Three Imaginary Girls - Capitol Hill Block Party

CHBP preview: Buster Blue

Imaginary Mimi — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 13:18:04 +0000

{Buster Blue plays CHBP on Sunday, 7/24 at 3:45pm on the Cha Cha Stage}

Reno Nevada's Buster Blue take the chocolate-and-peanut-butter combo that is anachronism and indie pop (ala the Decemberists) and drive it in an interesting, exciting, and surprisingly rocking direction. With loud, urgent, shouting elements of Modest Mouse, swirling instrumentation like that of Sunset Rubdown and Menomena, and lyrics that sound like they were written 'round an Old West-era campfire, these mostly beardy wonders bring an element of theatre to their sound that is innovative and stirring.

An example of their exquisite, evocative lyricism comes from the song "Bluebirds and Honeybees:" The honeybees leave kisses buzzing round the soul / Take the world’s poisons down the rabbit hole. But perhaps one of their finest qualities is that every member of the group contributes something entirely unique to each song, and that facets of each personality shine through to create a cohesion -- where it seems there should perhaps be none. As their bio says, "Buster Blue’s musical educations range from one member being drum major of the high school band to another being a screamer in a hardcore group. Their diverse backgrounds and upbringings help give color to their music, as well as make it difficult to pigeonhole them to a genre."

CHBP 2011 preview: Don't Talk To The Cops & Mash Hall

Chris Estey — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 23:53:03 +0000

{Photo borrowed from Mash Hall Facebook Page}

Sprouting from the THC-soaked cyber-seeds of Seattle entropysploitation rap band Mash Hall/They Live!, Don’t Talk To The Cops is the new electronic-resistance enhanced marriage of rhyming fire and beats taut like wires. I spoke with emzee and emissary Gatsby (Larry Mizell, Jr.) about his further work with his B-Boy collaborator, and what we’ll have no minds capable to wind inside the machine they unleash on Saturday, 6:45 p.m., in the love dungeon of the Cha Cha.

And: Mash Hall is playing again too, and Lar defines below the differences in the natures of both of these collaborations and prior joints. Mash Hall is playing Sunday, 11:30 p.m., on the Neumos Stage. Since that night’s later line up also includes Grynch, Mad Rad, Metal Chocolates, Darwin, and aBeat Connection DJ set, it’s the Closing Party NO ONE should miss.

TIG: Who is in Don't Talk To The Cops and what is your group's mission, sir?

Gatsby: DtttC is BlesOne and Emecks. I am the DJ/hypeman. The mission far as I can tell is to make shit you can dance to. Bles is a lifelong bboy and Emecks is a choreographer/hiphop dancer so they wanted to kinda cater to that. Not that's it's fuckin' rave music or anything.

CHBP preview: sounds like summer with Yuni in Taxco

Imaginary Mimi — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 16:02:54 +0000

Yuni in Taxco is like a snowcone: light, refreshing, and -- if it's really good -- can transport you to another place. If Los Lobos and Dick Dale were thrown in a blender with a the psychaedelica of someone like The Apples in Stereo, you might get these guys (be sure to add an umbrella, and serve up ready to dance).

It would appear there's no more ideal place to see them than a summer music festival -- something about them screams summertime! Their warm, carefree, sound compliment lyrics that tend toward the mutable beautifully, and the twists and turns from pop to ballad make for an exceptional musical landscape. They're a little trippy, a little spacey, and perhaps their island-style warmth will bring a little sunshine to our drab Seattle summer, if only in spirit.

Smoke Ring For My Halo

Chris Estey — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:42:30 +0000

8.3

http://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Ring-Halo-Kurt-Vile/dp/B004I3U7SK/?tag=wwwthreeimagi-20

kurtvile.jpg

{Kurt Vile is going to be playing the Capitol Hill Block Party on Friday, July 22, starting at 5pm on the Main Stage.}

Kurt Vile has an occasionally insouciant vocal presence, yet a luscious guitar tone. "Baby's Arms," the new single, is as much a raspberry blown at the world as a lustful kiss splattered on the cheek of his sweetheart. "I get sick of just about everyone / so I hide in my baby's arms." That's how this timelessly rebellious dichotomy is presented on his new, fourth full length Smoke Ring For My Halo.

