Three Imaginary Girls - The Cops

Photo of the day: The Cops last (all ages) show

imaginary keenan — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:47:50 +0000

Sadly, Seattle lost one of its great rock and roll bands this weekend, the Cops. Today's photo of the day comes from Brittney Bush Bollay. I'm a huge fan of jumping pictures.

Was anyone at this show? Friday night I went to the Blue Moon and caught Connecticut Four, BOAT, and Peter Parker (and it was a blast). What did everyone go see this weekend?

Got any great photos from the weekend? Add them to our sparkly indie pop photo pool!

Tonight's Recommended Show: The Cops' final show

ChrisB — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 18:20:11 +0000

As we all unfortunately know, not all good things can last forever. And, alas, The Cops have decided to go on an indefinite hiatus and play what may be the final show at the Sunset tonight.

Tonight's Cops Rock 'n Roll Circus postponed until March

ChrisB — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 02:51:21 +0000

The Cops sent out an e-mail that said, "Tonight's show with Spiral Stairs, The Sea Navy and Wallpaper has been cancelled due to the blizzard in Seattle. The last night of our Rock n' Roll Circus, and our last scheduled show before our hiatus has been postponed to Saturday March 14th."

Let's not let the Cops break up

Chris Estey — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:51:08 +0000

This week we've got three stupendous nights of Sunset Tavern burn down, and here are other reasons to be there every night, each and every one of us.

...and now The Cops are taking a hiatus?

ChrisB — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 04:51:11 +0000

Earlier in the week I reported that Ms. Led is playing their final show next month and now another one of my favorite local bands is going on hiatus. This didn't end well for Sleater-Kinney but who knows, right?

Michael Jaworski of The Cops sent out this e-mail:

After 4 1/2 years, 2 records, an EP, several tours and over 230 shows played, we're taking a break for an undetermined amount of time. It's bittersweet, but the time has come. 4 1/2 years of touring have been financially and personally taxing and some of the band members want to focus on other things in life. Everyone in the band still loves each other and will greatly miss playing music together, but we’ve decided that it’s time to step away from the band for a while. Personally, I have plans for a couple new music projects and I’m excited to spread my wings in some different directions. Drew Church is always playing music with someone, and you can put good money on seeing David Weeks and John Randolph back in action some point.

John Roderick ate a hippie

heather hydra — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:59:29 +0000

5 Jul 2008

longwinters08jul.jpg

Dudes, the Cops. The freakin' COPS. I love those guys something fierce. The rock put forth by the Fab five was extreme. It was intense. Beer was showered into the crowd. If you haven't had a chance to see the Cops, please take time right now to pencil them into yr Blackberry or Moleskine or MySpace calendar. You'll thank me for making you do this.

Holy balls. Every time I see the L-Dubs play, it is never for long enough. I could get a good solid two hour set, and that still wouldn't be satisfying. For those of you with (seemingly) more important things to do Saturday night, let me tell you: the show rocked. I noticed that a common lament amongst fans at the show was the fact that only one song ("Give Me A Moment") from The Worst You Can Do Is Harm appeared on the setlist, which seemed to be driven by audience requests and Roderick's delight in teasing the crowd.

Also making an appearance was the patented "John Roderick banter," much to the delight of everyone at the Showbox. Not that the people at the Showbox didn't give some sass back! Roderick has accepted, at least outwardly, his slow migration to the granola side. Every so often a "Hippie!" or some variation of, was shouted at him. This culminated in J.Rod tying his luscious locks back into not one, but TWO small ponytails. The effect was very "Karl Blau" to me, and I literally fell into the monitor in front of me, I was laughing so hard.

It is hard to believe that it had been a year since I saw the Long Winters play. Can't we go back to when the band played every month? Please? KTHX.

Setlist!

Pushover
Fire Island, AK
Teaspoon
Hindsight
Honest
Seven
Commander Thinks Aloud
Blue Diamonds
Scared Straight
Stupid
Cinnamon
Nora
Give Me a Moment

(Did I miss any songs? If so, please comment with them!)

THE COPS

THE LONG WINTERS

I have seen the L-Dubs play far more than any other band. Awesome? Possibly. Nerdy? Mos defs. Sad? TOTALLY.

