[review] White Denim @ Neumos (1-24-2010)

Third Time's the Charm

Last night Seattle was treated to White Denim's third appearance. Unfortunately for the band, they happened to pick a rainy Sunday night for their latest exposion. Having attended their past two shows, I was expecting the usual tepid crowd one draws on such an evening, however, much to my surprise, numerous disciples of rock & roll made their pilgrimage to Neumos for a spiritual experience. And disappointed they were not... but we'll get to that later.

Last night's story begins with Brazos - an Austin, TX trio whose sweet-sounding set was truly charming. Starting off with a solo performance of "We Understand Each Other", lead singer Martin Crane's soft, southern croon was instantly captivating. Once the rest of the band joined in, the tempo picked up with a tribal drum-driven rendition of "The Observer". The rest of the set included Phosphorescent Blues' heavy-hitters. If you don't own their debut album, yet, I highly recommend you test drive this bad boy. I'm not really sure how to classify their genre, but listening to their debut LP evokes feelings of some long-lost, breezy summer afternoon - simply timeless. Brazos closed their set with an oldie - Feeding Frenzy's "Interlocking" - which was a fitting end to a wonderful opener. Set list below:

Brazos set list:
We Understand Each Other
The Observer
Tell
Day Glo
Downtown Boys
Kid
Interlocking

Up next came the main event: White Denim. Like I alluded to earlier, the crowd size nearly doubled before WD took the stage. If fans intended to hear the band's catalog performed exactly like it sounds on record, then they were in for a surprise. It's because White Denim understands that a concert isn't just about the music, but more importantly, it's about the performance. What you experience at their live shows is raw energy on stage, like controlled chaos. The band plays huge blocks of nonstop hits, masterfully tearing down the end of each song while seamlessly building a new jam from the destruction.

Kicking off the night with one of my personal favorites "Heart From Us All", WD proceeded to play three 30-minute jam sessions before calling it a night. I'm not sure if the band has invested in new equipment, but it was the best these guys have sounded live, in my opinion. Amongst the fury of Josh Blocks machine-gun drumming, the turbo-grooves of bassist Steve Terebecki, and the soul-powered screams of James Petralli, the crowd heard classics like "Darksided Computer Mouth", "Let's Talk About It", "Ieieie", "Shake Shake Shake", "Paint Silver Gold", and "Goldie Locks". To my surprise, it was the songs from the band's newest LP Fits that garnered the biggest reaction from the crowd. That's a huge difference than the last two times I've seen these guys. Newer jams included "All Consolation", "Syncn", "Mirrored And Reverse", "El Hard Attack", and "I Start To Run". As the night came to a close, the band thanked us all for coming out and promptly left the stage. However, after many chants and pleads for more songs, the band came back for an encore set (which they looked very surprised to have earned the privilege). The night concluded with "I'd Have It Just The Way We Were", followed by the loop-heavy "Don't Look At It That Way". But what finished the night off was simply amazing. Direct from the archives of White Denim pre-history, the band shut Neumos down with a killer performance of Parque Touch's "You". Hell of a show - hell of a night. Man these guys have talent.

Here's a video of WD's psychedelic interlude into "Shake Shake Shake", courtesy of Humberto Martinez at the Seattle PI.

[news] White Denim - West Coast Tour Dates (2010)

White Denim back in Seattle

After taking a brief holiday break from touring the Eastern 48, White Denim return to the road and are heading west! Below are the dates, which include a Neumos visit on January 24 (Sunday). Tickets are $10 and available through Ticketwest, or at Rudy's Barbershop. Stage support includes Austin's very own Brazos. Mark this on your calendar, and pick up a copy of their groove-bomb Fits if you haven't already.

White Denim tour dates:
1/16 - Club Congress - Tucson, AZ
1/17 - Casbah - San Diego, CA
1/19 - Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA
1/20 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA
1/22 - Doug Fir - Portland, OR
1/23 - Media Club - Vancouver, BC
1/24 - Neumos - Seattle, WA
1/26 - Urban Lounge - Salt Lake, UT
1/27 - Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO

Buy :: White Denim - Fits (LP/CD/iTunes)

[reminder] The xx @ Neumos (11-27-2009)

The xx in Seattle

Just a friendly reminder to all who managed to nab tickets for this Friday's show - South London's The xx will be playing Neumos as stage support for Friendly Fires. For those of you who are just finding out about it now, this show is unfortunately sold out. Hopefully the band will gain enough popularity that would warrant a headliner tour later this year. Their album is one of the best 2009 has to offer. If you don't have it, get it now (here). To further entice you, listen to "Islands" and "Basic Space," two greats off the band's debut album xx.