Vile only kind of means being mean. He likes to sing about "a whole lot of dirt" (a mocking, baiting masterwork called "Runner Ups"), yet was raised in a genteel bluegrass, Jesus-loving household. According to rumor, he tried to bring the banjo of his youth back on this album, but maybe those got left in the outtakes (next time?). This has injected his songs with a transcendently shimmering, out of time feel, in which lyrics despairing ("I'm already gone" from "Jesus Fever"), flinching to fight ("On Tour," in which he compares being on the road to Lord Of The Flies, eek), and pervert-playful ("Peeping Tom") won't be heard at first. Instead, one marvels and is moved by all the picking, strumming, and shivering layers of acoustic and electric guitaring.

Vile is on tour with Thurston Moore (!), having thrilled live audiences at All Tomorrow's Parties back in May and just recently at the 2011 Pitchfork Festival, and each time he plays his Violators blow mellow audiences to the back -- and then bring them forward for a mid-gig stripped down set-within-a-set. He's a record-loving kid from Philadelphia that insists he isn't a "record nerd" but his music betrays this dismissal. He is already almost as vocally soulful as a teen Mark Lanegan and proficient like a middle-aged Richard Thompson or Lindsay Buckingham. He is a cocky little shit and I love hearing him complain about everything but his baby's arms, and I wouldn't miss an opportunity to hear him play music that song fiends delight in as much as ambient hounds. That -- and the sort of laid back, not afraid to be sarcastic Smoke Rings -- sounds like a legend in the making.

{Kurt Vile is going to be playing the Capitol Hill Block Party on Friday, July 22, starting at 5pm on the Main Stage.}

Recommended CHBP Show: The Posies

Imaginary Amie — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:55:20 +0000

It is clearly no secret that I love The Posies. But honestly, guys - if you have never seen them play live (which seems impossible if you've lived in Seattle for more than a year), you should head out to the Capitol Hill Block Party on Sunday to see them take the main stage at 3:30pm. These guys are the real deal - an awesomely rockin' local band that's more than earned the term LEGENDS. They consistently put on a good show, and they will (excuse the cliche term) rock your frickin' socks off. For reals!

Go go go go go go GO.

{Photo submitted to our Sparkly Indie-Pop Photos Flickr Pool by Mr. Jason Tang}

CHBP 2011 preview: The crackling, illuminating Campfire OK Sunday 7/24 at Neumos

Chris Estey — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:55:08 +0000

Campfire OK photo by Jason Tang

Campfire OK seemed to come out of nowhere with an incredibly well played and passionate debut earlier this winter, Strange Like We Are. Its title track and others have been spun quite a bit on KEXP, the band has been given lots of attention by bloggers (most notably NPR, which did a feature on their excellent music and the meaning of the first album's intriguingly anthemic title track).

They are set to play Sunday, July 24 at the Block Party, at Neumos (21+), between 4:15 and 4:45 p.m. I email-spoke with the mysterious frontman and primary songwriter for Campfire OK, and we got all happily tangled together in the cyber-vines. He straightened out the bacon wrapped around the enigmas of their line-ups, college campus banning, and the meaning behind that darned catchy tune again. Imagine how much fun it will be when I get to chat with him in person at CHBP 2011!

TIG: As a noted "Capitol Hill band" is it a particular thrill to be playing the Block Party this year? Or is it more like just back porch fun for you at this point?

