Three Imaginary Girls - Los Campesinos!

Let the Los Campesinos Countdown begin {Neptune, 2/4}

imaginary liz — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:33:33 +0000

It is just a little over a week until the Los Campesinos! show at the Neptune Theater on Saturday, February 4, 2012 and I am beside myself with pre-show excitement. Every single LC! show I've seen has left me gleefully ravaged by the frenetic enthusiasm and beguiling live set. For them, it's a moral imperative to put on an amazing show.

Their latest album, Hello Sadness, is a further step down the path towards debilitating heartbreak. It tempers the deep cuts of longing with a glimmer of hope for what's ahead (I can't wait for them to get a room with Conor Oberst already. Oh how my world would be complete).

Currently, I've been listening to "Songs About Your Girlfriend" (which I bet is David Gedge's favorite song on the album), "Life Is A Long Time" and "By Your Hand" on repeat. I love it when it hurts so good.

Next Saturday cannot come fast enough!

If you haven't gotten your tickets yet for this all-ages show, you can pick them up online.

Oh, and did you see them perform "By Your Hand" on Letterman? Can I get a hallelujah for the Beautiful South t-shirt? (see the video after the jump)

Liz's DJ set from Monday's Crocodile Happy Hour

imaginary liz — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 04:11:24 +0000

{photo by the lovely Victoria VanBruinisse}

Thanks again to everyone who stopped by the Crocodile on Monday!

It was *so so awesome* seeing you and boy oh boy did the double helpings of pizza make my tummy happy. I still have a couple of those wooden tokens for rum drink specials left over; I suppose I've kept them to remind me of the rum vanilla-y goodness for weeks to come.

Word from our interoffice email threads since the event confirms that every member of the DJ crew had an amazing time! Chris Estey, Amie Simon, and Victoria VanBruinisse really outdid themselves putting together their sets.

Some folks who couldn't stay the whole time (or perhaps redeemed one too many of those wooden rum drink tokens) asked for a recap of the set... so here's mine:

Imaginary Liz's favorite songs of 2010

imaginary liz — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 19:01:47 +0000

It usually isn't in my nature to go against the John Roderick grain, but when it comes to end of year lists of favorites, I can't help myself. I have to gather all of my favorite songs into an MP3 scrapbook for my own current and future mental sanity.

Perusing the song stacks of the past year allows me to recall and file the past year before opening up my next year's calendar. Having an MP3 scrapbook gives me a one stop shop when, a year or even 15 days from now, I ask my-list-driven-self "What was 2010?" {because aren't all of our best memories tied to a song?}.

The answer to that question is below in the form of the playlist of my Imaginary Liz's Favorites Songs of 2010 mix:

1. Stornoway - Zorbing / Beachcomber's Windowsill
This is a solid album that is a soothing blend of a bashful Mumford & Sons, randy Features with a pinch of John Denver. This is the most rocking song on the album and the best Stornoway gateway drug, although I nearly featured "Long Distance Lullaby" on this record because I'm a sucker for love letters about late night phone calls. If I was the kind of girl that would have two songs by the same band on a single mixtape, "Long Distance Lullaby" would be a great way to end this year's wrap up.

2. Drums - Let's Go Surfing / The Drums
I'm a sucker for their Spector-esque take on the new wave of the retro reverb. I also love that igDana suggested that the chorus is actually, "Obama, I want to go shopping!"

3. Allo Darlin' - Kiss Your Lips / Allo Darlin'
It is far from hyperbolic to say this is my album of the year if not the decade. I can't recommend it highly enough. It's got the sweet coy of Heavenly, the foresight of Weezer (name checked in this song), and the jangle guitar of the Wedding Present. I've got several candles lit in hopes Allo Darlin returns to Seattle this year {they are set to play the San Francisco PopFest over Memorial Day weekend - which is just a hopskipjump away!}. They are getting a lot of attention from critics and record store fans far and wide, so I can only hope that Allo Darlin' is the future of sweetheart pop {and that sweetheart pop is the future of twee}.

