Three Imaginary Girls - Dear Nora

We're so excited for this weekend's San Fran Popfest we had to podcast

imaginary liz — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:48:17 +0000

The San Francisco Popfest starts today (imaginary Keenan is already headed south to get there in time for tonight's shows)!!!

The 'fest runs though Sunday, May 24, 2009 and Keenan, amazing imaginary photographer Steve Louie and I will be running around the greater San Francisco area basking in all that fine fine indie-pop.

We're looking forward to most all the bands (ballboy ballboy ballboy), but we put together a podcast of some of the lesser known ones and ones with hit songs we've been listening to on repeat (ahem: Stay Flyin').

You should go listen to it now (and go subscribe to our podcasts on iTunes 'cause we have big plans to make this the summer of podcasts!).

Three Imaginary Girls San Francisco Popfest Podcast {May, 2009}

three imaginary girls — Thu, 21 May 2009 04:27:13 +0000

From Thursday, May 21 to Sunday, May 24, 2009, Three Imaginary Girls staffers Liz and Keenan will be running around the San Francisco partaking in all the fun of the San Francisco Popfest. This podcast showcases some of the bands they are most looking forward to seeing while there with

49:44 minutes (43.81 MB)

Three Imaginary Girls San Francisco Popfest Podcast {May, 2009}

three imaginary girls — Thu, 21 May 2009 04:27:11 +0000

From Thursday, May 21 to Sunday, May 24, 2009, Three Imaginary Girls staffers Liz and Keenan will be running around the San Francisco partaking in all the fun of the San Francisco Popfest.

This podcast showcases some of the bands they are most looking forward to seeing while there with

49:44 minutes (8 MB)

Magic Marker Records Showcase in Portland

Melodication — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 05:20:03 +0000

7 Feb 2009

BOAT09feb2.jpg

These days, with the economy still teetering on the edge of collapse, it takes a genuinely incredible line-up to get me to drive all the way down to Portland for a show. It’s not just gas prices, it’s the cost of a hotel, and a meal, a trip to Voodoo Doughnuts to see what a bacon-maple bar is – and a very well spent $10 cover.

The show last Saturday was a celebration of Magic Marker Record’s 10th anniversary, and it showcased the label’s finest pop bands, both past and present: The Galactic Heroes, Dear Nora (both reformed for this night only), BOAT and Tullycraft. With a line-up like that, Portland really doesn’t seem too far away.

The night started off with the Galactic Heroes, who have been split up by geography for years. Though they were not ones to do stage banter (as they themselves admitted), their bright hooks and well-worked harmonies more than made up for it. Their set included exemplary pop melodies, such as “Back in Love”, a personal favorite of mine. The poor band had to put up with a group of overly boisterous (and intoxicated) men, each of whom was probably twice the size of a Galactic Hero. Still, despite the occasional interruption, it was obvious that the loss of the Galactic Heroes was a great loss to the Northwest pop scene. I bought their album, “Every Sidewalk” as soon as I got home, and I highly recommend it.

As BOAT began to set up, the raucous Galactic Heroes fans became even more so. With shouts of “WHO THE FUCK IS BOAT?” and periodic football-fan-esque chants of “BOAT! BOAT! BOAT!”, the large men managed to be both annoying and contradictory. BOAT took it well, even offering hi-fives to the eager group. BOAT’s performance was incredibly fun as usual, and their set was full of never-before-heard songs, including a tribute song to Tullycraft (and at one time, BOAT) drummer, Jeff Fell, and covers of two fellow Magic Marker signees, Dear Nora and The Faintest Ideas.

For the final song, D. Crane (BOAT’s singer/guitarist) invited people to come on stage with them. “But you can’t touch us!” he told the drunken man-fans (who he called the ‘Alpha…Beta Phi frat house’). Though surprisingly they didn’t storm the stage, a few other (quieter) fans did and danced around with BOAT to “Lately I’ve Been on my Back.”

