On last week’s program, in anticipation of the upcoming Sub Pop 20th anniversary, Sub Pop co-founder Jonathan Poneman, along with Abe Beeson, brought you two classic bands from the label’s early days, Swallow and Love Battery. Read up on those equally classic sessions and view the slideshow here.

This week we’re back at the High Dive with Hannah Levin and DJ El Toro, delivering you live sets from Aqueduct and Rusty Willoughby. Each month for the Audioasis live broadcast, one local charity is chosen as the event’s beneficiary. This month, that charity is Summer Search, a leadership development program that helps low-income high school kids realize their full potential.

^{photo by Chona Kasinger}

Aqueduct (6:30PM) represents the straight-talkin’ oddball pop of Seattle’s David Terry. Not one to shy away from pop culture references, Terry has built himself into quite the persona. By mixing elements of garage rock with 50s/60s pop and adding plenty of synths, Aqueduct provides layers of fun to almost any situation. Though Terry has been keeping a low profile recently, it is apparently for good reason; he’s been working on the follow-up to last year’s giant stepping-stone album, Or Give Me Death. Sounds like the High Dive could be a perfect place to hear what he’s been up to.

Rusty Willoughby (8PM) has been creating music in the Northwest for over two decades as part of Pure Joy, Flop, Fastbacks and the more recent Llama. However, most recently, Willoughby released his second solo album, Filament Dust, one he recorded in different barns throughout the Puget Sound area. On Filament Dust, Willoughby put together a masterpiece of authentic psych-folk, artfully lo-fi and free of modern trappings; songs like Wrecker of Hearts and Dear Lucifer, among others, capture the essence of the genre in name and substance.

In contrast to deciding where to watch the fireworks from, catching this show is the easiest choice you’ll have to make on this extended weekend. Stick around for sets from Lonesome Rhodes & the Good Company, Kublakai and Man Plus. More details here.

How often do we get a 3-day weekend that begins on a Friday? Not just any holiday weekend, but the 4th of July as well. And it is the last Independence Day before January 20, 2009, and that is worth celebrating in and of itself, right?

Fortunately, there are also plenty of options for this weekend. The Long Winters are playing Saturday night at the Showbox and there’s the excellent KEXP Audioasis show at the High Dive with Aqueduct and Man Plus (benefiting Summer Search) but here are a few other things I’m excited about:

The Model Rockets, The Tripwires and The Doll Test at the Tractor, July 4
The Tractor has all of a sudden become the home for powerpop in Seattle — and that’s a damn good thing if you ask me. Tonight’s bill is especially stellar, with the reunion show of The Model Rockets, an excellent rock band whose history goes back over 15 years. If you love powerpop in the tradition of Sloan, You Am I and Big Star (and I certainly do), this is a show for you.

The members of The Model Rockets have been continuing the lineage by playing in The Tripwires and The Doll Test, who are also playing tonight.

If you’ve seen one fireworks show, you’ve seen them all but how often do you get to see The Model Rockets?

Bond and Beyond, Saturday, July 5 at SIFF Cinema
James Bond films are a great American tradition: there’s a good/evil theme that runs through it (with eccentric villains usually on the opposite end of the Cold War), Bond kicks ass (and looks good doing it) and he’s chasing babes and drinking booze. How American can you get? Of course, you’d have to suspend disbelief over 007’s Britishness, but whatever. That’s what Hollywood is for, right?

SIFF Cinema kicks off their Bond and Beyond series this weekend with two of my favorite older Bond films: The Spy Who Loved Me and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. OHMSS is one of the more underrated films in the series but in hindsight, I think it still holds up. It’s the only film where George Lazenby played Agent 007, mostly because he had the misfortune of not being Sean Connery. Still, the double feature with The Spy Who Loved Me (with Connery as Bond) is unbeatable for a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Benefit for Acrassicauda with The Keeper, Ubik and Shogun at the Rendezvous, Saturday, July 5
I’m not one to normally recommend metal shows but this one is easy.

One of my absolute favorite films to play at SIFF this year was Heavy Metal in Baghdad, Vice Films’ documentary about a loud rock band in Iraq whose life and livelihood were ripped apart by the war in their home country. Caught in a horrible Catch-22, the members of Acrassicauda (Latin for “black scorpions”) risk being innocent casualties of war in Iraq but can’t find employment to support their families outside of Iraq. At the risk of spoiling the film, the band members are forced to sell their gear and instruments to pay their rent.

