Three Imaginary Girls - The Gossip

Imaginary Interview: Gossip

ChrisB — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:22:25 +0000

Immediately after their triumphant set at the Capitol Hill Block Party last month, I checked Twitter to see if my friends had the same reaction to Gossip’s set as I did. The comments were buzzing, referring the lead singer Beth Ditto as a force of nature and raving about the dance party the band created while on stage.

What makes this band so special, though, is the combination of their sound with their message. Ditto is a lesbian, feminist and overweight and has been outspoken for body acceptance issues and feminist causes. It never sounds preachy because band’s sound is so accessible with danceable beats and a punk ethos, held together by Ditto’s commanding voice. She sounds like a soul singer leading a punk band. The sound is filled out by Nathan Howdeshell (aka Brace Paine) filling in the guitar, bass and synth parts and drummer Hannah Blilie, formerly of the aesthetically and ideologically similar band Shoplifting.

Gossip just released their excellent dance punk album Music for Men on Columbia Records, working with producer Rick Rubin, one of the most well-known people in the music business. That raised a few eyebrows, with Gossip known for their punk, DIY aesthetic and Rubin being the ultimate music insider. Still, the result is a great album that continues Gossip’s sound while reaching a broader audience of new Gossip fans.

I spoke with Nathan Howdeshell by phone about the album, being a punk band on a major label and their upcoming tour, which includes a stop in Seattle at the Showbox at the Market on October 23. When he told me about the tour he wanted to put together next, I wasn’t kidding when I said I want to quit my job and follow that tour across the country (or world).

I really loved the set you played in Seattle last month at the Capitol Hill Block Party.

Oh that was so much fun! That was a great show.

How is your summer going?

It’s been fun, we’ve been touring a lot; we’ve been in Europe a lot. We’ve been working on getting the record tight live and learning the songs and figuring out the live environment.

Was it right that Beth said that was the first US show you had played in about two years?

Yeah, we hadn’t played in America for a long time. We had been recording and then we had gone to Europe a lot because we get a lot of offers and the shows are always great, so that takes up a lot of our time. But I am really excited to be playing America again, I love it.

I’m really excited for the tour. You’re playing at the Showbox in Seattle (On October 23).

Yeah, and we’re touring with that band MEN, which is JD (Samson) from Le Tigre’s new band.

I interviewed JD about a month or so ago and she’s really fantastic.

I love JD. She’s very sweet.

She told me that she really got a kick out her band being named MEN and you named your album Music for Men.

I know; it’s a perfect marriage.

I remember seeing you guys play for many, many years, often in smaller clubs. Is it an unusual jump for you to be playing much bigger shows and being on the cover of magazines?

Is it unusual? It’s a little bit. We’re really good at letting the press do its own thing. If we thought about it a lot, it would be weird. I think we just try to let it flow naturally. We’ve been a band for so long, so it’s slowly built up. A lot of bands only had a 7” out and were already on the cover of the NME and I could see how that could be really weird. But for us, it’s been a steady build, so it’s been pretty natural.

Was the point where you’re at now, where you wanted Gossip to move towards? I’ve always seen your band as very DIY and punk. I don’t think those ideas are mutually exclusive…

We never strived for that, it just happened. We lived in Olympia and were on Kill Rock Stars and that’s not a scene where anyone starts a band with the idea to be successful; it just happens and you can ride the wave and have fun with it.

You moved from Arkansas to Olympia…and then to Portland, right?

Yeah, Arkansas and then to Olympia. When we were in high school we were all in to Kill Rock Stars, K Records and I struck up pen pal (friendships) with people who worked there and in Arkansas we lived in this shitty farm town where there was no one else. It was scary to go to New York or LA and Olympia seemed like it would be small enough and would be a cool change that wasn’t too dramatic.

There is such a great roster of bands that have come from Olympia as well.

You’re a fan of all that stuff too? I love it. That was the best scene in the world during the 1990s: Unwound, Sleater-Kinney, The Frumpies, Huggy Bear.

Bikini Kill.

Yeah, Bikini Kill. That was the best thing about the nineties, in my opinion.

It’s funny because I grew up not too far from there, in Aberdeen, and had no idea what was going on until after I moved to Seattle in my twenties and was blown away at my first Sleater-Kinney show.

It always blows my mind when I talk to people from there and weren’t aware of that scene. I had a friend who grew up in Olympia and he wasn’t aware of that scene at all. It was pretty secular, actually.