Best of 2010 {half year check in}: Imaginary Liz's mixtape of favorites

imaginary liz — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:43:38 +0000

In celebration of all the great things released so far this year, I couldn't help but make my own mix to listen on repeat. I even got so nerdy as to create cd-sized cover art with a tracklisting for my Favorites of the First Half of 2010 (download the 5MB printable PDF).

Fav Albums (in no particular order):
Allo Darlin - Allo Darlin
Antarctica Takes It! - Constellations
The Drums - The Drums
Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring
Math & Physics Club - I Shouldn't Look As Good As I Do
Nana Grizol - Ruth
People Eating People - People Eating People
Quasi - American Gong
Standard Fare - The Noyelle Beat

Fav Retrospective:
Carissa's Wierd - They'll Only Miss You When You Leave: Songs 1996-2003

Fav 7":
Gold-Bears - “Tally”

Fav Cover Song:
Cats On Fire - “Your Woman” from the album Dealing In Antiques
(cover of a White Town song)

I am sure I forgot something... what songs and/or albums are your favorites of the year so far? Anything in particular you're looking forward hearing that's set for release later this year? {Thermals, Thermals, Thermals}

Photo essay: Los Campesinos show their appreciation for Seattle at the Showbox

Steve Louie — Thu, 06 May 2010 15:39:23 +0000

4 May 2010

The all ages show kicked off with with boisterous applause and exclamations of "I love you Gareth!" and " I Love You Harriet!" as the eight-person band gathered on stage. Within the first few bars of their set, the comfortably filled floor was insanely shaking with Campesinos fans singing along to every word and joyfully bouncing with the ebb and flow dancing as the band moved through the first part of their set with numbers like "Romance is Boring" and "A Heat Rash in the Shape of the Show Me State or, Letters from Me to Charlotte".

About halfway through the set, lead-singer / glock-maestro Gareth explained a bit about the Seattle / LC! mutual love affair and took a moment to profusely (and deservedly) thank the lovely and talented John Goodmanson and Eric Corson for all their help in and out of the studio. The imaginary highlight was when he followed with a shout out of appreciation to The Stranger, KEXP, and Three Imaginary Girls--a moment from which we are still blushing.

Honestly, it was the last four songs of their set that really elevated the energy of the night. Ollie the drummer stood up on his elevated drum stage ready to start "You! Me! Dancing!" with Gareth standing in front of him on queue. Following that the hits flowed to: "We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed," "The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future," and "Sweet Dreams Sweet Cheeks."

All arms were in the air for "Sweet Dreams Sweet Cheeks." "One blink for Yes! Two blinks for No!" "Sweet Dreams Sweet Cheeks We Leave Alone!" was the loudest cry out from the crowd by far. For the encore, the band made room by stepping down onto the floor and performing their last song ("Broken Heartbeats Sound Like Breakbeats") surrounded by all new and old Seattle fans.

It's great to know that Los Campesinos! adore Seattle as much as we adore them. We're ready to start apartment hunting for an eight bedroom number in Capitol Hill (a short bus ride to Bamboo Garden!) to house them when they're ready to stay a bit longer.

Los Campesinos at the Showbox on May 4: I'm so excited I want to jump in a vat of glitter

imaginary liz — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:58:00 +0000

(Photo by Laura Musselman from the Three Imaginary Girls Flickr Photo Pool)

Our dear Los Campesinos! friends from Cardiff have overcome a lot to join us this Tuesday (May 4th) at the Showbox the Market. For days (felt like weeks!) the band was unable to leave the UK, trapped at the airport and a nearby airport hotel because of a wacky volcanic-ash-related supernatural event. The whole affair, which they playfully documented on their blog with some fine video work, made up a bit for all that worrying.

They ended up having to cancel the first few dates of their US tour, but (thankfully) they are back on track and will be in Seattle for an all-ages show on Tuesday, May 4 at the Showbox at the Market (!!!!!). Just think how amazing their rambunctious clashing of indie-pop exuberance and sophisticated post-fi will sound with all those pretty chandeliers and tiered, ample dancing room! It's going to be pretty rad indeed. As rad as a hottub full of Campesinos.