This show is a benefit for Acrassicauda and I’m in favor of supporting anyone whose goal is to bring both rock and roll to the Middle East.

Here’s a clip from the film (which is now available on DVD):

See you out and about,
Chris Burlingame
*Three Imaginary Girls*

High iPod rotation:
Mono in VCF
Silversun Pickups
The Saturday Knights

(Three Imaginary Girls is a Seattle-based website that showcases the great music of the Northwest and beyond to music lovers worldwide. We post a Seattle live show calendar to help you fill your day-planner with loads of great shows, as well as record reviews, live show reviews, and an imagi-blog to entertain you throughout the day.)

^{photo by Christopher Nelson
view more photos}

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Every Friday the Song of the Day podcast spotlights Northwest musicians.  Today’s featured selection, chosen by Morning Show host John Richards is “No Ordinary Caveman” by Head Like A Kite from There Is Loud Laughter Everywhere on Mush.

Back in 2006, Head Like A Kite wowed industry professionals and fans alike with their debut, Random Portraits of the Home Movie, for which frontman Dave Einmo sampled audio from his family’s Super-8 home movies (which they also showed during their live show).  Now he’s poised to release the 2nd full length, There Is Loud Laughter Everywhere, on L.A.-based electronic label Mush on August 26th.  This time, Einmo recorded the melodies and then re-approached the music as a DJ might, cutting and looping his own tracks to come up with the final songs for the album. If that weren’t cool enough, the album features a wide variety of guests including Asya from Smoosh, The Long Winters, Radio 4, Barton Carroll of Crooked Fingers, and of course drummer Trent Moorman, who also joins Dave on stage for live performances. “No Ordinary Caveman” is one of those songs you hear in the background at a party that just might inspire you to go up to that person you’ve been making eyes at all night. The sexy drum beats and smooth vocals and melodies are a great addition to your new summer party mix.  You can listen to the album in its entirety on the band’s website.

HLAK recently offered up a free CD release party at Neumos where Dave and Trent were joined on-stage by the Smoosh girls and others as they performed tracks from the album.  You can catch them on July 18th at Chop Suey w/ No-Fi Soul Rebellion, Mon Marie (CD Release), and The Kindness Kind.  They are also plotting an upcoming tour including stops in California.  Check out their MySpace for more information. Also, check out the video for “No Ordinary Caveman,” co-directed by our own DJ Troy Nelson of Black Daisy:

^{in-Mates of State
photo by Hilary Harris}

On the way back from their appearance at the Sasquatch! Music Festival, Mates of State stopped by the KEXP studio for a more intimate session with DJ Michele Myers. The espoused team of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel typically perform as a duo, but this time around, to support the fully and more varied instrumental sound of their latest release, Re-Arrange Us (Barsuk), they brought along a string section. Check out these two songs from the new album:

You Are Free:

My Only Offer:

Some regular readers of Review Revue might wonder about the disproportionate number of Sub Pop records I have featured over the months. There’s no big conspiracy or secret backdoor payola involved, it’s just that a) I’ve been a fan of Sub Pop at least since I was a high school kid 3000 miles away, and I first bought Green Magnet School’s Blood Music on cassette; b) as a local institution, Sub Pop records have a special place in history, and deserve to be brought out into the daylight; and c) I’m really excited about SP20 next weekend! Seaweed! The Vaselines! Red Red Meat! Green River! Cat Butt! Oh, wait, not Cat Butt.

I guess Cat Butt is not going to be among the many fine bands from days of yore who are reuniting to celebrate Sub Pop’s 20th birthday. So instead, let’s take a moment to check out their debut (and only) full length album, Journey to the Center of, released 19 years ago this summer…

If you need to know more about Cat Butt, I highly recommend you check out their page in the dank, musty depths of Sub Pop’s online history section.

