Three Imaginary Girls - Capitol Hill Block Party 2008

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008: Menomena

Jon Harthun — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 20:20:07 +0000

25 Jul 2008

Menomena has always been a band worth noting, masterminding albums that age finer with every listen. Genius as they be, Menomena’s destiny isn’t in filling sports arenas.

After witnessing a choir-backed performance nearly a year earlier at Bumbershoot, it’s hard not to feel like the band’s live show has been watered down. Sure, a choir could have been more of an aesthetic choice than anything; it at least complimented Menomena’s over-the-top approach to making music.

Choirless, Menomena jumpstarted things with “The Pelican,” pounding away on electric piano, smashed cymbals, and blasted riffs. As they continued, thumping bass guitar lines and buzzing synth seemed to take a front seat on the soundboard as they muffled those charming vocals and sly, crisp drumbeats the band seems to structure itself around. Things seemed to work themselves out as songs like “Rotten Hell” slinked along clear as a bell.

Menomena is undeniably talented. It’s just a matter now of tightening up and fleshing out those talents to produce a live show. Though they do a great job at duplicating studio feats in live settings, after two shows, I’d still rather put on the old headphones and sit in the comforts of my living room.

Menomena has always been a band worth noting, masterminding albums that age finer with every listen. Genius as they be, Menomena’s destiny isn’t in filling sports arenas.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008

three imaginary girls — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:46:53 +0000

25 Jul 2008

LesSavyFav08July07.jpg

We are all still reeling from the amazing, sweaty, crowded goodness that was Capitol Hill Block Party 2008.

Throughout the weekend we had an imaginary army racing around the Pike/Pine corridor, listening to bands and snapping photos. The result of our intrepid adventures is the huge list of live show reviews below.

Please chime in with your own thoughts/experiences/memories in the comments below. And so without further ado, here is...

Our official imaginary Capitol Hill Block Party 2008 coverage!

Abe Vigoda
Black Whales
The Cave Singers
Champagne Champagne
Kaylee Cole
Common Market
DeVotchKa
Girl Talk
Grand Ole Party
Fleet Foxes
The Hands
Head Like a Kite
The Heavy Hearts
The Hold Steady
Jaguar Love
Jay Reatard
Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground
Kimya Dawson
Les Savy Fav
Little Party and the Bad Business
The Loved Ones
Man Plus
Menomena
Mika Miko
Natalie Portman's Shaved Head
New Faces
Past Lives
The Physics
Pleasureboaters
PWRFL Power
Say Hi
Scribes
Sleepy Eyes of Death
Thee Emergency
Truckasaurus
U.S.E.
Vampire Weekend
Voyager One
Kristen Ward
The Whore Moans

Viva le Block Party!

We are all still reeling from the amazing, sweaty, crowded goodness that was Capitol Hill Block Party 2008.

Throughout the weekend we had an imaginary army racing around the Pike/Pine corridor, listening to bands and snapping photos. The result of our intrepid adventures is the huge list of live show reviews below after the jump.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008: Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground

imaginary dana — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:32:17 +0000

26 Jul 2008

kaykay08jul2.jpg

When I originally saw the Capitol Hill Block Party lineup, I knew if there was one band I couldn't miss, it was Seattle's own Kay Kay & His Weathered Underground. The band opened the Main Stage on Saturday to a beautiful day with an intent crowd -- utterly captivated with this eclectic, larger-than-life band.

Immediately upon taking the stage, the 10-member band (according to Kay Kay superfan ChrisB, that's "a light showing" for them) got the presumably bleary crowd clapping along with their first song -- and this wasn't a simple clap-clap kinda thing. Without prompting, the audience nearly instantaneously sprang to life and clapped along in exact rhythm with the band, as if well-rehearsed.

