Long gone are the days when hip hop music was simply about how flashy your car is or how great blood diamonds look around your neck.  Nowadays it is more important to have a good head on your shoulders, a great rhythm, and maybe even a live full 8 piece live band?  And  here in the heartland of the Northwest, there happens to be a fabulous group who has all of these elements and so much more.  There are known as Flying Spiders.  And they are everything an indie music …

We arrived at What The Heck after perusing Shipwreck Day and grabbing some eats at Gere-A-Deli to catch the second half of Takhoma’s set. On stage was Phil Elverum and another fellow I met briefly the day after (Sunday) but failed to get a name. Elverum was on drums and the unnamed guy played guitar and sang.

The stars seemed to align in the 120 year old neighborhood of Brownes Addition in the fair city of Spokane. We had downright miserable weather just a few days prior, but with the 5th Annual Elkfest well underway, it was bright, shining, and thunderous with activity as the big night came upon the thousands of locals who would flock to the neighborhood known for it’s classic homes turned into kitchenette apartments and friendly bungalows.

Living amidst the wheat fields in eastern WA has reminded me lately of how well small towns can be suited to particular things. Locally grown food, irresistible coffee shops, and most importantly the glory of house-shows. The independent music spectrum lends itself well to the intimacy of a house-show performance.

There are a few reasons I rarely go to shows, and to be honest it’s a shame. First and foremost is the time of day. I’m usually in bed by 10:30PM, which isn’t conducive to witnessing live music. Second is the awkward moments prior to showtime — inevitably, I am that guy standing in the corner against the wall pretending to be absorbed in texting or Facebooking or Tweeting because, despite arriving 45 minutes after doors, the first band is still nowhere near starting. And I …

Someone once told me music is a spiritual experience; to listen to it is to allow ourselves to become a part of something intricately beautiful, difficult, and communal. Indeed there is something irrevocably spiritual about the music of Horse Feathers; a depth and lushness in their simple tone and candor that lifts us into a place of rumination.

Located in the heart of downtown Spokane sits what might possibly be the most ill coordinated bars on earth. Yes, for an act to play “Baby Bar” (the actual bar area only being a 12 ft by 12 ft room), actually means you will be squeezing you and your gear into a devastatingly small spot next to a couple of pinball machines in the burrito restaurant that makes up the majority of the building (Neato Burrito, without a doubt the best burrito in Spokane.) But, for the likes …

The night air is getting chillier here in downtown Spokane. Summer is officially winding down. School started this week, but every hip cat from Lewis & Clark down to Shadle Park High seemed to be at The Empyrean this night. It was obvious they were here mainly in support of a few of their friends, known as Sassmatrons, coming on stage who, despite their youth, showed an immense amount of energy and potential and a very broad range of talent. Despite having a less-than seasoned approach …

Adorned in a heavy, lo-fi reverb, The Mallard plays light, fluffy garage pop music that a few friends have been raving about of late. They hit me up, thinking I’d like it, and they were right. The band boasts four members; what’s unique, however, is that they all belong to the same body. The body is that of a woman simply titled Greer. The right foot gets the kick drum, the left the hi-hat tambourine. The arms and fingers play guitar, and vocals are left …

The stars aligned, and the patio was full. It was another beautiful cigarette burned night in the great city of Portland. And gracing the stage on this weekend’s eve night was none other than one of the finest gaggle of neanderthals to grab a few instruments, as well as a few dozen pints, and put on a display of some of the most exciting world music you could ever hear. The Fenbi International Superstars were out in full force to celebrate Hop & Vine’s 2nd anniversary as …