See you at SP20!

review by Sheryl Witlen
photos by Pat Parault

Each month, FRICTION NYC, a New York City-based music and culture site, curates a showcase highlighting NYC’s indie music scene, visiting acts, and DJs. On June 29, FRICTION presented Brooklyn’s Crystal Stilts who headlined the show, supported by fellow Brooklynites and Paw Tracks signees, Rings, along with PWRFL Power, now relocated to NYC from Seattle, and Philadelphia’s mysterious Tickley Feather, with Anicet spinning between sets. The whole thing took place at Manhattan’s Cakeshop, and as usual, KEXP correspondent Sheryl Witlen was there:

Little girls grow up with so many songs and stories about circles and rings that there was eventually bound to be an all-girl outfit that drew upon their collective infant memories. Nina Mehta, Abby Portner and Kate Rosko did just this, coining themselves Rings. After settling into the Brooklyn music scene, they quickly caught the eye of the Paw Tracks (Animal Collective) label with their clever cadenced melodies. Swirling motions sway throughout each of the tracks on their debut album, Black Habit, which are even more engaging when performed live. Moving forward from the crowd and immediately strapping into their instruments, the trio then opened their set heavy on instrumentation and sparse on lyrics. I imagine Rings’ music to be the perfect companion for a summer hike through dew-laden woods — sultry and slow, it leaves you mystified and elevated. Like shifting clouds, instruments drift slowly into a song and leave as quickly as they entered. Certain of their songs can be easily compared to Bjork or Bat for Lashes. Their closing number was light and jovial with a melody that seemed to play back against itself, echoing in the ears of all in attendance and making fans out of us all.

Just when I thought I had found my most beloved discovery of the night, on came Tickley Feather and I was done for. I am sometimes much harder on female vocalists than their male compatriots, which I know is my own downfall. Yet, when I find a heroine to believe in, I am the happier for it. Annie (Sachs) is like one of those wood fairies you had always imagined while reading Harry Potter or some lovely fairytale. She marches to her own tune unlike any other performer I have ever experienced. Tip-toeing in place with the most childlike expressions delicately playing across her animated face, she seemed otherworldly. During the performance, she gently cupped the microphone as if she were sharing her most beloved stories and secrets with her newly discovered friends. It is easy to see how she could fall into the company of Animal Collective and Panda Bear, as her new album has also been released by Paw Tracks. Classy and confident, she is both a woman and a child all within the same moment. Her voice trembles and sways beautifully against the echoing melodies that she conjures. Hers is a special kind of confidence that comes along only now and again in performers and I for one cannot wait to see her again.

Crystal Stilts had their work cut out for them closing this imaginative evening. Yet they managed to hold their own. Theirs is a sound heavily influenced by some of the greats such as Velvet Underground, Jesus and Mary Chain, and the Beach Boys, and they provided the perfect summer soundtrack to a sultry Sunday evening riddled with thunderstorms and humidity. Band members JB Townsend, Brad Hargett, Andy Adler, and Frankie Rose are groovy and chic. The heavy bass contrasted with tingly tambourine were my favorite aspects of their instrumental sound. As I slowly danced in my spot, they cast rhythms that washed over the audience in rolling waves of perfectly placed movements and slurred yet lush lyrics. Whereas none of the performers throughout the evening cast a glance towards the closely drawn cast assembled at the base of the small stage, Crystal Stilts was by far the crowd favorite. The entire night, though, felt like a gathering of friends closing out the perfect June evening together, simply sitting back and playing their favorite sounds. It was a welcome and refreshing change from the (also great) collection of electronic-themed FRICTION shows I have attended previously.

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s featured selection, chosen by Morning Show host John Richards, is We Are Not Who You Think We Are by Kunk from the 2008 self-released EP We Are Not Who You Think We Are.

What started as brothers James and Wayne Davey, both guitarists and vocalists, writing songs back in 2002 has since expanded to include Hannah Veale (bass/vocals) and Will Marshall (drums). For their most recent release, the members of Kunk made sure to buff away any shine. Angst and off-the-cuff lyrics dominate all three tracks on the record, bolstering the jagged garage-punk guitars. We Are Not Who You Think We Are marks their first release since a band shakeup two years ago, and while they’re intent on achieving raw discord — and they do — they can’t help belting out lo-fi pop hooks. Apparently more releases are on the way as the brothers’ Davey and company wrapped up a recording session two days ago for what will be the single This City, produced by Paul Tipler (Stereolab, Forward Russia). The band is also hard at work on an upcoming full length to be titled Late-night Soapbox. Head over to their MySpace page where the entire WANWYTWA EP is currently streaming, and though the audio leaves something to be desired, here’s a video for This City, recorded at Tommy Flynn’s in Camden a few months back:

^{Jose Gonzales at Engine Studios 2007
photo by Susana Mesa}

KEXP is once again taking the magic to Chicago July 16 - 20 and braving the infamous heat of the Second City. Did you know that busses and trains in Chicago have air conditioning? You can commute to the KEXP sponsored events in ultimate comfort, a luxurious notion for some of us in Seattle.

