One-half of this new musically-inclined duo has been a friend of mine for years: Celene Ramadan, AKA Leeni - so just to be clear, this isn't lip service or me trying to pump up a pal's music, as I've been a genuine fan or her pretty tunes since the moment she started creating. I've got all her stuff in my library, and am particularly fond of her 8-Bit work, so naturally when I saw she had a new band happening, I was intrigued.

The other half, Jon-Michael Kerestes, I was wholly unfamiliar with. This Pittsburgh, PA musician apparently reached out to the internets (via Craigslist) to find collaborators around the US, and lo & behold, Leeni answered his call. The result is Romeo + Juliet, a trippy psychedelic alt-rock band that could be direct from a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack.

Their debut, Month of May, is packed full of music with a gritty, full-on 60s sound. Leeni & Jon-Michael sometimes switch lead vocals, and other times go for it with a full duet,  always incorporating beautiful harmonies at just the right moment.

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{A Cautionary Tale will be in stores 3/8/2011}

First off, I have to confess that I picked up this CD simply because of its AMAZING cover, which is styled like an uber creepy Little Golden Book with illustrations by artist Travis Lampe (I've already picked out 10 things I need from his site). The disc itself even looks like a little 45! *squee*

Secondly - omg, you guys. I don't think I've fallen in love with an album at first listen like this since Rilo Kiley's The Execution of All Things. The Pauses have put together a simply stunning debut. From the synthy keyboard notes of "Beyond Bianca" to the sway-worthy heartbreak beats of "Pull the Pin", I adore every single goddamn thing about A Cautionary Tale. Lead singer and keyboardist Tierney Tough's throaty vocals are complemented by pretty melodic oohs and ahhs from multi-instrumented Jason Kupfer (guitar, keys, computerboard (!), and foot bells), and ably backed by Nathan Chase's drums and electronics.

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I love and hate the bipolar skronk of Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive to Death. I have ever since I bought their "Diamonds In The Mine" (a Leonard Cohen cover) 45 at Easy Street Records a few years ago. That first bitter taste of their smeared mediation between old world magic and new chaos, between folk and punk and noise and song and anti-song, can be found in their hasty approximation of a song based on moral outrage and spat out brusquely.

Years down Highway 99, after a smattering of releases and a sputtering of shows, on the new Don't Stop Believin' full-length Some Of Us Are In This Together, the dead hooker's bruises still haven't healed. Who can expect them to? Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive to Death is as cold as they come. It's still-born squalor, between abyss and existence. The ten tracks on Some Us Are In This Together are as tribal-loyal, exclusive, paranoid-defensive, and elitist as the LP title sounds. Drummer Andrea Zollo (ex-Pretty Girls Make Graves) is at the center of the activity, pounding away like an embittered Moe Tucker pummeling on an abusive boss's balding cranium with a Walmart price gun, allowing Corey J. Brewer (guitars, Cold Lake) and Joel Cuplin (bass, Constant Lovers) to churn death-pasta into a bile casserole.

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(This is the beginning of a column about getting cable turned back on after five years and watching regular television again. What has happened in the meantime? What has the rest of the country been doing since I've been playing music, going to shows, reading books, talking with friends, avoiding creditors, trying like hell to escape the too-tolerated madness of mainstream consumer society? Well, here goes -- for as long as I can take it, before calling to cancel cable.)

We got cable television a few weeks ago. It was a slow form of hell getting prepared for it and following through. This included disconnecting from the previous internet company to buy a “bundle” (cable, phone, internet) but the guy who normally hooks up the apartment building we live in didn’t put in the right order, so while I tried to get rid of the previous internet provider in the politest way possible, I also had to act as a liaison between the technicians at the new company and the dude who, um, brought over the paperwork (?).

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I hope you're ready for this, because we're about to take your Tuesday from good to grrrrrrrreat!

On top of it not being Monday (woo!) as well as the designated day to go-get-the-latest-and-greatest at the record store, this Tuesday we've got a pair of tickets to give away to two rad upcoming shows -- Dave Rawlings Machine down at the Showbox on Valentine's Day, and Sarah Bettens over at the Triple Door on Thursday. Seriously!

Touring on the heels of this past fall's release, A Friend of a Friend, Dave Rawlings Machine (aka Dave Rawlings and the ever-lovely Gillian Welch, alongside Belmont Tench of the Heartbreakers, Karl Himmel, and Nate Walcott of Bright Eyes) is bringing their beautiful sound that's "built on the same careful spine that Welch's songs are" to the Showbox this upcoming Sunday. Want to get in on the goodness? Just email tig [at] threeimaginarygirls.com with the subject line "FriendOfAValentine" before 9am this Friday (February 12th). Extra points for your pitch on why you should be the one we pick to attend the show!

And on a slightly lower key but just as lovely note, Sarah Bettens (formerly of K's Choice -- a quick Googling will refresh you on their smash hit, "Not An Addict") will be swinging through town this Thursday to headline the Triple Door for our listening pleasure. Her lush, thoughtful songwriting coupled with her dynamic, earnest performance style has had audiences flocking to her shows for over a decade -- most recently to celebrate the her latest releases, Never Say Goodbye and Shine. If you want to be part of the action, email tig [at] threeimaginarygirls.com with the subject line "Who'sBettens, Who'sBest" before 9am this Thursday (February 11th). Act fast -- that's only two days away!

Good luck, and we'll see you out at the shows!

So if you haven't caught wind of it yet, St. Vincent will be coming through town tonight to blow the doors off of Neumo's with their sweet layercake of daydreamy, lushy melodies. It's actually the first US show of their national tour, which heads down the left coast for stops in PDX and a few nights in California before a cross-country visit to our friends out east (hi, 9:30 Club!).

As if the alt.indie.orchestra.ish appeal of St. Vincent wasn't enough to get you out the door tonight, the show's also going to get lit up with some love from one of our favorite locals, Fences. Rumor has it that they'll be warming up the stage around 9, so don't wait around too long to hit the show!

(It's hip to be early sometimes, Seattle. And to stand up front for a killer show. And even to take your hands out of your pockets and dance a little. I promise.)

Here's a taste of tonight's lineup:

We'll see you at the show!

This hardly needs pretense, so let's keep it brief:

There's some shiny new Long Winters material underfoot. Finally. (It's almost as good as finding out that the Wrens are going to press on their latest release, which apparently is still in the works. But I digress.)

If you remember their performance from Bumbershoot this past year, you might recall the full-band rendition of "Not Moving to Portland" (which John Roderick introduced, raged, and then subsequently followed with blogging commentary and a shout-out). Since hearing it, many of us here in the imaginary camp have been waiting for something we could sing along to -- and tLW, Creature, and the fine folks over at GIVE have made it well worth our bided time.

Without further adieu, here's a bare-bones version of "Not Moving to Portland," featuring Kathleen Edwards.

 

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