Three Imaginary Girls - Shorthand for Epic

Best of 2007: imaginary Dana's picks

imaginary dana — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:16:45 +0000

I have so many favorites for 2007 that narrowing the lists was tricky. Plus I'm preggo as a house and have NO memory at this point, so I'm sure I've inadvertently omitted some really great releases and songs. Forgive me and my wacked out hormones.

But that said, here are some Top of 2007 lists from me, to you. Feel free to leave comments both nasty and supportive. I likely deserve both for some of my erratic tastes.

The official results of the TIG Best NW Releases of 2007 Readers' Poll are coming VERY soon... stay tuned! In the meantime, some of my personal picks for a wonderful year in music past:

Favorite Releases of 2007:

Amy Winehouse Back to Black
Okkervil River The Stage Names
Tullycraft Every Scene Needs a Center
Beirut The Flying Cup Club
The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir
Shake Some Action Shake Some Action
Math & Physics Club Baby I'm Yours
John Vanderslice Emerald City
The Cave Singers Invitation Songs
The Fratellis Costello Music

Favorite Northwest Releases of 2007:

TONIGHT! The Ruby Doe/Shorthand For Epic/Ms. Led, at the High Dive

imaginary dana — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 16:46:50 +0000

The band made an announcement earlier in the week that the show tonight would be the last for its current lineup, with their bass player and drummer both (most amicably) parting ways with the group.

Oh no! Shorthand for Epic breakup/shakeup

imaginary dana — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 14:50:45 +0000

"As such, we will be going on hiatus for a while to recharge our batteries and figure out how to recalibrate the beast that is SFE."

Tonight's Recommended Show: Ms. Led {album release}, Vindaloo, Shorthand For Epic, and The Snakebites at the Sunset

imaginary char — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 15:07:41 +0000

Come celebrate the release of Ms. Led's newest album Shake Yourself Awake.

Fests are upon us: Part 2: Noise for the Needy

imaginary dana — Wed, 02 May 2007 19:07:13 +0000

The organization is as worthy as their lineup is spectacular this year.

A Very Merry Imaginary Karaoke Bash!

three imaginary girls — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 08:00:00 +0000

Three Imaginary Girls, Barsuk Records, and Sub Pop Records present a Very Merry Imaginary Karaoke Bash featuring members of Math & Physics Club, Iceage Cobra, Head Like a Kite, Schoolyard Heroes, Speaker Speaker, Kane Hodder, Optimus Rhyme, the Pale Pacific, the Elephants, We Wrote the Book on Connectors, The Trucks, A Gun That Shoots Knives, Central Services, The Pharmacy, Tullycraft, Night Canopy, Dita Vox, Shorthand for Epic, and many more. Pre-party starts at 8p with acoustic sets from members of Tiny Vipers, Fruit Bats, and a special performance by Jim Noir. Friday night, December 8th, at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle, WA Seattle, WA, November 14, 2006 – Ho ho ho! 'Tis about that time to kick off the holiday season imaginarily!

Three Imaginary Girls, "Seattle's sparkly indie- pop press," will host a Holiday Karaoke Bash on Friday, December 8, 2006 at The Crocodile, to welcome in the holiday season with their favorite local rockstars singing karaoke. The night will kick-off with a Sub Pop and Barsuk Records-supported pre-party with acoustic sets from members of Sub Pop artists Fruit Bats and Tiny Vipers, and a very special performance from Barsuk Records' Jim Noir.

The night will feature rockstar performances by local musicians and celebrities. Members of Math & Physics Club, Iceage Cobra, Head Like a Kite, Schoolyard Heroes, Speaker Speaker, Kane Hodder, Optimus Rhyme, the Pale Pacific, the Elephants, We Wrote the Book on Connectors, The Trucks, A Gun That Shoots Knives, Central Services, The Pharmacy, Tullycraft, Night Canopy, Dita Vox, Shorthand for Epic, several KEXP DJs, and many more special guests are prepared to take the stage to croon for our mutual holiday enjoyment.

Of course -- in imaginary style -- you won't need mistletoe to get lucky. The event will feature the amazing John Roderick of the Long Winters as Indie Rock Santa Claus, to ensure you get your holiday wish-list heard by Mr. North Pole himself.

"How often does one get the chance to have her picture taken while sitting on John Roderick's lap?" asked imaginary girl Liz. "That's reason enough to attend!"

"This is the best holiday gift ever – a pre-party with Sub Pop and Barsuk, followed by an off-the-hook karaoke bash!" said imaginary girl Dana. "It's a Christmas miracle!"

"I guess we've been very, very good imaginary girls this year," said imaginary girl Char.