The Long Winters are coming! The Long Winters are coming! {and we have free tickets for you!!}

imaginary dana — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 07:53:49 +0000

Nothing thrills our imaginary hearts like hearing new Long Winters songs are on the way... unless it's new Long Winters songs + a show + free tickets to give away to said show.

This week in TIG at KEXP: the cops versus the Cops

imaginary dana — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:52:55 +0000

Though we neglect to mention it most weeks, Three Imaginary Girls writes over at the KEXP blog each Friday.

If you feel like leaving the house tomorrow...

imaginary liz — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:51:22 +0000

There are several ways to mark the 14th of February holiday tomorrow. Whether you're celebrating coupledom or on the prowl, there's nice, naughty, and all-ages type fun for everyone.

Celebrate Super Tuesday with the Cops

imaginary dana — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:30:52 +0000

Doors at 8:00PM, $8, $7 if you are brandishing any kind of Democratic paraphernalia -- go dig up those old Dukakis buttons!

TIG Best Northwest Releases of 2007: Editors' picks

three imaginary girls — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 05:21:26 +0000

We gathered our imaginary staff to determine our collective Northwest favorites for 2007. It was hard work. Imaginary battles were fought, alliances formed, and finally, winners emerged.

You should have seen the way that imaginary Liz can arm wrestle, and how Erik Gonzalez can duke it out for his favorite bands. It was fierce and fun, and we think our final list was well worth the effort.

Here they are: the TIG official editor picks for best Northwest releases of 2007. Enjoy!

#20 Grand Hallway Yes Is the Answer (Self-released)
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#19 Aqueduct Or Give Me Death (Barsuk)
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#18 Night Canopy Of Honey and Country (Go Midnight)
{review} * {band profile} * {buy}

#17 Team Gina Gina Gina Revolution (Self-released)
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#16 Arthur & Yu In Camera (Hardly Art)
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#15 Minus the Bear Planet of Ice (Suicide Squeeze)
{review} * {band profile} * {buy}

#14 The Cops Free Electricity (The Control Group)
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#13 Ms Led Shake Yourself Awake (Fish the Cat)
{review} * {band profile} * {buy}

#12 The Femurs Modern Mexico (HomeSpun)
{review} * {band profile} * {buy}

#11 Patience Please Fleeting Frequencies (Happy Happy Birthday To Me)
{review} * {band profile} * {buy}

#10 Grand Archives Grand Archives (Self-released / Sub Pop)
{review} * {band profile} * {buy}

#9 Shake Some Action! Shake Some Action (Satellite 451)
{review} * {band profile} * {buy}

#8 Math & Physics Club Baby I'm Yours (Matinee)
{review} * {band profile} * {buy}

#7 Throw Me The Statue Moonbeams (Baskerville Hill)
{review} * {band profile} * {buy}

#6 Blue Scholars Bayani (MassLine Media, Rawkus)
{review} * {band profile} * {buy}

#5 Siberian With Me (Sonic Boom Recordings)
{review} * {band profile} * {buy}

#4 BOAT Let's Drag Our Feet (Magic Marker)
{review} * {band profile} * {buy}

#3 Menomena Friend and Foe (Barsuk)
{review} * {band profile} * {buy}

#2 Tullycraft Every Scene Needs a Center (Magic Marker)
{review} * {band profile} * {buy}

#1 Cave Singers Invitation Songs (Matador)
{review} * {band profile} * {buy}

Honorable mentions:

Blitzen Trapper Wild Mountain Nation (Lidkercow Ltd.)

Modest Mouse We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (Epic)

Schoolyard Heroes Abominations (Stolen Transmission)

The Shaky Hands The Shaky Hands (Holocene Music)

The Shins Wincing the Night Away (Sub Pop)

Bestof07-TIG_sm.jpg

We gathered our imaginary staff to determine our collective Northwest favorites for 2007. It was hard work. Imaginary battles were fought, alliances formed, and finally, winners emerged.

A stormy night with BOAT

Imaginary Kiku — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 04:09:19 +0000

1 Dec 2007

boat07dec.jpg

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night can keep me from attending a BOAT show. Really only a 300-pound bouncer with an eye for fake IDs can. So although the sudden snowstorm may have prevented a larger crowd from gathering at VERA last night, I was there to once again witness the BOAT magic.

