Three Imaginary Girls - Schoolyard Heroes

This weekend is chock full of amazing shows -- might we suggest...

imaginary liz — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:17:27 +0000

It's the weekend before Christmas which means holiday party season has kicked into high gear. This weekend there are so many shows to choose from {it's like a mistletoe'd SXSW or something} that my eggnog'd head is spinning. Might we suggest:

***Friday, December 18***

BOAT / The Exploding High Fives / Concours d'Elegance at the Sunset Tavern
A holiday party with BOAT? I'll take that! Also on the bill is The Exploding High Fives who have a song "Since You're Not Here for Christmas" on their myspace which is Ben Folds cute and catchy. This confirms I'll be in Ballard tonight for this show.

The Head & The Heart / Star Lake Drownings / Your Favorite Book at Conor Byrne
As you may know, Your Favorite Book is one of my favorite Seattle performers. Star Lake Drownings killed it at hour Holiday show last year. Also, YFB shows are rare, so I'm hoping to catch a wee bit of this show tonight.

Schoolyard Heroes want your soul for Christmas

ChrisB — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:19:38 +0000

Schoolyard Heroes are releasing a 2-song holiday single today: "I want your soul for Christmas" and "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel!".

Looking for a great "Hallowindie" Mix

Imaginary Jeffrey — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 06:02:39 +0000

Please, help me make the best Hallowindie Mix EVER!

Kurt Cobain memorial show

imaginary stella — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 23:06:55 +0000

Personally, I'd love to see something like a mini Nirvana museum or something similar installed in the sleepy former lumber town that Cobain used to call home -- something to draw a bit of business to the place. Or a fancy Cobain statue erected on the streets, ala the Hendrix one on Cap Hill.

Capitol Hill Block Party additions

Jon Harthun — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:13:25 +0000

Some very local additions to this year's Capitol Hill Block Party have been announced.

Best of 2007: imaginary stella's picks

imaginary stella — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:33:27 +0000

It’s always odd to revisit what you’ve reviewed over the course of a year. Sometimes, much can change – as after subsequent listenings, you realize that record you thought was pretty decent just blows (see The Killers’ Sam’s Town) or you come to love an album that you’d previously dismissed as mediocre (see “Into the Wild” soundtrack). The true test of a “best release of the year” is its stability, so I’ve tried to pick “long-haul” contenders—albums I’ll go to for months (or even years) to come, with no requirement for a set amount of finalists. Here’s what made the cut...

TOP ALBUMS:

LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver (this one sits significantly higher than the rest)
Interpol: Our Love to Admire
The Shins: Wincing the Night Away
Eddie Vedder: "Into the Wild" soundtrack
Minus the Bear: Planet of Ice
Aqueduct: Or Give Me Death

And, topping the list of what sadly wasn’t as good as I expected:
Modest Mouse: We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

I’ll leave it at that. I can hardly fathom how disappointed I was by that output (mixing the quirky fire of Modest Mouse with legendary jangler Johnny Marr? How did it fall so flat?).

TOP NORTHWEST ALBUMS:

Not that NW artists don't count in overall, national polls! I just felt like making a separate list. To wit:

Best of 2007: ChrisB's Top 10 Northwest releases

ChrisB — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:24:50 +0000

OK, the rain has let up a bit but I'm still not anxious to leave the apartment yet. Here's my 10 favorite local albums from 2007, complete with YouTube-y goodness - as best I could find it.

(I'm sure there'll be some continuity issues with the scores I've assigned - I wrote the reviews for four of the albums below. This is how I am ranking them at the end of the year.)

10. Fleeting Frequencies, Patience Please, Happy Happy Birthday to Me (song: "Bint"):

9. ...The Art of Becoming One's Own Shadow, Lillydale, Mt. Fuji (song: unknown, at least to me, but it was the only one I could find):

Abominations

imaginary stella — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:23:29 +0000

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000UZ4G78/wwwthreeimagi-20

SYH.jpg

Before I can even begin this review, I have to acknowledge some controversy that’s been brewing around Schoolyard Heroes. A while back, EarCandy, a Seattle-based music blog, printed a letter from an angry – ok, downright irate – un-fan. The author claimed SYH as “avowed Satanists” who “want to corrupt our children and drive them to murder with their fascination with the dark and evil world of Satan.” This resulted in a state of outcry as upset parents formed a petition against the band. The fun swirled as Spin caught wind of the story and ran an interview with bassist Jonah Bergman – and the band has since released a flippant but fun retort – which you can read here.

