Bumberrecap!

Happy 40th Anniversary, Bumbershoot

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I am a huge fan of forcing "bumber-" onto the front end of nouns when it comes to anything concerning this festival. So bumberbear with me as give a quick bumberrundown of the bumberweekend's bumbervents. Alright, now that I got that out of my system...

MIGHTY HEALTH-Y - HEALTH doesn't get enough props as a band. They're loud, they're dark, they lay down some heavy synth lines and they play live instruments too. I only caught last few songs of their set, but was thoroughly impressed with the little bit I did see. Definitely going to be checking them out again soon. Side note: HEALTH played on the new "Center Square Stage" in the vacant space where the Fun Forest used to be. The stage was surprisingly awesome, with good sightlines, great sound and a sweet spectacle when the monorail glides by in the background. It may or may not be there next year depending on what goes into that space, but I'm glad I got to see it.


KUNG-FUNK - The Budos Band is sick. Not just because they play music that's on some '70s kung-fu movie soundtrack funk that made me want to nunchuk someone in the face, but because one band member appeared to be an actual kung-fu master. While taking a quick break between songs to plug their new album and talk it up with the crowd for a second, one of the many corn tortillas whizzing around the crowd (seriously, this tortilla kid is at every Bumbershoot show every year) was coming in hot right in his direction. Without flinching or even changing his speech pattern, this guy snatched the thing out of midair in one swift Bruce Lee-backfist motion. The crowd erupted with cheers of approval. Then they played more of that uncut funk and everybody got back down, and it was all good.

HIPPIES STINK - That's actually a little harsh. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros were actually alright, but their ridiculous 11-person/56-instrument (hyperbole, kinda) soundcheck caused them to take the stage over 20 minutes late. The Broad Street Stage was perhaps the most packed I saw it all weekend, and everyone got pretty damn impatient before the show started. The performance was decent, with Edward Sharpe dancing around like a hobo jesus reveling in his own hippiedom as his band swayed and yelped along through their throwback flower-power jam band material. Songs like "40 Day Dream" and "Janglin" sounded good, a few they played in the middle did not, and set closer "Home," which was met with an uproar of cheers, oddly might've been the worst thing they played all night. Yet despite the questionable show quality, at the end of the day it was kind of fun to watch 11 weirdos jam out with each other in the shadow of the Space Needle at dusk.

DECAF ESPRESSO - Don't interpret that as me saying that their performance was weaker than usual, because it was anything but. P Smoov and Rik Rude, clad in snazzy black dress shirts, cool-guy shades and white neckties, put together a setlist of Glamour staples and some fresh unreleased bangers that succeeded in moving a 2:15 timeslot crowd. The catch here was that most of the audience packed up towards the front of the stage was under the legal drinking age. Most Fresh Espresso shows seem to go down within the confines of 21+ venues and clubs, so many of these minors were likely seeing them for the first time (my kid brother who also attended was among this demographic). They made the most of it by enthusiastically throwing hands in the air, shouting back for every call-and-response - they especially loved the now-classic "bitches, I have come here for my money" - and even crowd surfing. Fresh Espresso made the most of the hot crowd by wildin' out like they normally do, but with a rock-star confidence and some beastly new beats that the Bumbershoot PAs couldn't even handle at times. The show was another step in the group's rise to the forefront of "third-wave" Seattle rap, and judging from the new songs the upcoming album should be too. Mark my words, that "Hush" track is gonna be your jam.

SICKER THAN YO AVERAGE - Jay Electronica exceeded expectations. Great command of the mic, near-perfect annunciation of his lyrics, dope sample-laden beats, and the a mix of oddball and street content. The guy raps about DMT one minute and drive-bys the next without pausing his flow to let your ears catch up. Plus, he delivers lines like "my whole fam got my back like the Verizon man." Tell me you don't like that simile he used there. Yeah, that's what I thought.

A HELL OF A BLOKE - My friends and I happened to be at the Center House Bistro bar for a beer pit stop a bit after 8 p.m. on Sunday night. We decided to check out Billy Bragg at the Starbucks Stage since he was on at 8:30, and myself and one other friend were vaguely familiar with a couple of his songs. I half-expected him to be joined by a band onstage, but when he came on with only his guitar and two amps, I didn't know what to think. He started into the first few chords of "A New England" and began to sing, and a skeptical friend of mine leaned over and whispered "is this really all he does?" to which I replied "Shhh... just watch," hoping that things would turn out. And turn out, they did. He stood up there with nothing more than a guitar and cup of tea, and kept an entire crowd of people fixated on every wise bit of between-song banter or poignant, socially charged lyric. His songs seemed ageless, as their messages of monetary problems, social injustice and class struggles seemed perfectly suited for modern times. It wasn't loud or rowdy and there weren't any rippin' solos or 808 hits, but it was one of the best sets I saw during the weekend. The guy is truly an artist, thinker, musician and activist, and I am lucky to have seen him live.

