at Moore Theater

It's been a little bit of a rough go for me, as it has with many people, to get past the band name "Monsters of Folk." Really. Partially because it's just bonkers, and partially because the "folk" part conjures up old James Taylor reels and campfire sing-a-longs. And beards. But the roster has been the trump card thus far, boasting members of Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, and the gorgeous, prolific stylings of M. Ward himself. Take him, Conor Oberst, Jim James, and Mike Mogis, add two parts swooping red velvet curtains and one part spectacular sound system, stir, and you've got a band that's so good -- well, they could call themselves "Banana Eating Spaceships" for all anyone cares. This particular combination of frontmen from a cross-section of such notable indie bands does indeed a blissful sound make, strangely named or not.

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at The Showbox at the Market

It was almost like a coffee shop setting and actually made the sold-out Showbox show feel somewhat intimate. Unlike most coffee-shop shows, though, the audience was rapt with attention.

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"Hold Time" is a new video from the M. Ward, with the track to be released on a same-named LP due out February 17th via Merge Records.

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at Bumbershoot 2008

Bumbershoot is a musical extravaganza, spanning the three-day Labor Day weekend with more bands, arts, and elephant ears than anyone can possibly capture. We had a posse of imaginary writers (ChrisB, Chris Estey, imaginary elle, imaginary dana, and Cory), and photographers (Chona, Kyle, Nathan, and Andrew) all over Seattle Center, trying to capture the frenzy and mayhem of Bumbershoot 2008. Below you can see and read about our adventures during the first day, which kicked off with local electronic duo Beehive and ended with superstar Beck, and covered over 20 other bands in-between.

Enjoy!

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But I know they usually wait till closer to the date to annouce the lucky local acts. So -- to that end, I propose a good ole fashioned imaginary rumor machine. Friends... Who have you heard is playing? Or who do you hope is playing?

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Meet M. Jacket Eyes

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Wow -- Wednesday night seems to be the big night for cool folks to appear on TV. I'm especially excited that Bob Barker is making an appearance. I wonder why he's kinda slumming it and not on Letterman or Leno? Is it a network thing?

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If you're feeling kinda cheap and bored with your current selection of MP3's, insound.com is offering a ton of MP3s for your free downloading pleasure.

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See all the winners in the TIG Best Northwest Releases of 2005 Readers' Poll (see winners #30-21 here).

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at The Showbox

I, Imaginary Girl Liz here do solumnly swear to be a professional and objective music writer and I will not gush about Bright Eyes, Desaparecidos, Saddle Creek Records or anything else associated therewith. Cross my heart.

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