Mychal: We are all very excited, and feel honored to play the Block Party. Even though I live on Capitol Hill it definitely does not feel like back porch fun. It is one of those things that, when you first book the show, you are happy about it. Then as time passes, and you see how large of a number of people go to it, read about it, and research the bands playing, you feel more and more grateful. We are super pumped to be doing it.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2011 preview: Virgin Islands To Play Vera Stage on Sunday, July 24

Chris Estey — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:24:56 +0000

{photo: April Brimer}

Virgin Islands is one of Seattle’s best live rawk and roil bands, souped up on speed-ball breakneck paces and reeling through the gears left behind from The Cops. Fronted by Michael Jaworski (vocals and guitars), and tuned in by two-lane blacktop hard by Aaron Ball (drums and percussion), Charles Keller (bass and vocals), and Christopher Meyer (guitars and vocals), they’re bringing dapper mayhem to the Vera Stage during the Capitol Hill Block Party (2011!) on Sunday, starting at 3 p.m. sharp.

I spoke with Mikey about the festival, the band’s recent full length debut, and love for Cap Hill!

TIG / Chris Estey: Is it a particular thrill to be playing the Block Party? What is it that's more special about playing the CHBP than a usual show in the area?

MIKE: It is thrilling to play the Block Party! It really does feel more special than a regular show in the area. In my opinion, the Block Party is the coolest and most grass-roots festival in our area and it's an honor to perform for it. It takes place in an extremely cool and vibrant neighborhood and it caters to such a great cross-section of humanity. It's just a great street party with awesome bands and we're honored to be a part of it! Not to mention, Jason Lajunesse and crew book artists that truly represent the diverse music scene in Seattle and some of the best national touring acts around. I think you'd be hard pressed to find another music festival that does it so well, especially in a block party setting.

Here come the festivals: Bumbershoot, Musicfest Northwest, Austin City Limits, and more!

imaginary victoria — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:40:59 +0000

Undoubtedly, like us, you're all stoked about the coming onslaught of summer festivals -- and with the Capitol Hill Block Party right around the corner, we thought it would be a good time to hip you to what we can't wait to see from the rest of the fests. Sasquatch! is already under our belts, and that means Doe Bay, Bumbershoot, Austin City Limits, FYF Fest, Musicfest Northwest, CMJ, and Iceland Airwaves are all comin' round the mountain.

Well, hot damn. This is a lot of music to take in, and we sure are equal parts stoked and grateful to be living it up in the grand ol' Pacific Northwest (and beyond). Let's get right down to it, in chronological order:

Doe Bay

The where and when: Orcas Island, August 11th - 14th {SOLD OUT}
Feels like: hippie goodness in a gorgeous setting, without the hippie bullshit. May contain campfire sing-a-longs, but only the good kind.

There's something to be said for a festival that sells out before the lineup is announced, yet still manages to stay true to it's oh-so-grassy roots -- and Doe Bay is that festival. For almost four full days on picturesque Orcas Island (that's here in Washington for you out-of-area readers), lucky attendees will be taking in the likes of The Head and the Heart, John Vanderslice, Damien Jurado, Cobirds Unite, Pickwick, Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside, Frank Fairfield, Lemolo, Matt Bishop, and a dozen more. Camping encouraged, pants optional.

A point of note: if you didn't get tickets for DBF, you can mosey on out to Seattle Center for the Seattle Tattoo Expo. The buzz of the guns, the art openings, a weekend full of music at venues around town and a taste of this vibrant community are just a few of the things you can expect. And at only $15 / day, it's a super-affordable way to get your ink on. Information and advance ticketing on the Expo website here.

Got any Capitol Hill Block Party line-up guesses / rumors? My money is on Thurston Moore...

imaginary liz — Tue, 10 May 2011 18:08:18 +0000

{Photo: Ari Marcopoulos, 2011}

I just heard a song from the new Thurston Moore album {set to be released on 5/24 on Matador} and it's as sweet as a Carpenters cover {listen/download "Benediction" now}. As Thurston describes the song:

"On day one I played the first song sitting in front of a Beck-wired microphone, its design informed by the cut of Joseph Beuys’ cerebellum. The jam is called “Benediction”, where the camera records the adult girl reading a love letter written on the back blank pages of her hymnal where he knew only she could find it."