[video] Say Hi - "One, Two ... One"

Lots of Oohs & Aaahs in this music video

Seattle's Say Hi (formerly know as Say Hi To Your Mom) has just debuted a music video for "One, Two ... One" from the band's latest album Oohs & Aahs. According to the Say Hi's Eric Elbogen, the talented director Drew Norton and a crew of amazing folks helped to make the first ever Say Hi music video. Check it out above.

Also, Say Hi is currently on tour and will conclude their extensive North American conquest back here in Seattle at Neumo's on November 7 (with David Bazan and The Sea Navy).

Buy :: Say Hi - Oohs & Aahs

Say Hi tour dates:

10-05-09 @ Solar Culture -- Tucson, AZ; (All Ages) #
10-07-09 @ The Mohawk -- Austin, TX; All Ages) #
10-08-09 @ Dan's Silverleaf -- Denton, TX; (21+) #
10-09-09 @ Hi-Tone Cafe -- Memphis, TN; (18+) #
10-10-09 @ Murray State -- Murray, KY; (All Ages) #
10-11-09 @ The Bottletree Cafe -- Birmingham, AL; (18+) #
10-13-09 @ The Social -- Orlando, FL; (All Ages) #
10-14-09 @ The Drunken Unicorn -- Atlanta, GA; (21+) #
10-15-09 @ Local 506 -- Chapel Hill, NC; (18+) #
10-16-09 @ The Black Cat -- Washington, DC; (All Ages) #
10-17-09 @ Kung Fu Necktie -- Philadelphia, PA; (21+) #
10-18-09 @ Bowery Ballroom -- New York, NY; (18+) #
10-20-09 @ TT The Bear's -- Cambridge, MA; (18+) # *
10-21-09 @ Il Motore -- Montreal, QC; (18+) #
10-22-09 @ Lee's Palace -- Toronto, ON; (19+) #
10-23-09 @ The Pike Room -- Pontiac, MI; (19+) #
10-24-09 @ Schubas -- Chicago, IL; (18+) #
10-25-09 @ The Highdive -- Champaign, IL; (19+) #
10-27-09 @ High Noon Saloon -- Madison, WI; (18+) #
10-28-09 @ Turf Club -- Minneapolis, MN; (21+) # ^
10-29-09 @ The Picador -- Iowa City, IA; (19+) #
10-30-09 @ Jackpot Saloon -- Lawrence, KS; (18+) #
10-31-09 @ The Slowdown -- Omaha, NE; (All Ages) #
11-01-09 @ The Hi-Dive -- Denver, CO; (All Ages) #
11-02-09 @ Kilby Court -- Salt Lake City, UT; (All Ages) #
11-05-09 @ Media Club -- Vancouver, BC; (19+) #
11-06-09 @ Mississippi Studios -- Portland, OR; (21+) #
11-07-09 @ Neumo's -- Seattle, WA; (21+) # $

# w/ David Bazan
* w/ TW Walsh / The Soft Drugs
^ w/ Wye Oak
$ w/ The Sea Navy

[review] The Blakes @ Neumos (9-29-2009)

The Blakes debut Souvenir at Neumos

Last night The Blakes celebrated the completion and release of their newest LP Souvenir. Officially set to hit shelves on October 13, the band was selling copies to all who attended as part of their CD Release party held at Neumos. Opening acts The Purrs and Strong Killings got the night started off early and set the tone for a night of great rock.

When most bands record an album, there's an interim period between the completion of recording and the release date. In that time, there is a tedious mixing process where the band adds more elements, sounds, vocals, etc. After all the technical studio wizardry is complete, the band then has to relearn how to play those songs live without all the layers and studio additions.

