Three Imaginary Girls - Beastie Boys

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:

Songs for a Sunny Wednesday

imaginary liz — Wed, 04 May 2011 17:57:04 +0000

(photo: Laura Musselman)

A new EP by Chadwick, "Seattle's hazy electronic pop producer," just arrived in the inbox and the track, "Sunrise Fire" feels like a perfect mid-morning soundtrack for the promises of sunshine bestowed on today. To speak in analogies, "Sunrise Fire" pulls from the camps of early Ride / The Charlatans UK, and sounds as if it was remixed by speckled sunbeams and fizzy beverages (not to sound cloyingly hippy). Other tracks on the EP might wander into dreamscapes territory, but this lead song on the EP has a foot firmly (and lovingly) in early 90s brit-shoegazer-pop. {listen!}

Of course, if we want to talk about songs that are perfect for sunny afternoon frolicking, my pick will always be Hello Seahorse! - "Won't Say Anything" (video below) or "Good Ol' Fashion Rump Shaker" by Hood Internet (mixing Matt & Kim and Beastie Boys).

What songs will be your soundtrack for a sunny Wednesday?

Countdown to the Royal Wedding! Let's talk {indie-rock} royal couples

imaginary liz — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:52:55 +0000

The world is a buzz with Royal Wedding chatter... and I am all for it. I love talking about royal matchings, probably because of all my fond memories of the glory days when Damon {Albarn of Blur} and Justine {Frischmann of Elastica} ruled the Britpop scene.

These days I get to fantasize of the regal day to days of Ad-Rock and Kathleen Hanna {who brilliantly blend mainstream and indie success into one fantastic machine}. And, of course, the cutest couple of all time award goes to Thurston Moore & Kim Gordon {followed closely by Matt & Kim in second place}.

Who are your favorite {indie-rock} royal couples past and present, local and national?

Jay-Z covers Beastie Boys at APW

ChrisB — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 02:06:12 +0000

This weekend is the All Points West festival, just a short ferry ride from Manhattan. The festival kicked off last night with Jay-Z as the headliner, who was a last-minute replacement for The Beastie Boys, who were forced to withdraw when Adam "MCA" Yauch was diagnosed with cancer.

Jay-Z began his set with a tribute to MCA by covering the group's "No Sleep Till Brooklyn". The two-minute plus video I saw on YouTube is quite remarkable to watch as it shows arguably hip hop's biggest star making a classy gesture to the group who would have been in his slot at APW if the world was a little more just.

The last time Jay-Z performed at a festival, you may recall, was at Glastonbury in the UK last year, and that year it was surrounded in controversy because Noel Gallagher of Oasis said that he thought it was "wrong" to have a rapper perform at the festival that "has a tradition of guitar music". Jay-Z got the last laugh, though, when he opened his set with a terrible rendition of Oasis' hit "Wonderwall".

Beastie Boys cancel tour dates- MCA diagnosed with cancer

Imaginary Mimi — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:52:58 +0000

Adam Yauch, better known as MCA, released some sad news to his fans via their website yesterday. The 44-year-old rapper announced that a cancerous lymph node was found in his left parotid (salivary) gland. He discovered it as a lump growing several months ago. His prognosis is excellent, and because it has not metastasized, it will be easily treatable with surgery and radiation. In addition (and relief to fans everywhere), it is not in an area where his vocal cords will be affected.

As a result, the Beastie Boys' summer tour dates have been cancelled, and will also prevent the release of their newest album Hot Sauce Committee Part I.

Kyle Johnson's Top Ten Local Live Music Photos of 07

Kyle Johnson — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 15:42:26 +0000

2007 was the first year I really got into shooting live music. Its a great form of photography that you cannot fully apreciate until you have shot it. Every show is a challenge. You often cannot be sure of how much time you will have, lighting conditions, how many other photographers are shooting, where you will be able to shoot from, etc.