Whether you believe this madness or think it's all a publicity stunt, the short end of the story is that SYH’s guitarist is inciting parents to do something real: to talk to kids about what they’re listening to, and why. “They are a lot smarter than you think,” Bergman says. And he’s dead right, because not only are “kids” always a heck of a lot smarter than anyone gives them credit for, but they’ve also called the bluff on this one. Schoolyard Heroes' release is one of the best, most hair-raising records out of the Northwest all year.

The production on Abominations is pristine and mature, the songs teeming with sinister chords and spine-tingly good vocals. If you’re inclined to side with the uproar against SYH, you could find heaps of evidence in their lyrics, which feature a strong penchant for the macabre. Lead track “Dude, Where’s My Skin?” gorily opens: “Take off your skin and dance for me/ cut out your tongue and sing for me...” And a chorus of “You’re so dead to me/I wanna see you suffering for me” over a wailing operatic shriek and evil guitar arpeggios is perfectly eerie. “Plastic Surgery Hall of Fame,” for which the video featuring the "cultish kids" was made, has a resounding refrain that makes me quiver: “You’re so pretty and you’re so dead!” screams demon diva Ryann Donnelly and backup vocalist Bergman. Scintillating and scary at once.

Donnelly boldly asserts, “I am the devil and I’ve come to do the devil’s work” in “Cemetery Girls.” And that line “lipstick that tastes like murder” in “Razorblade Kisses”? That should be a new offering from MAC for the Halloween holiday. The creepy track listings continue, “Violence is All the Rage,” and “All the Pretty Corpses” some of the examples. But in this case, both titles disguise pop songs; their subject matter may be bloodthirsty, but these beats and vocal arrangements could just as easily back a Kelly Clarkson track. And the sweetness of “The Last Man on Earth” is nearly saccharine — it almost doesn’t fit the band’s MO, until you listen to the end-of-days words. My favorite is the closer, “Screaming ‘Theater’ in a Crowded Fire.” Overlaying serious rocker riffs are classic guy-girl vocal tradeoffs and devilishly delicious, sexy lyrics that stack up to some pretty disturbing foreplay:

SHE: “If I’m not mistaken, I’ve torn your heart out three times now.”
HE: “It’s true, my dear. You tore me up like a boy made of paper.”
TOGETHER: “It was the right thing to do at the time!”
HE: “You cut me 1, 2, 3, 4 times.”
SHE (sultry): ”And I cry that you’re never gonna see me again.”

In that same song, the line, “You smeared my blood like a whore’s mascara” is so visceral, it startled me.

I don’t know where all this leads me. These lyrics and wails have gutted my heart and rotted my brain. The juxtaposition of the fright-factor against peaceful pop-sensibilities could well be the devil’s work in disguise. But all shtick or real-evil, SYH sure have some smart marketers behind their release: Abominations is the perfect soundtrack for this ghoulish, All Hallows Eve season. (PS: For Halloween fun, throw this baby into Word to check the wordcount!)

Schoolyard Heroes' release is one of the best, most hair-raising records out of the Northwest all year.

Schoolyard Heroes to tour with Sum 41, Birthday Massacre

imaginary dana — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 16:39:27 +0000

Seattle's own Schoolyard Heroes are about to embark on a big ol' tour with a couple of heavyweights: Sum 41 and Birthday Massacre.

Schoolyard Heroes leave Control Group

imaginary dana — Tue, 15 May 2007 23:18:14 +0000

Seattle band Schoolyard Heroes have just announced that they're leaving longtime Seattle-based label the Control Group and releasing their third record, Abominations, on the New York-based label Stolen Transmission.