From there, the band launched into a set filled with complex-yet-cohesive music that shifted styles in an almost perplexing array of sounds -- and I say perplexing in that my notes made no sense in their rapid fire descriptions: "circus maudlin" followed by "70's glam-ish" and then "Santana-like guitar parts" and then "soaring pop." It makes no sense at all, yet Kay Kay does and did. While the music wasn't hook-filled, there were so many delightful disparate parts to relish, such a wave of delicious melody, that I found myself carried away in the bounty of the band. Even the instrumentation was eclectic, featuring an electric cello and French horn in addition to more traditional rock band instruments.

I am loathe as a music writer to say things like "I can't find the words to describe this band," and yet, Kay Kay's performance left me oddly at a loss for how to shorthand describe or compare them. I will say, I now understand why ChrisB has been describing them as the best band in Seattle right now.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008: The Physics

Chris Estey — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:31:31 +0000

26 Jul 2008

physics08jul.jpg

I knew the Vera Stage was going to be the scene of some sweet home-brew hip-hop as I passed the tent where people were paying five dollars to hit ex-Stranger writer Ari Spool in the face with pies as Ol' Dirty Bastard and Kelis rapped and sang "Baby, I Got Your Money" on the sound system pre-show. The weather was somehow both cool and humid (?) and the vibe reminded me of when I saw The Saturday Knights for one the first times at the Block Party on the same stage two years previous. The rap music that ensued did not disappoint.

Thig Life, "Justo" D'Amato, and Monk Wordsmith have been partners since teenagers, growing up in the South end of Seattle and living on a steady diet of quality hip-hop. Their fandom comes out in their rhymes and music, as they show their influences proudly but also honestly discuss the daily thrills and spills of being marginalized by society even when you're smarter than most of it.

I was sitting down for the first part of the set in the back on the sound platform, and you know you're at the Vera when the kids who step in front of you get embarrassed about blocking your possible view of the stage. (Try finding that at any other venue or venue-sponsored event.) It all opened with Scribes, a guest rapper with anger and authority at well, the angry authorities. Various themes touched on the crippling corruption of church and State, and it was pointedly more raw and political than the band he was warming the crowd up for.

I need to check out The Physics' Future Talk album (produced by D'Amato) as the lively songs seemed to get the crowd dancing more than most of the shows I saw this weekend. The themes may be familiar but that isn't always a bad thing. Without a gimmick or a guise, The Physics are using their lives as resources and on songs like "I Heart Beer" and "Ready For We" are unafraid to show all sides of themselves. Thanks for bringing the party, guys.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008: Grand Ole Party

ChrisB — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:56:01 +0000

26 Jul 2008

grandoleparty08jul.jpg

One of the great things about rock and/or roll is that you can appropriate anything you want and make it into your own image. Case in point: San Diego's Grand Ole Party using the name that is commonly associated with the Republican party.

Grand Ole Party are not a bunch of Bush-voting conservatives. No, they're a bluesy rock band that kicked ass during their set at the Capitol Hill Block Party on Saturday night. Playing for a large crowd at the Vera stage, Grand Ole Party - especially its singer/drummer Kristin Gundred - held their rapt attention for about 40 minutes. She has a powerful voice that could be welcome in a gospel choir. Beth Ditto of The Gossip is her closest contemporary comparison point.

The songs are funky but have a lot of blues influences, too. Thematically, they're a Southern rock or gospel band with a garage rock aesthetic. Gundred sings about sin, death and good vs. evil. You know, the kind of light fare you'd expect from a garage band.

For about 40 minutes, Grand Ole Party ran through most of the songs from their excellent album Humanimals (which was produced by Rilo Kiley's Blake Sennett). Gundred, who was flanked by bassist Michael Krechnyak and guitarist John Paul Labno, is the first singer/drummer I've ever found compelling. Aside from an interruption due to her mic shorting out, the set was pretty close to flawless.

Songs like "Nasty Habit", "Insane" and "Look Out Young Son" had the rocking along with the band.

GOP was the final band I caught at CHBP this year and I wouldn't have chosen to end the already-memorable weekend with any other band.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008: Jay Reatard

Jon Harthun — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 06:08:17 +0000

25 Jul 2008

jayreatard08jul.jpg

There have always been bands I haven’t given the time of day simply because of their monikers. Case in point: Jay Reatard.

