In the throes of a killer party at the Neptune last night, we were thrilled beyond belief to find out the details on another most excellent year for the Sasquatch! music festival, taking place out at the Gorge on Memorial Day weekend {May 25-28}. Sasquatch! is by far one of our favorite fests every year, and 2012 is going to be no exception.

We're particularly excited about partying down with the likes of Jack White, Beck, Tenacious D, Beirut, Girl Talk {hell yes!}, The Head and the Heart, Tune-Yards, Wild Flag, Blind Pilot, Mark Lanegan Band, The Cave Singers, Grouplove, Ted Leo, Deer Tick, Alabama Shakes, We Are Augustines, Shearwater {!!!!!}, Charles Bradley, Pickwick, Hey Marseilles, Sallie Ford, Dyme Def, Fresh Espresso, and Katie Kate -- but by no means does that even scratch the surface of the seemingly-zillion fantastic bands included on this year's lineup. As usual, there's a thoughtful mash of notable locals and squee-worthy headliners, so much so that slapping down the ticket price to spend the long weekend with twenty-plus thousand of your closest friends is an absolute no-brainer.

more...

at High Dive

I had anticipated the Deer Tick show for several weeks prior to this night, having heard "Diamond Rings 2007" on KEXP one morning on the way to work. I was immediately drawn to the raw vocals and grungy country style. I did quite a bit of researching before the show, hoping to get a feel for what I was in for at the High Dive on Thursday night.

However I wasn't prepared for the alt.country marathon that ensued, leaving me both ecstatic and exhausted. The band played approximately 25 songs in total, a scorcher considering that on a good night, most bands give us 14 or 15 tracks at best. Country songs are different though, I get that. Still, I tried to get a playlist at the end and was told that they "don't use one." I can't even keep track of my family's birthdays, how on earth did Deer Tick power through a 20+ song set without a guide?

more...

I heard Deer Tick on KEXP a few months ago and immediately rushed to buy their latest record. What I heard was a mix of grunge, country, rock and blues and it's just right for the Northwestern indian summer we're about to have. Fans of the Cave Singers and the Maldives will appreciate John McCauley's slightly ominous Americana stylings coupled with a plaintive, raspy singing style.

Deer Tick were recently named the #1 Breaking Band To Watch at SXSW 2009 by Rolling Stone's own David Fricke, which is kind of a big deal, right? I know! Apparently they're also quite funny to watch live, so I'm excited to see what they might pull out of their hats: "I've seen so many people play with virtually no stage presence and it's a bummer. I don't want to watch that. Besides, my songs are too sad to sing one after the other and not tell a few jokes."

I've had this show on the books for over a month now and I can't wait! Deer Tick plays tonight at the High Dive (sponsored by The Tractor Tavern). I think it'll be a great show for one of these last warm nights.

more...

The songs avoid any trendy dissonance and allows traditional rules of folk, blues, bluegrass and rock to be sufficient in their expression.

more...