A Very Merry Imaginary Karaoke Bash!

three imaginary girls — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 08:00:00 +0000

Three Imaginary Girls, Barsuk Records, and Sub Pop Records present a Very Merry Imaginary Karaoke Bash featuring members of Math & Physics Club, Iceage Cobra, Head Like a Kite, Schoolyard Heroes, Speaker Speaker, Kane Hodder, Optimus Rhyme, the Pale Pacific, the Elephants, We Wrote the Book on Connectors, The Trucks, A Gun That Shoots Knives, Central Services, The Pharmacy, Tullycraft, Night Canopy, Dita Vox, Shorthand for Epic, and many more. Pre-party starts at 8p with acoustic sets from members of Tiny Vipers, Fruit Bats, and a special performance by Jim Noir. Friday night, December 8th, at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle, WA Seattle, WA, November 14, 2006 – Ho ho ho! 'Tis about that time to kick off the holiday season imaginarily!

Three Imaginary Girls, "Seattle's sparkly indie- pop press," will host a Holiday Karaoke Bash on Friday, December 8, 2006 at The Crocodile, to welcome in the holiday season with their favorite local rockstars singing karaoke. The night will kick-off with a Sub Pop and Barsuk Records-supported pre-party with acoustic sets from members of Sub Pop artists Fruit Bats and Tiny Vipers, and a very special performance from Barsuk Records' Jim Noir.

The night will feature rockstar performances by local musicians and celebrities. Members of Math & Physics Club, Iceage Cobra, Head Like a Kite, Schoolyard Heroes, Speaker Speaker, Kane Hodder, Optimus Rhyme, the Pale Pacific, the Elephants, We Wrote the Book on Connectors, The Trucks, A Gun That Shoots Knives, Central Services, The Pharmacy, Tullycraft, Night Canopy, Dita Vox, Shorthand for Epic, several KEXP DJs, and many more special guests are prepared to take the stage to croon for our mutual holiday enjoyment.

Of course -- in imaginary style -- you won't need mistletoe to get lucky. The event will feature the amazing John Roderick of the Long Winters as Indie Rock Santa Claus, to ensure you get your holiday wish-list heard by Mr. North Pole himself.

"How often does one get the chance to have her picture taken while sitting on John Roderick's lap?" asked imaginary girl Liz. "That's reason enough to attend!"

"This is the best holiday gift ever – a pre-party with Sub Pop and Barsuk, followed by an off-the-hook karaoke bash!" said imaginary girl Dana. "It's a Christmas miracle!"

"I guess we've been very, very good imaginary girls this year," said imaginary girl Char.

Steve the Karaoke King (of Twilight Exit, Molly McGuires, and the Comet Tavern) will serve as KJ for the big event, which means the song selection and the sound system will both be incredible. Need further incentive? Imaginary karaoke parties always tend to attract surprise guests (including Vendetta Red's Zach Davidson and the Posies' Jon Auer at past events), and the girls will have girls will have raffle prizes galore from favorite folks like Merge Records, K Records, and Pattern 25 Records to bulk up your end-of-year CD collection. Event supporters Sub Pop, Barsuk, and Seattle Sound magazine will also be providing extra- exciting gift packs for lucky audience members to win.

Three Imaginary Girls are no strangers to the Seattle rock scene. During the past four years, the girls have reviewed hundreds of live shows and CDs in Seattle and beyond. They also book local music showcases, and have hosted various rockstar karaoke events, such as their Labor Day Buttrock Karaoke Party, their Silly Love Songs Friday the 13th Pre-Valentine's Day Bash, and a "69 Love Songs" Pre- Valentine's Day Tribute night.

*******************************************************

THE JUICY DETAILS
WHAT: Three Imaginary Girls Presents: A Very Merry Imaginary Karaoke Bash
WHERE: The Crocodile Café, 2200 2nd Avenue. Seattle, WA
WHEN: Friday, December 8, 2006. Doors open 8p for the Tiny Vipers and Fruit Bats acoustic sets. Jim Noir performance begins at 9p. Open Karaoke immediately thereafter at 9:30p.
COST: $10 Advance tickets available through Ticketweb.

