Three Imaginary Girls - DIY

Imaginary exclusive! More Than Shapes, starring John Roderick of the Long Winters

imaginary victoria — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:21:07 +0000

Adam Pranica, filmmaker and principal over at Dorsia Films and true indie rock enthusiast, with the perfect opening line:

"In the winter of 2011, Victoria VanBruinisse came up with a crazy idea to invite John Roderick of The Long Winters over for a potluck dinner. He played a few songs, told some stories, and ate all of the food."

And that's pretty much the long and short of it. When I found out that I was going to be in New York at CMJ for this past year's City Arts Festival, and would subsequently be missing the only performance by the Long Winters for the 2011 calendar year, I almost cried. Not literally, but still. It was a huge disappointment, a sigh to end all sighs, the conundrum that comes from being vested in so many interests and not being able to be everywhere at once. And so I did what any fan would do: I suggested to John that perhaps he might want to play a show in my living room. I base much of my interactions on the simple methodology of the old adage that it never hurts to ask, because as the lottery tells us, you can't win if you don't play.

Well, we played alright, and we won. All of us, and that's you {yes, you!} included, because we won something big: a beautiful, candle-and-twinkle-light-lit evening with two dozen of our closest friends, where we enjoyed food, comraderie, and a series of brilliantly performed songs by the one and only John Roderick. And because of the genius embedded in Adam Pranica, Tyler Kalberg, and Zach Varnell -- the latter two being names you should recognize from the Notes from Home series -- we get to share the collective product from that near-perfect night with the world.

Weekend roundup: Feist, The Young Evils

imaginary victoria — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:05:55 +0000

The weekend kicked off early with a spectacular, layered performance by Feist at the Moore Theater this past Thursday night. Taking the stage after a perfect warm up set of equal parts smartypants literary comedy and ivory-tickling brilliance by Chilly Gonzales, Leslie Feist and her accomplices proved worthy of every last penny of her ticket price. The show combined elements of well-worn comfort food-esque "classic" Feist songs, an almost... dare we say, modern new-age vibeyness, which alternately clashed and blended with an homage to one element of the guts of full-frontal big-room performance: a sometimes kaleidoscopic, sometimes trippy-traily lipstick camera-run backdrop of the band behind the band a la Jefferson Airplane. While it was a lot to unpack at times, for the most part the pieces of the show fused together beautifuly, mostly due to the backbone of Feist's unashamed full-lunged vocals -- which would have been worth all those pennies without a solitary stitch of the performance-fanfare that accompanied her.

Chilly Gonzales:

Reminder: you + Long Winters = best Thursday night of 2011! {10/20}

imaginary victoria — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:15:36 +0000

City Arts Fest is looming, and with it, a Long Winters show at the Showbox this Thursday -- we'll get into that in a minute, but first we've got to take a minute to squee! about what a weekend we had!

We were fortunate enough to attend a house show this Saturday where none other than John Roderick himself came by to play a few hours of music. Talking about needing to pinch our 2003 selves! After a super homestyle vibey potluck dinner, John took the 'stage' in front of the fireplace and graced us with song. Our ears were privy to classics -- in no particular order -- like Car Parts, Cinnamon, Scent of Lime, Unsalted Butter, Medicine Cabinet Pirate, Mimi, Shapes, The Commander Thinks Aloud (and way more that we forgot to write down in our squee-like state), and some killer covers like The King of Carrot Flowers {Neutral Milk Hotel} and Solitary Man {Neil Diamond} among others. So much gorgeous song, coupled with some wonderfully intimate banter, quite literally made for a perfect night. Our friends from Dorsia Films were on hand to capture much of the evening on the A/V front, so hopefully we'll get to relive all that magic someday soon.

While we wait for the official set list, here's a few photos we managed to capture in our uber-elated state:

Live at KEXP vol. 7: on sale now!

imaginary victoria — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:27:53 +0000

Welcome to Rocktober, everybody! And what better way to start the month than with a celebration of what makes the Seattle music scene so great? Yep, we're talking about KEXP. The fall pledge drive is on, and it needs your pledge of support!