And while I was reading through his self-penned bio {well done, Thurston!}, I noticed his summer tour schedule -- and oh boy -- it looks like there is a neat little block of time in the Pacific Northwest that could accomodate a stop at the Capitol Hill Block Party?

Photo essay: The Head and the Heart at Neumos

imaginary victoria — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 19:28:13 +0000

The Head and the Heart, Curtains for You and Lemolo slayed the pants off the sold-out show at Neumos this past Friday night, and we've got the pictures to prove it. HATH amazed, as per usual, and we couldn't have been prouder of our home-town showing of love for them. Curtains for You brought their best warmup, and Lemolo blew our minds with their two-girl show of achy post-White Stripes sound. All in all, an evening to remember, for sure.

Lemolo stealing the start of the show:

The Head and the Heart:

Photos: Capitol Hill Block Party Saturday

bobby mchugh — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:54:16 +0000

24 Jul 2010

More photos from Saturday at the Capitol Hill Block Party! This post is packed so tight with snaps there is really no room for words. So I'll leave it you to let us know what you saw and what rocked.

ATMOSPHERE

!!!

BLITZEN TRAPPER

FERAL CHILDREN

REDWOOD PLAN

THE HEAD AND THE HEART

VERA HIP HOP SHOWCASE

HALLWAYS

More photos from Saturday's Capitol Hill Block Party! This post is packed so tight with snaps there is really no room for words. So I'll leave it you to let us know what you saw and what rocked.

Peak experiences at the 2010 Capitol Hill Block Party

Chris Estey — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:59:31 +0000

This year may have been my favorite year ever for the Capitol Hill Block Party. With an up-to-date, enthusiastic focus on exciting developments in local hip-hop and rock, 2010 stands out as a year in which so many hot regional bands amped crowds and few out-of-region big name performers were as required. The presence of sponsors and participants like KEXP and The Stranger staff and other local writers among all the fans made it a San Diego Comic Con for local music culture.

From show to show you could hear people playing music, talking music, sharing music, and loving music. If you were able to make it to the Capitol Hill Block Party this year, what are your favorite bands performing you've seen so far? Here are mine:

Photos: Capitol Hill Block Party Friday

bobby mchugh — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 04:03:56 +0000

23 Jul 2010

Photos from Capitol Hill Block Party 2010. You know the deal. Let us know what shows you have seen and what you liked in the comments!

MGMT

YEASAYER

HOLY FUCK

MACKLEMORE

Photos from Capitol Hill Block Party 2010. You know the deal. Let us know what shows you have seen and what you liked in the comments!

Becoming A Jackal

Chris Estey — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 04:17:54 +0000

8.2

http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Jackal-Villagers/dp/B003H6Z0IQ/?tag=www.threeimagi-20

villagers.jpg

The first album from Ireland's latest export Villagers has been lavished with tribute from the New York Times and NPR, giving much early Stateside attention for these lads from Dublin. Becoming The Jackal features 11 songs filled with shrewd lyrics about "longing on trial" in all manner of ways, sung with very gentle melodies from frontman Conor J. O'Brien, and set to spare acoustic-based compositions occasionally massaged by strings and keys. For an area of the United States where Hey Marseilles and The Decemberists always receive fervent welcome and Jonathan Richman could probably set up residency, Villagers should thrill Seattle-ites.

Becoming The Jackal opens a little deceptively too grim, with one of the more assertively mordant tracks on the album, "I Saw The Dead," with piano trills and violin reminiscent of Bernard Hermann setting the scene for a paranoid scenario in which a man rents out his soul to ancients a la Faust. It's easy to get a little frightened by the imagery of "back rooms where I saw the dead," wondering how gruesome the details may get further on, but it may all be metaphor, even in a line like "you take the torso and I take the head." It ends with the sound of tape breaking perhaps, or perhaps a head being lopped off and falling in a basket.