On Wednesday, July 16, through Friday, July 18th, KEXP DJs John Richards and Cheryl Waters will be at the Engine Studios in the Bucktown neighborhood broadcasting live and showcasing in-studio performances by several Chicago bands. Bucktown might be where a lot of the happening Chicago action is at now, but rumor has it that the area of town got its name in the early 1800’s from the mostly-Polish population’s rampant goat-raising, the male goat being the buck (which, I suppose, could have been the happening action of the early 19th century as well). Fast-forward to today and you have Engine Studios where you can sit in on a live performance by Mahjongg, David Vandervelde, The Watson Twins, The Occidental Brothers, T-Model Ford, and many others by signing up here. You can see the in-studio sessions for free, but space is limited, so you should sign up right now!

Cool off at night on Wednesday, July 16th, at darkroom with KEXP DJs, members, and fellow listeners as KEXP throws a listener appreciation party featuring the Chicago debut of multi-instrumental art-folk collective, Au, and find out exactly why their debut album was proclaimed the “#2 Portland Album of 2007″ by the Portland Mercury. I’d put my money on “Au” being for Astronomical Unit because the group’s lush compositions will launch you far away from our fine planet. Before blast-off, get down with Sleep Out, DJ Johnny Kesh and DJ Mikey Dance Panther.

The weekend of Saturday, July 19th, and Sunday, July 20th, will barrel into action with the Pitchfork Music Festival 08 at Chicago’s Union Park and KEXP will be there broadcasting live, getting you in on the fun. “Oh, just another massive independent music festival,” you say? Actually, no. Pitchfork is going to do its attendees right by keeping ticket prices low, basic necessities available, and aims to provide a fun and relaxing experience for all. So, if you’re in Chicago, break out your best dock shoes and enjoy the great line-up the ‘Fork has put together for you — Public Enemy, Sebadoh, Mission of Burma, Animal Collective, Spiritualized, Spoon, !!!, Les Savy Fav, and many more. Two- and Three-day festival passes have already sold out, but if you don’t dilly dally, you can still get your hands on individual day passes for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. If you’re not in Chicago, tune into KEXP for our live broadcast and aurally experience the finest festival in the Midwest.

^{photo by Courtney Chavanell}

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s featured selection, chosen by Morning Show host John Richards, is Sparrow by The Low Lows from the forthcoming album Shining Violence on Misra.

After the breakup of NYCs Parker and Lily following their third album, The Low Lows, P.L. Noon decided to form The Low Lows. Originally stationed in Athens, GA, the band recently moved to Austin and joined Misra Records for the release of Shining Violence, the brilliant follow-up to 2006s Fire on the Bright Sky. Sparrow opens the album with a shower of noise — the guitar, drums and organ firing on all cylinders. But then Noon has a way of restoring calm with his psychedelic, southern vocals. A lot of comparisons have been made to Band of Horses and My Morning Jacket, but even though Shining… is far more accessible than its predecessor, The Low Lows are a much greater challenge. Each lo-fi track provides a heartbreakingly authentic perspective on the American gothic. As their U.S. tour began yesterday, be on the lookout for a tour stop near you. Here, they perform for La Blogotheque Dear Flies, Love Spider, a song from their first record:

Slowest… release week…. ever.

Pick up Earlimart for sure, or save your money for the 5-disc Leonard Cohen box set or the 6-disc Sugarcubes singles set. Check out the other boatload of reissues on Largehearted Boy’s list. Otherwise, it’s slim pickings:

by Damian Bradley

Thanks to a friend at Belvedere Vodka (sponsors of Rza aka Bobby Digital’s Digi Snacks tour) I was able to check out Rza, Stone Mecca and The Saturday Knights at the Showbox Sodo this Tuesday. The music was stellar (BIG props to Stone Mecca for a seriously funky set and for providing the live music accompaniment to Bobby Digital) but the highlight of my night was definitely meeting Divine Diggs, Rza’s brother and the business executive mastermind behind the Wu-Tang Empire. Friendly and unassuming, Divine graciously offered up a seat on the backstage couch.

