason that Blunt Mechanic will be the kind of project a lot of people are looking forward to hearing.
Blunt Mechanic is more rockin’ than what people would have expected from Kind of Like Spitting. The guitars are thicker and louder, the songs more riffy and accessible. This description doesn’t cover all their work, but it is safe to say that Blunt Mechanic’s work falls more safely within the confines of the indie rock aesthetic than anything more often related to folk music.
To sweeten the deal just a bit more, Seattle Show Gal has tickets to give away for this show! Click HERE, or e-mail contests@seattleshowgal.com with “I want a Blunt Mechanic tune-up!” in the subject line for your chance to win a pair of tickets to the event. Don’t forget to include the name that the tickets should be held under at the door. Winner will be drawn at random at 3PM on the day of the show!
Sera Cahoone’s Music is beautiful in every way. From the simple arrangement of the music, to the highly personal content of her lyrics, her songs are easy to love. Her self titled debut album was released in 2006 and distributed under special agreement with Sub Pop, who quickly signed her to their label that same year. It received much love on KEXP and NPR, and she has since toured with the likes of Iron & Wine, The Long Winters, Son Volt, and Matt Costa.
In her latest effort Only As The Day Is Long, released in 2008, Cahoone continues where she left off. The record is full of songs about life, love, loss, longing, and a deep down hope that we really can get back all those things we have lost. It is after all, at it’s heart, Country music. On the title track Only As The Day Is Long, Cahoone spins a tale of the compromises that often come with being lonely. But she is also quick to point out that all things do pass.
“Lightnin strikes me only in waves
And I know I’m safe for now
But I know the rest is on it’s way
I know it isn’t easy
Nothin’ is the way I want it
All this will pass
Cause it’s only as the day is long”
Cahoone is headlining both days this weekend with the Moondoggies, and Widower or Magic Mtn depending on which night you get to go. The Tractor rarely gives anybody two night in a row, much less a Friday / Saturday night run. They usually only do that when they are pretty sure the nights will sell out. If you want in you better buy tickets, it will definitely be worth it as Sera shows is here in here video for “Baker Lake”, the second track off of Only As The Day Is Long.
At first listen, People Eating People has really interesting piano, a vixen of a lead singer, and a musical package worth talking about. Could I stop there and recommend you going to this show? YES! But there is so much more. Nouela Jonston, lead singer and principal songwriter of People Eating People, has one of the clearest, most accessible voices in Seattle. She has also been playing piano since she was a toddler, and she makes all of her fascinating, expressive hooks sound like child’s play. With such a friendly, poppy voice and unique talent, it would be natural for her to test the mainstream waters, but vixen Johnston takes People Eating People’s music way out into left field, just like a circus.
There is lots of variety to Jonston’s sound. At times, there is a little dark soul, Fiona Apple-esque, that will make the listener swelter. But if you’re in the mood for some high energy sing along music, there will be some of that too. Some of People Eating People’s best stuff is on the angsty side, so if you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, get over to the High Dive tonight; People Eating People have a few songs that will put voice to your inner most hatred.
In the featured song, “I Hate All My Friends,” you’ll get a taste of the intricate rhythm of well-stated rant. “I hate all my friends—every single one. I hate all my friends—every single one. All they ever do is take things from me!” The entire song is a similar rant. Come down to High Dive and get one of the best listening experiences in a live show you can get from a ranting vixen.
High Dive just gave us a pair of tickets to giveaway!!! For your chance to win, click HERE, or e-mail contests@seattleshowgal.com with the words “I hate all my friends–every single one!!!” in the subject line. The winner will be notified by 3pm via e-mail. See you at the show!
Band Members
Logan Borchardt – guitar
Tory Stolen – drums
Eli Show – guitar, vocals
Tony Helland – bass guitar
Isaac Show – drums
Dave Lethcoe – keyboard, trumpet
Tim Evenson – guitar, vocals
plus a host of revolving contributors
On December 8th, We All Have Hooks for Hands played at Neumos to a small yet enthusiastic crowd. Maybe it was the biting cold weather or the fact that Kid Cudi and Garage a Trois were playing sold out shows that same night, but the turnout for a Neumos show was disappointing, to say the least. Seattle band Doctor Doctor started the evening off, and I have to hand it to them for displaying a high energy level despite the mere handful of folks in attendance. Midway through their set, lead singer Nathan Gottlieb’s bouncy antics on stage drew more people into the venue from the neighboring bar, and had them bobbing their heads and dancing to the catchy Americana-pop tunes of Doctor Doctor, a fun, local rock band that should definitely be seen live. Another Seattle band, The Ironclads, were up next, and as far as anyone knew, they were the evening’s headliner. Neumos was filled with fans who sang along with The Ironclads, begged them for encores, and promptly left the venue after the band left the stage.
