Gird your weary loins, as you have approximately one day after Bumbershoot 2010 to prepare for a multi-genre mini-festival at the Tractor. Shonen Knife is headlining, and after recently watching their live DVD Live At Mohawk Place 2009 about a dozen times (featuring excellent work by new drummer Emi), I am anxious to see the Japanese punk pop trio of goddesses light a fire to classics such as "Banana Chips," "Giant Kitty," and the new, no-need-to-explain band anthem "Super Group." I highly recommend getting the DVD (on MVD) to see the band touring behind the album has that last song as its title track, as it lovingly captures the band lo-fi with delirious high energy and sass.

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When old school Seattle punk-metal icon Duff McKagan wrote about punk rock at the Seattle Weekly a couple of weeks ago, he gave a little list of bands he considers essential to the canon. Though it wasn't specifically numerical in importance, the phenomenon-by-response stack of heroes began with The Ramones (good choice), then The Clash (a little more arguable, but who can resist?), and then -- D.O.A.

To quote McKagan:

"D.O.A., Something Better Change: If you grew up in the Northwest in the late '70s or early '80s, D.O.A. were a larger-than-life example of how brilliant a live rock band should be. They were as important as any band in history, as far as I'm concerned."

The actual word "hardcore" as applied to latter period North American punk rock is most likely taken from a D.O.A. album title -- Hardcore '81. Note the year of its release, and that there really wasn't a musical genre with that name before D.O.A. nailed their hard, fast, no compromise sound.

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This is possibly the most important "Under Review" for Three Imaginary Girls readers...

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OK, but why is this the record I would most write a 33 1/3 book about -- it can't just be Cohen's great lyrics with junk-culture one-man jams, could it?

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From the atonal but utterly rhythmic opening track “Haus Der Luege” onward, Einstuerzende Neubauten defy you to pigeonhole them as frivolous texture-makers, crafting compelling frameworks from oodles of sonic wire and night wind.

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Filmed in 1990, this DVD features a short, tight set by ex-Clash frontman Mick Jones and some flashy young players who helped him after his solo-band ups and downs in the 80s. (That includes weathering backlash from Clash fans who wanted a reunion and a near-death experience near the close of the decade.)

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As people continue to be drawn into the Jeff Buckley cult, it’s tragic to watch his also mysteriously doomed father’s troika of a career — from spiritual protest singer to sensual cosmic bluesman to down and dirty funk junkie — sort of stagnate in its historical trajectory.

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