Three Imaginary Girls - The Western States Motel

Painted Birds Flying in the Orange Mirror Sun

Andrew Boe — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:20:24 +0000

7.7

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001G5SJDS/?tag=wwwthreeimagi-20/

Last year, the Western States Motel released their self-titled debut album and now they are already back with a five-track EP, which is a gentle and breezy mound of Los Angeles indie rock. With the songs in the background, you can almost see the desolate highways and sun scorched fields of Southern California.

With acoustic, electric, and slide guitars, analogue keyboards, and warm live drumming, Painted Birds Flying in the Orange Mirror Sun is at times reminiscent of Beck and at other times recalls the lazy day near the ocean sound of the Beach Boys. Throughout the course of these five tracks, the Western States Motel covers similar ground to that of last year's full-length LP, but they have also progressed as they sound more relaxed and confident than they did before.

"Oh World" is perhaps the highlight of this set, sounding like a lost 1960s song by Arthur Lee's brilliant Love. Even though summer is far away here in Seattle, pick this one up and you will be transported to a warm, cloudless environment.

With acoustic, electric, and slide guitars, analogue keyboards, and warm live drumming, Painted Birds Flying in the Orange Mirror Sun is at times reminiscent of Beck and at other times recalls the lazy day near the ocean sound of the Beach Boys.

The TIG birthday weekend: an imaginary recap

three imaginary girls — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 04:04:27 +0000

7 Jul 2007

boatchona07jul2.jpg

When TIG decided to host not one but two shows to celebrate our 5th birthday, we knew it would be a blast of a weekend. And we were right. We had the times of our imaginary lives, and we owe it all to you... well, and to the fabulous bands who played (BOAT, the Shaky Hands, Dolour, Eux Autres, Patience Please, and the Western States Motels, we HEART THEE!!!!).

Here are a few words and images from the imaginary staff to relay the fun times.

Here's to imaginary year number six, and beyond!

"On my summer vacation, I went to Seattle and saw Dana and David and Rick and Mona and Fellini and Kaylee and Jesse and Ever and Liz and Kelly and Andras and Cal and Stacia and Pete and Bijou and Christine and Char and Brian and Robby and Embracey and Melissa and ChrisB and Rick and BOAT and Jimi and Kjersti and Jason and Elle and Kiku and Stella and Chelsea and Jeremy and a lot of other people. It was fun and I got to wear fake eyelashes. The End."

~ Betsy Boston

"Whoooo-eee, that was a party if I've ever seen one! BOAT really brought down the house with their trademark fun, playful performance (I brought my "Official BOAT Shaker" and geeked out in the front row!), and Patience Please were spot on, as always. These two were my favorites of the night and both bands deserved to sell about a million (at the very least!) copies of their new releases. The ever-lovely Eux Autres played an impressive set, too. The Shaky Hands were a bit more rock and a bit less pop than the other bands, but their percussionist (not their drummer, but their cowbell/shakers/etc. player) was a kick to watch dancing around in his aviator sunglasses!"

~ imaginary Chelsea

"My highlights from the Friday night Croc show:

* Dana's hair. I still want to know what those crafty VAIN folks put in there to make it beehive so Winehouse-ily.
* Liz's hair. I like to imagine she's wearing the blue extensions on her travels, days later, right this minute.
* Char's hair. Mainly just because it was attached to Char, who is a general delight."

~ imaginary boy embracey

"The Shaky Hands have so much energy. At one point at the end of their set, I almost called 9-1-1 because they were writhing around -- on the floor and standing up -- with such intensity, I though for sure they were on fire. Seriously, I've never seen anyone play the cowbell with such fervor in my life. And this was at the Vera Project all ages show, so I'm pretty sure it wasn't alcohol induced fervor.

At the Croc show, I loved watching all of the tig staff members who had never met (but had exchanged witty banter via the imagiblog) meet each other. There were hugs, there were tears, it was like a show on Lifetime television for women... Without Valerie Bertinelli playing the poor-single-mom-being-stalked-by-her-ex-husband's-father plotline."