ABOUT THREE IMAGINARY GIRLS
ThreeImaginaryGirls.com is a Seattle-based website that showcases the great music of the Northwest to music lovers worldwide. During the past three+ years, the site has featured reviews of albums, live music, film, theater, interviews, political commentary, and even love advice, in Seattle and beyond. The girls also book music showcases, contribute to other music publications (including The Stranger, Tablet Magazine, and Music for America), and make guest radio appearances on 90.3 KEXP. The girls were voted "MVP of Seattle Music 2004" by readers of the Seattle Weekly, and were listed in Seattle Magazine's Most Influential People issue. Intrigued? For more information, contact: tig@threeimaginarygirls.com.

xmasposter.jpg

Ho ho ho! 'Tis about that time to kick off the holiday season imaginarily!

Three Imaginary Girls Best Northwest Releases of 2005 Readers' Poll Results {20-11}

three imaginary girls — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 08:00:00 +0000

{50-41} * {40-31} * {30-21} * {20-11} * {10-1}
{top 100} * {imaginary picks}

#20 Math and Physics Club — Weekends Away/Movie Ending Romance EPs (Matinée)
Blending the equal parts Belle & Sebastian, Magnetic Fields, and The Lucksmiths, this Seattle band write songs to comfort the saddest of hearts, or skip with the gleeful. Without depending on depression-filled admissions or teenage angst, they tug at your heartstrings with their warm landscape of timeless melodies. {igLiz}
{official website} * {buy it} * {review} * {interview}

#19 The Pale Pacific — Urgency (Sidecho)
While changing their name to avoid a lawsuit, The Pale Pacific crafted a worthy successor to their 2002 masterpiece, Gravity Gets Things Done. Urgency is a much darker album, with denser instrumentation. "Identity Theft" — a tale of a father trying to enlist his son into a life of crime that shifts perspectives and tempo frequently — is one of the best pop songs of the year. Or any other year. {ChrisB}
{official website} * {buy it} * {review} * {interview}

#18 Schoolyard Heroes — Fantastic Wounds
(The Control Group)
Schoolyard Heroes' frontwoman Ryann Donnelly roars, soars, and frightens us in the best of ways with her astonishing vocals and her bold stage presence. Through 2005, she has led Schoolyard Heroes like a demonic prom queen through a frighteningly great release and a staggering number of off-the-hook live shows. {igDana}
{official website} * {buy it} * {review}

#17 New Pornographers — Twin Cinema (Matador)
While mucking with weird timing signatures and a diminished role for Neko Case, it would be easy to write off the latest from Vancouver's best pop band. Fortunately, Carl Newman understands the craft of pop songwriting better than anyone since Brian Wilson. The songs here are as catchy as those on their past releases, and the harmonies from singers Newman, Case, Dan Bejar and the Newest Pornographer Kathryn Calder (Newman's long-lost niece) are irresistible, too. {ChrisB}
{official website} * {buy it} * {review}

#16 The Purrs — The Dreams Our Stuff is Made Of (Self-released)
The darkly tinged dour-rock of The Purrs has enamoured fans and DJs alike this year, with nearly unprecedented local radio support and opening spots for luminaries like The Wrens, The Heavenly States, and Voyager One. Their brand of acerbic guitars, inky vocals, and broody atomospherics and themes propelled The Dreams Our Stuff is Made Of to the top of the local rock pack. Meow! {igDana}
{official website} * {buy it} * {review}

#15 The Divorce — The Gifted Program (Made in Mexico)
It's a lot to ask, to follow up an album as brilliant as 2003's There Will Be Blood Tonight, but the Divorce has answered our cries with a release full of catchy guitars and confident vocals that become more addictive with each listen. They've not only grown in size (from a trio to a four-piece), but their more mature sound also combines our fave moments of the 80's and 90's into a glossy package worthy of a Spin cover in 2006. {igLiz}
{official website} * {buy it} * {review}

