If you're an indie pop fan but the concert marathon-long face of the Bruce canon and cult has put you off, you're in luck: The most joyous, jittery, poetic, romantic, ramshackle, sparked up-by-punk-and-girl groups-and country Bruce Springsteen album has just been released. It's called The Promise and it was recorded almost 35 freaking years ago though. Just as Megan Seling at The Stranger bakes yummy candy bars in yummier cupcakes, Bruce helped develop his mystery religion by creating album within album within album; there's lost LP goodness spilling all over box sets and bootlegs if you're hungry for his communion.

But if you have a soft spot for "Born To Run"-style typhoon-of-sound, suicide machine-near teen death and sleaze, little stuff like that has been available. Due to a horrible war he had with some business dude named Mike who tried to control his career because he had no creativity of his own, Bruce had a whale of a bummer after splashing New Jersey uber-power-pop foam in our faces and getting on the covers of too many cornball newsmagazines on the same day. Out of this darkness eventually came Darkness On The Edge Of Town, a really good album, at times (exactly 7/10) really great. It was my first and I loved the rage of "Adam Raised A Cain" but wanted more of the spank-me, wrong side of town, dirty-hotel, speed trip going raw vibe of "Candy's Room." Too many songs about burdens and bosses, though I thought it was cool he was trying to keep rebellion an active agent in the mainstream. But if you're going to make a song as kind of dreary as "Factory," at that time I thought, it should sound like something on Factory Records (such as mope-bombs Joy Division).

more...

Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter John Ondrasik (who performs under the stage name Five For Fighting) will be playing an intimate acoustic set at The Crocodile this Thursday at 7 PM.  The show is part of a 14-city tour in support of his latest studio release, Slice.

Opening the show will be fellow labelmate Angel Taylor, who has garnered rave reviews for her debut record, Love Travels.  Make sure to get there early and catch this amazing 21 year-old singer/songwriter who Billboard has named one of their "15 Artists to Watch in 2009."

Tickets are available for purchase online. Thursday, November 5 @ 7 PM at the Crocodile; $25, 21+.

UPDATE: The show has been canceled. John Ondrasik wrote on Twitter this morning that his voice is gone. Presumably, refunds will available at point of purchase.

more...

Immediately after their triumphant set at the Capitol Hill Block Party last month, I checked Twitter to see if my friends had the same reaction to Gossip’s set as I did. The comments were buzzing, referring the lead singer Beth Ditto as a force of nature and raving about the dance party the band created while on stage.

What makes this band so special, though, is the combination of their sound with their message. Ditto is a lesbian, feminist and overweight and has been outspoken for body acceptance issues and feminist causes. It never sounds preachy because band’s sound is so accessible with danceable beats and a punk ethos, held together by Ditto’s commanding voice. She sounds like a soul singer leading a punk band. The sound is filled out by Nathan Howdeshell (aka Brace Paine) filling in the guitar, bass and synth parts and drummer Hannah Blilie, formerly of the aesthetically and ideologically similar band Shoplifting.

Gossip just released their excellent dance punk album Music for Men on Columbia Records, working with producer Rick Rubin, one of the most well-known people in the music business. That raised a few eyebrows, with Gossip known for their punk, DIY aesthetic and Rubin being the ultimate music insider. Still, the result is a great album that continues Gossip’s sound while reaching a broader audience of new Gossip fans.

I spoke with Nathan Howdeshell by phone about the album, being a punk band on a major label and their upcoming tour, which includes a stop in Seattle at the Showbox at the Market on October 23. When he told me about the tour he wanted to put together next, I wasn’t kidding when I said I want to quit my job and follow that tour across the country (or world).

more...

Raphael Saadiq's last show in Seattle was a sold out affair at the Showbox, but he had mostly traveled under my radar. I was curious to learn more about him because people were asking me if I could get them into the show (I couldn't, not that I tried). After a few minutes of cursory research, it was easy to see why so many of my friends were smitten.

Saadiq is a soul singer who is not lacking in sex appeal. He first began his music career as the lead singer and bassist for the R&B trio Tony! Toni! Tone'! (whose work I was familiar with from my teenage years), when he was known as Raphael Wiggins. He began his solo career in 2002 and his debut album, Instant Vintage, was nominated for five Grammy awards. His most recent album, The Way I See It, was named Album of the Year by the staff at iTunes and was nominated for a Best R&B Album Grammy. It also has names showing up in the credits like Jay-Z, Stevie Wonder and Joss Stone.

My favorite song of his is "Let's Take a Walk", which would sound like it belongs on the radio in between The Temptations and The Four Tops, if the lyrics weren't so sexual. That's definitely the vibe that Saadiq is going for, as it's confirmed by the video below.

{Raphael Saadiq plays Bumbershoot on Sunday, September 6 at 9:30pm on the Fisher Green Stage.}

more...

Black Kids' frontman Reggie Youngblood spoke with TIG about his band's sudden success, history and future plans.

more...

As is not unusual, Pitchfork leads with a review of one of the record from one of the most hyped bands to come out of the blogosphere. As is unusual, Pitchfork offered this review (a very low 3.3 from editor Scott Plagenhoef).

more...

The Ting Tings are not an original or innovative band – just a very good pop one.

more...

Last night I finally got around to listening to the Ting Tings, and I'm hooked. I literally spent every moment of my commute today to and from work (around an hour and a half round trip) listening to two songs I found online last night.

They have an EP being released on Tuesday, March 4 called Great DJ and are playing a show at the Vera Project on Sunday, March 9.

"Great DJ" and especially "That's Not My Name" are two of the catchiest pop songs I've heard for a while. While neither is available in the US, to my knowledge, yet (*cough* Hype Machine *cough*), they can be streamed on the band's MySpace page.

"That's Not My Name" has singer Katie White bemoaning men who forget her name once she expresses disinterest. It's funny and sassy, kind of like what Lily Allen would sound like if she stopped listening to ska. The chorus ("they call me 'hell'; they call me 'Stacey'; they call me 'her'; the call me 'Jane'; that's not my name") is simply infectuous.

more...

Her performance was elegant and spectacular.

more...

A pox on you, Sony BMG Music Group, for not having the sense to understand online music blogging! But huge props to whatever A&R person did have the good sense to discover and sign Atkins. Her dreamy, dark stylings and orchestral arrangements are stunning.

more...