~ imaginary char

"There was much, much to love about the the two evenings. I had the rare pleasure in seeing many of my favorite people in the world in a span of about 27 hours; at the Croc on Friday night the beer was flowing freely (and free) and it was wonderful to meet Betsy Boston, Elle, Imaginary Chelsea, and Imaginary Kiku, all de-lovelies who I've only known of through this site and not known until this weekend. Yet, as Kylie Minogue once put it (probably dishonestly in her case and certainly in mine), "I'm just here for the
music." I'm sure that most people will be commenting on BOAT and The Shaky Hands (or as I now call them, with affection, "Clap Your Shaky Hands Say Yeah") - and for good reason - and all of the bands were terrific, truth be told. If I had to pick just one, it would be the returning champions, Dolour (who also played TIG's 3rd birthday party). Lead singer Shane Tutmarc is one of the best and most consistent songwriters in town. I really love the Beach Boys-influenced pop from one of the northwest's finest bands."

~ ChrisB

Getting to feel like a super rockstar at VAIN for our makeovers was definitely a treat and if you ever have the chance to do it yourself, I highly recommend. I couldn't possibly pick a favorite band -- they were all so incredible! I thought the Western States Motel were an incredibly happy surprise, and BOAT of course stole both the shows.

~ imaginary Dana

"Of course meeting all the Imaginary writers was an amazing thing. It was so neat to be at a show with dozens of folks who really love the Seattle music scene. Seeing everyone in their party dresses was fun too :]

Although many of the over-21 crowd were most likely all partied out from the previous night's show, the enthusiasm and energy was still overwhelmingly present in BOAT's spectacular performance. This was the third time I've seen BOAT live, and it seems like every show they play they add something new. With their quirky assortment of odd instruments, their interaction with the audience (ahm, Official BOAT Shakers!) and their killer rock-star dance moves, it's obvious that they love music, and performing, and really you couldn't ask for nicer guys to provide your pop music fix."

~ imaginary Kiku

Our fifth birthday party weekend was nothing short of amazing! See some photos, and read what some imaginary staffers had to say about it.

TIG 5th Birthday Party Weekend of Shows!

three imaginary girls — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:33:39 +0000

7 Jul 2007

TIGJuly7.gif

Three Imaginary Girls is turning FIVE years old!

To celebrate, we're hosting TWO great nights of rock and roll fun (one 21+, and one all-ages). And we want YOU to be there to join in the fun. Both shows are co-sponsored by 90.3 KEXP, and the 21+ show is also co-sponsored by PBR and VAIN. Here are the exciting lineups!

Friday night 7/6 at the Croc (21+)

BOAT (CD release show!)
The Shaky Hands
Dolour
The Western States Motel

Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 DOS {buy}

Saturday night 7/7 at the Vera Project (all-ages)

The Shaky Hands
BOAT (CD release show!)
Eux Autres
Patience Please

Tickets are $7, $6 for Vera members {buy}

The nights will also feature loads of party treats, as any good fifth birthday party should. The 21+ show will feature rockstar guerrilla makeovers from VAIN (to bring out your inner rockstar), in-person love advice from Love is Hard columnist Rachel Flotard (of Visqueen), and raffle prizes from Sub Pop, Barsuk, and Easy Street Records. And of course, both nights will feature live music from six of the most exciting imaginary bands we know on the left coast.

The two shows will also be a great place to meet all the amazing people who contribute to Three Imaginary Girls every day (you didn't think it was just three of us still, did you?), including our latest additions, our Boston live show correspondent Betsy Boston, and a small posse of the cutest all-ages writers ever, who will keep us up-to-date on the under 21 goings-on in Seattle this summer and beyond.

Five years! Can ya believe it? Yeah, us neither. So pick out your favorite party dress, raise a glass (or three! or five!), and come celebrate with us.

PS ~ If you want to have a listen for what the bands sound like, check out our most recent podcast, which features two songs from each of the bands playing our birthday shows!

Three Imaginary Girls is turning FIVE years old! To celebrate, we're hosting TWO great nights of rock and roll fun (one 21+, and one all-ages). And we want YOU to be there to join in the fun.