I asked about the influence of growing up in Pittsburg on Rza’s artistic development as a hip hop lyricist and producer. Divine quickly rooted the conversation in New York. “The Diggs family’s move from Brooklyn to Staten Island was a major turning point in the career development of Rza and the Wu.” Staten Island provided the space “where you could get your thoughts together” but also allowed Divine and his brother to be “thugs among the suburbs.”

In reference to RZA incredible resume as a producer, from Wu-Tang albums to crew members’ solo projects, and film score to Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Divine offered, “Rza never had a one track mind but rather a universal sense of music and art that allowed me to take his talents in many directions. With that level of talent in the family, my job was easier.”

They’ve been on the road touring so hard, Divine barely remembers where they’ve been or where they’re going. He did offer his perspective on Seattle though: “Seattle, you are pretty much out in the boondocks.” I pointed out KEXP is now programming independent music in New York City but to no response. I mentioned we’d hosted an in-studio performance by Darc Mind and he smiled and raised an eyebrow. KEXP and Wu-Tang? I can only dream.

^{photo by Jen Turner}

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s featured selection, chosen by Morning Show host John Richards, is Killer’s Knife by Joseph Arthur from the 2008 EP Crazy Rain on Lonely Astronaut.

We last featured Joseph Arthur back in March for the song Morning Cup off of the Could We Survive EP. With what will amount to 5 official releases in 2008, Arthur is giving us quite a bit to work with. Yet to hit the market are the Foreign Girls EP (July 8th) and the new, highly-anticipated full-length, Temporary People (September 16th). What’s almost as surprising as the amount of material Arthur is spewing forth is the range of that output. With 8 tracks, Crazy Rain covers vintage Arthur but is destined to be remembered for the new ground it touches upon. Whether it’s the distorted fuzz-rock of Killer’s Knife, featuring guest vocals from James Hall, or the drum machines and synths of I Wanna Get You Alone and Dream of the Eternal Life, this EP is sure to toy with any preconceived notions one might have. Also featured on Crazy Rain are guest vocalists Greg Dulli of The Gutter Twins and Jen Turner. Catch Arthur and company on tour in the coming months, including an intimate show at the Triple Door 7/22. And since there’s obviously always something new going on with this guy, you should probably just bookmark his MySpace page. Meanwhile, the following video shows Arthur appropriately painting to She Paints Me Gold, a song from his most recent EP, Vagabond Skies:

This past Saturday, Sub Pop co-founder Jonathan Poneman joined Abe Beeson to host a special edition of Audioasis in celebration of the label’s 20th Anniversary. Not only has Sub Pop been a hugely influential force in the Seattle music scene during all of those years, but Poneman himself started Audioasis in 1987, and it’s now the Northwest’s longest running local show.

Early Sub Pop signees Swallow, now reformed with their original lineup, opened the evening with rocking set and a very humorous interview with Abe and Jonathan — yes, the subject of Sub Pop refusing to release the band’s third album did come up! (It’s now available on Flotation Records.)

Love Battery, nearing two decades as a band themselves (next year will be LP20?) with mostly the original lineup, performed in the final hour of the show, and yes, they too managed to make Jonathan feel embarrassed as the brought up an proto-Love Battery formation that included him on bass. Their brand of psychedelic rock doesn’t seem at all dated as they blazed through four classics, ending with “Between the Eyes.”

If you missed the performance or want to hear it again, you can go back and listen on our 14-day Streaming Archive.

Also, don’t forget to pick up your tickets for SP20, where you can see more classic Sub Pop bands like Mudhoney, The Vaselines, Green River, Les Thugs, and more!

• Radiohead quietly released ten live performance videos exclusively through iTunes last week. The collection was filmed in Nigel Godrich’s The Hospital studio with the team involved with From the Basement and features cuts from In Rainbows and its bonus disc.