FOREVER YOUNG - Everybody knows Weezer hasn't been a good band since the late '90s. I only kind of know this though, because I have refused to pay any attention to them since they started sucking. Weezer a special place in my heart, as their debut Blue Album was the first CD I ever owned. Needless to say, I was down since day one. How could an elementary school (yes, I was really that young) kid not love cutesy alternative power-pop? I absolutely ate up the lyrics about Buddy Hollys and Mary Tyler Moores, about Kitty Pryde and surfing to work. Since this put them atop such a pedestal in my mind, I have always refused to risk desecrating my impression of them by submitting myself to anything post-Green Album. Still, I had some lingering doubts about how their Mainstage set was going to be. They proved to be completely unfounded, as Weezer put together an epic set full of old favorites that just may have been the festival's most fun. They played a ton of Blue Album songs, including "My Name is Jonas," "Surf Wax America," "Undone (The Sweater Song)," "Say It Ain't So," and encore closer "Buddy Holly." I will so far as to say that it is humanly impossible to not enjoy yourself while belting out every lyric to these now-classic rock anthems alongside thousands of other longtime fans. It was my first time seeing Weezer (they charge so damn much for their arena shows), and hearing those old favorites made me feel like an excited little kid again. Rivers Cuomo was animated and restless, climbing up and on top of anything and everything he could. They played a cover of MGMT's "Kids" - which I couldn't decide was more them saying "Yeah, we're old but we love the music these young kids are making now" or "Yeah we're old and we can't write good songs anymore so we're gonna play these cool young kids' song instead" - and Cuomo even donned a blonde wig and burst into a verse and chorus of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" in the middle of it. They even ended the show by all grabbing a pair of sticks and joining drummer Pat Wilson behind his kit to bang out an outro group drum solo. It was a triumphant end to an amazing show, one that made you forget about where the band's career is at now and instead remember the songs of theirs that will always stay with you.

I didn't make it out for Day 3 on account of things getting expensive and it raining a whole crap-ton. But even at two days, Bumbershoot 2010 was another smashing success. I love this festival and this great city, and can't wait to see who's on the bill for next year.

Capitol Hill Block Party - Another one for the record books

The Dead Weather: Yup, I saw Jack White play drums
AND guitar live. Checking that one off the Bucket List

With the madness of Block Party slowly fading into memory, I thought I would share a few personal highlights from the weekend before it becomes old news. Here's a few notables from the shows I got to see...

SHABAZZ PALACES - Having to work on the night of Shabazz's first show was one of the worst decisions I've made in 2010. As such, I made it a point to see them in action as the first set of my Block Party experience. Though both EPs/microalbums have been in my regular rotation since last year, I had some doubts about how the duo's dark, heady beats, relevant, afrocentric lyrical content and South End/CD aesthetic would translate with the party-ready, mostly (to be real, almost entirely) white crowd - many of whom likely hadn't heard a single track of theirs before Friday. From the start it was evident the sound levels were mixed in a horrendous manner, not exactly placing the odds in their favor. One moment Ish Butler's vocals were clearly audible over the turned-down laptop backing track, the next they were drowned out and garbled by the thunderous bass knocks. Still, SP's beats were unlike anything many of the attendees had heard before, and the masses looked on intrigued by the electronic and traditional instrumentation from onstage. Aside from the crappily-mixed levels, I personally thought the show was great. The setlist included some of my favorite Shabazz tracks - "Hottabatch," "Blastit..," (one of the only songs that sounded spot on, the tinkling live instruments accompanying the chest-caving bass perfectly) "Kill White T..." and "Find Out." The crowd seemed enthused but unsure, as if seeds of curiosity had been unknowingly planted in their brains. I couldn't help but curse the sound guy for hindering Shabazz Palaces' chances of completely converting the ignorant masses, but people still seemed to dig it. Fair enough.