You know we’re trying to get them (Sleater-Kinney) back together.

I really, really, really hope you do. I would be indebted to whoever could make that happen.

I’m trying to talk them in to it. We’re trying to set up a tour that would be us, Le Tigre and Sleater-Kinney. Wouldn’t that be so much fun?

I want to quit my job and follow that tour, should it ever happen.

Yeah, come along! We’re working on it. I’ll let you know.

I wanted to ask about working with Rick Rubin on this record. How did you enjoy working with him?

It was great. Rick is such a sweetheart. He’s cool because he is not what you’d expect. He’s still mystical and weird but he’s a music man. A lot of people don’t know this but he comes from a super-punk background as well. He used to be in a punk band and tour with Negative Approach and Necros and all those Touch and Go bands. He’s really about suppressing the ego and being music first. He’s also all about artistic integrity and writing songs because you love it. Not letting record labels or worrying whether or not something is going to be a hit or not come into the picture. It’s really amazing that he works with a lot of these mainstream artists and does that. He just believes that “let’s just make this record and make it the best you can and work on it until you’re happy with it”. I really respect that.

How did you meet up with him?

He came to one of our shows and really liked it. He said “your band is like a party, live” and then he wanted to work on the record and we said “of course”.

Is there anything you’re looking forward to on this tour?

I’m really excited to be playing with MEN. That’s one the things that keeps you sane, touring with your friends. That’s what keeps it being fun. It’s our first American tour in a long time. I think it’s going to be really great.

Were you pretty nervous putting out this record, being on a major label?

No, not at all. We’ve been on Kill Rock Stars for ten years and we wanted to mix it up and do something different and see what happens. It’s good for a band to be on a major if you’re an artist and you have something to say and you know what you’re doing. If the label lets you have creative control, which we have, then being on a major label is great, or could be great. If you’re a young band with a lot of people around you telling you what to do and you don’t want to do it, then I think it could be a bad idea.

We’re really happy with the album, so we aren’t nervous at all. If we weren’t happy with it, we might be nervous, but that’s the most important thing to us: making a record we were all happy with.

I’ve always thought that Gossip has a lot of important things to say that a lot of people would benefit hearing. It may be tougher to get out that message on Kill Rock Stars, or on another big indie label.

I’m glad you noticed that. I think that’s one of the most important things to us. Realizing that a lot of fans are young music kids that are weirdos. I remember being in Arkansas and seeing Nirvana on MTV talking about The Raincoats and Devo and having to find out who those bands are. I think those moments in pop culture are really powerful and hopefully that something like that can happen with us. Not being like Nirvana but having that kind of inspiration on someone.

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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!

The Gossip come to Seattle in Rocktober

Imaginary Mimi — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:15:34 +0000

Get yr dancing shoes on, ya'll, The Gossip is comin to town. The oft alternatively-spelling Southern trio is coming to Seattle in October, bringing fatty love, fashion, and female empowerment in tow. Tickets go on sale Friday, July 31st at 10:00 AM. They are playing the Showbox, October 23rd. Tickets are $20.00 in advance and $22.00 at the door. This show will likely sell out, so if you wanna rawk with Ditto and co, it's in yr best interest to get tickets early!

The Gossip is touring on their new album Music For Men, which hits stores on October 6th. If the track "Heavy Cross" is any indicator of the quality of this new album, Ditto's fans will be in for a real treat. Again, she splashes her canvas with soul, disco, punk, and gospel, makes them her own, and completely dominates every sound to the fullest.

Find somethin frilly and foxxy, put on your brightest red lipstick and get ready to scream, sweat, and dance yr azz off with the band that says "We will nvr die + we will nvr diet."

Rawk on!

And, because it is about the hawttest thing ever put to tape, and (because it's so hawt outside and this is so cool) check out Beth Ditto and Jarvis Cocker singing "Temptation" by Heaven 17 (I'm done with the spelling,I promise...)

(Amazing photo of the Gossip at CHBP by joshc and from the TIG Flickr Photo Pool)

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.

Girls Rock! movie out on DVD on Tuesday

ChrisB — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:40:44 +0000

After wowing crowds at SIFF 2007, the documentary Girls Rock! which profiles Portland's Rock and Roll Camp for Girls, is finally being released on DVD this Tuesday.

New releases from Easy Street Records

Jflores — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:40:48 +0000

For the week of April 15th, featuring the Heavy Hearts, the Gossip, the Kooks, M83, and more.