#14 Tea for Julie — Division
(Self-released)
This Portland, Oregon band wails and rocks straight through 13 tracks of swirly, poppy, heavy bliss. Their buoyant energy and surreal melodies mesh to form biting and experimental songs. Anglophiles will likely find this Britpop-roots debut especially captivating. {Stella}
{official website} * {buy it} * {review}

#13 Daylight Basement — Any Kind of Pretty (Self-released)
Daylight Basement blazed onto the field during the last minutes of 2005's 4th quarter with their game-winning, effervescent debut. Bre Loughlin come-hithers her way through jarring vocals, while new wave sugar-pop melodies muddle with murkier twinges of post-punk abrasion. And faux horns! Highly danceable, highly enjoyable, and highly recommended. {Stella}
{official website} * {buy it} * {review} * {interview}

#12 The Long Winters — Ultimatum (Barsuk)
The range of emotion found within the confines of this five-song EP follows suit with what we've come to expect from John Roderick, a guy who makes McSweeney's feel low-brow. With beautifully dancing layers of acoustic harmonies melted over intricate guitar arrangements, this immaculately produced release makes water taste like wine. {igLiz}
{official website} * {buy it} * {review}

#11 The Hot Rollers — Got Your Number
(Sweaty Betty)
More than just sassy garage rockers, this all-girl Seattle trio has up'd the Joan Jett ante with sixties flirts and L7 gut-punches. Their sound is, at once, cheeky, clever and crafty. We love good girls gone bad. Or are they bad girls, gone good? {igLiz}
{official website} * {buy it} * {review}

See all the winners in the TIG Best Northwest Releases of 2005 Readers' Poll (see winners #20-11 here).

Fantastic Wounds

Billy Corazon — Thu, 05 May 2005 07:00:00 +0000

6.9

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0009IORDE/wwwthreeimagi-20

schoolyardheroes05may.jpg

A sharp little machete from Seattle locals Schoolyard Heroes, Fantastic Wounds maintains the acrobatic inter-instrumental dynamics and savagely clever, at times genuinely affecting modern-life-as-horror-movie lyrics that defined their awesome debut, The Funeral Sciences. High points include the vamp-ish, tongue-in-cheek "Serial Killers Know How To Party," the foreboding death-disco-cum-math-rock of "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" and the fuggin' epic "Panic In The Year Zero," the chorus of which will definitely inspire those of us old enough to remember such things to raise our fist and "run to the hills," if you catch my drift.

Throughout the disc, bassist Jonah Bergman and drummer Brian Turner seem positively skin grafted to one another, while guitarist Steve Bonnell unleashes roaring, ravenous leviathans, sneering, manic gremlins and everything in-between through his undoubtedly bloody fingers.

Lead singer Ryann Donnelly, meanwhile, unquestionably has one of the greatest voices in local music right now. Her sense of timing and vocal dynamics cuts through the music with the precision of a surgical scalpel, although this reviewer does slightly miss the more schizophrenic approach of her earlier stuff with the Heroes. While her chops are impeccable on Fantastic Wounds, one of the things that made their first album so endearing was Donnelly's mid-song leaps between sultry Exene Cervenka-style come-ons, Betty Boop on bathtub crank, stunning, soaring operatics, and truly terrifying wolf-woman howls. Here, however, there is a note of restraint in her vocals which, in some ways, fits the material better — but one hopes is simply a step in her evolution as a vocalist that will eventually combine that restraint with the unpredictability of her Funeral Sciences-era vocal persona. (It should also be noted that the vocal interplay with Bergman's bestial howls are also noticeably diminished on this album, but, again, this is an element that will hopefully come to a bad-ass middle ground as the band evolves.)

So, while Fantastic Wounds, like many sophomore releases, lacks a bit in the insouciant exuberance displayed by its predecessor, it is ultimately rewarding upon repeated listens and lays yet another brick (bits of brain and skull still clinging to it) in the solid foundation of this promising young band.

High points include the vamp-ish, tongue-in-cheek "Serial Killers Know How To Party," the foreboding death-disco-cum-math-rock of "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" and the fuggin' epic "Panic In The Year Zero"...