I was unsurprised to be greeted with wild-haired, ironic flying-v toting post-punk rockers. But like mama always says, don’t judge a book by its Pitchfork cover story.

Though skeptical, I was pleased once I witnessed a band who could churn out songs so quick and so raw they were seconds away from tearing my face off. Unfortunately their high-energy antics brought out the mosher in some of the crowd, most likely those too drunk to realize that punk has been on its deathbed for quite some time.

Fortunately, in their tight jeans and golden slacks, Jay Reatard managed to rise above the punk rock grave, deconstruct the genre, throw in garage rock, slaughter that, and beat it into something compact and forceful. Though they may have felt like a gimmick at times, perhaps running on the dreaded 15-minute course, at least they’ve got great music and marvelous stage presence to show for it.

There have always been bands I haven’t given the time of day simply because of their monikers. Case in point: Jay Reatard.

I was unsurprised to be greeted with wild-haired, ironic flying-v toting post-punk rockers. But like mama always says, don’t judge a book by its Pitchfork cover story.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008: Fleet Foxes

imaginary dana — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 05:40:20 +0000

26 Jul 2008

fleetfoxes08jul.jpg

I'm not sure how much more TIG can say about Fleet Foxes that we haven't already said here or here or here or here or here (or see the other 31 Fleet Foxes articles on TIG here, and no, I'm not being hyperbolic here).

Fleet Foxes played the Main Stage on Saturday around 6p, packing out the intersection and delighting all the fans who came to hear them play while simultaneously annoying all those in transit to other shows (ChrisB, I'm looking at you).

For their throngs of fans, Robin Pecknold and his fleet of foxes soared over the crowd with their peaceful, dulcet tunes, providing a perfect transition from the sunny daytime at the Block Party to the mayhem of the evening ahead.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008: Scribes

Cory Banks — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 05:13:15 +0000

26 Jul 2008

scribes08jul.jpg

If you're looking for lyrical, intelligent rhymes, Scribes has got 'em. Each syllable he drops is complex but still accessible, demanding your attention while the beats move your body. With his baseball hat tilted to the side, he stalked across the stage during his opening number, making eye contact with everyone in the front row like he was daring them to bob their heads. Seattle's hip-hop scene is filled with the smartypants flow, from Blue Scholars to Common Market, and it's easy to imagine Scribes joining that list soon.

I don't know if the audience at Vera's all-ages stage was looking for rhymes about current events, though. The monitors were blasting Ol' Dirty Bastard while we waited for the show to start, and that got the crowd interested, but the beatboxing during sound check fell on deaf ears. Why? ODB is fine, but when a guy grabs a mic and drops beats like an 808, you don't stand idly by. Get up, Seattle youth, and shake your ass.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008: DeVotchKa

Cory Banks — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 05:09:47 +0000

26 Jul 2008

devotchka08jul.jpg

There was nothing romantic about the Main Stage at this year's Capitol Hill Block Party. How could there be? Unless you fantasize about beer gardens, massive throngs of people and hot dogs with cream cheese, there's very little dramatic atmosphere for an outside stage. The Block Party is not for lovers.

That didn't stop DeVotchKa from wooing the audience Saturday night. In fact, their lush melodies and passionate crooning brought to mind gypsy tents instead of beer tents, and made perfect strangers turn to each other with a romantic glint in their eye.

Don't believe me? Okay, here's my evidence. The girl in front of me during "Transliterator" leaned back into me, swayed to Tom Hagerman's bouncy piano and Shawn King's swirling rhythms, and tilted her head up to my ear to sing along with frontman Nick Urata. She was so taken with DeVotchKa's vibe that she had to share it with someone. And she was _way_ out of my league.

No, I'm not making this up.