Amy Winehouse is cooler than Beth Ditto? Where's Jarvis?!?

imaginary liz — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:44:46 +0000

NME has posted their "Cool" findings for 2007 on their website and has opened the voting for the Readers' Top 10 on their website.

Rick Rubin says most music sucks, but he likes the Gossip

Erik Gonzalez — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 17:21:07 +0000

It's a great read when you're recovering from Bumbershoot or, like me, moving in 100F heat in California (and discovering your DVD player didn't survive the move).

Why we love Art Brut

Erik Gonzalez — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 17:18:22 +0000

We all remember the cover of NME with Beth Ditto nude on the cover, yes?

Beth Ditto working on clothing line

imaginary char — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 16:25:24 +0000

After making headlines (and heads turn) by her lack of clothing, Beth Ditto has decided to make headlines with her clothing.

Don't We Always Discuss the NME on Thursdays?

ChrisB — Thu, 31 May 2007 19:27:01 +0000

In keeping with the tradition of "NME Thursday", The Gossip's Beth Ditto is on the cover of the New Music Express this week - naked. I think she's hot hot heat, but what does everyone else think?

Since I'm not sure if this is safe for work (it shouldn't set off any warnings and is probably PG-13 but might be difficult to explain if your boss comes up behind you), you can click here.

See CSS & the Gossip in 36 1/2 easy steps!

imaginary ash — Mon, 14 May 2007 18:53:33 +0000

Attention imaginary UK readers!

Greatest Indie Anthems

imaginary liz — Thu, 03 May 2007 20:04:09 +0000

Just because it is now officially NME Thursday, how about we talk about the Greatest Indie Anthems ever... and what NME / Xfm and the general UK public think they are.

Remembering Elastica

imaginary liz — Thu, 03 May 2007 17:40:31 +0000

Mookychick blog is spotlighting Elastica --one of my biggest girl-crushes of all time. The post features a bit of history about my hero Justine Frischmann / Elastica and a bunch of downloadable MP3s.

Want to be in a Gossip video?

imaginary liz — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 16:41:01 +0000

Feel like a video star? Love the Gossip? Start laying the groundwork to call in sick to that day job (wow, I'm feeling a tickle in my throat already) and RSVP ASAP.

I didn't know Columbia records even had a gay-friendly label

imaginary dana — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 16:38:30 +0000

But apparently they do, and they were lucky enough to nab Northwest-faves-turned-NME-darlings The Gossip.

The newbie label is called Music with a Twist and it looks like so far they've only released a soundtrack from the show "The L Word." Anyone know anything else about them?

Congrats to the Gossip, and note to Music with a Twist/Columbia: you'd better treat them right, or you're gonna have some wrathful imaginary karma to deal with.

Standing in the Way of Control

Erik Gonzalez — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 08:00:00 +0000

7.8

gossip07jan.jpg

The Gossip are an odd band. It's very easy to lump them into the post-punk, post-grunge garage band sound, especially with their Northwestern provenance, but something just doesn't fit there. Like their genre siblings the Yeah Yeah Yeahs or Mon Frere, the Gossip are driven by their charismatic female singer, but unlike the Karen O, Beth Ditto from the Gossip sounds like she's a 60's soul singer that got kidnapped by the MC5 when she was on the way to Motown. Now, if only the Gossip could put it all together, combining the remarkable asset they have with Ditto's voice with some songs that can match her power. Standing in the Way of Control is a good step in that direction, but still can sound a little too repetitive and restrained for its own good.

The Gossip are equal parts rough and tumble indie rock like the aforementioned Yeah Yeah Yeahs and former label-mates Sleater-Kinney (R.I.P.) and more dance-rockers such as the Rapture or Le Tigre. The band has always stated a goal of making people dance and that is exactly what they should be trying when you have a commanding vocalist like Ditto. They've cleaned up their sound a lot for Standing in the Way of Control to mixed results, sometimes they just seem to lack some of the free-wheeling energy you might expect from the band. The strength of the Gossip is in catchy, anthemic indie rock songs, a prime example being the title track from the album, "Standing in the Way of Control." Ditto's vocals alternate between rock and roll howl to soul swoon over the Franz Ferdinand-like rhythm section, turning it into a peculiar "Take Me Out" meets "Respect" sort of adventure. It's a great formula for the Gossip, albeit one they might go to the well for a few too many times — but when it works, like on the title track or the excellent "Yr Mangled Heart," you're left wondering how Ditto ended up in indie rock and not gospel. More standard fare is found on "Jealous Girls," a particular Sleater-Kinney-like tune musically backs replaces the snarl of the Kinney girls with Ditto's smoother voice leaving it a little less angst-ridden.

