I’ve been getting into several new albums of late, and when that happens, I often want to play several songs from the same band on my radio show. I restrained myself, narrowing it down to a pair each; that’s the theme of tonight’s show – doubles. I’ll be playing back-to-back tracks from each artist I play tonight, including new stuff by The Besnard Lakes, Wolf People, King Tuff, and Arrington de Dionyso’s Malaikat dan Singa. We begin, however, with a band I originally covered way back in 2010: Young Hunting. (more…)
Last weekend was my grandmother’s Celebration of Life. It would have been her 92nd birthday. We all had margaritas (it was also Cinco de Mayo; I had three) and told funny stories about her life. It was a blast, a good closure and celebration to a woman who meant a lot to a lot of people. (more…)
In the photo above you can see Phil Elverum (Mount Eerie, Microphones, D+), Calvin Johnson (The Cave Dwellers, The Halo Benders, K Records), and Karl Blau (Karl Blau, D+). So yes, it is that time of year again. The sun is out (for once) in Western Washington and all the unique individuals in Anacortes come out of their hiding places (and their friends come up from Olympia) for the annual What The Heck Fest! I went last year (hence the above photo) and things went down like this: watched some bands in a park, ate a sandwich in town, watched more bands, slept some, took a walk to Whistle Lake with some friends, watched more bands, drank some beers. (more…)
You may know Arrington de Dionyso from his other alter ego as the front-man of Old Time Relijun. When I saw the band open for HEALTH at SXSW back in 2007, it was one of those special moments – the kind you never forget. Shows like this, ones with wild stage antics, are the best to photograph and the best to watch. Grabbing a bass clarinet, an instrument whose presence is odd in virtually all forms of music with exception to classical, de Dionyso crafts breathtaking chaos. (more…)
This is it, the last call. The last show. And yet it’s a first for me; my first time visiting the Department Of Safety in Anacortes. The evening began with a brief drive along dark highways to the town known most, perhaps, for its ferry system connecting mainland Washington with the San Juan Islands. Eight years before, in 2002, the Department Of Safety opened with a show featuring performances from Karl Blau, P:Ano, and, among others, Microphones. This night would be quite similar, though also on the bill was LAKE and Arrington de Dionyso (of Old Time Relijun). (more…)