{Photo: Ari Marcopoulos, 2011}

I just heard a song from the new Thurston Moore album {set to be released on 5/24 on Matador} and it's as sweet as a Carpenters cover {listen/download "Benediction" now}.  As Thurston describes the song:

"On day one I played the first song sitting in front of a Beck-wired microphone, its design informed by the cut of Joseph Beuys’ cerebellum. The jam is called “Benediction”, where the camera records the adult girl reading a love letter written on the back blank pages of her hymnal where he knew only she could find it."

And while I was reading through his self-penned bio {well done, Thurston!}, I noticed his summer tour schedule -- and oh boy -- it looks like there is a neat little block of time in the Pacific Northwest that could accomodate a stop at the Capitol Hill Block Party?

more...

If you're anything like the rest of the free world, you haven't seen much of Pavement since sometime in the late nineties. Recording, releasing, and playing live music for the better part of a decade, Pavement firmly established themselves in the lo-fi pool of the 'alternative' world in 1989 -- that's just shy of pre-indie, kids -- and fizzled out after their final show almost exactly ten years later. Both fringe- and cult-level fans alike have been clamoring for live performances and speculating on reunion tours ever since, and for those of us lucky enough to have come across / stood in line for / offered our next-born for tickets, the time has finally come!

After a decade-long hiatus, Pavement finally hit the road again this year for a European tour and stateside festival circuit (including Sasquatch, Coachella, and Pitchfork Fest), toting along a best-of comp that was released back in March. They're playing twenty-eight dates in September, and we're lucky enough to have show number two this month taking place at our very own Paramount Theater on Sunday, September 5th. We'll be there with bells on, and we'd love for you to join us! Here's how you can win a pair of tickets to the show:

more...

OK, so it's not exactly as if you and Carl Newman or Neko Case will intimately be sharing a bottle of wine and discussing your childhoods (or maybe you will!), but boy do we have a special treat for you!

The New Pornographers are doing something very special for their 7/31 Showbox at the Market stop: inviting a few lucky fans in for soundcheck and a meet and greet with the band, encompassing the theme of their new album, Together. This fabulous package (Bob Barker style) includes VIP tickets to the show as well!

Along with our friends at Easy Street Records and KEXP, we here at TIG have 2 packages to giveaway! How do I win something so marvelous you might be asking? Simple! Just e-mail us at tig@threeimaginarygirls.com with the subject line "gettogetherwiththenewpornos" (all one word please!) by 9am Friday, July 23rd for a chance to win! This gives you plenty of time to think of some conversation ice breakers!

If you happen to be reading us in a city that is not Seattle, check out the Matador Records Matablog and Facebook page for the full scoop and to see if this amazing experience is offered in your city!

more...

Tonight is kind of special, and not in a weak beer tasting way. There's tons of super fun socializing stuff to do!

First there's the Three Imaginary Girls-sponsored New Pornographers' album Together listening party early at 6 PM at the best coffee shop in Greenwood, Neptune (8415 Greenwood Avenue North). This would be a sweet chance to hang out with TIG people, the Greenwood gang, and New Pornographers' fans, who are to class and sass what a just out of juvie 40 ouncer-lugging Juggalo is to an Insane Clown Posse listening par-tay. The new album has honey-crackling Neko Case co-vocals, tons of sauteed hooks, and deep chocolate cello. Come get your fresh ground bean buzz on and hear it on Neptune's gnarly s-system with fellow underground rock connoisseurs.

What are you doing later then? Here's one suggestion: Ladies lounging at Cafe Society at Sole Repair at 9 PM.

After that, I'm going to take off for with my ride to Capitol Hill, to 1001 E. Pike to see Sole Repair's new swanky lounge lizard-palooza, Cafe Society, hosted by two of the smartest, sweetest, most awesome Seattle leading ladies Jennifer Petersen (of Sportin' Life Records) and Sarah Walczyk (Powerful Voices).

more...

 

Fact: everyone loves Mission of Burma. Amiright?

Proof: if you happened to be in Boston on October 4, less than a month ago, you were in Boston on Mission of Burma Day. Even more convincing, even Wikipedia loves MOB:

Mission of Burma's efforts are largely concerned with extending punk's original vocabulary without losing its essential rebellious spirit. Using rapid shifts in dynamics, unconventional time signatures and chord progressions along with tape effects, Mission of Burma challenges the prevailing idioms of punk while attempting to retain its power and immediacy.

The converse of which is that the exact opposite of the percentage of people who love Mission of Burma is equal to the same percentage of people who like paying for stuff. So, we want to send one of our readers (and a guest) to share in the love of MOB live at the Crocodile on Wednesday, November 11. Just e-mail us by Monday, November 9 at 9am with "BurmaIsNowMyanmar" in the subject line. One name will be drawn at random and it'll appear on MOB's guestlist  +1 on Wednesday night.

{Photo by Kelly Davidson}

more...

Spiral Stairs, aka Scott Kannberg, guitarist for the reuniting Pavement, has a new album out on Tuesday called The Real Feel (Matador Records). Above is the video to the first single, "Stolen Pills".

(Via Pitchfork)

This may be a little early. And I'm definitely too excited about this. But, Beach House, The Cave Singers first mp3 for their album coming out this August, is up on Matador's website. Ever since I heard some of their new songs live at Neumos in February, I've been craving more. The songs they played live were infectious and beautiful and I was humming them without knowing what they were for days afterwards.

more...

Fuckbook is a fabulous album for a side project. It feels like it scratches their itch to play fast and loose, to geek out a bit, and to play simply for the joy of collaborating with people they love to work with. It's short, sweet, and sloppy, and has very high replay value. Fuckbook? Fuck yes!

more...

Limited edition vinyl releases from Jay Reatard, Sonic Youth, and Pavement!!!

more...

Riding a fantastical dreamboat powered by the lovesick sighs of hundreds of indiepop lovin ladies, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks come to Neumo's tomorrow night.

more...