You can call anytime this week {locals call 206.903.KEXP, toll free is 866.903.KEXP}, log in online and do an electronic pledge, or walk yourself on over to the station and give. There's tons of great thank-you gifts -- shirts, totes, lunchbags, 500 Club memberships -- nothing is too small to count. Whether you can give five dollars, five dollars a month, five hundred dollars, or five hundred dollars a month, everything makes a difference and everything is appreciated. We've given to the station at varying states of financial gain (and diress), we've been one-time donors and Amplifier Club members, and year after year we remain in good standing in whatever capacity we can, giving our hard-earned money (and time, when we can!) to support a cause that's near and dear to our hearts for so many reasons.

Join us at Teen Feed's annual Cider Pressing next Sunday! {10/9}

imaginary victoria — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:18:44 +0000

It's that time of year again! After a somewhat of a non-summer, we're about to turn the corner and embrace all things Autumn: apple-picking, sweater-wearing, breaking out our favorite boots and spending cool evenings bundled up on the back porch, sipping warm libations and playing our favorite records. And of course, what's fast becoming one of our favorite cool-weather traditions: ushering it all in at the annual Cider Press at the Corson Building, a benefit for Teen Feed.

This year, Teen Feed will be hosting not only the physical pressing of the cider on the gorgeous grounds of the Corson Building, but also presenting music from Shelby Earl, fairweatherfrnd, and Big Crinkly Trio. A donation of $30.00 gets you into the event, complete with entertainment, a bottle of cider, and a 'light buffet' of delicious proportions. (If you've ever had a chance to take on the Corson Building fare, you know the deliciousness of which we speak!)

Everything gets going next Sunday {October 9th} around 2pm. Here's some photos from last year to jog your memory -- it was truly a gorgeous afternoon! Starring the wonderful weather, Greg Vandy, and the Maldives:

Get thee to Inklings: A Flatstock 2011 preview show at 112 PrintWorks {8/20}

imaginary victoria — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:45:26 +0000

There's so much to do on top of digging the bands at Bumbershoot -- comedy, performance art, vendors -- and one of our favorite extracurricular activities while we're on-grounds at Seattle Center is to take the time to dig on Flatstock. Posters as far as the eye can see, artists and admirers afoot, with more per-inch graphic creativity and inspiration than practically anywhere else on the planet.

This year, you can get a sneak peek of what's good this year at Inklings: A Flatstock Preview, taking place Saturday, August 20th at 112 PrintWorks out in Fremont. The latest prints from all 75 Flatstock Seattle artists will be featured, a taste of what's to come at Fisher Pavilion during Bumbershoot proper.

Photoessay: Pickwick, the Petty Party and Mallard at Columbia City Theater

imaginary victoria — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:44:33 +0000

Happy Monday, everyone! Here's hoping you had a good weekend, because we sure did -- we celebrated the movin-and-shakin-est of nights this past Friday at Columbia City Theater, helping our friends at Sound on the Sound celebrate their fifth anniversary with a sold-out show. The sparse, stripped-away, super-catchy Mallard opened up the night (and to a nearly packed house, at that), the Petty Party / American Girls took to the task of getting the dancers warmed up with -- don't laugh, we're serious -- an entire set of Tom Petty covers, and Pickwick blew the roof off to a full house of dancing, happy fans til well past midnight.

Get your wallets out: Clem Snide's Journey is available for purchase {right now!}

imaginary victoria — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 18:02:23 +0000

You have got to be frigging KIDDING US.

First there was the gorgeous cover for the AV Club. Then the Kickstarter project to fund this EP. And now, the cumulative effort of your dollars + Eef Barzelay's unstoppable genius has yielded the product that's a contender for EP of the year: Clem Snide's Journey.

We really don't mean to seem cliche here, but this EP is loaded to the hilt with absolute gems. From the gorgeous, sparse "Faithfully" to the sweet uke meandering of "Lights" to the dying strains and cry-outs at the close of "Anyway You Want It" -- we are somewhere between spun-out, white-light blissyness and a teary-eyed, this-is-so-going-on-the-next-mixtape sad-bastard melancholy lovefest.

There's joy, relief, heartbreak, and the occasional expletive abounding on the interwebs as we send the link off to all of our friends (which we'll spare you, of course). However, we will say these expletive-free words: Buy This Album. Right Now. Because the fact that all this amazing exists for a mere dollar a track is mindbending, to say the very least.