The slower turns on Standing in the Way of Control work to an extent, mostly thanks to Ditto's captivating voice, where a song like "Coal to Diamonds" survives as an early PJ Harvey-like an alternative torch song. But the music just doesn't feel in synch. This smoldering version of Gossip works better on "Holy Water," but still never reaches the sinister depths that it feels like the band wants it to head. The album ends on a promising note with the minimalist "Dark Lines," which makes you want to start the countdown until Ditto starts guesting for various electronic acts with the scorcher of a voice like that.

It's hard to deal with the Gossip as separate from the remarkable vocal talent that is Beth Ditto. No matter what else they might try, the songs are completely taken over by her vocals and most of the time, this is not a bad thing. The key issue with Standing in the Way of Control is the feeling that they could be doing so much more, but are caught in a loop. That being said, the album is an admirable stepping-stone for the band and at the very least, they've tightened their sound and refined their talent. Now, they just need to take it up a notch to truly allow their sound to expand and blossom the way it sounds like it could.

The Gossip are driven by their charismatic female singer, but unlike the Karen O, Beth Ditto from the Gossip sounds like she's a 60's soul singer that got kidnapped by the MC5 when she was on the way to Motown.

Best Northwest Releases of 2006

three imaginary girls — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 08:00:00 +0000

Zow — it's been another great year for music everywhere, and a particularly amazing one for music straight outta the Northwest (we hate to brag, but the hometown pride has us beaming!). Thanks to all of you who voted in our fourth annual Best Northwest Releases of 2006 Readers' Poll. As always, we are pleased as punch by all your votes — and humbled to live in a region with such incredible talent.

Without further ado, our winners!

#50 Mon Frere Blood, Sweat & Swords (Cake Records)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#49 Conrad Ford Don't You Miss Yourself (Tarnished Records)
{website} * {buy}

#48 M. Ward Post-War (Merge)
{website} * {buy}

#47 Head Like A Kite Random Portraits of the Home Movie (Pattern 25)
{review} * website} * {buy}

#46 The Hands So Sweet (Basement Empire)
{website} * {buy}

#45 The Village Green Feeling The Fall (Spin Art)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#44 Skullbot Skullbot (Self-released)
{website} * {buy}

#43 Andrea Wittgens Alibi (Self-released)
{website} * {buy}

#42 Common Market Common Market (Mass Line)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#41 Smoosh Free to Stay (Barsuk)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#40 The Exploding Hearts Shattered (Dirtnap)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#39 Iceage Cobra Brilliant Ideas From Amazing People (Self-released)
{website} * {buy}

#38 Transmissionary Six Radar (Glitterhouse)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#37 These Arms Are Snakes (Jade Tree)
{website} * {buy}

#36 Coho Things Change (Lujo)
{website} * {buy}

#35 Sneaky Thieves Accidents (Self-released)
{website} * {buy}

#34 Harvey Danger Little By Little (Kill Rock Stars)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#33 The Blood Brothers Young Machetes (V2)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#32 The Sea Navy Oh These Troubled Times (Lucky Horse)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#31 Argo Attack of the Firebots (Fish the Cat)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#30 The Blakes The Blakes (Self-released)
{website} * {buy}

#29 Pearl Jam Pearl Jam (Sony)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#28 The Blow Paper Television (K Records)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#27 Central Services Central Services (This...Bodek Music)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#26 Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes (Self-released)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#25 Carrie Clark and the Lonesome Lovers Seems So Civilized (Self-released)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#24 The Purrs The Purrs (Sarathan)
{website} * {buy}

#23 Pleasurecraft This Is A Blackout (Pleasurecraft Music)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#22 Thee Emergency Can You Dig It? (Blue Disguise)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#21 Sera Cahoone Sera Cahoone (Self-released)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#20 The Lights Diamonds and Dirt (Wantage USA)
{website} * {buy}

#19 Patience Please Parallel Plots (Jigsaw)
{podcast} * {website} * {buy}

#18 The Heavy Hearts The Heavy Hearts (Swingline)
{website} * {buy}

#17 Man Plus We Had No Sex (Self-released)
{podcast} * {website} * {buy}

#16 The Snakebites Love, Hate, Rage, and Sorrow (Self-released)
{podcast} * {website} * {buy}