  By the way, you can still vote for the best animated videos created by Radiohead fans. Go to the band’s page on Aniboom and choose your favorite of the 13 semi-finalists, like this one:

• Indie tastemaker, Pitchfork, has announced the set times for the 2008 edition of its Pitchfork Music Festival. Following the trend of larger festivals, Pitchfork has gone high-tech teaming with Boost Mobile to deliver the full festival schedule and set time alerts to your phone. For more info on the July 18-20 fest, head over to Pitchfork Music Fest Central.

  KEXP will be broadcasting from the Pitchfork Music Festival this year. Just before that, we’ll be at Engine Studios in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago. If you’re going to be in the area and would like to attend one of our exclusive live performances, sign up on our Events page.

• September 30th is the magical date for the Rhino release of The Jesus and Mary Chain box set. According to Billboard, The Power of Negative Thinking will house four discs of B-sides, rarities, and compilation tracks. The group is continuing work on their first studio album in a decade.

• Supergrass are readying Glange Fever, a DVD documenting Gaz Coombes and Danny Goffey’s club gigs under the moniker Diamond Hoo Ha Men in December 2007. Check out the trailer here.

• Demoted bullgod Kid Rock has released a PSA encouraging us all to steal from the rich. [edit: he's since apologized.] Anything to move a few more units.

• The Baseball Project, the latest incarnation of Scott McCaughey and Peter Buck, do more than just put their love of baseball into music — they form a fantasy baseball league with other musicians (including Steve Wynn and Linda Pitmon) and blog about it. You can also go back and read our interview with Steve Wynn about the project and sample a rough mix of “Pasttime”.

By DJ El Toro

As literary protagonists go, aspiring guitarist and songwriter Laurie Lindeen is as charismatic as they come. Just read how she describes herself — and her partner-in-crime, bassist Coleen “Co” Elwood — on page 10 of Petal Pusher: A Rock and Roll Cinderella Story:

“Co looks like Natalie Wood if she had traveled to India with the Beatles, sort of a grooved-out late-1950s movie star. A former cheerleader gone off the arty deep end, Co is a mixture of the young Cher and Maureen O’Sullivan. I’m a poor man’s Connie Stevens on a good day, a punk rock Joey Heatherton on a bad day.”

In other words, the kind of guests I want at my cocktail party.

The cool thing is, Lindeen may be charismatic, but she isn’t always likeable. Far from it. Customers at her day job, serving breakfast orders at a fourteen-stool Minneapolis diner, call her Mean Waitress. On road trips, she makes a point of pouting in the car while everyone else piles out to look at Hoover Dam or whatever roadside attraction beckons; she blows off Niagara Falls to browse a Payless Shoes. Which is a bold tack to take with your main character, considering that Petal Pusher (out now in hardback, and due Sept. 16 in soft cover) is a memoir, not a novel.

Lindeen is unflinchingly honest — blunt yet funny — as she details the slow, determined rise, protracted plateau, and abrupt end of Zuzu’s Petals, her early ’90s trio with Elwood and drummer Linda Pitmon. Self-taught purveyors of poppy garage rock enriched by rousing harmonies and smart lyrics, the Petals garnered a lot of favorable notices for the 1992 debut, When No One’s Looking.

Petal Pusher hits all the dubious highs (opening for a very cordial Adam Ant on a failed comeback tour) and indignant lows (helpful advice from a record label to try sleeping with key club bookers). But the band’s misadventures is merely the focal point off of which Lindeen spins myriad stories, about her splintered family life, romances, and living with Multiple Sclerosis. An MFA in creative writing, the author intertwines all these components deftly, some broken down to bite-sized anecdotes, others extended and revisited throughout the 300+ pages.

^{photo by Steve Cohen}

Lindeen believes the rock and roll myth. But even more, she believes in the magic of classic Hollywood movies and Broadway musicals, particular the works of Rodgers & Hammerstein (”except South Pacific“). Which makes her rants and observations about trying to chisel out a spot in the early ’90s music business that much funnier. When she fixes her sights on riot grrls and the “kinderwhore” trend, she is bitingly hilarious. In a world here the bad behavior of Inger Lorre and Courtney Love is not only tolerated, but encouraged, what place is there for three ladies in vintage party dresses who pride themselves on their manners?