It's all waiting for you to {stream and} purchase at the Clem Snide / Eef Barzelay bandcamp page here.

Get it while the gettin' is good: Pickwick at Columbia City Theater this Friday! {8/5}

imaginary victoria — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 22:16:26 +0000

We've heard from a very reliable source (okay, maybe just the internet-at-large, but still) that the Pickwick show going on over at Columbia City Theater this Friday is about to sell the F out. Those boys put on quite the dance party, and if you're planning on attending, you'd be wise to scoot on over to the Brown Paper Tickets page for the event and get your tickets right now.

No really. Right now.

Did we mention that American Girls (reportedly The Best Tom Petty Cover Band Ever) is the main support? And that the night is to help our friends over at Sound on the Sound celebrate their fifth anniversary?

Now playing on Daytrotter: the sweet, sweet sounds of the PNW

imaginary victoria — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:36:05 +0000

Nathaniel Rateliff. Tom Brosseau. Margot and the Nuclear So-and-Sos. Andrew Bird. The Mountain Goats. Death Cab for Cutie.

No, we're not announcing some kind of fantasy festival lineup -- we're talking about Daytrotter. Which is, simply put, one of the best free music download sites out there on the internet today. And if you're not hip to it already, you should be: the performances are live, the choices of bands are impeccable, the art is often brilliant, and the product doesn't cost a dime. It's as if every rad band that passed through KEXP took their in-studio performance and made it available for a download, for free, with no catches and no gnarly advertisements.

No shit.

Daytrotter is, in a word, rad. And to up the ante, over the last few months they've had a few of our favorite Pacific Northwest bands come through their doors -- so in the event you haven't popped your DT cherry yet, here's some sessions to start with, along with the lovely words penned by the fine folks at the site to accompany them:

The Head and the Heart

Seattle band The Head and the Heart lives for the lovely confusion of continuous misinterpretation of what it means when we feel certain things in the various spots where we feel them. They don't let dreariness creep into the conversation, but rather they find that the shafts of golden light that stream into their eyes when they're needing it most are signs that comprehension is overrated. There are places that are so familiar that they're healing, in some way. {more}

The Poison Control Center back in town this Thursday at the Sunset

imaginary keenan — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 23:51:08 +0000

Constant pavement pounders and Midwestern sweethearts the Poison Control Center are back on the road and will find themselves back in Seattle this Thursday, June 9th! I've expounded endlessly on my love for these boys, and have often referred to them as "Pavement with acrobatics", but their newest record Stranger Ballet, out today on Afternoon Records, finds them growing into their own brand of loud, fast and heartwarming indie rock. Come to the show to rock and leave with a grin, and possibly some bruises (but you know, happy bruises). Supporting are Seattle's own the Bismarck and Runt.

Ever Kings of the Summer Jam, PCC has done it again with the Cheap Trick playing the Who-like swingin' "Some Ordinary Vision". Check out a live version of it beyond the jump to get pumped for the show!

Recommended show: The Art of Saint Bartlett at Ghost Gallery {6/3}

imaginary victoria — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 23:09:37 +0000

When an album exists independently as a great piece of art -- in this case, we're referring to Damien Jurado's 2010 release, Saint Bartlett -- it really doesn't need anything 'extra' to make it better than it already is. Some bands need promotion, some records need catchy packaging, but a true work of art stands alone on it's own merit -- and such is the case with SB. As fans and fellow artists, as a community at large we've recognized this, achieving a state of admiration and inspiration for what Damien saw fit to put forth. We've emulated in the most well-intentioned ways. Pieces of his songs have become tiny ornaments as they've folded themselves into our minds and respective processes. We revisit these songs for better and for worse, in moments of lifting up and moments of letting down. These pieces tie into the threads that pull us out of bed in the middle of the night, or hold us back in the morning for a few moments more on the greyest of days. And vice-versa.

From the SHUT UP file: Clem Snide covers Journey (with your help)

imaginary victoria — Wed, 18 May 2011 20:03:09 +0000

You love Clem Snide. You love Journey. And it's a natural progression to assume they're two great tastes that taste great together. Right? Right.