#15 Jeremy Enigk World Waits (Reincarnate Music)
{website} * {buy}

#14 Neko Case Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (Anti)
{website} * {buy}

#13 Racetrack Go Ahead and Say It (Self-released)
{podcast} * {website} * {buy}

#12 Rocky Votolato Makers (Barsuk)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#11 Panda and Angel Panda and Angel (Jade Tree)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#10 The Gossip Standing In the Way of Control (Kill Rock Stars)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#9 Viva Voce Get Yr Blood Sucked Out (Barsuk)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#8 Math & Physics Club Math and Physics Club (Matinee)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#7 The Trucks The Trucks (Click-Pop)
{review} * {podcast} * {website} * {buy}

#6 Built to Spill You In Reverse (Warner)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#5 The Thermals The Body, The Blood, The Machine (Sub Pop)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#4 Band Of Horses Everything All the Time (Sub Pop)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#3 The Long Winters Putting the Days to Bed (Barsuk)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#2 The Decemberists The Crane Wife (Capitol)
{review} * {website} * {buy}

#1 BOAT Songs That You Might Not Like (Magic Marker)
{review} * {podcast} * {website} * {buy}

Thanks to all of you who voted, went out to live shows, came to our imaginary events, read our website, and helped make 2006 another amazing year to be imaginary.

The winners in the TIG Best Northwest Releases of 2006 Readers' Poll, including BOAT, the Decemberists, the Long Winters, Band of Horses, the Thermals, and um, 45 more.

Our Imaginary Editor Picks: Best of 2006

three imaginary girls — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 08:00:00 +0000

I'm so proud of the Pacific Northwest music scene, as she has given us some of the best records released anywhere (although Suburban Kids, Art Brut, Manhattan Love Suicides, and Graham Coxon — I love you like a sister). If I may have a moment, may I publicly declare love for my favorite releases of the year?

I'd like to see anyone even try to stop an imaginary girl mid-gush....

(clears throat) Math and Physics Club, how I adore your heart-melting lyrics and wispy guitar noodles. BOAT, you took lo-fi up a notch with smart songs about parts of speech and addictive melodies (you really deserve your #1 crown). Thermals, dear Thermals. At first I questioned your whole "World being taken over by Christian Fascist" theme, but being the committed Hutch-ite that I am, I listened over and over and became hooked on TBTBTM. Or was it the fact that one of the lines orders folks to strip down to their underwear? Either way, now I LOVE the anti-Christian Fascist Thermals. The Trucks, you gave us all a theme song and a reason to dress up. Eux Autres, although I still have trouble pronouncing your name, I thank you for your nonchalant elegance and understated coolness. Your brother-sister-duo-ness gives me hope that the White Stripes aren't the end of the line. Although I do love me some Jack and Meg, your rhythm section is stronger and your fashion-sense equally scalable to the masses. I thank you for that. I look horrible in white and red. Patience Please, although you are the only EP on the list, you have earned your placement with your spastic indie-pop licks and slight naiveté. I hear you have a full-length planned in 2007? Oh, 2007... you have a lot to live up to!

Um, Liz, I thought you were just going to give us your list...?

Oh yeah, my list! Phew. Here's my list...

Math and Physics Club, Math and Physics Club (Matinee)

BOAT, Songs That you Might Not Like (Magic Marker)

Suburban Kids With Biblical Names, #3 (Minty Fresh)

The Thermals, The Body, The Blood, The Machine (Sub Pop)

Art Brut, Bang Bang Rock And Roll (Downtown)

The Trucks, The Trucks (Click-Pop)

The Manhattan Love Suicides, The Manhattan Love Suicides (Magic Marker)

Graham Coxon, Love Travels At Illegal Speeds (Parlophone)

Eux Autres, Hell Is Eux Autres (Grenadine)

Patience Please, Parallel Plots (Jigsaw)

Goddamnit, how did I forget Art Brut in my list?? Ack! Ahh well, I'm still in love with Emily Kane, and here's my list...