The show featured four talented and diverse local bands, opening with the catchy punk hooks of the Quiet Ones and ending with the Cops celebrating the release of their new CD Free Electricity. Sandwiched between these two hard-rocking bands was a sloppy-pop center made up of Throw Me the Statue and BOAT. It was these bands that motivated me to brave the elements and make the dangerous commute downtown.

Before Saturday night I hadn't heard much of Throw Me the Statue, but as I drove down to VERA luck would have it that Audioasis was playing a track off their latest CD Moonbeams. I fell fast for their poppy riffs and cute, muffled vocals, and their live show only solidified my admiration. Throw Me the Statue is a really fantastic and energetic band with lots of great keyboards and a star shaped tambourine. I don't know how else to describe this band but to say that they are everything I look for in my local music. They danced, they had effortless harmonies, and did I mention the keys? Their enthusiasm on stage was infectious, and for two songs in a row they got the whole audience to clap along, including a cover of the Guided By Voices song "My Valuable Hunting Knife." Perhaps the most impressive part of their performance came at the end of their set, when the guitarist took over the keys, and the keyboardist executed the most remarkable xylophone solo I have ever heard. His mallets were moving so fast they were invisible to the naked eye. Unfortunately Throw Me the Statue's set was much too short, as they had to take off for their official CD release party at the Croc, but their full length Moonbeams is now most definitely on my Christmas list.

Finally, the band I braved the storm for, forced my parents to drive on slushy roads for: BOAT took the stage. I realized before the show that I hadn't seen BOAT since the Three Imaginary Girls' anniversary party, way back in July. Maybe it was just because of the withdrawal, but their performance seemed even better than usual. The sound was CD quality, but the little jokes they threw into their live songs made each one personal. BOAT has taken the local music scene by storm, winning TIG's Best Album of the Year in 2006, and surly prime contenders for the same award this year. Their unique sloppy-pop sound is full to bursting with strange noises from a variety of obscure instruments. It seems that every BOAT song is completely new, never to be confused with another melody. The set list was full of gems from their two LPs (Songs That You Might Not Like and Let's Drag Our Feet!), but also included two new songs (goodness these boys keep busy!). They introduced one new tune by saying, "It's about a band we like." Someone in the audience shouted, What band? So they gave us clues. Some of them have beards. None of them smoke. I asked, Do they like diet soda? Yes, answered lead singer Dave Crane, I've heard some do like diet soda. The song is called "Four Beds for BOAT," and is one of the more adorable songs I can think of, with humble lyrics and a sweet, sleepy melody. Near the end, lead Dave checked his watch and noticed it was 10:15. He said nervously "We're supposed to be done by 10:15. Oh well, I hear the Cops are lenient in Seattle". And that little pun made my evening.

I think this is a good time to mention that one of the highlights of the night was the rock-star lighting operated by a kid in the back known as Lane. I've heard photographers complain about VERA lighting, how it's not good for picture-taking, but it was incredible that night for creating a real mega-concert atmosphere. Throw Me the Statue's lead singer Scott Reitherman even said during his performance, "Whoever is doing the lights, thank you for blowing my mind". I don't know how he did it, but the talented youth managed to make the lights match every song almost perfectly. Kudos Lane!

Finally, I was gifted BOAT's set list (shown above), which was given to me very generously by extreme BOAT fan Al Sauer. I think it's every bit as adorable and artful as BOAT themselves.

Finally, the band I braved the storm for, forced my parents to drive on slushy roads for: BOAT took the stage.

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):

Free Electricity

ChrisB — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 03:40:49 +0000

8.2

http://www.sonicboomrecords.com/catalog/default.aspx?searchbox=free+electricity

The-Cops-free-electricity.jpg

I’ve now listened to The Cops’ second album, Free Electricity, about 7 or 8 times straight through over the past 4 days and I am no closer to figuring it out as I was after the first spin. My enjoyment of the album is unwavering, yet I find myself asking if I love this record because it’s a great record, or do I love it because it pushes the right buttons in my psyche? Regardless, it’s not every day that you find a record that simply knocks you on your ass – but that’s exactly what happened to this powerpop-loving writer.

