Three Imaginary Girls - Japandroids

Jason Tang's Top Ten Concert Photos of 2009 (plus a few extras)

Jason Tang — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 03:20:32 +0000

As I was picking out my favorite shots from this past year, it quickly became apparent that I couldn't just leave it at ten. I've posted my top picks below (in no particular order), but you can check out the rest here.

Huge thanks to the TIG crew, especially Chris and Keenan, for giving me the opportunity to share these amazing moments with all you lovely people! And thanks to all my fellow photographers, both in Seattle and elsewhere, for giving me inspiration every day. Hope you all have a safe, prosperous, and Happy New Year! Here's to an even bigger and better 2010!

2009-09-05: Hotels @ Bumbershoot - EMP | SFM's Sky Church

Photos from Tuesday's Japandroids show

Jason Tang — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:52:50 +0000

1 Dec 2009

In case you didn't make it out to Chop Suey Tuesday night for Vancouver-based duo Japandroids' final show in the States this year, we've got you covered. World's Greatest Ghosts (Portland, OR) and Surfer Blood (West Palm Beach, FL) opened the set.

Surfer Blood

World's Greatest Ghosts

Imaginary Interview: Japandroids

Chelsea Werner — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:09:46 +0000

If you are looking for a band that embodies the essence of every completely generic moment in high school that felt momentous because of a song (and i know you are), but you're too old to believe in the importance of inconsequential instants (which i hope you're not), then the Vancouver based duo Japandroids are for you. Dave Prowse and Brian King blend together noisy yet melodic guitar and pulsing drums to match the boiling blood of teenagers in grown-up lives. Their shared screaming duties deliver angst to even their most thoughtful lyrics, layering meaning in that way in which everything meant too much when you were younger. Go ahead, read this interview and give your Tuesday a heavy injection of the way things used to feel when Japandroids play Chop Suey on the 1st of December.

Hey even if Japandroids is no where near where you hid your high school journal, at least you can go and watch Brian's curly locks blowing back in the wind of his tour fan. Or who knows, maybe he'll rock a shoe off like he did at Capitol Hill Block Party.

TIG: How long have you guys known each other and when did playing together take on the identity of Japandroids?

Dave Prowse: Brian and I met in university back in the fall of 2000. We didn't start jamming together until 2005 and became Japandroids and started playing shows and stuff in 2006.

TIG: When writing songs what do you start with? With only the two you, what’s the songwriting process like?

Dave Prowse: There's not really a set formula when it comes to writing songs. Sometimes Brian brings in stuff that he's been working on at home, other times we'll just jam stuff out. It's kind of random, to be honest.

TIG: I know you guys originally intended to have a third member in the band to take vocals duties. Do you think you will ever involve more members and instruments in the band?

Dave Prowse: We've gotten really used to being a two piece and the dynamic we've got going just seems to work. I could see maybe collaborating at some point with someone, but I don't see us ever adding another permanent member to the band. The big thing we wanted to add back in the day was a vocalist, but we've gotten really used to singing now and I'm not so sure we'd want to give that up these days.

TIG: So, how do you guys work out lyrics? You both sing/shout, are the lyrics collaborative?

Dave Prowse: Most of the lyrics in Post-Nothing were written by Brian. I wrote the lyrics to Rockers East Vancouver, and he wrote the lyrics to every other song on the record.

TIG: Your music is pretty heavy, but your lyrics can be tongue in cheek at times. Is this a balance you guys were going for?

Dave Prowse: Brian thinks he's a pretty funny guy. He likes to make jokes.

TIG: A lot of the more tongue in cheek lyrics seem to be directed towards Vancouver or girls. For instance in a song like “Boys Are Leaving Town” there seems to be a desire to grow out of Vanouver's scene but an uncertainty of how you will find a way back “home.” Despite your ambivalent feelings about Vancouver the city does seem to be a lyrical influence in your songs. Do you think that being away from home and on the road more often makes you feel differently about Vancouver? Do you miss it or appreciate it more?

Dave Prowse: Both. I definitely have a love/hate relationship with Vancouver, and I think Brian does too. There's a lot of really wonderful people there that I miss when I'm on the road, and it's also just an incredibly beautiful city. But you also notice that the music scene is pretty small and not nearly as supportive and exciting as some other cities.

TIG: When asked before about the name of your album, Post-Nothing, you said it was the less pretentious option of your original idea to call the album Post-Everything. Either way you cut it, it seems you guys are making a comment on how it’s unavoidable to be post-something these days. Do you feel that you embrace your influences and that there is a sound you are trying to breath life back into? Or are you critical of all the bands trying to revive older music genres?

Dave Prowse: I think that Post-Nothing is more of a jab at people's need to label music and create new sub-genres all the time more than a crack at bands that sound like other bands. It's pretty hard to make wholly original music these days, and all bands are ripping somebody off whether they admit it or not. I guess the trick is to rip off a bunch of bands so it's not quite so obvious who you're ripping off!

