Seattle has a really strong hip hop scene, but often overlooked are the many female fronted groups that are also out there holdin’ it down. Whether you are unfamiliar with this side of the scene or an avid supporter, make sure you get down to Neumos Tuesday night to check out the action. THEE Satisfaction will be bringing their upbeat positive flows, and sweet dance moves to the stage to headline this all female review.
Their style is a blend of classic hip-hop hooks and smooth R&B vocal overlays reminiscent of Erykah Badu. Tracks such as “Waltz” are clean, jazzy, rhythmic, and have vocals that will leave you bobbing your head. Musically, they are solid all the way around, and as stage presence goes, you will not be disappointed. These ladies know how to perform. Check out this track from their set at Sneaker Pimps, and then go to their Myspace for a better listen.
If you ever found yourself on Katie Kate’s myspace, you wouldn’t have to look around very long before you started to notice that she is a bit of a contradiction. Self proclaimed farm girl turned hip-hop star, her music is a clever mixture of urban tales and country innuendo; particularly the track “hunting,” a song about hitting the club and looking to hook up, euphemized with lines about guns and bait. Her rhymes are smart and smooth, as are the beats and hooks. If you’ve never seen her, take the time this Tuesday to head down to Neumos. It’s a pretty deep bill, with Canary Sing, Lisa Dank, Queerbait, Sap’n, and DJ Colby B. Show starts at eight so get there early!
Oh Captain, My Captain, who hail from Portland Oregon and reference both Walt Whitman and one of the most inspirational/emotional moments in the cinema of the late 80s, will be playing the Sunset Tavern in Ballard tonight. They take their influential cues from The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and modern indie rock, mixing the sets of influences with deftness and surprising ease. Oh Captain, My Captain will play with The Globes and Little Pieces
Seattle’s The Soft Hills have a soft, psychedelic sound that brings to mind the lighter touch of the piano-heavy Radiohead songs and “Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometimes” by Beck. Their Painted World EP is exceptional. The Soft Hills perform at The Tractor Tavern with The Oregon Donor and The Horde and the Harem. The Horde and the Harem has been on the SSG radar again since they annexed the infamous Lisa Dank. Word on the street is that their sound is much better and their all around appeal has gone up. Tonight will be very interesting at the Tractor Tavern.
The New Law’s – Free Halloween Matinee Bootleg EP is currently making me smile–a big smile. The New Law is comprised of Seattle based producers Adam Straney and Justin Neff, and they make music that covers the electronic genre list from hip-hop, trip-hop, dubstep, to drum n’ bass. The list of influences on their myspace page goes on and on, and after a while it becomes difficult to pin them down. If you like your music electronic and experimental but still danceable, this is the show for you.
Boy Eats Drum Machine would seem like a sort of “odd man out” with his more down to earth brand of groovy, electronic pop music infused with infectious and funky beats, turntable scratches, and an incredibly well-placed element of the saxophone. A native of Portland, OR, Jon Ragel is the immensely talented, multi-instrumentalist behind Boy Eats Drum Machine(BEDM). BEDM headlined the evening of January 3rd in Seattle, WA’s Nectar Lounge with over-the-top supporting acts Fun Fun Fun, Lisa Dank, and No-Fi Soul Rebellionwith local DJs FILEJERKS spinning records between sets.
BEDM played tracks from Hoop + Wire (slated for release on March 2, 2010 on the Tender Loving Empire label), songs from his splendidly groove-oriented and appropriately named LP Booomboxxx, as well as songs from previous releases. With an incredible sense of timing and placement, Ragel jumped from turntable to saxophone to floor tom with such seemingly effortless skill. Despite the occasional slip-up Ragel managed to maintain a lighthearted air about him as he danced and sang to his finely crafted and uplifting pop tunes.
A particular highlight of the evening was being able to spend a few moments in conversation with Ragel before the evening’s festivities began. Ragel is a very personable individual, passionate about his craft and humble about the incredible success he’s obtained in recent years. Having been reviewed in countless publications and blogs, and also being featured on NPR’s Second Stage, a program which features bands and artists who are either unsigned or relatively unknown, Ragel remains focused on expressing himself through his artwork while exhibiting an impressive business sense as he takes on the challenges of getting his work out into the world for as many people as possible to experience.
BEDM will be at The Sunset Tavern on February 25th with Finn Riggins of Idaho, and Seattle’s very own The Globes. The CD release party for Hoop + Wire scheduled to take place in Portland, OR on February 27 at the Doug Fir Lounge with Finn Riggins and Brothers Young of Portland, OR. Boy Eats Drum Machine is definitely an act to keep an eye on, and is highly recommended them if you find yourself in the mood for an interesting show.
