Fresh off the presses from our inboxes comes this week's launch of GIVE -- 30 downloadable tracks from a variety of Seattle artists, who are donating their songs to benefit Arts Corps and local area foodbanks. The $7.00 (!) compilation, which was produced, curated, and funded by Caffe Vita, will be available online here. Physical compilations can be picked up at all Caffe Vita locations, Easy Street Records, Sonic Boom Records, University Book Store, The Crocodile, EMP, Neumo's, and Sorrento Hotel. The in-hand compilations will include a physical card with a redemption code for the download, and a prettied-up sleeve to make it a ready-to-give present.

Here's the full track listing -- nearly all of which are exclusive to the compilation:

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I asked both brilliant and talented photographers Erik Clineschmidt and Jason Tang to list their five favorite Bumbershoot photos. Jason offered these as his favorites. - ChrisB.

Head Like a Kite:

"I almost didn't go to this one because Metric was playing 15 minutes after [their set began].  I'm so glad I did, even if it was for one song!"

Carly Nicklaus of USE:

"They totally killed it!  So much energy and a lot of fun to shoot."

Janelle Monae:

"Karma, I tell you. [When security stopped] letting anyone else in to the Metric KEXP lounge show, I figured I might as well kill some time and catch Janelle at the Fisher Green Stage.  Boy, was I in for a big surprise!"

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Yesterday, I wrote about what I was sure would be an epic event: The Beard/Off at the Funhouse between Sir Thomas Gray of Champagne Champagne and Terry Radjaw of Mad Rad. By all accounts (my Twitter feed went crazy last night), it was a great game. Line Out has the most detailed recap I've read yet.

Tonight, Mad Rad is playing their first show with a beardless Radjaw. The press release that went out this morning said:

Our pals in Head Like A Kite are murdering it lately, gaining all sorts of much-deserved praise and attention.  The boys in Dyme Def will be returning to the stage, and we are still loving that EP they released a little while back.  And, Mad Rad?  Forget about it, we’ve got some big Northwest history taking place with them this August 14.

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Head Like a Kite has long been an imaginarily favorite band, especially live. The duo of frontman Dave Einmo and drummer Trent Moorman are two musicians who understand music inside and out. Listening to HLAK is a joy because they are often experimenting with textures or different instruments while still going ahead and rocking. There are so many different ideas bursting out of a HLAK song, but Einmo and Moorman still hold it together and make it sound cohesive.

The last record, There is Loud Laughter Everywhere, was reviewed here by my friend Chris Estey, who raved:

The sophomore release from Head Like A Kite sounds like a mix-tape of rare, alternate twelve inch versions of radio smashes from a DJ who has collected a library of great music you somehow never heard before. As HLAK frontman Dave Einmo himself claims, "I wanted to create a record that sounded like big beat remixes of songs that didn't yet exist."

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Last Thursday, Head Like A Kite had an open house of sorts at London Bridge Studio and invited some friends and imaginaries to come be part of the recording process. Of course we couldn't resist the invite and Jeanine Anderson was on hand to take some shots of the fun.

Nice knobs and of course the requisite elf hat!

 

Head Like a Kite - one of my absolute favorite local bands - will be projecting a brand new feature, "We're So Entangled", behind them on stage Friday night (April 10th) as they rock the Crocodile with their unique blend of pretty pop melodies and electronic beats. The film, based on the song title of the same name from their recent full length, There is Loud Laughter Everywhere, is rumored to feature two Barbie Dolls and a burning dollhouse.

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at Neumos

Sleepy Eyes has stepped up their show, not just the lights and badass fog assault, but the music too.

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By my standards, Sleepy Eyes of Death is one of the best bands in Seattle. They are incredibly fun to photograph and their music tops anything I can capture with a camera.

Their CD release show for Dark Signals is this Saturday and I for one am counting on an extraordinary night. Come to Neumos for Sleepy Eyes - their incredible live shows are not to be missed, but don't skip a second of openers Loving Thunder and Head Like a Kite. 

 

Friday night will be a bit more special, and psychedelic than usual, as members of Head Like A Kite, Animals At Night, and Disinterested will be joining the TM6 to make it a noisy as hell exit for this stage of Terri and Paul's musical career.

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at Neumos

This much spectacle could easily overshadow the average band’s music or bog down the average show, but HLaK has the unusual ability to expand to fit any circumstance. This much spectacle could easily overshadow the average band’s music, but HLaK has the ability to expand to fit any circumstance.

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