Those who left had no idea what they were missing. For the handful of us who stuck around for the real headliner, We All Have Hooks for Hands, were treated to a live show that few in Seattle have ever seen. According to the on-site interview I had with the band before the show, the band has played in Seattle several times in the past at smaller venues, before equally small audiences. They (and I) were expecting a much larger turnout at this show, given the venue, accompanying acts, our own preview, and the band’s earlier in-studio broadcast on KEXP, which you can listen to here. As an indie pop band with a decent sound reminiscent of The Shins and the full support of KEXP, it is difficult to surmise why the show was so poorly attended.
At any rate, the six guys who make up We All Have Hooks for Hands gave it their all, playing tracks off of their barely month-old sophomore album The Shape of Energy. With three guitarists, two drummers, and a lone trumpet/keyboardist, the band puts on a live show that is fun to watch, since there are so many band members on stage. The group has a solid, radiant sound that is subject to change depending on who is available to participate. For instance, the band’s first album The Pretender had nine members playing, while their newest release and current concert tour has only six. Since the band is a collective in terms of writing and playing music, their size and eclecticism of musical talent allow for experimenting with a variety of styles. Perhaps they need to continue experimenting to find that perfect balance of sound and publicity to finally play before the larger crowd that they deserve.
Please enjoy clips from the show, and an interview with the band.
Upcoming Shows
Dec 15 – Larimer Lounge – Denver, CO
Dec 17 – Slowdown – Omaha, NB
Dec 18 – Vaudeville Mews – Des Moines, IA
Dec 19 – Triple Rock – Minneapolis, MN
Dec 20 – Beaner’s Central – Duluth, MN
Dec 26 – Nutty’s North – Sioux Falls, SD
Some people might know Marcus Foster as the cohort of famous, musically-minded Hollywood heartthrob Robert Pattinson, but others know him for his amazing musical talent. Marcus was plucked out of obscurity and raised to fame with the song “Let me Sign,” co-written by fellow musican Bobby Long, and featured in the motion picture Twilight, performed by Rob Pattinson. Despite this connection to Twilight, don’t rush to assume that Marcus’ music appeals solely to the teen/tween “twilighters.” Marcus Foster is a young, 23 year old British singer/songwriter whose soulful, heartfelt folk is influenced by the music of Tom Waits and Bob Dylanas well as fellow musical mates Johnny Flynn and Bobby Long. Foster’s self titled EP was released on June 22nd and debuted at #1 on iTunes in the top album singer/songwriter category. Indeed, there is more to this guy than his celebrity connection to one of Hollywood’s hottest.
Tonight’s show at The Vera Project is a KEXP-recommended event and will feature Marcus Foster with fellow Brit Johnny Flynn. Sorry Twilight fans, Rob is not expected to appear, but do attend to get a listen and a glimpse of two of his closest friends. You won’t be disappointed. Buy tickets online HERE.
A young NPR listener’s dream, The Books make electronic and yet folky music that is absolutely saturated with samples. They’re different from anything you’ve heard, and really bring out the richness in what can truly seem like a mundane world. They’re the musical embodiment of that famous garbage bag that Ricky Fitts talked about ten years ago in American Beauty. Lucky for us, they’ll be performing in Seattle at the Triple Door tonight–and what a perfect setting. They augment the show by having a screen behind them playing video samples and home video outtakes. The video aspect of the live show really does bring out an emotional edge in their performance.
Cellos and folk guitars with light, sparse electronic beats is what they do. The Books sing sometimes, but not often. The artistry, for The Books, is in the science of finding the right samples, and they excel at it. They’re a subtle band that is rare to behold. The Books are a band that does not tour extensively and they’re finally releasing a new album after 2005’s Lost and Safe. Their new album will use samples exclusively from self-help tapes and hypnotherapy sessions–should be interesting.
This is the kind of show that is worth flying out of town for, so make sure to take advantage and catch it while they’re here in Seattle.
The premise of The Cave Singers anthology does not invoke the idea of the folk music they now play. Guitarist Derick Fudesco being the bassist for bands like Pretty Girls Make Graves and Murder City Devils, and singer Peter Quirk’s ties to punk band Hint Hint doesn’t induct an ideology of Dylon style folk music … but that is exactly what The Cave Singers peel, seaming the ties of past music experience into a new web of cultured folk rock.
However giving the band a genre of folk wouldn’t be good enough with adding the talents brought to the stage. The live show of The Cave Singers surpasses their Vancouver recorded production and gives the band an edge most folk bands don’t have. Varied with multiple instruments on stage and access to a bindery of live show experience, the entire band weave themselves into one instrument and transcribe the music to the audience with a very tangible, real essence. To envelope them into one sound wouldn’t be doing them justice, instead it has to be seen to be understood. The recording is only 40% of what the band can deliver, giving you recorded versions of The Cave Singers melodies and Quirks words but missing the final 60% which can only be deliver in person by the group themselves.