Pretty bold way to start out. And the album continues to create dramatic tension with the title track, which hints at ritual human sacrifice and violent manipulation ("where the jackals preyed on every soul / and tied you to a pole"). This one's less a horror soundtrack than a tom-tom tumbling gentle anthem, but it's still a contrary sequence of subject matter to most full-lengths, as these two grimmer tracks would have probably been held till later on albums by The Smiths or The Triffids. (Take note of musical names just dropped.) The album gets much lighter later on emotionally on earworm-attacking pure pop tunes like "The Pact" and "Set The Tigers Free" (two more of my very favorite songs of this summer now).

O'Brien's voice has been reminding people of Bright Eyes and the music of all your classic Scottish post-punk troubadours, but there are times even American folk-rock lovers-not-fighters like Richman and the underrated Steve Forbert can be heard in the sparkle and smarts of the almost pre-rock respect for form. If you start the album and expect the darkness of the first half to only inspire playing when wishing torment, the second half will have you coming back for more lines like "I'll be standing by the sidelines with a sandwich and a beer" set to tunes as toe-tapping as when you first heard Belle & Sebastian or Aztec Camera. That's a strong assertion, but I recommend getting into Villagers early so you can possibly find a boy or girlfriend by playing them their music. (I recommend the songs not about corpses or bloodthirsty animals for that.)

(Villagers plays on Sunday, 4:15 pm on the Neumos Stage at the Capitol Hill Block Party.)

The first album from Ireland's latest export Villagers has been lavished with tribute from the New York Times and NPR, giving much early Stateside attention for these lads from Dublin. At the 2010 Capitol Hill Block Party we will get a chance to experience music from what the Washington Post called "one of the year's best debuts." Becoming The Jackal features 11 songs filled with shrewd lyrics about "longing on trial" in all manner of ways, sung with very gentle melodies from frontman Conor J. O'Brien, and set to spare acoustic-based compositions occasionally massaged by strings and keys. For an area of the United States where Hey Marseilles and The Decemberists always receive fervent welcome and Jonathan Richman could probably set up residency, Villagers should thrill them on Sunday at Neumos.

Mos Def: Lists of bands playing CHBP grouped by what they are

Chris Estey — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:36:48 +0000

{CHBP-tastic photo from the Imaginary Flickr Photo Pool by Explosion 5000}

Just waking up after the Capitol Hill Block Party pre-funk last night at The Croc (such nice people) hosted by the awesome people behind the CHBP promotions, having caught excellent sets by the garage-growling Unnatural Helpers and the riff-fluent but near space rock level elastic Obits. (I missed the headliners Holy Fuck due to wanting to get up early to make the CHBP as soon as possible.) A very happy, partying crowd welcomed the free show put on by Dickies and Filter magazine.

Here are lists of the bands that are playing the annual inner city festival this year by, of all things, what they claim to be:

Imaginary Interview: Steel Tigers Of Death {CHBP at Neumos on Sunday, July 25... Wa-Cha!}

Chris Estey — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 03:48:49 +0000

Seattle's own Steel Tigers Of Death punk-metal antics are endearing and inclusive where other band's attempts to merge visual comedy with musical chaos can be sloppy and shrill. They're set to open the set at Neumos on Sunday, July 25, hitting the stage (and probably splashing everywhere) around 2:15 PM.

I sent some questions to one of the guys, who gave them to two other of the guys (El Tigre and Bradley Of, for the record). That's how they roll, as some other guy once said about, um, guys and rolling. All together. Like that.

Update your spreadsheets: A typo on the Capitol Hill Block Party's Saturday schedule

imaginary liz — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:54:17 +0000

{Photo by Steve Louie}

No matter what's listed on the Capitol Hill Block Party schedule, Math & Physics Club is an imaginary entry in the 7:45p slot on the Saturday schedule.

