Better than built to spill? You crazy.

is it only open to students?

Bob @ 2, I think it's open to everyone.

Steve @ 1, I respect BtS but they just don't do anything for me. Maybe it's my deficiency but Smile Brigade is my favorite band on this bill.

Thanks for blowing the cover, it was supposed to be a "secret" show for UW students: Hence why there was no off-campus advertising or Stranger Ads or promotion on either Built to Spill or Ra Ra Riot's myspace.

P.S.

To insinuate that a band with one EP is better than a band that is a staple of Indie Rock is probably the most preposterous thing I have ever read. Good day sir.

@ UW Police - hmmm, we never knew it was a secret show. Pretty sure I've seen a press release about it and I got a facebook invite from someone who works for ASUW and I'm not a UW student. Sorry! We didn't know it was a secret.

UW Police @ 4 Funny, I found out about it from The Stranger.

If it was a secret, it was a very poorly kept one. If one person told me "don't write about this", I wouldn't have.

Not that I mean to engage trolls but anyone who reads what I write with any regularity knows I could could give a fuck about what is a "staple of Indie Rock".

UW Police is doing *exactly* what I would do if I was a BTS-superfan... dissuading anyone from showing up so that I could have Doug M all to myself and making anyone who tells others about the show feel guilty about filling up the quad.

Way to go UW Police! Excellent strategy.

You all can't imagine the blockade I'd put up if there were a daytime free Blur show. I've started hording orange cones for just that purpose.

Myself, I'd rather be a safety pin of indie rock. Or perhaps the scotch tape.

Good day sir, back atcha.

Chris, I hear you like girl bands. In a weird way.

Best comment string, EVER.

Secret show, haha. Yes, I'm sure that's true. That's how I also knew about it through Facebook, because I am in the ELITE crowd! YAY!

We're all elite Amie. Now let's liven this comment string up! (possible?)
IGshr*e

Is the DJ gig Friday (today) or Saturday?

Whoops. Sorry Jeff. It's Saturday night and was corrected.

I don't like Smile Brigade at all, from what I've heard in that imbedded YouTube video. Maybe there's another song that is better?

I absolutely love Built to Spill and Ra Ra Riot though. Saw Ra Ra Riot at Sasquatch, which was amazing by the way.

Lucky UW kids...

Yeah, I'm a student and stuff. I have inside info. It's only open currently registered students with 3.6 min cumulative GPA. Plus campus security is dictating that bts's playlist consist only of dave mathew's covers. Should be pretty lame. Everyone I know is baggin it to study in Suzallo.

I don't think it's about being a "Staple of Indie Rock" because, who really gives a shit? I think it's about the ability to press forward with a unique sound, solid lyrical content, and an approach that transcends time and reaches a variety of people on an emotional level. Plus, the ability to rework song structures and push their sound effectively in different directions.

ChrisB, you stated that you have respect for Built to Spill and that your feelings about Smile Brigade being the "BEST" band on the bill are only your opinion. It's true, and everything is subjective anyway. I'm sure that no one else is going to agree with you about your opinion, however, including myself. Unless of course you count the rest of your friends and writers on this site who have your back, as friends should.

I write myself and I feel that its important to state your specific tastes so that anyone who reads what you write will know if they should trust your future recommendations for them or not. Those that agree with you can read your articles and those that do not, can go somewhere else and read the work of someone that is like-minded. That being said, I think that this Smile Brigade group is no where near as talented or original as Built to Spill and, most-likely, will never be.

I can't help but speculate that you know someone in the band or, perhaps, you just have a taste in music that I completely disagree with. I'll see what I think today but, if this video is an example of their best work, I don't have a feeling that I will be blown away by their performance. It sounds a lot like another song that I can't quite but my finger on. It's almost like certain segments sound like Wilco covering fragments from "Across the Universe" or something. If they continue in this direction, they will never be widely or legitimately considered as a defining act, genre-based or otherwise.

good day sir

Dead C-

You've had the most thoughtful comment in this thread, so I'll answer your questions. I don't know anyone in Smile Brigade (and I am very good about disclosing when I have a friend in a band that I write about, which I try to do as little as possible) - they mailed me a copy of their last EP at the beginning of the year, and I enjoyed it. On an average, one band a week writes to me asking if they can send me their CD (and at least one publicist a day). The only e-mail contact we've had has really been asking if I got the CD and letting me know about shows, none of which I've been able to make it to and I'm pretty sure I've never met anyone from the band in-person.