That last quality is part of what makes Petal Pusher such a fun read. Sometimes, Lindeen names names. She never plays coy about her courtship with future-husband Paul Westerberg. She details friendships with members of Soul Asylum and the Jayhawks. Yet at other junctures, she displays commendable tact and discretion. When a member of the Petals or their tiny entourage misbehaves on tour, she will often lapse into anonymity: “Two of us promptly crash on top of a cat piss-atomized bedspread… one of us stays up with the techie and ends up doing the wild thing… Within a week, one of us has a burning crotch and some awful infection.” Who? None of your business. It does a great job of ensuring that reader loyalties remain evenly distributed. (Although I’d love to know the identity of the “really drunk, really wasted grunge girl” who attempts to strangle Lindeen mid-song during their first Seattle gig, at the old Off Ramp.)

On the page, Laurie Lindeen is not the nicest person you’ll ever meet. But I guarantee that if you give Petal Pusher a few days of your time, you’ll be damn glad you made her acquaintance, and got to know her better.

In fact, if you want to know even her better, read Spike’s interview with Laurie on the KEXP Blog from earlier this year.

DJ El Toro is the host of the overnight show In Between Sleep & Reason, Wednesday mornings from 1 AM to 6 AM on KEXP 90.3 FM Seattle and kexp.org. His column, Weird At My School, appears every Monday on the KEXP Blog.

All photos by Jason Bergman for JellyNYC

Despite the foreboding thunder and a summer storm warning, a huge crowd descended upon McCarren Park Pool in Williamsburg yesterday, but it wasn’t cool refreshment they sought — at least not the kind you’re thinking of — nor did they need their mommas to tell them to stay out of the water. This past weekend marked the first of JellyNYC’s weekly Pool Parties, and the empty pool played host to local bar rockers The Hold Steady, whose rapidly growing popularity will ensure that it’s only their hard-luck characters who lives will remain in seedy dives. Hard-rocking sets by Philly punks The Loved Ones and Baltimore rockers J Roddy Walston and the Business opened the all-ages event.

The next Pool Party is on July 6, with Ronnie Spector and the Rabbit Factory Soul Revue. Check the Pool Parties website for updates and for more information on their exciting lineup of artists this season, including The Breeders, The Ting Tings, Aesop Rock, The Liars, and many, many others.

The Loved Ones

J Roddy and the Business

The Hold Steady

^{photo by Juan Ayude}

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s featured selection, chosen by Morning Show host John Richards, is Two Minutes by The Blows from the 2008 album Upskirts on Pupilo Records.

On Upskirts, the debut album from Spain’s The Blows, all existential arguments are avoided in favor of sex and tomfoolery. With song titles like Damn 80s Hooker and Sin City Lies, and lines such as Don’t you know I love your penis. Find me, and satisfy me, the mood is always kept fun and feisty. The quartet relies on fast and shiny Brit-pop guitar lines and electronic-laced post-punk to fuel the fire, drawing comparisons to Glasgow’s commercial success of the same mold, Franz Ferdinand. The Blows will spend practically their entire summer touring their native country, but once they break down those national boundaries, commercial success will surely come their way as well. Spaniards and music-loving tourists should scope out their MySpace page for their complete summer itinerary, and everyone should witness this performance of Two Minutes from February’s Mardi Gras festivities:

^{photo by Gregory A. Perez}

The JellyNYC Pool Parties with the Hold Steady, Loved Ones and J Roddy and the Business - Sunday, June 29, 2008

Crackling blue paint officially marks the start of the summer concert pool season. KEXP is proud to sponsor the free JellyNYC Pool Party at McCarren Park Pool in Williamsburg today, June 29th. It’s the first show of the year and it’s a good one: Brooklyn’s very own The Hold Steady. Decide for yourself if they’re the best “bar band’ in America — this time, however, they’ll be playing in an empty pool. Philly punks The Loved Ones and Baltimore rockers J Roddy Walston and the Business get things started. 2:00 PM | All Ages | Free

This week we have a very special show in honor of the upcoming Sub Pop 20th Anniversary Festival. DJ Abe Beeson hosts this week alongside Sub Pop co-owner and former Audioasis DJ Jonathan Poneman. Beyond highly anticipated sets from Swallow and Love Battery, who knows what these two musical encyclopedias will bring to this week’s show.