Last night was one of the first shows The Blakes had played since the completion of Souvenir. I was expecting it to be a little rougher around the edges, but was ultimately surprised at how many new songs we actually were treated with - not to mention how great these sounded live. Nearly splitting the set list 50:50 with tracks from their 2007 self-titled record and their new LP, The Blakes have created yet another catchy collection of 60's inspired rock, laden with oh-so-contagious hooks. Be sure to grad yourself a copy now if you happen to live in Seattle, or later this month for everyone else. Included on the album is "Charmed," which a live, acoustic Pancho Villa version can be viewed above.

As for last night's show, The Blakes delivered another solid performance to its loyal fans. A set list is posted below, though the order is not correct. Some great pictures were taken by Kristen Blush over at The Stranger. One hell of a show.

Set list (9-29-2009):
in no particular order

Old tunes:
Modern Man
Two Times
Pistol Grip
Magoo
Picture
Vampire
Commit
Don't Bother Me

New tunes:
Charmed
Basket
A Fire
Tommy
Next Time Around
Little Bit About You
Lie Next To Me
Wolf In Sheep's Clothes
Move To The City

[reminder] The Blakes @ Neumos (9-29-2009)

The Blakes CD Release Party

Just a friendly reminder: The Blakes, Seattle's favorite '60s-inspired garage rockers, will be treating their locals with new live tunes tomorrow night. The band will officially release their new album Souvenir on October 13, but an early purchase can be made for all who attend Tuesday's night's show. The night will kick off at 8PM at Neumos and is only $10 (tickets purchased online here or at any Rudy's Barbershop). Stage support includes The Purrs and Strong Killings.

This album is chock-full of some great songs - 16 in total. After a couple listens, I think I might even go so far as to say Souvenir out-rocks their 2007 Light In the Attic self-titled release. Lots of jams from the Lights On EP and Cereal Box Sessions really came together to make one quality track list. Attend the CD release party tomorrow night and hear for yourself, and definitely try to take home a little souvenir with you after the show.

The Blakes tour dates:

Sep 29 2009 8:00P	Neumos	Seattle, Washington
Oct 1 2009 9:00P	Rotture	Portland, Oregon
Oct 2 2009 8:00P	Humboldt Brewery	Arcata, California
Oct 3 2009 8:00P	Marilyn’s On K	Sacramento, California
Oct 4 2009 8:00P	Bottom Of The Hill	San Francisco, California
Oct 6 2009 8:00P	Viper Room - The Blakes w/ Bernard Fowler & Special Guests and JOE PERRY PROJECT	West Hollywood, California
Oct 7 2009 9:00P	Saint Rocke	Hermosa Beach, California
Oct 8 2009 2:00P	THE RUMBLE	Los Angeles, California
Oct 9 2009 9:00P	Beauty Bar Las Vegas	Las Vegas, Nevada
Oct 10 2009 6:00P	Casbah San Diego - THE RUMBLE	San Diego, California
Oct 10 2009 10:00P	Bar Pink	San Diego, California
Oct 12 2009 9:00P	Bash Riprocks	Lubbock, Texas
Oct 13 2009 8:00P	The Mohawk	Austin, Texas
Oct 14 2009 9:00P	Hailey’s	Denton, Texas
Oct 15 2009 7:00P	Sticky Fingers Chicken Shack	Little Rock, Arkansas
Oct 16 2009 8:30P	The Firebird	St. Louis, Missouri
Oct 17 2009 9:00P	Rock Island Brewing Co.	Rock Island, Illinois
Oct 20 2009 8:00P	Pike Room	Pontiac, Michigan
Oct 21 2009 2:00P	KEXP In Studio at CMJ	New York, New York
Oct 22 2009 8:00P	CMJ	New York, New York
Oct 22 2009 8:00P	East Village Radio at CMJ	New York, New York
Oct 23 2009 8:00P	CMJ	New York, New York
Oct 23 2009 8:00P	The Blakes at CMJ	New York, New York
Oct 24 2009 8:00P	CMJ	New York, New York
Oct 24 2009 8:00P	The Blakes at CMJ Official Showcase	New York, New York
Oct 27 2009 8:00P	Horseshoe Tavern - the Blakes	Toronto, Ontario

[tour dates] The xx - North American Tour

The xx have crafted a masterpiece

For those of you who haven't had a chance to listen to The xx's amazing debut album, posted here are two music videos for your listening pleasure. The album, fittingly titled xx, has been digitally available for months through iTunes here in the US, however, physical copies just hit shelves on September 8. It's a must-have LP - definitely in my top albums of 2009 thus far.