That being said, I have seen countless amazing Live shots from our talented NW Photogs. I decided to include five shots from other photographers and five of my personal favorites I shot from the past year. Aww the memories. In no particular order...

Jarvis and the Beasties: a match made in heaven

Erik Gonzalez — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 03:11:14 +0000

The Beastie plan to re-record the album with vocals, and they're getting other folks to help with all that singin'. And one of the first to sign on is none other than Jarvis Cocker.

Jeez, they'll let anybody in these days...

Erik Gonzalez — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 00:14:51 +0000

But I guess that is the way of the future, so whatever. Truly, whatever.

Sasquatch 2007: Beastie Boys

Tim Hanken — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:55:37 +0000

27 May 2007

beastie_sasquatch07.jpg

When the Beastie Boys and Bjork were announced as headliners for this year's Sasquatch festival, I reacted with collective “ehh”. I had grown up with the Beasties; I can remember singing “Brass Monkey” in the back of the school bus on field trips. I was with them all the way to Ill Communication then I drifted away and generally lost interest in the four years that passed before they released Hello Nasty. That being said, I was excited to see them if for no other reason than nostalgia and the fact that they’ve been such an influential force in music.

Surviving Sunday at Sasquatch (say that five times fast) was a matter of endurance. Polyphonic Spree were blown off the main stage by high winds and as the main stage stood quiet, many concert goers had had enough of the cold and the wind and headed for the exits. When the lights finally went out on the stage signifying the Beastie’s arrival, the crowd roared in appreciation. Soon Mike D was on the mic letting everyone know that they were going to warm it up and “burn this motherfucker down” and as they jumped into “Gratitude," it was like they were saying thanks to the crowd for braving the cold. All three of the Beasties were sharply dressed, Mike D looking like a young Bob Dylan in a tight blue suit, Ad Rock sporting a black suit with a red sweater, Ray Charles sunglasses and a fedora that made him look like Joe Pesci in Goodfellas, and MCA in an olive suit that would have been up to code for a high school history teacher. The fancy duds didn’t stop Ad Rock or Mike D from running side to side across the stage as they tore through “Body Movin’” and “Sure Shot” back to back. The energy that the Beasties brought to the stage was incredible, especially considering the frigid weather.

Further on in the set Ad Rock took the time to dedicate “Something’s Got to Give” to our current political leaders. Although the King Ad Rock wishes for "peace amongst the races", something tells me our folks in Washington are more the “Rhymin’ and Stealin’” type, or at least stealing anyway. As the show moved along I soon realized that I am a bigger Beasties fan than I gave myself credit for, as I knew just about every song they played. They weren’t just playing their recent tunes or tracks of the new instrumental album The Mix Up; they went back into the catalog for classics like “Pass the Mic” and the set closer “So What’Cha Want."

After a brief intermission the boys returned with a vengeance for a four-song encore that began with “Intergalactic” and ended with “Sabotage” and everybody had the opportunity to shout out all of there frustrations from the weekend — the ten dollar beers, the cold, and the delays — and sing along with Ad Rock Wwwwwwhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

Seeing the Beastie Boys live made me realize how good they really are. I think I had taken them for granted as I moved away from their music. Their artistic progression from a screaming punk band to the pioneers of rap rock to their newest manifestation as an instrumental trio is amazing in and of itself, but the thing that really brought it home for me is how they left everything they had out there on that cold windy stage. Even if they didn’t play “Girls” or “Fight for Your Right” for all my comrades on the bus.

Soon Mike D was on the mic letting everyone know that they were going to warm it up and “burn this motherfucker down” and as they jumped into “Gratitude," it was like they were saying thanks to the crowd for braving the cold.

What's that noise? Ahhh...mom you're just jealous, it's the...

ChrisB — Tue, 22 May 2007 14:25:42 +0000

If you haven't heard by now, there's a last-minute show going down at the Croc on Friday night featuring one of the Sasquatch headliners (and the tenth greatest band of all time, according to Spin magazine).