Steve the Karaoke King (of Twilight Exit, Molly McGuires, and the Comet Tavern) will serve as KJ for the big event, which means the song selection and the sound system will both be incredible. Need further incentive? Imaginary karaoke parties always tend to attract surprise guests (including Vendetta Red's Zach Davidson and the Posies' Jon Auer at past events), and the girls will have girls will have raffle prizes galore from favorite folks like Merge Records, K Records, and Pattern 25 Records to bulk up your end-of-year CD collection. Event supporters Sub Pop, Barsuk, and Seattle Sound magazine will also be providing extra- exciting gift packs for lucky audience members to win.

Three Imaginary Girls are no strangers to the Seattle rock scene. During the past four years, the girls have reviewed hundreds of live shows and CDs in Seattle and beyond. They also book local music showcases, and have hosted various rockstar karaoke events, such as their Labor Day Buttrock Karaoke Party, their Silly Love Songs Friday the 13th Pre-Valentine's Day Bash, and a "69 Love Songs" Pre- Valentine's Day Tribute night.

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THE JUICY DETAILS
WHAT: Three Imaginary Girls Presents: A Very Merry Imaginary Karaoke Bash
WHERE: The Crocodile Café, 2200 2nd Avenue. Seattle, WA
WHEN: Friday, December 8, 2006. Doors open 8p for the Tiny Vipers and Fruit Bats acoustic sets. Jim Noir performance begins at 9p. Open Karaoke immediately thereafter at 9:30p.
COST: $10 Advance tickets available through Ticketweb.

ABOUT THREE IMAGINARY GIRLS
ThreeImaginaryGirls.com is a Seattle-based website that showcases the great music of the Northwest to music lovers worldwide. During the past three+ years, the site has featured reviews of albums, live music, film, theater, interviews, political commentary, and even love advice, in Seattle and beyond. The girls also book music showcases, contribute to other music publications (including The Stranger, Tablet Magazine, and Music for America), and make guest radio appearances on 90.3 KEXP. The girls were voted "MVP of Seattle Music 2004" by readers of the Seattle Weekly, and were listed in Seattle Magazine's Most Influential People issue. Intrigued? For more information, contact: tig@threeimaginarygirls.com.

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Ho ho ho! 'Tis about that time to kick off the holiday season imaginarily!

Imaginary Indie Tunes Podcast September 2006

three imaginary girls — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 07:00:00 +0000

Our September imaginary indie tunes podcast, featuring songs from Trevor Dickson, The Pharmacy, Birdwatchers United, Shorthand for Epic, The Doll Test, The Drug Purse, Stars of Track and Field, Sirens Sister, and Math & Physics Club.

45:21 minutes (8 MB)

Shorthand for Epic

Chris Estey — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 07:00:00 +0000

7.7

http://cdbaby.com/cd/shorthandforepic

shorthandforepic06aug.jpg

Shorthand for Epic can easily delude you. For one thing, there's enough meaningful content in these three songs for an ouvre of lesser bands. Also, the blue and pink cartoon packaging of this EP seems so harmless. But then you see the animal cut-outs are lemmings on the album art, falling off civilization's edge represented by a freeway (hmmm, oil?). And the closer you listen, the more their sweet, crisply funky dance rock can help wake you up against the deception everyone around you seems to be swallowing. Think the same sort of cool musical joy that bands like The Specials and The Jam and The B-52s specialized in, colorful mod music with very serious and extremely intelligent lyrics.

The swooning keyboards and vocals of Brooke Harker hit you first on "My Own Private Weimar," as Billy Bullock spy-surf slashes at his six strings along the wall-of-sound rhythm party from drummer Stormi King and bass player Larry Brady. Captured perfectly in the studio by Conrad Uno (The Supersuckers, Red Dress, Posies), Bullock's Strummer-snarling vocals spit out prophecy no one can make a profit from: "I saw you reading but the book was upside down," and "Here in the end times... God won't mean a thing," ("End Times," which deliciously recalls Blondie's "Union City" off the similarly deceptive catchy-but-cutting Eat to the Beat album.)

"We're all going to die despite our best intentions," Bullock sings, pointing out our "little armageddons" like only a virulent ex-Catholic can do. Like with his previous band Mea Culpa, Bullock is pissed off, and ranting eloquently (life is paradox, get over it) about how fascism creeps into our everyday relationships ("Weimar"). Shorthand for Epic is calling for a personal revolution, insisting on an intimate revelation, that "the wolf is on the guest list," and it's time to stop partying with it. And after those words sink in, fuck dancing, let's change the world.

Think the same sort of cool musical joy that bands like The Specials and The Jam and The B-52s specialized in, colorful mod music with very serious and extremely intelligent lyrics.