For some reason, the loud men did not stick around to see Tullycraft, which may have been a blessing, but is perplexing because Tullycraft dealt out even more fantastic pop songs. Tullycraft is one of the more adorable bands in Seattle; Guitarist Chris Munford and bassist/lead singer Sean Tollefson were both wearing sweater-vests, and the always lovely singer Jenny Mears was wearing one of her trademark vintage dresses. Beyond looks, their songs are each just as adorable as the band. Their vocals complement each other perfectly and the lyrics tell elaborate stories with catchy choruses; I fell in love with one in particular that night called “Superboy Supergirl.”

The audience was in love with this twee-pop band, and all the dancing made me wonder if Seattle’s stoic reputation was actually true by comparison. More likely, I think, is that Tullycraft put on a great show that made dancing pretty much inevitable.

Unfortunately I missed Dear Nora, but I did get to see the modest speeches made by Magic Marker founders Curt Kentner and Mark Rothkopf. I owe these two men a huge debt of gratitude for allowing some of my absolute favorite bands to release their albums, and for this amazing show which had probably the best line-up I could ever hope for. Congratulations Magic Marker!

Magic Marker Records book a roadtrip-worthy anniversary show

imaginary keenan — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:23:15 +0000

You better hope gas prices stay low until February! Portland's fantastic Magic Marker Records just announced their anniversary show! And it's amazing!

Freebies from Magic Marker this holiday season!

Imaginary Kiku — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:13:36 +0000

I know that you've probably already spent your savings on extravagant gifts for your many friends and relations this season, and Magic Marker knows it too! That's why they're offering some new additions to your local pop collection digitally for zero dollars!

Holy NYC POPFEST Batman!

imaginary liz — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 00:59:15 +0000

The NYC Popfest folks have announced their 2007 line-up and HOLY COW is it fantabulous! IT MAKES ME WANT TO TYPE IN ALL CAPS!
Behold - I'll post the line-up now and comment more once I gather myself.

A House Full of Friends

Joseph Riippi — Sun, 08 May 2005 07:00:00 +0000

yes

7.4

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002ZDWGW/wwwthreeimagi-20

housefulloffriends05may.jpg

The A House Full of Friends compilation pulls together two-discs worth of artists whom have performed at some point or another in a small SE Portland house where Mark Rothkopf and Curt Ketner, the founders of Magic Marker Records, lived from 1997-2004. Presumably, the house was usually full of their friends.

The liner notes call the record, "a historic document that tells the story of the beginnings of a record label and a start in a new city and a new house." In a time before all-ages clubs like the Meow Meow opened their doors, Portland was a tough place for up-and-coming bands to get a gig, so Mark and Curt opened up their house as a venue. The recent compilation includes a booklet of photos and a "How to Throw A House Show" instruction manual.

"These 34 songs," the liner notes continue, "represent almost all the bands that played at the Magic Marker house. Some have since broken up and others have gone on to immense popularity that would make a house show pretty much impossible."

The compilation is incredibly diverse, including unreleased tracks and alternative takes by bands like The Thermals, the Shins, Dear Nora, Tullycraft, and the Lucksmiths, and album tracks by the Decemberists, Mates of State, and the All Girl Summer Fun Band.

It plays like a really good mix-tape, and when played straight through it runs a huge gamut of soft acoustic pop (Dear Nora) to fast and hard rock (The Thermals) to sweetly ironic indie-ness (My Little Brother).

Overall, A House Full of Friends is an unexpected achievement in that it doesn't have the lopsided hit to miss-miss-miss ratio that a large majority of compilations (soundtracks included) fall victim to. If anything, standout tracks like Eux Autre's "Le Project Citron" or the Shins' alternate version of "Baby Boomerang" make the one or two misses irrelevant.

and The A House Full of Friends compilation pulls together two-discs worth of artists whom have performed at some point or another in a small SE Portland house where Mark RothkopfCurt Ketner, the founders of Magic Marker Records, lived from 1997-2004.