The band plays Neumos’s with Feral Children (the 2 of a 1 -2 knock out) and Shane Tutmarc presented by The Stranger and Easy Street Records. Tickets on sale now at: http://www.ticketswest.com, Moe Bar, select QFCs, Rudy’s Barbershops. But if birds aren’t the only thing that go “cheap cheap cheap,” you should click –>HERE<– or e-mail me at nikki@seattleshowgal.com with “The Cave Singers” in the subject line for your chance to get a pair of tickets for FREE! Don’t forget to include your names as you would like to have them listed at the door. The winner will be notified by E-mail.
Look. I’m not going to beat around the bush on this one: Great Lake Swimmers last show in Seattle was at The Tractor and it was absolutely flawless. Two SSG staffers that were there agree, and we have excitedly discussed this fact. How tightly they played was unbelievable. Tony Dekker’s vocals, unreal. They played a solid, long set with songs from all of their records and one compilation song, which Dekker introduced in his earnest and funny way. It was chock-full of folky goodness–they had the audience eating out of their hands. For the relatively small audience that the Tractor was able to fit in that night, they made a lot of noise for this band. They made noise as if they weren’t a folk band with a banjo and a fiddle. They made noise as though they were at a rock n’ roll show.
Here’s the good news: this week Great Lake Swimmers will be back again in support of their newest disc, Lost Channels, at The Crocodile. Not to be missed, folks.
They’ll be on tour in the US and Europe through December:
Oct 16 2009 8:00P The Crocodile Seattle, Washington
Oct 17 2009 8:00P Doug Fir Portland, Oregon
Oct 20 2009 8:00P The State Room Salt Lake City, Utah
Oct 21 2009 8:00P Larimer Lounge Denver, Colorado
Oct 22 2009 9:00P Bourbon Theatre Lincoln, Nebraska
Oct 23 2009 8:00P Memorial Union @ Universtiy of Wisconsin Madison, Wisconsin
Oct 24 2009 8:00P Illini Union Courtyard Cafe Urbana, Illinois
Oct 25 2009 8:00P The Cedar Cultural Center Minneapolis, Minnesota
Oct 26 2009 9:00P The Maintenance Shop at Iowa State University Ames, Iowa
Oct 28 2009 7:00P Lincoln Hall Chicago, Illinois
Oct 29 2009 9:30P Subkirke South Bend, Indiana
Oct 30 2009 8:00P Ladies Literary Club for Calvin College Grand Rapids, Michigan
Oct 31 2009 8:00P Turner Hall Ballroom Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Nov 11 2009 8:00P Komedia Brighton
Nov 13 2009 8:00P Crawdaddy Dublin
Nov 14 2009 8:00P Speakeasy Belfast
Nov 15 2009 8:00P Glee Club Birmingham
Nov 16 2009 8:00P Deaf Institute Manchester
Nov 17 2009 8:00P Metropolis Bristol
Nov 18 2009 8:00P Scala London
Nov 19 2009 8:00P Glaz’art Paris
Nov 21 2009 8:00P Le Vauban Brest
Nov 23 2009 8:00P Molotow Hamburg
Nov 24 2009 8:00P Festsaal Kreuzberg Berlin
Nov 25 2009 8:00P Steinbruch Duisburg
Nov 26 2009 8:00P King Georg Köln
Nov 27 2009 8:00P Friedenskirche Dachau
Nov 28 2009 8:00P Toutpartout 15 Years @ Botanique Brussel
Nov 28 2009 8:00P Toutpartout 15 years @ Botanique [Solo] Brussels
Nov 29 2009 8:00P Le Guess Who? Festival @ Tivoli [Solo] Utrecht
Nov 30 2009 8:00P MC Frits Philips [Solo] Eindhoven
Dec 1 2009 8:00P Railway Inn [Solo] Winchester
Dec 2 2009 8:00P The Garage [Solo] London
Dec 3 2009 8:00P Deaf Institute [Solo] Manchester
Dec 4 2009 8:00P Emporium [Solo] Rouen
Dec 5 2009 8:00P Le Scopitone [Solo] Paris
Seattle Show Gal is in hot pursuit of undiscovered talent! How many great bands are out there that are slipping through the cracks? Seattle is saturated with so much music, it would be nearly impossible to sift through it all to find the good stuff. The Seattle Show Gal staff is not so proud to think that we can bring you all of it, but we are actively pursuing all different types of acts to give you a pulse on what is going on--right here in Seattle! (See more in "About")