Three Imaginary Girls to Sponsor Ladyfest Showcase w/ The Catch, Ms. Led, Scream Club, Schoolyard Heroes, Smoosh, and Mon Frere

three imaginary girls — Mon, 14 Jun 2004 07:00:00 +0000

Seattle, WA, June 14, 2004 — ThreeImaginaryGirls.com, "Seattle's sparkly indie-pop press," will be co-sponsoring an all-ages Ladyfest Showcase on Saturday, June 26, 2004 at Graceland.

The night will feature a stellar lineup of some of the finest female Northwest artists, including The Catch, Ms. Led, Scream Club, Schoolyard Heroes, Smoosh, and Mon Frere, and will also feature DJs Les Saucettes spinning 1960s French-pop between the bands' sets.

Opening band Mon Frere impressed the imaginary girls when they won the finals of EMP's Sound Off competition 2004, a yearly contest for all-ages bands in the Northwest. The trio features clangy keyboards and raw, piercing lead vocals from front-woman Nouela Johnston.

Also on the not-to-be-missed list are Smoosh, featuring sisters Asy and Chloe, whose indie-pop keyboard/drums songs display musical prowess well beyond their years (they're 12 and 10, respectively). The duo has opened for Death Cab for Cutie and Sleater Kinney, and has their first full-length release coming later this year on local label Pattern 25.

"Smoosh write and play really good songs. They craft catchy-cute melodies with sophisticated timing changes, sweet vocals, and incredible song-writing — and they're so damn cute!" said imaginary girl Dana. "We fully expect they'll be superstars one day."

The bill also features the aggressively punk-pop Schoolyard Heroes, the audacious mohawked rap-rock babe duo Scream Club, the infectious melodies of post-punk feminist-rockergirls Ms. Led, and the foxy sass-mouthed new-wave pop hooks of headliners, The Catch.

"We can't wait to see Scream Club live, with that so-scary-it's-foxy matching makeup and mullet aesthetic they've got going on," said imaginary girl Char. "Any band that garners undying praise from Time Out, Yeti, Venus, Bust, Bitch, and Yoko Ono in one press page has to be stellar."

"And The Catch — they're the styliest girls in town. I can't wait to see what color leg-warmers and pumps they've got on, or to hear all the great material from their forthcoming release this summer. Plus you get to hear Schoolyard Heroes and Ms. Led, all on the same bill? I can't believe we get to sponsor this all in one night. It's too good," exclaimed imaginary girl Liz.

Three Imaginary Girls are no strangers to the Seattle rock scene. During the past two years, the girls have reviewed hundreds of live shows and CDs in Seattle and beyond. They also book local music showcases, and have hosted various rockstar karaoke events, such as their Labor Day buttrock karaoke party, their Silly Love Songs Friday the 13th Pre-Valentine's Day Bash, and an indie-rock holiday party that raised hundreds of dollars for local charity, TreehouseForKids.org.

EVENT DETAILS
WHAT: Three Imaginary Girls Ladyfest show with The Catch, Ms. Led, Scream Club, Schoolyard Heroes, Smoosh, and Mon Frere. This event is all-ages.
WHERE: Graceland, 109 Eastlake Ave E.
WHEN: Saturday, June 26, 2004. Doors open 8p.
COST: $10. Ladyfest 5-event passes are available for $35. Advance tickets available on the Ladyfest Seattle website.

ABOUT LADYFEST SEATTLE
Ladyfest Seattle is part of a global tradition of all-volunteer, non-profit organizations raising awareness of women's issues through artistic pursuits. The original Ladyfest was held in Olympia, WA in 2000 and generated over $30,000 for women's charities. This year, Ladyfest Seattle will donate all proceeds to the local women's health center Aradia and Amnesty International. Voter registration will be available at all events, the quota of male to female artists in an act has been abolished, and half of the events will be all-ages.

June26sm.gif

ThreeImaginaryGirls.com, "Seattle's sparkly indie-pop press," will be co-sponsoring an all-ages Ladyfest Showcase on Saturday, June 26, 2004 at Graceland.