I am not really a big Built to Spill fan (or really of Ra Ra Riot), but I thought this was of particular interest to our readers, so I posted it. I mentioned a couple of sentences about a band I really like that I thought might get overlooked amongst two higher profile bands. Maybe I wrote ineloquently but I really tried to be fair and didn't write anything critical of Built to Spill, only that I thought this band that a lot of people might skip would be worthy of attention. Every week for over a year, I've written TIG's column on KEXP blog and I've tried as much as I could to focus on writing about smaller bands vs. the larger regional bands.

Built to Spill is a great band with a large following and have been really innovative (and Perfect Sound Forever is a great album), they just aren't my taste.

I really do strive to be fair and transparent; I don't review records by people I dislike going in, I don't ask to go to shows that I don't think I'd enjoy. I only write about people I know personally when I can't avoid it.

Good day to all of you.

Hands up who just fell more in imaginary love with ChrisB....?

(Two hands up over here!)

PS, I meant Perfect From Now On.

Chris B is a low to very low skilled critic. Blowing the BTS album title was weak. He should retire from critiques and just keep promo CDs. The CD reviews on TIG have suffered in the last couple years, as the site slips from the three girls control/interest. BTW where's IgChar?

ChrisB-

I actually looked at it as if you were just letting people know that they should check out the opening band but, I'm not surprised that people would respond negatively if you come across as dismissing the talents of BTS. I'm not saying that you have, I'm just saying that I'm not surprised by the response by those who may have felt that you have. I'm sure that you are not surprised by it either.

I hear you about the press releases and contacts so, It's cool that you found something that you liked in the mix somewhere. I've had a label asking me to interview and cover a band for over 2 years, every time that they come to town. They're playing Bonnaroo and all kinds of other festivals and their fanbase is getting more and more solid but I told them 2 years ago that I wasn't the one they wanted dealing with it, because I didn't enjoy their music. But the emails keep coming.

I've been going to Built to Spill shows for about 15 years though. I used to see them when Modest Mouse would open for them at the Rock Candy. Since then I've met Doug multiple times and he's one of the nicest and open people I've ever met, especially in an industry like this. He gave me his phone number on a MAXIM subscription at the Crystal Ballroom about 5 or 6 years ago and told me I could do an interview with him over the phone. He remembers me from given him HOMIE figurines all the time back in the day. At that poin, however, I was mostly scamming tickets and wasn't really writing for anyone. Ever since I started dealing with posting articles and reviews again, I've wondered if the number was still legit

I can't hate on you or your post for two reasons:

1) I saw the show and, although it was wrought with flaws, I loved it and was able to touch base with Martsche again about everything and lock down the interview all over again.

2) I get attacked all the time because, I am very likely to call out your favorite band and give my honest opinion. I'll even call out my favorite bands if they sound like shit or do something fucked up. Your information was accurate and I saw the performance. This was simply a show preview/announcement. There's really not to attack here. You didn't explain why one band was better than other in a detailed format that could be picked apart. As far as critics go, I look at my writing as an opportunity to explain a scenario in a manner that will help people understand what they have not experienced as if they have. Conveying the scene, experience... whatever. So they feel like they are there. I usually sound judgemental but, for me, the only way to explain that an experience felt like I was being tazed in the face is to say it just like that. Some people just hate my feelings. Some people seem to hate yours too.

The last interview that I posted on my site was with David Berman (Silver Jews). The funny thing about David is that he seems to be a strong believer in the importance of subjectivity and personal preference. On Drag City's Silver Jews forum, where he was interacting and posting regularly for a while, people have gotten into multiple debates about which was the "best" Joos album. They've actually argued over that shit. It doesn't matter. Even the guy who actually created those albums thinks its ridiculous.

Thanks for the heads up

wilco covering across the universe? nice yeah the smile brigade is clearly biting on the cock of these two bands. The you tube clip is just ok. With a little practice the brigade may become competent enough to write and perform mediocre songs.We are the babies, all up in this tree, dont mess w we... See all the lions sleeping on the ground, dont make a sound....AAahhh. Fuck off criticizing asses your falling into the trap. This man has his hand on the pulse, the future of rock lies trembling in the firm grip of Smile Brigade.