Figurines, Skeletons (The Control Group)

The Knife, Deep Cuts (Rabid Records)

Heartless Bastards, All This Time (Fat Possum)

The Long Winters, Putting the Days to Bed (Barsuk)

Math and Physics Club, Math and Physics Club (Matinee)

The Trucks, The Trucks (Click-Pop)

The Rakes, Capture/Release (V2)

Band of Horses, Everything All of the Time (Sub Pop)

Heather Duby, Heather Duby (Sonic Boom Recordings)

The Doll Test, Gasoline and Banks (Unsmashable)

My list is in no particular order. If you're one of those people who longs for order, well... email me and I'll whip something up. Otherwise, behold my faves of 2006:

The Grates, Gravity Won't Get you High (Cherry Tree)

Joseph Arthur, Nuclear Daydream (Megaforce)

The Decemberists, The Crane Wife (Capitol)

Gnarls Barkley, St. Elsewhere (Downtown)

The Gossip, Standing In the Way of Control (Kill Rock Stars)

Regina Spektor, Begin To Hope (Sire)

Lily Allen, Alright, Still (Capitol)

Justin Timberlake, FutureSex / LoveSounds (Jive)

Psapp, The Only Thing I Ever Wanted (Domino)

Silversun Pickups, Carnavas (Dangerbird)

But don't just take our word for it. See what our readers had to say by reading the results of the Best Northwest Releases of 2006 Readers' Poll {they're way smarter than we are anyways}.

I'm so proud of the Pacific Northwest music scene, as she has given us some of the best records released anywhere (although Suburban Kids, Art Brut, Manhattan Love Suicides, and Graham Coxon — I love you like a sister).

SXSW 2006 Rundown

three imaginary girls — Sun, 19 Mar 2006 08:00:00 +0000

15 Mar 2006

sxsw06mar1.jpg

South by Southwest, where have you been all my life? If I believed in an afterlife, this is what my idea of heaven would be: endless days and nights with no greater concerns than caffeine, alcohol, and indie rock. Except there would be fewer lines, and more cabs.

I can't believe a world where so many (really attractive and nice) people care about new and interesting music exists. What an amazing experience. I'm booking my hotel room and pass as soon as they announce the 2007 dates. Who's with me??

Please note that the photos were taken by us; we can't rule out intoxication, but we also can't rule out that we're just that unskilled with a camera. Oh! Except for the gorgeous Long Winters photo, provided by the amazing Gregory Perez.

Without further ado, read our SXSW 2006:

Top 10 of the Pops!

Honorable Mentions

Totally Overrated

Thank Yous

Top 10 of the Pops! (in alpha order):

Art Brut
I can't stress this enough. If Art Brut comes to your town, go! Whether you are familiar with them because of their placement on KEXP's playlist or you've yet to be introduced, you will love them within one song of their live performance. The cockney-heavy vocals a la The Streets and the hooky guitar jabs spotlight the clever lyrics that are ideal for constant quoting among your group of friends. Move over, quips like "You're so money you don't even know it" — we've now got things like, "This IS my singing voice" and "I've seen her naked... twice!" Thanks Art Brut. "Popular culture, no longer applies to me."

Band of Horses
Band of Horses featured slide guitars, emotive vocals, and nothing less than I expected from two former members of one of my favorite Seattle bands of all time, Carissa's Wierd. While CW expressed life's sadness to the level of morose, Band of Horses were more in the "tear in my beer" cathartic vein of indie-melancholy, and I'm sure will (or have) drawn comparisons to other twangier indie-rock luminaries like My Morning Jacket and Wilco. The fact that they were playing in a field outside Poke-e-Joe's BBQ only added to the Texas of it all.

Billy Bragg
I think I experienced the luckiest day of my life in Austin. How else could I have found myself at a picnic (with free booze and tacos), surrounded by an audience of about 50 people watching Billy Bragg as he played his entire first album in order? Crazy! As you'd expect, the man was armed with timeless songs and sharp banter that could inspire action from even the most humdrum of souls. In between songs he offered words of solace to our blue-state comforted selves. He encouraged us as he talked about how he felt pride when he saw how the outrage and compassionate minority is gaining strength in our nation. He jumpstarted my belief that music can bind people, give weight to ideas and, music industry be damned, fuel change. Take that Toby Keith.

Figurines
Brit bands are a dime a dozen. Bring on the Danes! I had the pleasure of seeing Danish indie-rock sensations Figurines at the Crocodile in Seattle just days before SXSW. Here's my theory on Figurines: you need to hear them three times. The first couple of listens, you think, "Wow, nice songs!" By the third listen, you realize that not only will Skeletons undoubtedly rank in your top 10 of the year, but that you also plan to name your as-yet unconceived children "Christian" — as half the band members are called Christian — even though you are a devout agnostic. Spend some quality time with the record, and you're hooked — or as the fellas sing, "It takes time to get it together for a long time." Figurines have it all: spot on guitar work, inspiring lyrics, rugged hooks, distinctive and appealing vocals... plus swagger, pout, sweet dispositions, and hipster good looks. Think Northwest edge meets Euro-charisma. Now imagine standing right up front, watching these likely superstars rock you on a true Texas dive bar floor. It's surely a 'tell-the-grandkids-about-it' sort of SXSW memory...