LOCAL MUSIC > "HIP" BANDS - I'll be the first to admit that I sometimes forsake some of the local bands and groups I see on a regular basis for the chance to catch a big, world-touring national act. I was presented with such a choice when Yeasayer's main stage set time conflicted with Champagne Champagne's Neumo's performance, and I initially went with the hip name. But after standing through the first half or so of the Brooklyn band's performance, I found myself thoroughly bored. I tried to stick around to see a few of my favorite songs live, but even those came off as thin, muted and even soulless. Since I had somehow secured a spot near the front of the beer garden I popped into Neumo's to check out the Champagne gang, who I have seen, in all seriousness, upwards of ten times. What I found was a packed, sweaty mass of fans transfixed at what was going down onstage. Pearl Dragon and Thomas Grey were straight killing, commanding the crowd with every move and uttered syllable while DJ Gajamajic mashed keys and tweaked knobs to provide the electronic canvas for the MCs to get crazy on. I heard a couple impressive new songs during the short time I was there, as well as some of their standard live material that boasted a more professional and polished sheen. Three Seattle dudes who are relative unknowns on the national scale completely outdid a Pitchfork-friendly Brooklyn band, and I'm glad I got to witness a part of it. And after thinking back on all of the sets I caught over the weekend, I realized that I saw a lot of local bands exceed expectations and a lot of national acts really come up short. Viva la musica de Seattle.

(FR)ATMOSPHERE - Seriously, did anyone see Neumo's, the Vitaminwater Social Club or almost any part of that block of 10th Ave after his Saturday night set? It was like being at a UW frat party. And by that I mean there were a lot of belligerently wasted dudes in polo shirts grinding on girls to techno music. I heard one of them talk about how incredibly mind-blowing the show was as I passed through the train wreck of a scene, but something tells me that guy hasn't seen much live music lately. I was a huge Atmosphere fan in my high school days and definitely enjoyed the nostalgia of his God Loves Ugly performance selections, but the show was very okay to me. Needless to say, I hightailed it to the other side of 10th and took a break from the crowds at Cal Anderson for a bit, where I happened to witness a hilarious spectacle I need to divulge on here...

A circle had gathered in the center of the field, and kids were drinking gas-station six-packs and smoking various things while a local musician troupe entertained with acoustic guitars, tambourines and sea-shanty-esque singing. Peaceful, groovy, all that nonsense. A bit of an argument broke out between a group of apparent out-of-towners and a Hill local over something, and it ended with the local dude getting up off the ground and saying, "Fuck you, I actually live here! Fucking Canadian Hipsters! MGMT was yesterday, now go home!" Right as the onlooking crowd was about to chalk up the win for him (obviously because of that MGMT line), he grabbed his fixed gear bike and tried to hop on. In his drunken state he barely even got one foot on before tripping a tiny bit at first. He then failed to catch himself, took a couple steps forward to correct it, completely overcompensated for the missteps and ended up stumbling head over heels over his bike as it fell sideways to the ground. It was probably one of those had-to-be-there moments, but everyone who saw it was rolling with uncontrollable laughter as the poor guy angrily stomped off. The guy went from being a badass, hipster-dissing local to klutzy, fixed-gear poser in a matter of seconds. Hilarious.

Speaking of...

MGMTWTF? - Yeah, see my earlier post about that. I had to be bummed out to write something like that at 11 a.m. the morning after. Too bad I still listen to them regularly, and am really rooting for them to pull their shit together and start becoming the band they're capable of. Anyhoo, one more sentiment from the last day of the weekend...


THE BLUE SCHOOL: BACK IN SESSION - The Blue Scholars' setlist was ideal for the outdoor summer evening setting. "Cruz," and "HI-808" sounded better than they ever have before in the evening sunshine, and "Sagaba," an old favorite of mine was perfect amid the picturesque background, nothing short of amazing. They unveiled a few new tracks and beats, all of which sounded great, and announced that their next album - entitled "Cinemetropolis" - will be dropping early next year. Just when you thought they had left the scene to the young-guns and Third-Wavers, the Blue School is back in session. Only this time, it may be more like graduate school given the experience both Geo and Sabzi have under their belts now. These guys are still the frontrunners of local hip-hop, and I have a feeling the new album will make us feel stupid for ever thinking otherwise.

Lest you forget...