We all have our favorite LC! songs we want to hear next Tuesday. Their back catalog alone makes me weak in the knees when I think of the set list possibilities. But as far as choices from the new album, I'm counting down to seeing "A Heat Rash In The Shape Of The Show Me State; Or, Letters From Me To Charlotte" and the new album's title track (Romance is Boring) performed live. Actually, with a track-listing like this to choose from, they can't go wrong when putting together the evening's mix:

1. In Medias Res
2. There Are Listed Buildings
3. Romance Is Boring
4. We've Got Your Back
5. Plan A
6. 200 - 102
7. Straight In At 101
8. Who Fell Asleep
9. I Warned You: Do Not Make An Enemy Of Me
10. Heart Swells / 100-1
11. I Just Sighed. I Just Sighed, Just So You Know
12. A Heat Rash In The Shape Of The Show Me State; Or, Letters From Me To Charlotte
13. The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future
14. This Is A Flag. There Is No Wind
15. Coda: A Burn Scar In The Shape of the Sooner State

All this excitement makes me want to dip my lips in glue and jump into glitter. That'd be going too far, right?

Bon Voyage to our friends head to Austin to SXSW it up in the most imaginary of ways

imaginary liz — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:10:14 +0000

It's that time of year again... SXSW is upon us! I wasn't able to gather the necessary resources to head down there myself, so I'm looking forward to spending the next four days living vicariously through all of you headed Austin-ways. I know that your hands (and days) will likely be full of free stuff (beer) and running into your band heros, but keep the twitters and flickr feeds full with your adventures!

I must admit, to protect myself from getting too depressed about missing this year's fest, I haven't kept extremely close tabs on who is playing where and when and what gift bags will be circulating. But, I have found two things that I'm particularly sad to miss this year. If anyone hits these events, definitely report back (heck, whatever you see, feel free to report in!):

1. The world premiere screening of the film Strange Powers – Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields
2. The undeniable indie-pop fest going on at Waterloo Bicycles (so many bands I've wanted to see in one place!)
3. The special guest duets that sneak up on you... one in particular I've heard a rumor about is the teaming up of a Fratelli and Colin of Mull Historial Society. Billy Bragg is there this year and I *know* he's going to join someone on stage. I just know it!

May the YouTube powers be with everyone down there!

Needless to say, you SXSW-ers are going to have a great time. I guess I'll make up for all that I'll miss by looking back and trying to relive some of my favorite adventures of SXSWs past:

1. Matt & Kim interview, with legos and a dorky interviewer
2. Los Campesinos! interview, in a hot tub with an interviewer who shouldn't have worn a hoodie
3. Chasing down Running into Owen Wilson
4. The time Dana chased down ran into Amy Winehouse
5. Everything else I've seen / done at SXSW, especially the hootenanny

What are your favorite SXSW memories?

We're all at SXSW in our hearts!

Best news of the day: NEW Magnetic Fields and Los Campesinos! records hit the shelves

imaginary liz — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:58:33 +0000

It's a big big day my friends. It's so big that as far back as a month ago I had friends emailing me asking if my head was going to explode on this very day. It's not that absurd of a question considering two of my very favoritest bands ever are both releasing brand new full on albums today:

Los Campesinos! - Romance is Boring
(in town at the Showbox / Market on May 4)

Magnetic Fields - Realism
(in town at Town Hall on Feb 23 and 24)

One saving grace preventing new album overload is that Los Campesinos loaded their entire new effort onto their MySpace page last week (it's their third masterpiece) so that I could listen to it wherever I could find an internet connection (however rickety). It's given me a chance to ease into all the new stuff all demanding priority in my iTunes. Once I get my copy of it on vinyl, the circle will be complete.

The Magnetic Fields tracks have proven a little more elusive. It's all fine though, a mountain of anticipation can be a good thing for a girl.

What new release are you looking forward to?

imaginary liz's favorite albums of the last decade

imaginary liz — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:52:00 +0000

Yesterday I divulged my favorite albums of the year. Today I am ready to let go of my latest obsession: My album recap of how I spent my 00's.