Galactic Heroes
I've loved the Galactic Heroes since the first time I heard the sweet jangle of "Coffee And Pastries" from their album Every Sidewalk. Their repertoire embodies all that is sweet and nice and queen bee. Their songs hopscotch through tales of love, friendship, baby blue Volvos, and gleeful happenstances without turning trite or phony. But, given that the two leading members live in different cities, seeing them perform these tales of joy together in lovey Seattle has felt like a pipe dream.

Thank goodness for a massive 1000+ band festival for bringing us together. Live, they broke new GH ground... mainly due to a sudden, unfortunate event that forced their drummer to miss the show. That, on top of the fact that the guys hadn't been able to practice together in quite a while, made for a certain air of... uncertainty. So what did they do? They rocked the house! They gave homemade shakers (made from plastic Easter eggs filled with rice) to the 25 audience members in the front so that we could provide a backing beat to the songs. Then, halfway through the set, Mike (who had just started learning the drums) took to the set and simultaneously sang and drummed. As you would expect, the songs were scaled down but the end result was a lo-fi Lucksmiths-esque set that left the audience grinning from ear to ear.

The Gossip
Playing at 1am on a stage in a parking lot, I was able to fully appreciate the force that *is* Gossip front-diva Beth Ditto. Against the evening chill after a hot Texas day, she channeled that old soul of hers to exorcise the traditions and skeletons of the South. This, with intense, archaic, bare bones rock foundation laid by her two fellow Gossip-ers (Brace Paine and Hannah Blilie), made for a set of hymns for hipsters. As Beth chimed lines like "I don't want the world, I just want what I deserve." I was reminded of all that is great about independent music. Whereas the masses accept songs from The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs as the end all of soul inspired, angular anthems, The Gossip are the real thing. Glory glory hallelujah!

The Long Winters
Long Winters' frontman John Roderick has the rare ability to win over the drunkest/surliest of audiences with the power of just one sideways pleasantry. In between eloquently espousing about the his excitement of sharing the bill with Smoosh and the underlying music industry presence at the festival, Roderick made the crowd sway to the LW songs old and new. Poles on each end of the spectrum were hit as we enjoyed old favorites ("Stupid," "Unsalted Butter"), newbies ("the commander thinks aloud" from the recent Ultimatum EP), and we got a sneak listen to songs from their upcoming release (to be released in July?). I was so relieved to not only hear the new songs, but find out that they are glorious! Countdown to the new Long Winters album begins... NOW!

The Magic Numbers
As my friend Barbara said to me during the show, the world can't be too bad a place when a band as amazing as The Magic Numbers headlines a major label showcase (Capitol Records) at SXSW. As talented as they are unlikely, this band of two sets of siblings charmed the audience with their extraordinary song writing, their incredible vocal harmonies, and more importantly, with their dazzling sense of joy expressed through music. They've been compared to the psychedelic Flaming Lips as well as the folksy 60's of the Mamas and the Papas; both comparisons are apt. More joyous than an afternoon spent with good friends and free Jack Daniels!

Margot and the Nuclear So-And-Sos/The Rakes
OK, I cheated to sneak an extra band into the Top 10 list. But you have to hear about them both, and both have new US releases on V2-affliated labels, so I thought it only fair to munge them. Margo and the Nuclear So-and-Sos — I agree, that name is tedious at best — were a complete surprise, a dense wall of delicious sounds emanating from no less than eight people onstage: two percussionists, trumpet, cello, two vocalists, and all the rock standards. Their debut release drops end of March, and the hype machine has aleady whirled into motion, so expect to know their name soon (even if you can't quite remember all of it). As for The Rakes, I saw them headline two showcases, at the UK show case at Flamingo and the V2 showcase at the Blind Pig. Equal parts updated Blur-pop and JCrew's autumn pullover collection, these savvy Brit rockers got the floor moving with their exuberant performances, and frontman Alan Donohoe has the best angular, nerdy dance moves since Molly Ringwald in The Breakfast Club

Okkervil River
Will Sheff just might be the most atypically sexy performer alive. As frontman for Okkervil River, he brought to each song so much passion and angst and emotion, rolling over expansive melodies and closed-eye mic grinds, it nearly felt like each member of the crowd had been intimate with him by the end of the {screaming, sweaty, yet all-too-short} set. Musically, the band spins a unique blend of folk earnestness and indie-rock pathos with poignant lyrics, and Sheff's inimitable gravelly voice, which can murmur or howl with equal ferocity. This just might be what igLiz sees when she watches Conor Oberst. I barely made it into this show at the end of the final night (thank you, Heather Hydra!), but it easier was one of the most memorable and electrifying shows of the weekend.