Upcoming Shows
Jan 28 – Portland Music Awards – Portland, OR
Feb 25 – Sunset Tavern – Seattle, WA
Feb 27 – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR
Feb 28 – Muse Lounge – Eugene, OR
Mar 6 – Muddy Waters Cafe – Santa Barbara, CA
Mar 9 – The Prospector – Long Beach, CA
Mar 17 – SXSW – Austin, TX
Lisa Dank is certainly out to make a statement. The particulars of that statement will most likely differ from person to person, but love her or hate her, everyone can surely agree that Lisa Dank just wants to have fun. For one thing, she was certainly out to kick off the first few days of the new year with all the glamour and glitz she could muster with her recent January 2 performance at Seattle, WA’s The Nectar Lounge, sharing the stage with local DJs FILEJERKS, Fun Fun Fun of Seattle, WA, No-Fi Soul Rebellion from Bellingham, WA, and Boy Eats Drum Machine from Portland, OR.
Dank was joined on stage by two backup singers/dancers known as The White Widows adorned in black t-shirts displaying Dank’s last name (stage name?) as the acronym “D.A.N.K.” meaning “Dance Awesome Naked Killer.” The graphics on the shirts were designed in a fashion similar to that of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program, but Dank’s lyrics definitely reflect a more liberal philosophy to drugs, namely marijuana. Dank herself had several outfits throughout her performance, one of which was a very retro set of workout tights with a fanny pack to top it all off. Not to be bothered by the constraints of modesty and vocal talent (more appropriately, the lack thereof) Lisa Dank and The White Widows danced, twirled, crawled, sang, and danced some more in a performance that very much resembled an exhibition for a high school talent show.
Credit must be given to Dank and The White Widows for the fearlessness and fervor they displayed as they made their way through a set list consisting of dance club, pop songs which spoke about the joys of getting high, the joys of social networking websites, and how men just want…well, your tits. Leaving the stage for a few minutes while The White Widows danced for the crowd, Dank reappeared decorated in an outfit worthy of a (once again) high school rendition of Moulin Rouge. Resembling something like a Sesame Street peacock, Dank and The White Widows brought the evening to a very energetic close with song about her favorite ‘herb.’
If you happen to find yourself at a Lisa Dank show, chances are you’re either an understanding friend, family member, or are just there to see some other group. Lisa Dank doesn’t seem to take herself and her music too seriously, and it helps if you don’t either. What Lisa Dank is doing isn’t all bad and she certainly must be commended for having a good time and trying to share that same good time with people in the audience, but in all seriousness, there plenty of acts who do it so much better.
Dillinger Four are practically legendary by this point, having gained the kind of devout, mostly word-of-mouth based audience that a band like Propagandhi has enjoyed for years. Playing fast and sloppy but still poppy punk rock, Dillinger Four’s live show is something not to be missed.
Dillinger Four are known for the drunken mess that their live shows are comprised of, sing alongs, stage-diving, a potential for hairy nudity, and a lot of inebriated, messy fun. This is one show that is bound to be a good time, even for the folks who’ve never listened to the band at length.
Or if hip(ster)-hop tickles your fancy, Mad Rad is going to be getting buck at Nectar Lounge tonight! It’s Psmoov’s birthday and I hear he is already drunk. If it has been a hot minute since you’ve seen Mad Rad, tonight would be the perfect night to break yourself back in. Psmoov is guaranteed to break something tonight at Nectar; hopefully, it won’t be Lisa Dank’s skull again.
The Harem: Lisa Dank: Vocals
The Horde:Ryder: Vocals, Keys – Badger: Percussion – Thor: Bass, Guitar – Noble: Guitar
The Horde and the Harem was an enigma in that their greatest asset was also their weakest link — The Harem. If The Horde stood alone as a band of four, their talent would be arguably solid, but they wouldn’t be anything to write home about. With the Harem, The Horde has an audacious center piece. At the show under review, The Harem came with high-voltage shock value, but her musical talent was sporadic at best.
At the debut performance of The Horde and The Harem, Lisa Dank was reminiscent of the character Lina Lamont from “Singing in the Rain.” What is the connection between the burlesque Harem and a 1951 fictional movie star? In “Singing in the Rain,” Lina Lamont was a movie star in the era of silent films. She was gorgeous, a great performer, and not to be reckoned with. But, when silent films became obsolete, so did Lina Lamont — her voice was atrocious! The only way to save the shrew’s career when silent films transitioned into musicals was to have a double perform her vocals while she lip-synced. In regards to our modern day shrew, her magnitude of force was focused more on stage presence than vocal skill. The majority of her vocals landed as if she wasn’t even looking for a particular note. It was almost as if Lisa didn’t care to sing, but since she was on stage, it was obligatory for her to make some contribution other than dancing. It might be harsh to say that Lisa Dank stank, but it is fair to say that “her many talents” are served better away from microphone.
On the plus side, the audacity of Lisa Dank’s stage presence made it impossible for the crowd to tear their eyes off of her. Her level of commitment was fierce; there were moments when she was rocking so hard, she nearly broke her own neck. She gave herself to the music as if she were a human sacrifice. Her appeal was for those who were intrigued with the overtly sexy; she put it out there with no shame. Whether Lisa Dank will get far in this industry remains to be seen; it wouldn’t be a surprise if she succeeds — sex sells.
As far as the rest of the band was concerned, Ryder was the other stand out. He had very compelling vocals and clean keys. The rest of the band was good support. All together, they gave an entertaining show.
Please enjoy footage from The Horde and the Harem’s debut performance at Neumos.
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")