And to make things even better, these South Londoners will be touring the US starting in November. Sadly, the band will be in the Northwest around the one holiday I'll be out of town. More specifically, The xx will be playing Neumos the day after Thanksgiving. So get your fill of turkey, watch some football, and rest up for this show. And if you live elsewhere in the country, you should really try to catch these guys if they come through your neck of the woods.

US tour dates:

Nov 11 2009 8:00P	Bowery Ballroom	NYC, New York
Nov 15 2009 8:00P	DC 9	Washington DC
Nov 16 2009 8:00P	Local 506	Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Nov 17 2009 8:00P	529	Atlanta, Georgia
Nov 19 2009 8:00P	The Mohawk	Austin, Texas
Nov 20 2009 8:00P	Casbah	San Diego, California
Nov 21 2009 8:00P	Henry Fonda Theater	Hollywood, California
Nov 23 2009 8:00P	Independent	San Francisco, California
Nov 24 2009 8:00P	State University	Sacramento, California
Nov 25 2009 8:00P	Doug Fir Lounge	Portland, Oregon
Nov 26 2009 8:00P	Richard’s	Vancouver, British Columbia
Nov 27 2009 8:00P	Neumos	Seattle, Washington
Nov 30 2009 8:00P	Triple Rock	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Dec 1 2009 8:00P	Bottom Lounge	Chicago, Illinois
Dec 2 2009 8:00P	Mod Club	Toronto, Ontario
Dec 3 2009 8:00P	Le National	Montreal, Quebec
Dec 4 2009 8:00P	Paradise	Boston, Massachusetts
Dec 5 2009 8:00P	Webster Hall	NYC, New York

Buy :: The xx - xx

[review] We Were Promised Jetpacks @ Neumos (9-16-2009)

We were promised nothing, but got nearly everything

Last night, playing to a sold out crowd of eager Seattleites, Scottish quartet We Were Promised Jetpacks took the stage at Neumos. On the ticket stub, it read the show was for Frightened Rabbit: fellow Scottish indie rockers. For me, however, the real headliners of the night were the four Glaswegian transplants from Edinburgh who provided the first of three sets. And while these Scotsmen are - as they put it so nicely - younger than the Ghostbusters, you never would have guessed it when the band kicked off their set with "It's Thunder And It's Lightning", the first track off WWPJ's solid debut These Four Walls. To have only been touring for little over a year, you might have expected higher levels of timidity. This was not the case.

It really helped that the crowd was so into the band - you could tell that the whole group was feeding off the energy in the room. Much thanks needs to be given to local radio station KEXP, for they are greatly responsible for the exposure of WWPJ to the Pacific Northwest. Back before the band had even signed to FatCat Records, when there was only the 3-song self-titled EP available, KEXP first aired "Quiet Little Voices" as the "song of the day". In fact, that's how I learned of these guys over a year ago.

And you could tell that the crowd was familiar with "Quiet Little Voices" based on the amount of cheers given to lead singer Adam Thompson when he announced that "the next song is really good" and that "if you don't like it, you should probably take a step outside" (said in a thick Scottish brogue). As soon as the opening riff was played, a sea of movement took over Neumos' main floor. After the killer a rendition of "Voices", an emotionally charged "Ships With Holes Will Sink" immediately followed, which in my opinion was the best song of the night. Other highlights included "Keeping Warm" which showcased the charging album-version introduction, as well as the cathartic performance of the night closer "Short Bursts."

I can't really do the band justice by describing how great WWPJ sound live. These guys are performers, and they have a live show which cannot be captured on recordings. While These Four Walls is a great album, the live version is miles beyond. It's only a matter a time before these guys break though into US popularity. Until then, keep your eyes peeled for a show near you. Tour dates and a setlist of the night (which I think is correct) are posted at the bottom.