Special note goes to Urata's theriman playing throughout the set. One wouldn't think such a space-age instrument would blend with the band's old world violin and horns, but it fit perfectly. And Urata makes the most dramatic faces while coaxing sounds out of the thing.

DeVotchKa's set was truly a beautiful way to end the Block Party. They played an even mix of their back catalog, including crowd favorites "How It Ends" and the instrumental "Death By Blonde." Even the drunk guy who climbed atop the stage to dance -- finally dispatched by an surly-looking security guard -- couldn't break up the passion of their performance. While the Block Party may not be for lovers, DeVotchKa certainly is.

here was nothing romantic about the Main Stage at this year's Capitol Hill Block Party. How could there be? Unless you fantasize about beer gardens, massive throngs of people and hot dogs with cream cheese, there's very little dramatic atmosphere for an outside stage. The Block Party is not for lovers.

That didn't stop DeVotchKa from wooing the audience Saturday night. In fact, their lush melodies and passionate crooning brought to mind gypsy tents instead of beer tents, and made perfect strangers turn to each other with a romantic glint in their eye.

Don't believe me? Okay, here's my evidence...

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008: The Hold Steady

Cory Banks — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:05:05 +0000

26 Jul 2008

holdsteady08jul.jpg

Two minutes into their set, I was convinced The Hold Steady were headlining Saturday night at the Block Party. The way they took the stage as the crowd went crazy made me momentarily forget there was still one more band to see. Craig Finn and the boys launched into their first song and owned the stage all through their set. I'm not sure who was happier to be there, the packed crowd or the pumped-up band.

Finn has talked about his influences in the past, with Bruce Springstein always coming up in the conversation. Yes, there's definitely a comparison to make between the E-Street Band at its height and the raucous bar-band beat that keeps Finn jumping around the stage, yelling out to the audience, throwing his arms out to the front row like he wanted to embrace them, and grinning ear to ear the whole damn time. But you know who else I was reminded of? A happy, positive Elvis Costello, comfortable with his spazz status.

I'm not normally a clapper, and any band asking me to clap double-time during a set is truly asking a lot of me. But when everyone on stage raised their skinny arms to Heaven and clapped out eighth notes, I felt my arms raising of their own accord. Enthusiasm like that cannot be contained, and The Hold Steady's pop hooks bring nothing if not rabid enthusiasm out of a crowd.

I'm not sure who was happier to be there, the packed crowd or the pumped-up band.

Capitol Hill Block Party: Little Party and the Bad Business

ChrisB — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 05:05:08 +0000

26 Jul 2008

LittlePartyBusiness08jul.jpg

Watching Little Party and the Bad Business play at the Vera Stage on Saturday afternoon made me wish I was still a teenager, before I started thinking Woody Allen movies were funnier than Porky’s.

Playing for about 20 minutes to a small-ish early crowd, they delivered spastic, ridiculous fun. Band members were jumping in and out of the crowd and on top of the speakers and running across the stage. It was goofy and delightful and like their peers Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head, they don’t take themselves too seriously.

Their sound is best described as messy dance punk. They had two keyboards (that share the same stand) and two singers facing one another, encircled by a guitarist, bassist, and drummer.

LP&BB put quite a bit of energy into their set: one band member broke a guitar string and another broke open his knuckles but it was only the need to use the restroom that brought the set to a close. Imaginary Dana and I remarked to each other that we never thought we’d be laughing at so many poop jokes, but there we were. One singer said he really needed to use the bathroom but they agreed to play two more songs at that point. “We’ve got two songs left but I’ll probably poop in the middle of the first one” he said. "Is there a Port-o-Potty under this stage?" His bandmate replied sagely, "The world is your Port-o-Potty."

It was silly, juvenile, shameless fun. What a great way to start off Saturday afternoon.

