Before we let 2010 come to a close and we start building out our tops of the year lists, we wanted to share a few more songs that we have been listening to on repeat throughout the month. You can listen to a stream of the podcast below or download the MP3 version of the podcast on the imaginary bandcamp page.

If you are the type that likes to listen to podcasts in itunes, download the .m4a file here {it's one single file with fancy chapter markers!} and then open it in your itunes {big thanks to Jigsaw Records and Indie Pages for hosting the file!}.

Tracklisting: Imaginary Mixtape - December 2010 {part 4}

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{Photo by Victoria VanBruinisse from the Imaginary Flickr Photo Pool}

There is nothing we'd love more than to celebrate this month of many holidays with us at this year's Imaginary Holiday Office Party. The night is going to have so many holly jolly wonderful things that going on we can't list them off in one breath (but you can read all about it here).

It's all going down on Thursday, December 16 at the Columbia City Theater and all proceeds from the show go to Seattle nonprofit, Teen Feed. We've gathered some of our favorite bands from Seattle as well as Santa John Vanderslice, who is not only taking the stage to perform, but will also be our Indie-Rock Santa for the evening (and you can get your photo taken upon his lap).

But don't take our word for it, this episode of the Imaginary Mixtape podcast is a sampling of each of the bands taking the Holiday Office Party stage. You can listen to a stream of the podcast below or download the MP3 version of the podcast on the imaginary bandcamp page.

If you are the type that likes to listen to podcasts in itunes, download the .m4a file here {it's one single file with fancy chapter markers!} and then open it in your itunes {big thanks to Jigsaw Records and Indie Pages for hosting the file!}.

We hope to see you at the holiday party!

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{Behind the scenes at last year's Imaginary Holiday Party - photo by Jason Tang}

It's that time of year again: the time of year in which we can listen to "Last Christmas" without headphones and not get chastised by our coworkers. It also gives us a time to sift through our holiday mixtapes and listen to our favorite bands get all holly jolly Christmas for us. Is there any better way to get into the mood for the Imaginary Holiday Office Party on December 16, 2010 at the Columbia City Theater?

You can listen to a stream of the podcast below or download the MP3 version of the podcast on the imaginary bandcamp page.

If you are the type that likes to listen to podcasts in itunes, download the .m4a file here {it's one single file with fancy chapter markers!} and then open it in your itunes {big thanks to Jigsaw Records and Indie Pages for hosting the file!}.

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The turn of the weather and shortness of days in Seattle over the last couple weeks has left little room to deny that winter is upon us. Thankfully, imaginary victoria has gathered a subtle and soothing mix of songs that is warming our tootsies as of late.

You can listen to a stream of the podcast below or download the MP3 version of the podcast on the imaginary bandcamp page.

If you are the type that likes to listen to podcasts in itunes, download the .m4a file here {it's one single file with fancy chapter markers!} and then open it in your itunes {big thanks to Jigsaw Records and Indie Pages for hosting the file!}.

Tracklisting: Imaginary Mixtape - December 2010 {part 1}

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{Orca Team / Elf Power photos from their MySpace pages}

This October is so full of amazing shows it's far from clever to simply call it rOctober (which has yet to prevent me one bit from doing so). We can't stop talking about the fact that our dreams are going to come true many times over during the course of the month with the likes of The Drums, Superchunk (featured in last month's podcast) / Teenage Fanclub / Telekinesis, James, Liz Phair, Belle & Sebastian, and The Vaselines are all coming to Seattle. You can imagine the hard time we had narrowing down what bands to feature in this month's Imaginary Mixtape to illustrate just how lucky we are going to be in the coming weeks. Have a listen to just a few of our recommendations for what to see this month in a wee concise sampler.

You can listen to a stream of the podcast below or download the MP3 version of the podcast on the imaginary bandcamp page. If you are the type that likes to listen to podcasts in itunes, download the .m4a file here {it's one single file with fancy chapter markers!} and then open it in your itunes {big thanks to Jigsaw Records for hosting the file!}.

Tracklisting: Imaginary Mixtape - October 2010:

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{Visqueen photo: Ben Haley / Bunnygrunt photo: JoshBomb}

September marks the biggest festival season in the Pacific Northwest. In a move to test our endurance, the biggest of the mammoth festivals take place within days of each other: Bumbershoot from September 4-6 in Seattle and Music Fest NW from September 8-12 in Portland. But, besides those mega-shows, we've got plenty of our favorite Seattle bands taking to the stage. In this edition of the Imaginary Mixtape we'll share tracks from noteworthy bands with shows in the coming weeks, feature some exclusive live recordings from the Athens Popefest, and a sneak preview of brand new songs by The Thermals and Superchunk.