Setlist (9-16-2009):

-It's Thunder And It's Lightning
-Roll Up Your Sleeves
-Moving Clocks Run Slow
-This Is My House, This Is My House
-Keeping Warm
-Quiet Little Voices
-Ships With Holes Will Sink
-Conductor
-Short Bursts

We Were Promised Jetpacks US tour dates:

Sep 17 2009 8:00P	MusicFest NW	Portland, Oregon
Sep 18 2009 8:00P	The Independant (with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad)	San Francisco, California
Sep 19 2009 8:00P	The Voodoo Lounge (with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad)	San Jose, California
Sep 20 2009 8:00P	Knitting Factory (with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad)	Los Angeles, California
Sep 22 2009 8:00P	Plush (with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad)	Tucson, Arizona
Sep 24 2009 8:00P	The Mohawk (with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad)	Austin, Texas
Sep 25 2009 8:00P	Spanish Moon (with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad)	Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Sep 26 2009 8:00P	Bottletree (with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad)	Birmingham, Alabama
Sep 27 2009 8:00P	The Masquerade (with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad)	Atlanta, Georgia
Sep 28 2009 8:00P	Club Downunder (with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad)	Tallahassee, Florida
Sep 29 2009 8:00P	The Social (with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad)	Orlando, Florida
Oct 1 2009 8:00P	Local 506 (with The Twilight Sad and Brakes)	Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Oct 3 2009 8:00P	North Star (with The Twilight Sad and Brakes)	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oct 5 2009 8:00P	Black Cat Backstage (with The Twilight Sad and Brakes)	Washington, Washington DC
Oct 6 2009 8:00P	Bowery Ballroom (with The Twilight Sad and Brakes)	New York, New York
Oct 7 2009 8:00P	Great Scott (with The Twilight Sad and Brakes)	Allston, Massachusetts
Oct 9 2009 8:00P	La Sala Rossa (with The Twilight Sad and Brakes)	Montreal
Oct 10 2009 8:00P	El Mocambo (with The Twilight Sad and Brakes)	Toronto, Ontario
Oct 11 2009 8:00P	Blind Pig (with The Twilight Sad and Brakes)	Ann Arbor, Michigan
Oct 12 2009 8:00P	Empty Bottle (with The Twilight Sad and Brakes)	Chicago, Illinois

Buy :: These Four Walls
Buy :: "Quiet Little Voices" (single)
Buy :: "Roll Up Your Sleeves" (single)

[reminder] We Were Promised Jetpacks @ Neumos (9-16-2009)

What's Happening Tonight

Last chance to catch FRIGHTENED RABBIT, THE TWILIGHT SAD, and (most importantly) WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS tonight at Neumos. Tickets are only $15 at the door. Doors open at 8:00 PM, and show starts at 9:30 PM. Be sure to get there for the first act (WWPJ). They won't disappoint.

Neumos
8 PM Doors
$15
21+

[reminder] We Were Promised Jetpacks @ Neumos (9-16-2009)

Scotland's Finest Indie Rockers

Tomorrow night (September 16, 2009), FRIGHTENED RABBIT, THE TWILIGHT SAD, and (most importantly) WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS will be playing Neumos. Tickets are only $13, which can be purchased at Rudy's Barbershop, Moe Bar, or online at here through Ticketwest. Don't miss this show!

Neumos Presents
8 PM Doors
$13 ADV
21+

[news] The Blakes New LP Souvenir Out October 13

The Blakes ready their next LP, make a couple of Seattle appearances

The long-awaited follow-up to the Streets EP and The Blakes LP finally has a release date: October 13. The Blakes recently announced (via their blog) that the album will be entitled Souvenir. To hear the first track off the album, head over to the band's MySpace page to sample "Basket." For those of you who own a digital copy of the Cereal Box Sessions, you'll recognize this song right away.

To hear this song live, and you happen to live in the Northwest, there's two upcoming dates to mark on your calendar.

The Blakes tour dates:

• July 24 @ Neumos [6:15 pm] - Capitol Hill Block Party (Tickets)
• August 3 @ The Crocodile w/ U.S.E. & Battle Hymns (Tickets)