Seated on the floor armed with nothing but charm and a ukulele, Eef Barzelay proceeded to blow us last year with a rendition of "Faithfully" for the AV Club sessions. (You can dig on it right over here if you're so inclined.) Given his propensity for stellar cover choices -- take "Two Tickets to Paradise" for starters -- it's no surprise that even a Journey track, in his hands, gets morphed from a tired hipster cliche to a handful of heartache on a plate. Can you even imagine what he'd do to an entire album? We can, and our heartstrings are worn thin (in the very best of ways, of course) at the mere thought of it.

Turns out, we're not alone: between now and June 2nd, you can be one of the people that helps back the latest Clem Snide project, which is nothing less than Eef & Co. doing a whole proper EP of Journey songs. FOR THE WIN. They've managed to almost triple their $5,000.00 Kickstarter goal, but the treats are so good that people just keep on keepin' on -- and you can get in on the action too. (Got $16.00? You'll get a limited edition EP plus a download. Got $1500.00? Eef Barzelay will come to your m-f HOUSE and play a show, and you get the album, and you get on guest list for life for all of his shows, plus all kinds of other treats.)

Time to celebrate Ballard, KEXP-style! {Friday, 5/20}

imaginary victoria — Fri, 13 May 2011 19:04:03 +0000

You'd better book a sick day, folks. Because KEXP is taking over Ballard next Friday {May 20th}, and we're pretty sure you're not going to want to miss a minute of it. On top of countless gigs around town at night, they'll be at the Sunset starting at 6a, with live bands and a live broadcast all day that's free, open to the public, and all ages. (Hot damn.) Dig this lineup:

7a: David Bazan
9a: Yuni in Taxco
11a: Point Juncture, WA
1p: Buffalo Tom
3p: Joan as Police Woman
5p: Shabazz Palaces
6:30p: The Black Crabs
8:30p: Marshall Scott Warner

Yes, David Bazan really is on at 7a. For anyone else caring to join us at that moderately unholy hour, we'll be the ones mainlining quad shots in the front row.

Come celebrate the grand opening of 112 PrintWorks! {Friday, 5/13}

imaginary victoria — Wed, 11 May 2011 18:47:25 +0000

The fine, fine folks over at 112 PrintWorks are throwing a party on Friday, and guess what? We're all invited!

112 PrintWorks, the brick-and-mortar shop from the same troup of geniuses at Seattle Show Posters (you remember this old thing, don't you?) and Broken Press would simply heart for you to join them to celebrate their grand opening this Friday -- yep, Friday the 13th -- at 112 N 36th Street in Fremont, starting around 5p. The party will feature a live set by BOAT (!!), a showcase of works by Sup Pop / Wonder Thunder designer Sasha Barr, and we even heard a little somethin' about some free screenprinted gifts.

Photoessay: The Head and the Heart win us over... again.

imaginary victoria — Mon, 02 May 2011 16:18:45 +0000

Friday night was one of those nights we forgot we were working -- of course, Friday night being the sold-out show at the Showbox with The Head and the Heart, Lemolo, and The Devil Whale. In between the big-guitar feel-good riffs of the The Devil Whale, Lemolo's mesmerizing sparse brand of genius, and THatH's forty-five-minutes-to-the-minute (plus a three-song encore) professionally polished set, we managed to snap off a few shots -- you know, when we weren't dancing, swooning, tweeting, or singing along to every word coming off the stage.

We're happy to report that THatH's songs have evolved beautifully, and having been present at last summer's Sonic Boom and Comet shows, we can safely say that not one ounce of that thing they do was watered down by the size of the stage or the vibe of the room. Naysayers be, um, nayed! Instead, here's a big fat bravo, lady and gents. You've certainly earned it.

Come see my live interview w/Steve Ignorant of legendary punk band Crass tomorrow night {4/26} at The Comet

Chris Estey — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:33:09 +0000

You should come to my (absolutely free, though 21+) live interview with Steve Ignorant tomorrow night (April 26) at The Comet starting at 6 pm - because Crass, the band he sang vocals for, sound better and truer and more meaningful than ever in these uber-apocalyptic times. Have a listen to their greatest non-hits collection Best Before 1984, and you will hear the voices and noises of women and men beating back the darkness as hard as they could. Whether that despair be political repression, male domination, religious hypocrisy, Crass sounded like the Sex Pistols and The Clash on overdrive, in song revolutions so real you could taste the tear gas and pints that fueled them.