TIG: Your myspace page mentions that you are “two sweethearts still naïve enough to believe you will never sell out.” What does selling out mean to you?

Dave Prowse: Doing anything related to the 2010 Olympics.

TIG: Do you have plans for another release anytime soon? Have been writing while on the road?

Dave Prowse: Well, we tour in a Ford Explorer so there's not much space to sit back and work on music. We're re-releasing our two EPs as a compilation called "No Singles" in the spring. We're going to try to put out a couple of 7 inch singles over the summer. Then hopefully we can record a new full length in the fall. We keep getting awesome offers to tour to really cool places and play fun shows so it's hard to take time off to work on new stuff.

TIG: When I saw you guys play at Capitol Hill Block Party there was a fan blowing back Brian’s hair and, at the time, I imagined it was his vanity fan that you guys take on tour to give his hair as much momentum as your songs. Was it just hot, or do you really bring the fan with you to shows?

Dave Prowse: Brian has played shows with that fan in tow ever since I can remember. He says it's to cool him down at shows. Many people (myself included) have speculated as to whether that is it's main function. It does get hot up there though...

Three Imaginary Girls IndieTune Podcast {August 13, 2009}

three imaginary girls — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:09:47 +0000

Imaginary liz put together a podcast featuring some of her favorite songs of the moment. A bunch of these bands are playing a Seattle show in the coming weeks (mark your calendar!) and some have just been on repeat this summer. Enjoy!

Lacrosse - "I See A Brightness" from the album Bandages For The Heart
Coulter - "Give It A Chance" from the album Sent to Coventry
The Little Penguins - "The Blame" from the album Welcome to the Celebration
The Nightgowns - "Pppps" from the album Sing Something
Tiny Masters Of Today - "Pop Chart" from the album Skeletons
We Wrote The Book On Connectors - "Almost Magical" from the album Ride It Out Like A Turbo Horse
Shotty - "Not Today, After Work" from the album Ah Here We Go
Viva Voce - "Devotion" from the album Rose City
Capgun Coup - "Social Security Number" from the album brought to you by nebraskafish
Japandroids - "To Hell With Good Intentions" from the All Lies EP
The Very Most - "You're In Love With the Sun" from the Summer EP
Andrea Wittgens - "Punchline" from the album In The Skyline
17th Chapter - "Old Folks" fro the album Around The Bend And Then Some
Unbunny - "Dental Hygenist" from the album Uncertain Tracks, 1996-2008

53:56 minutes (61.76 MB)

KEXP's annual BBQ on Saturday

Chelsea Werner — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:33:12 +0000

Ideally summertime is all about getting sweaty and silly at free outdoor music shows. And guess who sticks to their ideals? Our provider of independent, new music, KEXP. Their summer concert series at the Mural Amphitheater in Seattle Center is running over the next few weeks to bring you a plethora of pitch-perfect bands for free. This Saturday, the 8th happens to be their annual BBQ from 2-9 pm and you know it’s going to rock your socks off.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2009 {Saturday}

Chelsea Werner — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:39:53 +0000

25 Jul 2009

As I approached Block Party from Broadway on day two of Block Party, I heard the rising wave of Hey Marseilles on the main stage. Upon entering, my half hung over self was immediately swept up in their orchestral swell. Their performance only got better and better until the last song where their improvised musical meanderings became overwhelming.

By 3:30 the Saturday heat smothering the Vera Stage was intense and as Collin English, drummer of The Pica Beats expressed in their video interview, losing three pounds playing their set was the highlight of the show. It wasn’t their best set, but the use of a horn section in lieu of recently losing their keyboardist, worked extremely well, especially on the extended version of “Territoire” (watch the imaginary interview).

The shade in Neumo’s during The Girls hardly offered respite from the heat, as the floor was packed for their set that started off with an Elvis Costello feeling of light-heartedness, but became more cut and dry rock as their songs employed Nirvana-esque feedback and shredding solos. Personally I’m of the opinion that the world does not need another guitar solo. So I left to join the smiles beaming up at the main stage as Brooklyn-based, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart began to play a set that was all crashing and soft, like a two ton truck full of angora bunnies had been dumped on the crowd.

Let’s say a crap-load of extremely furry bunnies had been hoping around during their set, we all could have started knitting scarves and gotten really down with the twee that The Pains of Being Pure at Heart were already draping over our shoulders. I had been looking forward to seeing TPOBPAH perhaps more than any other band at Block Party, considering this was their first show in Seattle. I wasn’t the only one; you’d think they had played many times and were beloved by all, based on the audience reaction. Their boy-girl harmonies were not perfect and that was fine with me, in fact I wish I could have heard the vocals better over the rolling fuzz of sound. I swear strangers were making friends as “Everything With You” began and by the end of their set, I felt kinder towards everyone around me and psyched for the upcoming release of their Higher Than The Stars EP, out September 22nd on Slumberland.