They actually sound like this picture looks, too

Hey, remember that sweet-ass band The Black Angels that came out with two extremely solid LPs a few years ago? The ones that harnessed elements of Southern psych-rock, drone and garage into one trippy, reverb-drenched, dark-as-hell throwback sound? If you haven't heard (and you might've already, I've been meaning to post this for a week or two) they are releasing their third effort Phosphene Dream on September 14th, and I'm pretty darn excited. I do worry the slightest bit about the fact that The Black Angels have parted ways with local label Light in the Attic in favor of the newly-resurrected Blue Horizon Records, as the media barons at Warner Bros. are behind its new incarnation. But after listening to the album's first single "Bad Vibrations," the band appears to pick up right where they left off. Eerie, delay-heavy effects stutter in and lay the backdrop for a simple, sinister lead riffs that trudge along as vocalist Alex Maas spins unsettling couplets until it shifts gears into a frantic shuffle of an outro. This one's quite the welcome listen after not hearing from these guys in a while, and I hope the rest of the album lives up to the promise that "Bad Vibrations" puts forth. Click the link below for a free e-mail download.

  

Wolf Parade @ Showbox Market - 7.26.10

Only Canadians can look like this and still be badasses

*Originally written for and posted on Ear Candy*

Wolf Parade has been at the forefront of post-millennial indie rock since their groundbreaking 2005 debut Apologies to the Queen Mary, and they proved it by packing the Showbox Market to capacity Monday night. This wasn't just any Monday either, but the one following the first ever three-day Capitol Hill Block Party. Since the Montreal quartet caters to a similar crowd as the bands at said Block Party, many attendees likely braved vicious hangovers, sobering work days and aching, tired bodies to see one of their rare in-town appearances. Although these factors could've worked against them, Wolf Parade brought their A-game and played a tight, technical, impressive set of fan favorites and new material alike.

Starting with the opening track "Soldier's Grin" from sophomore album At Mt. Zoomer, Wolf Parade sounded synced up and ready to wow the crowd. After immediately following with "What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way)," vocalist and keyboard master Spencer Krug told the audience "We're gonna try to place a good mix of old and new songs." It proved to be exactly that as the Canadians switched off between newly released Expo 86 tracks like "Palm Road" and "Cloud Shadow on the Mountain" and their bread-and-butter older songs like "Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts," "This Heart's on Fire," and "I'll Believe in Anything" - the latter of which almost brought the house down quite literally. I saw a lot of typical hipster head-bobbing during the first song or two, but the crowd became a packed herd of stomping, fist-pumping fans after witnessing what was going on in front of them. Krug even confessed to digging the "house party vibe" - probably from the genuinely enthusiastic music fans still riding that CHBP buzz - apparently permeating the venue.

Krug and co-vocalist/guitarist Dan Boeckner were truly mind-blowing in their command of their instruments, the crowd and show in general. The two harmonized and traded off vocal duties (despite sounding nearly identical), Krug hunched over an array of keyboards, synth pads and controllers as Boeckner rocked the crap out of his axe, only pausing to hold it down on keys as backup-yet-lead guitarist Dante DeCaro wailed several tastefully technical solos. Drummer Arlen Thompson was all splashy cymbals and flashy bass/snare fills, hitting his toms sparingly but adding skillful flourishes showing he was on par with his bandmates. I don't care who you are or what you listen to, it's always great fun watching four crazy-talented musicians who are all on the same page and tearing it up on their respective instruments. 

They ended their normal set with At Mt. Zoomer standout "California Dreamer," speeding up the tempo to drive home the song's pounding snare of a chorus. After Wolf Parade initially exited the crowd didn't budge or quiet down in the slightest bit, and the band returned to play one more song from each album - the first album's opener "You Are a Runner and I am My Father's Son," Expo 86's stellar "Yulia," and the extensive, dynamic Mt. Zoomer closer "Kissing the Beehive." The song's closing repetitive rock-out chant of "Fire in the Hole, Fire in the Hole, Fire in the Hole" sounded straight intense live, and was a perfect end to the rousing set. Wolf Parade's technical prowess, near-perfect synchronization and ability to translate great live performances from fan-favorite songs demonstrated why they were heralded by critics and listeners in the first place, and proved that they haven't lost a step three albums later.

MGMT's Capitol Hill Block Party Set..