The Western States Motel

Phil Duncan — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 03:53:54 +0000

8.9

http://cdbaby.com/cd/westernstates

westernstates07jul.jpg

I could use strings of superfluous adjectives to describe just how good this album by Los Angeles-based band the Western States Motel is, but that would somehow leave dirty fingerprints on the record. I could also rave on about how completely mind-blowing it is that one guy does all the rich instrumentation on this album. But for some reason, I can’t put the Western States Motel, AKA Carl Jordan, on that pedestal. His music comes across so modest and simple, like a side-of-the-mouth smirk trying to mask something great, that I can’t bring myself to start shoveling praise.

Unlike Jordan, some bands just know when they release something of a higher caliber, and in turn, bask in the glory of admiration, whether it be critical, commercial, or both. And I'm not trying to imply that the greatness of the WSM is a mistake, but the entire record, from the catchy melody of "The New E Blues" to the thundering beat of "Cheap Speakers" to the sheer sonic dominance of "Southwest Planes," comes across as Jordan just making music – nothing more, nothing less – the way it should be done. This album sounds like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but only more succinct and collected. For those have seen the Wilco documentary I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, it's evident that the aforementioned album was the product of a lot of in-fighting and power struggling within the band. That energy gave it a sort of a scattered, fragmented, and ultimately beautiful feel.

However, being the sole proprietor of the WSM, Jordan was able to carry his vision, relatively untouched, all the way to fruition. And the end result is an album that is catchy yet experimental, out there yet still accessible. Jordan proves himself to be a very adaptable musician. He can convey the mood of a song using nothing but an acoustic guitar ("Powerlines"), or on the other hand, using a full box of keyboards, gizmos, and drum machines ("Cheap Speakers"). While this sort of adaptability isn’t unheard of, it's rarely carried out in such a breezy and understated way. This album is fantastic, bordering on timeless. This is definitely a strong contender in my favorite albums of the year category. Rarely will you find an album that is this close to genius that is completely untouched by pretension.

Rarely will you find an album that is this close to genius that is completely untouched by pretension.

TIG presents: Our fifth birthday party shows!

imaginary dana — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 07:00:00 +0000

Get ready to crack out your best party dress! Three Imaginary Girls is thrilled to announce a double-shot weekend of shows to celebrate our fifth birthday party!

The shows will take place in Seattle on:

Friday, July 6, 2007 at the Crocodile Cafe (21+)
Saturday, July 7, 2007 at the Vera Project (all-ages)

Both shows are co-sponsored by 90.3 KEXP, and the 21+ show is also co-sponsored by PBR and VAIN. Here are the exciting lineups!

Friday night 7/6 at the Croc (21+)

BOAT (CD release show!)
The Shaky Hands
Dolour
The Western States Motel

Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 DOS {buy}

Saturday night 7/7 at the Vera Project (all-ages)

The Shaky Hands
BOAT (CD release show!)
Eux Autres
Patience Please

Tickets are $7, $6 for Vera members {buy}

The nights will also feature loads of party treats, as any good fifth birthday party should. The 21+ show will feature rockstar guerrilla makeovers from VAIN, in-person love advice from Love is Hard columnist Rachel Flotard (of Visqueen), and loads of other surprises. And of course, both nights will feature live music from six of the most exciting imaginary bands we know on the left coast.

Five years! Can ya believe it? Yeah, us neither. So pick out your favorite party dress and come celebrate with us.

***********************************************

MORE ABOUT THE AWESOME BANDS!

BOAT
Seattle's lo-fi troubadours celebrate their DIY ethic with smart, catchy songs and -- best of all -- their second full-length release on Portland's Magic Marker records.
BOAT on TIG: http://www.threeimaginarygirls.com/band/boat
Website: http://boat.ohnodisaster.com
MP3: http://boat.ohnodisaster.com/mp3s
Label: Magic Marker Records

The Shaky Hands
Hook-laden and jangly in all the right places, the debut, self-titled release from Portland's the Shaky Hands was highly anticipated by TIG as well as a majority of music blogging community, who were captivated by their fresh, disarming brand of indie-rock.
The Shaky Hands on TIG: http://www.threeimaginarygirls.com/band/theshakyhands
Website: http://www.myspace.com/shakyhands
Video: "Why and How Come?"
Label: Holocene