1. Gloria
2. You’re Not the Only One
3. 700 Miles
4. DFM
5. A Free Box for a Free World
6. Little Party’s Huge Misery Quest
7. Party Monster

We never thought we’d be laughing at so many poop jokes, but there we were.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008: Kristen Ward

Chris Estey — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:13:05 +0000

26 Jul 2008

kristinward08july01.jpg

Broadcasting live from KEXP at Neumo's stage, Kristen Ward opened the second day of the Stranger's Capitol Hill Block Party with country-based folk-rock songs of class and passion. A striking brunette with a voice that is much more mature than her years, Ward sounded like the perfect kind of adult rock suited towards a packed night at the Tractor Tavern.

But just as well, in the performance of songs like "Shoot Me Down" and "Drive Away" (also the title of her latest album) there's a strange feeling that she and her band -- featuring pedal steel expert and studio sound master Kevin Suggs, and the classy vintage guitar showmanship of Gary Westlake, also doing backing vocals -- could soon be headlining at the Paramount. Ward has two albums out already, but her performance today shows she's ready for the next level.

If I were to describe her sound, I'd point first to how people enthusiastically describe Transmissionary Six. But TM6 are more tied to experimental styles and noir chanteuse seduction, whereas Ward's work is more mainstream, polished and less subversive. The third song in the set was a shimmering hymn of transcendence and three songs later she and her band were rocking out almost ska-billy on an anthem, showing an encouraging diversity to her sound. Beginning my second day of the Block Party on a happily diverse but oddly sophisticated note.

A striking brunette with a voice that is much more mature than her years, Ward sounded like the perfect kind of adult rock suited towards a packed night at the Tractor Tavern.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008: Voyager One

Cory Banks — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:09:48 +0000

26 Jul 2008

voyagerone08july01.jpg

Voyager One taking the stage at the King Cobra was a calm before the storm. From the moment they turned their amps up and strummed their first chords, the crowd was awash in a torrential downpour of their layers of psychedelic fuzz and spacey synths.

The Cobra's lighting makes it seem darker than it really is. I'd love to go back during normal business hours and investigate, but I got a white-on-white impression from the bar, and the downstairs area felt reminiscent of A Clockwork Orange. Even if all that was in my head, the layout of the place was fantastic for a show like this. It didn't look like there was a bad spot in the place to see the stage.

Frontman Peter Marchese asked us if we were enjoying the Block Party, and if we had a good enough buzz. Even if we hadn't been drinking -- and yeah, I had -- V1's beats coupled with the visuals projected behind them was enough sensory overload to get the crowd feeling tipsy. The band's visual component, provided by Projectorhead, added just the right amount of depth to songs like the aptly-named "Bed Of Sound" and "The Future Is Obsolete," which was the point where the band completely dominated our attention. Voyager One absolutely killed Saturday night.

Before their final song, "Ocean Grey," someone behind me yelled out to the band. "Loud!" he cried.

"Loud it is." Marchese replied.

"Thank you!" the man called back. How polite.

V1's beats coupled with the visuals projected behind them was enough sensory overload to get the crowd feeling tipsy.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008: Kaylee Cole

Cory Banks — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 23:34:00 +0000

26 Jul 2008

kayleecole08july01.jpg

I am head over heels in love with Kaylee Cole.

Her set at the Cha Cha was recommended to me at the last minute, as I was scouring the Block Party schedule for interesting, undiscovered talent. $2 beer specials and beautiful atmosphere helped seal the deal. If you haven't been to the Cha Cha, know that not even the throngs of Block Partiers could ruin its ambiance. Of all the stages this year, this one felt the most intimate -- which was perfect for Kaylee's performance.

She sat down at an electric piano and started to play soft, mournful notes. When she sang her first lines her voice broke our hearts but wanted desperately to put them back together. Her vocals are soulful, strong but playfully held back, like Fiona Apple without the traces of angst. Her banter between songs, in contrast, was sweet as ice cream. "Sign up for my mailing list," she told us, "and I'll send you emails. Or recipes."

In some organic fashion, many of us found ourselves sitting in front of her keyboard as she performed, staring up to her and swaying like it was musical story time. She goofed once, hitting the wrong note while scatting during a later number, then wondered out loud, "Who messes up 'Ba-Bas?'" The gaff and her sweet, self-depreciating manner afterward just made us love her more.