Honorable Mentions (in alpha order):

The Black Angels {Jim Morrison meets Perry Farrell, if you can believe that.}

Camera Obscura {Lovely and precious as I ever imagined.}

Conner {Great new signee to local label Sonic Boom Recordings}

The Cops {Why is it so fun to see hometown bands play in Texas? I dunno, but it is!}

Morningwood {Audicious and crazy and maybe all the free Jack Daniels didn't hurt either},

The Pale Pacific {If I didn't already know of the splendor that is the Pale Pacific, this would have been *that* sxsw showcase... wandering into an under-attended showcase midday, not knowing what to expect... and being blown away. Knowing the Pale Pacific in no way dimished my joy at their too-short-but-oh-so-sweet set.}

The Pretenders {yes, OMG *The* Pretenders!!}

Schoolyard Heroes {If I'd caught more than just the last song, I'm sure they'd have made the top 10}

Smoosh {I can't believe how much more assured and talented they have become. And Asy announced that their next release in June would be on Barsuk Records (!!). The label declined comment, but smiled broadly when asked.}

Something for Rockets {Especially when USE's Noah jumped onstage like a sprite and joyously bounced alongside them}

Stars of Track and Field {Dreamy and swirly despite technical issues}

Sukpatch {They've mastered the synth driven, guitar pedaled, lo-fi psychedelic vocals line up in the vein of bands that they predate (specifically Grandaddy and The Postal Service). The intimate show was like a mid-evening siesta. The swirling keyboards with soothing guitar waves and whispery vocals rejuvenated the saucy crowd.}

Tullycraft {The Tullycraft-ers certainly made Seattle proud as they debuted four new songs to knock the knee high socks off pony-tailed girls across the globe. With their signature guitar hooky, harmonizing vocals and nimble lyrics, the set spanned the spectrum from cute to crack-up. They made the audience feel like they were having the Spring Break that popfest dreams are made of as the band members joked about their rockstar moves and rewarded the best dancing audience members with t-shirts. Surely, their set was the sprinkles on the cupcake of my SXSW experience. Thanks to Dan Machold for the amazing photos.}

Two Gallants {Oh how I love the Two Gallants' way of mixing Bright Eyes and the White Stripes into an authentic / original / religious experience.}

Totally Overrated (in alpha order):

The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster {blew their wad on the first song}, Battle {dull, uninspiring}, Sound Team {so forgettable I couldn't even remember their name}, Two Gallants {I know I'm gonna catch shit for that one, but perhaps my expectations were too high?}.

Other than the bands I had to miss because of double booking, I don't have any regrets. With 1,000+ bands to choose from and limited time, if I suspected something wasn't going to knock me off my feet, I headed next door. There was always something stellar 10 feet away, even if it was just a bathroom with no line.

Thank Yous:

SXSW 2006 would not have been the same without love, support, and cocktails from the following amazing people: BreEllen and April {you RULE, ladies!!!}, Marc at 1 Percent Promotions, Gabe, Cameron, Justin, and Greg {thank you, Cingular!}, Lindsey at V2 {those wristbands ruled!}, Chris the cab driver, the free JANE photo booth, mimosas as the Driskill, DJ Phil and DJ Mike, Heather Hydra, Noah and the USE crew, Derby, Barbara, Scott P. {your list was life-saving, and your company, even better!}, Jason {happy birthday!} and Nabil, the Slender Means van ride, Tes, Jackie, Sarah Q., Paul Tao and the Aversion fellas {and the terrible Las Maritas service}, and the taco stand behind Emos {Seattle totally needs one of those!!}. Woot! Woot!!!

Thanks to everyone for the unbelievably good time. I'm still detoxing from the fun! Too much fun gives you a swollen tongue and a head cold, right?

Read about some of their fave performances from SXSW 2006, including Okkervil River, Art Brut, The Rakes, Billy Bragg, the Long Winters, Galactic Heroes, Figurines, The Gossip, the Magic Numbers, and more. Viva le Austin!