Seriously, they stayed in those exact positions the entire night

Unfortunately validated the notion that they are listless and boring live performers. And that is painful for me to admit. You see, I'm sort of one of those MGMT fans, the kind that would probably wear neon war paint and a headdress to their shows if the textbook hipster irony wasn't so apparent to me. "Time to Pretend," as cliche as it sounds, is like a generational manifesto to me with it's sigh-inducing nostalgia/somber acceptance of adulthood lyrics, and I honestly consider "Kids" to be one of the finest songs ever written (a lot of it has to do with the specific memories I associate with it, but that's an entirely different story). What the fuck happened last night then?

It actually started off well, with them choosing to go with "Destrokk" as the set opener. Quite the out-of-left-field choice, considering it's a rather random track from the Time to Pretend EP. Despite that fact, it's a damn good song, and I proceeded to join about four other people in singing along to all the words. The following songs sounded great too - highlights included "Flash Delirium," "The Handshake," and crowd favorite "Electric Feel." But when frontman Andrew Vanwyngarden picked up an acoustic guitar to start off a lengthy run of downtempo songs - "Pieces of What," "Weekend Wars," etc. - things quickly went downhill. Seriously guys, nobody wants to hear 12+ boring, directionless minutes of fucking "Siberian Breaks" at a festival. Like a friend of mine said, "I hate when bands like this try to force songs down your throat." When you're playing for a large crowd of people that jam a few of your songs on playlists and are there to primarily have a good time, you have to tailor the setlist to accommodate. Clearly, MGMT doesn't realize this. Come on guys, you're the freakin HEADLINER. And it doesn't help your case when you play them with zero movement, expression or emotion.

They were, however, able to save the performance from completely going down in flames with those two fall-back anthems - "Time to Pretend" and "Kids," both of which had thousands of people singing along with every word, and the latter of which provoked a dance party to close down the night of shows. I however, in all my fanboyishness, felt so bummed out by one of my favorite bands' jaded performance that I chose to forgo any afterparty festivities and head home defeated. MGMT has skyrocketed to indie fame in the last couple years, but they have just as many skeptics and naysayers as they do dedicated fans. Last night's Block Party performance showed that they have a long, long way to go before they reach what many listeners, including myself, think they're capable of.

Yelawolf @ Nectar - 7.16.10

Oh shit, someone made him go and pop the trunk - on THEMMM

This half-white, half-Cherokee Alabama MC straight tore up Nectar Lounge in Fremont Friday night. While his free mixtape Trunk Muzik set the blogosphere ablaze with hype, I personally thought the tracks were hit-or-miss. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and decided to check it out (winning free tickets from The Stranger didn't hurt either), and holy crap am I glad I did. Yelawolf's lanky, tattooed frame stalked across the stage as he delivered each rapid-fire syllable perfectly on point, his Dirty South slaps sounding enormous in the packed club. Commanding the crowd's attention right out the gate, he started his set off with the anthemic bangers "Trunk Muzik," "Good to Go," and "Box Chevy Part 3." People ate up the club-ready Southern sound and drank up plenty of booze on the Friday summer  night, and it wasn't too long before they were riled up into a moshing, elbow-throwing frenzy. The rapper seemed genuinely stoked on the energy in the building, proclaiming his love for Seattle and the West Coast, egging on the moshing types ("That's your boy! Ain't no pussies up in here!"), and even taking a stage dive into the safety-net crowd (everyone's hands were already way, way up). He tore through just about every song in his catalogue, even offering tributes to Eazy-E and Pimp C over the "Boyz N Tha Hood" and "Sippin on Some Syrup" beats. After blowing the damn roof off with the sneering closer "Pop the Trunk" (at like 1:30 am, too), the mixed crowd emptied out of the venue sweaty, drunk and wide-eyed at what they just saw. And judging from the large amount of local rappers in the crowd (taking notes, maybe?) with similar expressions, I think it was unanimous - now THAT, my friends, is how you rock a rap show.

WTF? This blog still exists?

Yeah, I know. After starting the gig over at Ear Candy (which has been great, btw) as well as a new full-time, 8-5, grown-ass-man job at the beginning of April, your boy here at Hella Progressive has been on his grind. It's been tough to find time to write - scratch that - to sit in front of a computer for even longer than I already do at work now - than with my previous schedule. Plus, Steve Jobs and his cronies over at Apple crushing Lala with their corporate muscle didn't help a bit. But enough is enough, true believers, and I'm going to be doing a complete website overhaul over the next week or two. Expect some new html and widget hotness in addition to plenty more of the progressive-ass music stuff the four or five of you used to come here for. Stay tuned, and come back soon...