"Sign up for my mailing list," she told us, "and I'll send you emails. Or recipes."

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008: Man Plus

ChrisB — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:35:44 +0000

26 Jul 2008

manplus08july01.jpg

Man Plus is one of the most accessible bands I’ve seen at CHBP this year. They have a dance-y, pop/rock sound that is easy to grasp on to. Live they were a lot of fun.

Maybe it was being outdoors in the heat all day long, but for whatever reason, the crowd never seemed to get into Man Plus. That’s unfortunate because Man Plus was very good. With a sound influenced by bands like LCD Soundsystem, New Order and Talking Heads, Man Plus gave it their best effort to get the crowd – including a singer jumping into the crowd to sing and dance during “Not For All the Cocaine in the World.”

He sings with an Interpolian emotional detachment that made for a nice juxtaposition for the pop/rock music the band was making. The band was a lot tighter and more focused than bands like Little Party and the Bad Business and Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head. They’re ideologically similar, but those two aforementioned bands thrive on punk energy while Man Plus relies on familiarity.

Man Plus is the only band I’m covering at CHBP that I’ve seen live before and if my memory serves, they were a five-piece band with one female member, a singer named Ellen (she was the “plus” in Man Plus) but today they had 6 members on stage and two women. Their setup was two singers, a guitarist, bassist, keyboard player and drummer.

Ellen said at one point that she was distracted by the other singer (whose name I didn’t catch and couldn’t confirm either via their website or MySpace page) and his new gold tooth. Then he showed the crowd his new dental work. They were mostly ambivalent towards the band already and at that point they became confused.

The band closed their set with a slower ballad, and ended anti-climactically but it was one of the most enjoyable sets I’ve caught thus far at CHBP.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008: Jaguar Love

ChrisB — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:28:13 +0000

26 Jul 2008

jaguarlove08july01.jpg

For a while I was wondering if I'd ever get to see Jaguar Love live.

Their first-ever show was opening for New Young Pony Club at Nectar, which I reviewed but a dear friend had a Halloween party that night, so I got to the club just before NYPC played, missing Jaguar Love. Then a few months ago I was all set to review one of their headlining shows at Neumo's but was either sick or was run down from my day job at that particular point so I made the game-time decision to go home. Then today I had to fight my way to Neumo's through a huge-ass crowd while the Fleet Foxes were playing if I had any hope of seeing Jaguar Love.

Fortunately, I did make it in. Even more fortunate, I was impressed with their abrasive sound. When I walked in I immediately thought of Rage Against the Machine, minus Zach dela Rocha's rhymes. Their sound was urgent and rockin'.

Singer Johnny Whitney has a Robert Plant swagger and a voice with a lot of range, but the best part of the band, to me at least, was the dynamic rhythm section of drummer J. Clark (formerly of Pretty Girls Make Graves) and, I think (but could be mistaken) Cody Votolato on bass (like Whitney, he's a former Blood Brother). Votolato's basslines where heavy as fuck and reverberated throughout Neumo's.

The band played for about 50 minutes and satisfied the sweating crowd inside a packed Neumo's. They played all 10 songs on their forthcoming debut record Take Me to the Sea.

Talking about this band with friends, they seem to be pretty polarizing. Some love them, others adamantly dislike them, but overall I thought they put on a good show and did nothing to soil the legacies of The Blood Brothers or Pretty Girls Make Graves.

Setlist:

1. The Man with the Plastic Suns
2. Bats Over the Pacific Ocean
3. Jaguar Pirates
4. Georgia
5. Vagabond Ballroom
6. Humans Evolve into Skyscrapers
7. Bone Trees and a Broken Heart
8. Highways of Gold
9. Antoine and Birdskull
10. My Organ Sounds Like...