Next I caught New Faces playing the Vera stage and wondered when the post-punk revival of Interpol had been revitalized and if this wasn’t another post-post-poster band. However, the new material they played used a decent amount of keyboard that managed to uplift their sound and add an interesting dimension to the warbling vocals of Nico Janssen. The crowd had a conspicuous amount of parents in it, but everyone was clapping along to almost every song.

The Thermals took the main stage as the sun was setting but I could see enough to catch the fist-pumping on stage during “How We Know” before breaking into a cover of Nirvana’s “Sappy.” Despite our location making this cover a safe-bet crowd pleaser, somehow this seemed ballsy in The Thermals’ unabashed admittance of their influences. Not content with one cover, they also played The Breeders’ “Saints.” This brought me great joy as I feel like they probably play a tighter live version of this song than The Breeders themselves.

(Thermals photo by joshc as posted in the TIG flickr photo pool.)

Sauntering into The Lonely Forest’s set I was impressed by the way that this band didn’t limit itself to any one musical genre. Their sad slow songs became yelled laments, harnessing a slight amount of grungy introspection. They were consistently melodic, never plain old noisy, and during “Malconstitution” it began to rain with sincerity almost equal to that of the singers vocals. However, despite the yelling, the tight melodies and the sincere-soaked lyrics, The Lonely Forest never became emo, or even screamo. They managed to coat their songs in a softness that didn’t allow the emotions expressed to feel feigned.

While watching The Gossip cover Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody,” I was debating taking Thurston Moore’s advice during his live KEXP interview that we all go home and deactivate our Facebook accounts tonight. But how could I focus on that as Beth Ditto said “Cheers bitches,” and we all started to drink. The Gossip rocked out, Ditto’s breathy powerful vocals backed by the forceful and fun tunes being weaved together by Paine and Billie. They seemed to being having a blast, Ditto breaking into a rendition of Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” before they trailed into their own hits.

(Thermals photo by joshc as posted in the TIG flickr photo pool.)
Next was the set that I was perhaps most surprised by. Future of Left was inside Neumo’s, and even though it seemed like everyone was outside for the end of The Gossip and the beginning of Sonic Youth on the main stage, it was packed. As aggressive as their albums may be, The Future of The Left’s live show had the floorboards caving under the collective pounding of the band and the audience. Someone had their crutches in the air, clapping along to Andy Flakous’ synthesizer playing. Mclusky fans may feel that FotL’s use of a synthesizer is too divergent from the guitar driven rock they loved, but don’t be fooled, this element is what made these songs more than just testosterone packed pounding.

Thurston Moore told us that Sonic Youth’s set would be mostly tracks off The Eternal, and I knew it would be widely covered, so while I stayed to absorb some of their set, since I adore them, I quickly headed to Vera Stage to end my night with Vancouver band, The Japandroids. I’m pretty sure guitarist Brian King brings his own fan with him on tour so that he can stand in front of it and blow back his glorious curls. If this was just a fluke, he should consider making it a staple of their live show.

For two people they packed a lot of f-ing energy into their songs and were still asking the sound people to make them two times louder. The drum kit was facing the side of the stage rather than the front and while drummer David Prowse sang on “Rockers East Vancouver,” a slightly emo jam, King stood with one foot on Prowse’s bass drum, strumming away. You could tell that these two boys have a lot of love for each other and were having a seriously good time defying the festival, saying, “We’re just gonna keep playing till they pull the plug. Heck, we’re in Seattle, not Vancouver.”

And so day two ended, leaving me with the knowledge of just how loved Seattle is, with almost every band citing Seattle as one of their favorite places to play. Maybe they say that everywhere they go, but I for one felt it.

All of the photos without photo credit noted above are by Trickshot Photography... see them all!

Recommended Show: Capitol Hill Block Party 2009

Chelsea Werner — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 04:47:39 +0000

Considering the window of weather for outdoor antics is pitifully small in Seattle, it seems we have learned to really pack the few months of sunshine with good times, great oldies and a bunch of great new bands as well. 12 years ago Capitol Hill Block Party began and next week you can take part in its revelry. With a particularly punk-rock lineup, what a good time it will be! With three stages and over 50 bands between July 24th and 25th, not to mention satellite parties to attend, you ‘d really have to strive to not have fun at Block Party. This year the headliners on the main stage are The Jesus Lizard on the main stage Friday night and Sonic Youth on Saturday.

Tickets are still available (but I can't imagine it wont sell out soon - so go get yours soon). And if you're headed there, note that the main entrance has moved to 12th and Pike which should make for a better traffic flow.