^{Vogue circa 1990}

Swallow (6PM), formed in 1987, was among the first bands signed to Sub Pop. Before the grunge era really got going, they showed an amazing ability to mix heavy distortion, scratchy howls and distinct pop sensibilities. Problems in and outside of the band, including the refusal of Sub Pop to release their third album, led to their breakup in ‘92. However, a few successful reunion shows in ‘06 got the attention of Seattle’s Flotation Records, who have since released the long-unreleased album, Teach Your Bird to Sing. I can’t think of a much better way to kick off the SP20 festivities than to hear these guys live in the studio followed by a full show at The Funhouse.

Love Battery (8PM), another pioneering act of the Sub Pop label, formed in 1989, naming themselves after a Buzzcocks’ song. After delivering consistent psych-soaked grunge for years on the Sub Pop label, including ’92s stellar Dayglo album, Love Battery went on to record strong efforts for Atlas and C/Z Records. With a few lulls here and there, the band has been pretty active since their formation, and while they’ve gone through many personnel changes over the years, the current lineup is the original aside from ex-Posies and Fastbacks drummer Mike Musburger. Let the guitar fury commence, and if you haven’t already done so, get your tickets now for SP20.

^{Lesli Wood at Three Imaginary Girls’ Exile in Guyville tribute night
photo by Nathan Howard}

It’s Pride Weekend here in Seattle. That means a lot of things to a lot of different people. If you’re a culture warrior on the right you might see it as the first signs towards the Rapture – and may even be bullish on the prospects. For others, it means that Seattle is a big party all weekend long. It could just be me, but I prefer the latter.

While the events I’m recommending below aren’t official Pride events, the weekend does force everyone else to up their game.

Lushy at the High Dive, Friday, June 27 at 6pm
After a long work week at work, I’m often really eager to go directly from the office to a rock club. With that mind, bless the people at the High Dive for their Friday night Happy Hour shows.

Tonight, they have the lounge-pop band Lushy, who are one of the most fun to watch. In their songs, people drink martinis and ride Vespas but at their shows, everyone dances to the fun, upbeat, catchy tunes. Lushy is the ideal band to kick off this summer weekend.

The Saturday Knights CD Release at Nectar, Friday, June 27
You’ve been listening to the audio stream of the Saturday Knights’ brand new album Mingle, half here and half at My Old Kentucky Blog, all week long and tonight you can see the perfect hip hop soundtrack to your summer at Nectar.

Here’s the video to their single “45″:

The Tea Cozies at the High Dive, Saturday, June 28
I know I am more than a little biased, but I’m still recovering from TIG’s freaking amazing 6th birthday party and celebration of Liz Phair’s masterpiece debut, Exile in Guyville. 9 bands played the album’s 18 tracks in order and all were fantastic but I knew that Rachel Flotard and Lesli Wood would be phenomenal – and they most certainly were. The biggest, most pleasant surprise for me, though, was the Tea Cozies absolutely perfect version of “Gunshy”. They increased the volume and tempo but lost nothing in the power of the lyrics. It was stunning to watch.

I have yet to see the Tea Cozies play a live set of their own, but needless to say I am anxious to do so very soon. As luck would have it, they are playing at the High Dive on Saturday night with the Ice Age Cobra and the Who The Hells.

Glass Candy at Chop Suey, Saturday, June 28
This night kicks off a new dance party night at Chop Suey called Cassette! They lined up an excellent band to headline the inaugural night, too. Portland’s Glass Candy released their album B/E/A/T/B/O/X last year and it, borrowing heavily from Italo Disco (ditching most of their no-wave tendencies in the process) and created a dance floor classic. “Beatific” would sound equally fresh and exciting in 1975 as it does in 2008.

Here’s some footage playing “Beatific” about 3 months ago in San Francisco:

See you out and about,
Chris Burlingame
*Three Imaginary Girls*

High iPod rotation:
Shane Tutmarc and the Traveling Mercies
Tea for Julie
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

(Three Imaginary Girls is a Seattle-based website that showcases the great music of the Northwest and beyond to music lovers worldwide. We post a Seattle live show calendar to help you fill your day-planner with loads of great shows, as well as record reviews, live show reviews, and an imagi-blog to entertain you throughout the day.)