You can listen to a stream or download the MP3 version of the podcast on the imaginary bandcamp page. Bandcamp prohibits tracks longer than 25 minutes {I think it's some regulation against jam bands?}, so the podcast is split into three sections. Click below to listen via the bandcamp stream.

PART 1: Preview of some September Seattle shows, Bumbershoot and Music Fest NW

PART 2: A listen to more Seattle bands with September shows and a preview of our Imaginary Crafty Listening Party albums for September

PART 3: Live tracks recorded at the 2010 Athens Popfest and some lovely Seattle indie-pop

If you are the type that likes to listen to podcasts in itunes (and who doesn't), download the .m4a file here {it's one single file with fancy chapter markers!} and then open it in your itunes {big thanks to Jigsaw Records for hosting the file!}.

Tracklisting: Imaginary Mixtape - September 2010:

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Seattle is a big comics AND music town; besides musicians putting out their own comics and slinking around both sides of the counter at comic stores, and whole bands working in the Fantagraphics warehouse at times, there is almost a mutual fandom for both. That connection has been helped out with bright, dapper promoters like Pete Greenberg moving back and forth between those creative milieus.

Pete was in charge of making the old Croc the rocking madness it was night after night for many years, and then did the same for Chop Suey. He was always great to BANDOPPLER, the comics-friendly music magazine I used to co-edit, and now he helps put on the Backroom Comics Podcast (with someone here who might look awful familiar to the Three Imaginary Girls family):

Next week, the Backroom Comics Podcast comes out from behind the long boxes and displays and presents "You've Got Booze On My Comics!" at Solo Bar ("the best bar in Seattle to be named after a Star Wars character", the invite says) on 200 Roy Street in Lower Queen Anne.

Starting at 8 PM, there will be a comic book swap (bring one take one! "Kinda like a key party only way less icky"), death defying trivia questions, performances by Galzilla ("Beware The Clownquistador!"), and something called "Drink & Draw"...which many cartoonists I know locally have been practicing for for quite some time.

"Live readings! Games! Fun! Booze! You!" And make that me, because I wouldn't miss this hot mess for the world.

This month's imaginary mixtape features a slew of Seattle finest who are taking to the clubs {and some even reuniting!} during the next few weeks, but kicks off with a perfect summertime song by a band that we wish was coming to town.

You can listen to a stream or download the MP3 version of the podcast on the imaginary bandcamp page.

If you are the type that likes to listen to podcasts in itunes, download the .m4a here {with fancy chapters even!} and then open it in your itunes {Thanks to Jigsaw Records for hosting it!}.

Tracklisting: Imaginary Mixtape - July 2010:

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May is a magical month here in Seattle. We've got spots of sun teasing us with summer promises, Sasquatch anticipation running rampant, and the warm glows of SIFF oozing with the best international indie films. There's only one reason we'd ever want to leave our emerald city bubble during this sweet spot of the year... a good ole fashioned PopFest!

This year, the month of May brought with it two very enticing reasons to head elsewhere: The New York City Popfest {May 20-23, 2010} and the San Francisco Popfest {May 27-30, 2010}. To mark these special events, we've gathered up some of our favorite songs by folks playing these festivals which includes a couple cover songs, a not-yet-released Math & Physics Club song and some rarities to up the popfest ante.  If you were one of the lucky folks that caught any of the NYC or SF Popfest shows, let us know how it went!

***Listen to the Imaginary Popfest Podcast MP3***
{To download the podcast, right click on the link above
and save to your computer}

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The folks at the Fretboard Journal are my heros. Issue after issue they pack each quarterly publication with beautiful pieces geared towards the smarty pants guitar geeks amongst us. Since I have yet to master anything with strings, reading the articles makes me feel like a fly on the wall of a backstage room eavesdropping as folks I admire discuss the minute details of their music passions.

For those of us that need to fill in the blanks left between quarterly FJ issues, they've expanded to a blog and a killer weekly podcast available every Friday at 1pm PST. Each week, the FJ editors gather round the table and interview a notable notable.

A couple weeks ago they had a lively discussion with John Roderick (Long Winters) that is fabulously funny and insightful. I spoke with Jason Verlinde, a FB editor, and put in my request for more John Roderick conversations... a request which he promised was duly noted.

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