Dolour
It's been over three years since the last sunshiny release from Seattle pop masters Dolour, and after hearing the The Year in the Wilderness, we know it's been worth the late. Come welcome back the return of Seattle's best Pet Sounds-flavored pop band.
Dolour on TIG: http://www.threeimaginarygirls.com/band/dolour
Website: http://www.dolour.com/
Recommended track: "Naive"
Label: self-released

Eux Autres
Portland's Eux Autres charm with their coarse, cute, clever, and cosmopolitan songs. The brother-sister duo (drummer Heather, guitarist Nicholas) craft songs that range from fetching nonchalant quips to wacked-out euro-stylee indie-pop bliss.
Eux Autres on TIG: http://www.threeimaginarygirls.com/band/euxautres
Website: http://www.euxautres.net
MP3: http://www.euxautres.net/music/Eux_Autres-Ecoutez_Bien.mp3
Label: Grenadine Records

Patience Please
The very imaginary Seattle quartet Patience Please will rock the stage with their darling Jets to Brazil musicianship and Bunnygrunt quirk. Also the band is *this close* to releasing their debut full-length (titled Fleeting Frequencies) so the show will be chock full of new energetically cute (and new) PP songs.
Patience Please on TIG: http://threeimaginarygirls.com/band/patienceplease
Website: http://www.myspace.com/patienceplease
MP3: http://www.indiepages.com/patienceplease/illhave.mp3
Label: Happy Happy Birthday to Me

The Western States Motel
LA's the Western State Motels are a little bit folkie, and a little bit indie-pop-and-roll, and their debut LP has garnered praise as far and wide as the LA Times to SPIN to My Old Kentucky Blog -- and of course, Three Imaginary Girls. One of the most promising new bands from our neighbors to the way south. Website: http://www.thewesternstatesmotel.com/
Recommended track "Cheap Speakers"
Label: Self-released

5..gif

Get all the deets to plan ahead for our TWO birthday party shows, July 6th and 7th, 2007, featuring BOAT, the Shaky Hands, Eux Autres, Dolour, the Western States Motel, and Patience Please.

Our 5th birthday party show at the Croc: only six more days!

imaginary dana — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 22:10:17 +0000

Get fired up!

Only 8 (and 9) days to go till our TIG 5th birthday shows! {BOAT has been P-Forked!}

imaginary liz — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 18:45:50 +0000

We are proud and deliriously happy for BOAT who's new album, Let's Drag Our Feet, has inspired Pitchfork to take notice (and in a subliminal, very hopeful way, we think it is the indie demigod's way of celebrating our birthday with us).

Only 9 (and 10) days to go till our TIG 5th birthday shows! {new podcast!}

imaginary dana — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 15:42:11 +0000

To get ready for the shows, our treat of the day today is a new Imaginary Indie Tunes podcast. This podcast includes two songs from each of the six artists performing at our shows: BOAT, The Shaky Hands, Dolour, the Western States Motel, Eux Autres, and Patience Please!

Three Imaginary Girls Podcast June 2007

three imaginary girls — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 05:00:42 +0000

This podcasts highlights bands who will be playing at our two TIG 5th Birthday Party shows on July 6-7th, 2007, including BOAT, the Shaky Hands, Dolour, Patience Please, Eux Autres, and the Western States Motel.

39:58 minutes (8 MB)

BOAT's stand-out record, Happy Happy Birthday to TIG

imaginary liz — Thu, 31 May 2007 17:16:11 +0000

Let's talk about how giddy and proud we are to be presenting the TWO BOAT album release shows in early July. The shows will also be celebrating TIG's 5th birthday! Get on your best party dress (even you Jason!), here's the scoop on all the goodness we're cramming into two nights.

Pssst! TIG is presenting our fifth anniversary party and you're all invited!!

imaginary dana — Wed, 02 May 2007 23:51:23 +0000

It's a bit early, but we wanted to give you a sneak-peak into our Three Imaginary Girls FIFTH BIRTHDAY PARTY show. There are loads of details still in the works, but here's what we know so far...