I was so excited when I saw the band was on the schedule that I emailed the band to offer congratulations only to find out that they hadn't been contacted by CHBP about the show and that, unfortunately, some members aren't going to even be near Seattle July 23-25.

Oh well. Just wanted to let folks know that you don't have to plan around their 7.45p Saturday time slot. Go see some hip hop or !!! at that time!

If you still want to get your Math & Physics Club on, we'll have to wait since they don't seem to have any shows coming up. But, in the meantime, go pick up the brand new MAPC album -- it's perfect for summer time listening.

Line-up for Capitol Hill Block Party 2010 announced... your thoughts?

imaginary liz — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:54:47 +0000

{Photo by Dave Lichterman from the TIG Flickr Photo Pool}

I feel like we've been speculating forever! Finally, the official first round of line-up announcements has been made with sweet promises of over 60 bands on 3 stages. Let's see how savvy our rumor mill was... here's what was just announced:

Friday:
MGMT, Yeasayer, Holy Fuck, Shabazz Palaces, Bear In Heaven, Head Like A Kite, Macklemore, Unnatural Helpers, Jaguar Love, Champagne Champagne, Fences, Chris Pureka, Stay Hi Brothers, The Physics, Candit, J.Pinder, Hella Dope, Mahjongg, Police Teeth, Naomi Punk, USF

Saturday:
Atmosphere, Blonde Redhead, !!!, Blitzen Trapper, Mad Rad, Obits, Here We Go Magic, Zola Jesus, Night Marchers, Past Lives, The Redwood Plan, THEESatisfaction, Beach Fossils, Grand Hallway, The Drowning Men, Cold Lake, Air 2 a Bird, Black Breath, Grynch/Spaceman/State of the Artist, Eastern Grip

Sunday:
The Dead Weather, Blue Scholars, The Dutchess and the Duke, Harlem, Cynic, Fresh Espresso, Victor Shade, Truckasaurus, Villagers, Flexions, Globes, Steel Tigers of Death

More to be announced soon…

Discounted $60 three-day passes on sale now for a limited time
$23 single-day tickets available starting Friday June 4th
($25 via online day of show, $30 cash at the door)
Advance tickets available here: thestranger.com/blockpartytickets

What do you think? Are you freaking out? Who do you want to be on the list of bands in the next announcement?

Who's playing the Capitol Hill Block Party and/or Bumbershoot? {a wish list, rumor mill, et cetera}

imaginary liz — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:04:46 +0000

(Photo: Explosion 5000) from the Imaginary Flickr Photo Pool)

Last week I had a dream that I found out that Carissa's Wierd is going to play the Capitol Hill Block Party this year. Sometimes my dreams prove prophetic, sometimes they make me wonder what is going on with my subconscious (and involve eating pizza and/or hanging out with Michael Stipe). My fingers are crossed that this Carissa's Wierd sleepy vision will come true. You never know, right?

Who do you want to play the 2010 Capitol Hill Block Party (subconscious or otherwise)? Any rumors flying around the locker room?

And while we're talking summer Seattle festivals... has anyone heard any Bumbershoot whispers?

Exclusive: Hey Marseilles signs to Fuzed Music

imaginary victoria — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:20:18 +0000

Between the Block Party, this weekend's Doe Bay Music Festival, Bumbershoot, and some gigs around town, you'd be hard-pressed to get away from Hey Marseilles these days. This band is everywhere right now, and with good reason. Their talented, infectious vibe is catching the eyes and ears of some pretty important folks of late, most notably Christen Greene over at Fuzed Music. According to our exclusive pre-press release, Greene officially inked a management deal with Hey Marseilles a few weeks ago, just after their stellar mainstage performance at the Capitol Hill Block Party. It's Greene's first signing under the Fuzed Music roof, and it looks as though she's hit a homerun.