The below listage rant is my own little time capsule to remind myself why 2000-2009 musically ruled. As with my other list posts, I'm certain I totally forgot to add something really important to my end-all-be-all-recap. It's up to you to remind me by posting your favs of the 00's below.

Hot Campesino on Campesino video action

imaginary liz — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:58:03 +0000

Even though there is so much goodness oozing from the Los Campesinos! blog on a nearly daily basis, I've tried to show some restraint so that I don't wear you out with my regurgitation of witty campesino-isms as posted on their blog since I discovered it months and months ago.

Sure, I could have blogged my tracking notes of their whereabouts when they were in the Seattle-area recording their next record a month or so ago. Or recap all the progress they are making in the studio (Long Winter Eric Corson is even going to be on the next record!) -- but I haven't because I knew that one day there would be a post like the one they posted today: One that is so incredibly funny and crazy that it would be *the* post upon which I pile all my giddy goof-ball Los Campesinos! kudos and admissions in an effort to hopefully persuade you to RSS the shista out of the LC blog.

Want to start of slow? I highly recommend you watch their recap of their Coachella fun (listen for the Conor Oberst name drop).

Or, if you're feeling bullish, head right to the good stuff... today's full on HOT NAKED TEEN ACTION BOY ON BOY post... which might be my favorite thing ever. You could read the full story on their site... or you could just watch the video they posted of HOT NAKED TEEN ACTION BOY ON BOY. Have it your way.

I'm not going to cry. It's going to be OK. Los Campesinos will go on.

imaginary liz — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:53:22 +0000

Los Campesinos emailed me this morning (ok, their record label sent out a mass email, but I know they'll be sending a personal note my way soon) to let me know that they had some GOOD news and some SAD news on the Campesinos! front.

The GOOD news:
They have a new album coming out later this year (more info coming soon on that) and they'll be touring the US in August!

The SAD news:
Right now they've only committed to the below tour dates... which suspiciously doesn't include a stop in Seattle (I'm *sure* they're just waiting to announce that when they release more details about the album). At least our friends in Texas and California are taken care of, right?

The SADDER news:
Sweet singer, keyboardist, etc. Aleks Campesinos! is leaving the band. It's all good (she's continuing her academic stuff) and their all friends and there was no late night argument at Denny's about Moons Over My Hammy that sparked the departure (at least TMZ hasn't posted as such yet).

The very brief recap of Coachella even though I wasn't there and I only talk about Murder City Devils and Los Campesinos!

imaginary liz — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:52:20 +0000

It's a major undertaking to get a gal like me to Coachella (what with all the sunshine, crowding, honey buckets, $5 water), so I am uber thankful that I had a couple friends head down there and send photos back of the highlights.

Here are two favorites. They might not have been taken with some fancy flash action - but they do capture what it's like to be "on the ground" (and in one case, it appears, possibly backstage - sigh!).

Photo Essay: April, so far...

laura musselman — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:23:49 +0000

1 Apr 2009

aprilsofar09apr.jpg

So far April's been squaring up as a great month for rock and roll in Seattle. I've been so busy, I've barely had time to catch my breath over the past two weeks, and it's not slowing up any time soon. April 1st, the Tractor hosted Wes & Eugene's Cabinet of Wonders, a showcase of music and comedy featuring John Wesley Harding, Jon Auer, Thee Sergeant Major III, John Roderick, and Eugene Mirman. Eugene dipped into some past bits from his visit to Seattle last year for SP20, Harding played songs from his new record Who was Changed and Who was Dead, and Roderick read an excerpt from his journals during his long walk from London to Istanbul in 1999.

