This Saturday, August 14 loyal Walkabouts followers are in for a treat at the Sunset, with doors opening at 6 pm (during happy hour). Carla Torgerson, Michael Wells, Glenn Slater, Paul Austin, and Terri Moeller (otherwise known in Terri Tarantula) will be playing songs written and/or recorded with Walkabouts leader Chris Eckman, who comes back to Seattle to work with the band in autumn.

Just because Eckman lives in Slovenia now doesn't mean the other vibrantly creative members of the Walkabouts shouldn't be able to play for their hometown fans, right? Thus, the Drunken Soundtracks, the moniker the Walkabouts play under while Eckman is away, taken from a sublime double CD compilation of lost songs by the group released in 2002. The show will be opened by Animals At Night leader Graig Markel, putting down production duties in his new home studio for one night to come out and deliver an also rare solo set. Walkabouts fans are a fervent and loyal throng, so be sure to buy your advance tickets here if you're as excited by this news as I am.

For fans of roots-based, poetic but dynamic rock, who want to sample more of the Walkabouts oeuvre by also legendary alternative artists such as The Minus 5, Jon Langford (of the Mekons), Steve Wynn and Linda Pittman, Gary Heffern and Beautiful People, etc., check the 2010 anthology in the meantime: Got No Chains: The Songs of the Walkabouts. They'll probably have some copies for sale at the show this weekend, and it is as highly recommended a taste of the talents of the band as their own Drunken Soundtracks.

It’s a pretty light release week, but as usual there is something for everyone, including Nine Inch Nails, Pam Tillis, The Clorox Girls, Graig Markel, and more.

more...

The top Northwest releases of 2004 as voted on by you, our readers (see winners #40-31 here).

more...

We all know that nothing says 'Happy Holidays' like Bon Jovi and Big Country. So, we've rolled them all together and on Thursday, December 2nd, Three Imaginary Girls will present the Buttrock vs. New Wave Rockstar Karaoke Holiday Bash at Chop Suey!

more...

The lyrics for each song may not be stretch beyond a few sentences, but the choice words emit visceral, visual pictures.

more...

at The Sunset

When I spoke of this amazing musical — nearly magical — proficiency to my imaginary date, he replied, "Well yeah — they should be that good — because they're all vampires so they've been practicing for thousands of years."

more...