As keenly described in his honest and humorous autobiography The Rest Is Propaganda (scribed with Steve Pottinger), which Ignorant will be signing copies of for sale at The Comet, he was a fun-loving teenager when he began hanging out at the Dial House, a hang-out for artists helmed by Crass co-founder Penny Rimbaud. Ignorant was kicked off the dole for a bad attitude, and didn't have much hope given him growing up in a poor, violent part of England. When he saw the near-30 year old book designer and vegetarian Rimbaud living life exactly the way he wanted to, he came along, in his own fashion. Wine-soaked nights ranting about the UK going right wing, along with seeing Rotten in the Pistols on TV and Simonon of The Clash commanding mod coolness live, put these two men into a spoken word/drums duo for rants like "Do They Owe Us a Living?" and "Reality Asylum."

Record Store Day is coming! Record Store Day is coming! {4/16}

imaginary victoria — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:51:14 +0000

There is so much flat-out awesome going on for Record Store Day this year that we almost don't even know where to start. On top of the twenty zillion amazing things you can only get your paws on by visiting the brick-and-mortar shops {just look at what Sub Pop is doling out, for example} here in Seattle we've got a whole schedule of rad happenings for you to peruse. We're quite sure this is just the beginning, but we think these few events make for a good starter to build your schedule around. Whether you're an Everyday Music type, a die-hard Easy Street loyalist or a Sonic Boom devotee: eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast and take that brunch money to the record store!

NOON: Peter Buck at the Queen Anne Easy Street

They've aged gracefully, thank heavens -- but even all grown up, they're still the mighty R.E.M. and still amazing as all get-out. Whether you're into the newest release or a lifetime die-hard, come on down to see Peter Buck in the flesh doing some handshaking, baby-kissing and item signing at high noon. You can pick up the newest release to be penned, or offer up a body part -- just make sure you bring your own Sharpie if you're going for the latter.

Don't miss: Young Lions this Thursday at the High Dive {3/31}

imaginary victoria — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:08:46 +0000

Good music, good people, good ol' Fremont, good ol'... well, everything. These are our high expectations of this up-and-coming Thursday night, when Young Lions, Bryan John Appleby, Fort Union, and Widower take the stage at the High Dive.

In the event you're not familiar with all these fine folks, take a moment to do some parking with your soon-to-be-favorite corners of the internet: Young Lions will have some live tracks up in the next minute or two (if they're not up already) with up-to-the-moment details on their Facebook page here; the new-great (as opposed to late-great) Bryan John Appleby will woo-and-croon you into submission at his Bandcamp page here. And of course, as we heard last week, Fort Union's got some new tunes up at their Bandcamp mixed by the Mighty Gary Mula, and you can find those just begging to be clicked right on over here.

Local filmmakers premiere with Greg Vandy at SXSW!

imaginary victoria — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 16:33:56 +0000

There's a veritable slew of PNW representation going on at SXSW this year, as there should be: local (now national) faves The Head and the Heart, The Young Evils, Damien Jurado, an impressive SXSeattle showcase, and of course KEXP will be ever-present with sets from John Vanderslice, Jessica Lea Mayfield and Wild Flag... we could go on for hours. But there's another facet of South-By that we wanted to touch on for a moment, and that's the film portion that goes on prior to the big hot mess of a music-fest -- and we're bringing it up because we've got some locals standing out from the masses there as well.

Greg Vandy (KEXP / American Standard Time) and his friends over at More Dust Than Digital have made a short film that's been accepted into the festival, about roots-music new-time old-time genius Frank Fairfield. They follow Frank around town to spots like Bop Street and a performance over at Columbia City Theater, all the while featuring clips from both his music and his "encyclopedic" frame of mind. It may not be sparkly and it sure ain't indie-pop, but it's chock full of local flavor and we couldn't be happier to pass along our congratulations!

View the trailer here, and get stoked for the screening: the short is making it's world premiere in Austin on Saturday, March 12th at 11:30a -- more information on the specifics (how to find Alamo Lamar B, for instance, as well as other screening dates for the weekend) is available at the film's SXSW page here.