A week later at the Crocodile, I was fortunate enough to attend Kim Warnick's 50th birthday party. Kim's such an inspiration, such an important part of what the music scene was and is in this great city, and there was some beautiful solidarity and magic in that room on April 7th. All night, it was like a musical chairs with the who's-who having a great time onstage and in the crowd. The Fastbacks got back together and brought all of the energy and excitement that I hoped for. I never got to see them before last week, other than their performance footage in Hype! Kerri Harrop wrote the perfect blog entry about it here: http://cherrycanoe.wordpress.com/2009/04/08/fox-on-the-run/

On the 9th, I got to hang out in front of the barriers at the Paramount Theatre for the Roots, and shot a few frames for the Seattle Weekly. It was obviously a totally different scene than the previous nights' shows, but what a blast. They're an incredible live band, great energy, and the crowd was super nice and funny! I have to give a shout-out to the cute boy in the front row handing out fruit snacks while I huddled on the ground before the band came out. You can check out the pictures over at the Weekly's Reverb blog if you're so inclined. http://www.seattleweekly.com/slideshow/view/4278206

Then I started out the weekend with Los Campesinos! at Neumo's with opening band Sky Larkin. Both bands were energetic and precious (in a good way) and obscenely adorable. Dance party! I felt transplanted back to London for a few hours on Friday. If only there had been more pogo-ing. The vibe on the floor was super-fun and friendly. Also I must mention, at the risk of sounding condescending, it was a welcome change to have the all-ages crowd on the balcony and the 21+ crowd relaxed on the main floor.

My Saturday night was spent at the Tractor again, this time seeing the reinvented Clem Snide. I've been a fan for years, having seen Clem Snide and/or Eef Barzelay's solo shows at every given chance over the past six or seven years. This show was very different from the Clem Snide shows of the past with beautiful and sparce acoustics and banjos. We were definitely rocked this time around. Luckily, it worked.

I've barely had time to catch my breath over the past two weeks, and it's not slowing up any time soon. John Wesley Harding, the Fastbacks (!!), the Roots, Los Campesinos!, and Clem Snide.. And it's only the fourteenth!

You! Me! Win tickets to see Los Campesinos! at Neumo's

imaginary liz — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 22:23:00 +0000

It's been almost a year since the last time our beloved Los Campesinos! have been in Seattle. Since we last saw them, they've released one of my favorite albums of 2008 (for the second time - how many folks release two amazing albums in one year?), wow'd audiences all over the globe and rode around in amazing tour buses.

I am so excited to welcome them back to our fair city on Friday, April 10th at Neumo's and we have a pair of tickets to give away to one lucky imaginary reader to join me up front. To enter, email us at tig @ three imaginary girls.com with your name and the subject line "LosCampsRULE" by Monday, April 6th at noon PST.

The moment I am most looking forward to? When they break out "Documented Minor Emotional Breakdown #1." And you?

imaginary liz's favorites of 2008 in mix cd form

imaginary liz — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:42:40 +0000

One of my end of the year rituals is to compile my favorites of the year into a single mix tape / cd / playlist. For me, this year has been ripe with songs I've listened to on repeat. So many so, I actually had to cut out some so that I didn't alienate the casual mix tape listener. After a casual polling of my friends, I found that four-cd mix isn't all that digestible.

Erik Gonzalez's best o' 2008

Erik Gonzalez — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:57:04 +0000

It has now been 2.5 years since I moved out of Seattle for the Golden State. I've slowly drifted out of the NW music culture, so sometimes I wonder if I know what to say on TIG these days.

Combine that with the fact that I was so distracted from music for a lot of 2008, this year's "best of" lists were especially difficult. Heck, I don't even think I can make a Best of NW music list this year, not because there was insufficient music, but because I just missed so many of those important-but-not-well-known releases that make these lists. I did enjoy Fleet Foxes, Common Market, Colin Meloy live, Malkmus and the like, but really, that isn't a "Best of the NW" list but rather a list of albums I liked that happened to be from the NW.

That being said, I did get a last minute music revival for the year. Maybe it was the election being over (and the good guys winning), maybe it was finally getting a faculty position after many years of trying (lets just say Erik will be moving east in 2009), maybe 2008 just didn't mesh with me musically. Who knows? However, there was a lot of great music anyway, and here are my top 20 (for your praise or fist shaking). Feel free to read the full commentary.

Heart Swells/Pacific Daylight Time

imaginary liz — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:59:34 +0000

I just got back into town from a 2 week adventure (sent on by my dayjob folk). My time away from imaginary land was spent in the middle of a remote area where most things were in Cyrillic script and there was no internet or cell phone coverage. Obviously, I must beg you for some serious catch up on what I've missed.