Free Electricity celebrates everything I hold dear in rock and roll: dual-part, jerky guitars riffs layered upon a hard-hitting drum beat with a bassist who is not left many openings yet somehow finds them and dives the tempo by weaving in and out of the ones he’s given, and then add on a singer with a powerful voice and enough range to fit the dark mood of each song. Free Electricity rocks with an urgency not commonly found in indie rock today. In fact, it's hardly fair to call the Cops an indie rock band (with all due respect, the Arcade Fire doesn’t rock this hard and neither does Wilco). I prefer to say the Cops are a classic rock band that hasn’t become classic – yet. They are a throwback rock and roll band free of bullshit, like in the tradition of Black Sabbath or Led Zeppelin, just with a garage-ier sound.

“Modern Black Flats” could be a generational anthem if it gets heard by enough people. I’m not sure if it is an update to the Clash’s “White Riot” or the Mekons’ “Never Been in a Riot” – albeit for an era where the stakes are considerably lower (or maybe the apathy is markedly higher). When frontman Michael Jaworski sings on the record’s catchiest song, “There’s blood on the sheets, Blood on the Tracks, blood on the walls of the modern black flats, blood on the seats of your Mercedes Benz” you can’t help but think he’s anxious for someone to throw a trashcan through the window of a Starbucks or commit some other act of anarchy just to shake up the status quo.

The last song, “N-99”, is my favorite. In it, Jaworski looks for some excitement in the seedier sections of Aurora Avenue (at least I think that's what it's about). He growls, “Take a ride with me up 99, make a right just past the neon sign, I got a hundred dollar bill, let’s have some fun, I’ve got a hundred dollar bill, let’s get it on.” Andrew Church’s basslines are understated but obvious – especially during the brief moments when they are layered below only Jaworski’s vocals. They drive the noir-ish feel of the number.

Listening to the Cops makes you realize that this band is more than the sum of its parts. Sure, there are great individual moments (Church’s aforementioned basslines on “N-99” or on the title track where you realize that David Weeks is a rare breed – a powerful drummer that is not in love with the sound of his own fills), but the Cops come together and find a common ideology and consistent sound.

If that, my friends, is not rock and roll, I don’t know what is.

It’s not everyday that you find a record that simply knocks you on your ass – but that’s exactly what happened to this powerpop-loving writer.

Much ado about a bunch of Seattle bands

imaginary dana — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 20:07:36 +0000

I've gotten a slew of exciting emails about local bands using their powers of rock for good over the past couple of days, so here's the down-and-dirty update, from my inbox to your imagi-blog...

New releases for the week, from Easy Street Records

Jflores — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 18:17:04 +0000

New releases for the week of 11/6/07, including releases from the Cops, Sigur Ros, Toyko Police Club, and more!

The Cops sign to local label The Control Group

imaginary dana — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 15:53:21 +0000

The band has a new record coming in November and a new single to hear right now.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: The Cops

imaginary dana — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 23:10:15 +0000

27 Jul 2007

CHBPTheCops07jul3.jpg

The great tragedy of the Capitol Hill Block Party -- indeed, of all music festival, really -- is that it's impossible to catch every band you'd like to see. Sadly, I missed Seattle band the Cops, one of the all-time fun-time rock and roll bands this town has to offer. Big signs all around.

Luckily, TIG photographer Laura Musselman caught the show and got some great photos to show for it. Talk about big sighs! Just look at those shots...

I also heard a big bad rumor that the Cops have a fantastic new CD forthcoming. So good times all around... even if we didn't get to share them together in person, Coppers.

And now for more of those fantastic photos:

Luckily, TIG photographer Laura Musselman caught the show and got some great photos to show for it. Talk about big sighs!

Tonight's Recommended Show: The Saturday Knights/The Cops at Havana

imaginary dana — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 17:05:45 +0000

Tonight the Saturday Knights have a FREE show at Havana, with free drinks, at 7p, Seattle band the Cops are opening, and then they're going to debut the video for "45" afterwards.

Fests are upon us: Part 4: Bumbershoot update

imaginary dana — Wed, 02 May 2007 19:33:56 +0000

In other Bumbershoot news, the bands of local bands on the roster has grown...