Some love them, others adamantly dislike them, but overall I thought they put on a good show and did nothing to soil the legacies of The Blood Brothers or Pretty Girls Make Graves.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008: Sleepy Eyes of Death

Mike Mess — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:24:05 +0000

26 Jul 2008

sleepyeyes08july01.jpg

Although I was only able to catch four songs, that was enough to give me a good impression of Sleepy Eyes of Death. Their electronic music is reminiscent of the soundtracks from late 80’s sci-fi movies like Buckaroo Bonzai, Big Trouble in Little China, and even one of my favorites: Robotech. Think of M83’s “Car Chase Terror” from Before the Dawn Heals Us and you're getting the idea.

Synth over quick rolling bass-lines created an intense feeling of an on-coming chase scene that was only enhanced by addition of a fog machine, stage-front red lights, and the occasional strobe.

Their electronic music is reminiscent of the soundtracks from late 80’s sci-fi movies like Buckaroo Bonzai, Big Trouble in Little China & even one of my favorites: Robotech.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008: The Hands

Mike Mess — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:11:19 +0000

26 Jul 2008

hands08july01.jpg

Looking like they just rolled outta bed from their night-jobs, the Hands took the stage at Neumo’s and immediately set forth to rock the house.

The Hands' raw and emotional brand of explosive rock grabbed hold of the audience and did not let us go to the point that I even got chills three fourths the way through the set. I’ve seen them in small venues, medium sized and now at two different festivals and these guys have increasingly proven their chops.

Their pace is frenetic with an up-tempo 1970’s southern rock feel to it but their themes and method of connecting with the audience are universal. Piercing vocals and a defiant and aggressive rhythm section are another aspect what set this band apart from their predecessors.

Their pace is frenetic with an up-tempo 1970’s southern rock feel to it but their themes and method of connecting with the audience are universal.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008: The Whore Moans

Chris Estey — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 20:56:29 +0000

26 Jul 2008

whoremoans08jul3.jpg

The Whore Moans remind me of the glory days of early Mudhoney shows, where piercing garage guitars and propulsive rhythms were doused with plenty of humor and somewhat parodic rage. Catching them at King Cobra at four in the afternoon was really weird; they are a quintessential late night party car wreck meltdown.

On songs like the tight, terrific "Some Kind of Love Hate" and the chugging, baiting "I Say Blood 3 Times" bassist and vocalist Ryan lead guitarists/co-vocalists Nikki O. and Jonny and drummer Jason through music that sounded as old school Seattle punk as it sometimes sounded LA metal in the 80s, and often veering into atonal 90s post-hardcore dissonance. (OK, usually, the compositions go in the opposite direction of that description, but it gives you an idea what they're about.) Ryan is more of a presence live than on the band's recordings, his fast picking and powerful playing often the heart of the monster.

The Whore Moans are a great band to see live, even if you're not a fan of the fading screeched vocal style used on most of the songs.

Blistering anthemic metal-punk with real (messed up) melody.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008: The Loved Ones

Chris Estey — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 20:19:06 +0000

26 Jul 2008

lovedones08jul.jpg

While it seemed weird to see a depraved, spastic night band like the Whore Moans just an hour before at the King Cobra on a late summer afternoon, it seemed like a perfect time for Philadelphia's the Loved Ones, with their big late period punk rock beats and classic power-pop hooks.

If only this show had been at one of the outside stages, I think this band would have been a high point for many younger fans at the 2008 Block Party, with their ability to switch from social rage to tender-sounding relationship observations with a sound drenched in OC-born post-emo.

I heard weird traces of old Southern California bands like TSOL or Channel 3 mixed with full-on Clash protest energy, matched with a very real need for some sort of spiritual resolution in their songs, which might have all come off heavy-handed if the pace and the energy weren't at such a high point. It's too bad that most of the Block Party audience who would have adored this couldn't get into the marvelous adult rock world of the club called King Cobra.

Of course, then precious moments such as the crowd feeding the band beer, as shown below, could never have happened.

It's too bad that most of the Block Party audience who would have adored this couldn't get into the marvelous adult rock world of the club called King Cobra.