We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed and we can hear the new Los Campesinos! record now

imaginary liz — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:26:28 +0000

The physical awesome digipack ultra sup'd up package of the album releases in late November, but you can hear the full album as soon as you pre-order it! Like right now!!!

Los Campesinos! at Neumo's

Imaginary Kiku — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:52:36 +0000

31 May 2008

loscamps08jun01.jpg

Last Saturday Neumo’s played host to a groundbreaking lineup of stellar performances. It was a night of firsts, of resounding youth and energy, and of surprisingly lavish tour buses. It was Seattle’s raucous welcome to the Welsh indie-pop sensations Los Campesinos!, who had finally made their way across ocean and land to visit us.

Opening for Los Campesinos! was a darling duet called the Special Places. Rumors had been making their way around TIG that Tullycraft was, in some shape or form, going to be the opening act for this show. Little did we know that this rumor would manifest itself in such a way. The Special Places was made up of stylish Tullycrafters Jenny Mears and Corianton Hale. It was their very first performance in their new band, which they claimed came into being as of 10:30 AM Friday morning.

The sound of the Special Places was a little less twee than Tullycraft, with a hint of country at times. They used a glockenspiel, a ukulele, a guitar and their own pretty harmonies to play the set list comprised of a few original tunes, one Tullycraft song, and one Metallica cover. In between each song was the same cute and witty banter that make Tullycraft shows so much fun. I can already tell these fresh young upstarts are going to get huge pretty soon.

Next up was Parenthetical Girls, a Portland band with a taste for theatrics. With no introduction, the group began their set with a spacey synth that filled the small venue. This was soon accompanied by a timid xylophone, whose plinky melody created an atmosphere reminiscent of a far Eastern shrine. And then the singer descended. Into the audience with a single drumstick, vocalist Zac Pennington wandered on his knees through the crowd, which split for him like the red sea. We watched as he made his way methodically through us, banging his drumstick hard against the floor, with wild eyes and gestures. He looked like a blind beggar, or a holy man asking for alms. In fact throughout the set there seemed to be a vaguely religious undertone.

It was immediately obvious that the band was from Portland, not only because of their classy dress but because of their extremely intelligent lyrics. Their sound was full and lush, if perhaps an acquired taste, and their performance was very visual. I would highly recommend them, ambassadors from Lit Rock capitol of the world.

The main attraction was, of course, Los Campesinos!, who rode into town in grandiose tour busses that the Parenthetical Girls mentioned (more than once) were worthy of envy. The audience swelled for the headliners, and they did not disappoint. With boundless energy and a sound quality almost as good as on the album, Los Campesinos! delivered their fast-paced pop flawlessly. The band was energetic and enthusiastic, and really knew how to play to their audience. They won us over not only with their danceable and witty songs but also with flattery, saying that their favorite bands come from the Seattle area and they were excited to finally see our city.

The lead singer (who was wearing a Casiotone for the Painfully Alone shirt; ironic because CFTPA had a show that night across town at Vera) had all the flailing motions on stage of Seattle greats Tullycraft, which enhanced the screaming and earnest vocals. Los Campesinos! played a solid set, complete with encore, with songs from recent full length Hold On Now, Youngster... and their popular 2007 EP “Sticking Fingers Into Sockets”. The crowd was moved to dance frequently, most noticeably on my personal favorite “You! Me! Dancing!”.

Their witty banter was made even more so by their adorable accents and one line in particular made me smile: “Some dear Seattle…ites…is that what they’re called? Seattleites? That’s cool, that is cool.” I think, yes we are pretty cool, it was very nice of Los Campesinos! to notice.

It was Seattle’s raucous welcome to the Welsh indie-pop sensations Los Campesinos!, who had finally made their way across ocean and land to visit us.

Late-breaking Los Campesinos show news...

imaginary liz — Fri, 30 May 2008 18:38:12 +0000

Star Tullycrafters Corianton Hale and Jenny Mears will be opening up the show under the moniker The Special Places.