Three Imaginary Girls - She & Him

This weekend's picks for City Arts Fest, version 1.0

imaginary victoria — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:19:44 +0000

Now that summer's officially 86'd, it's time for the inaugural (hereafter annual?) City Arts Fest, which takes over our fair city this upcoming Wednesday - Saturday {Oct. 20th - 23rd}. Laden with an impressive lineup at venues far and wide, CAF is catering to more of the mini-SXSW feel that makes these 'festivals' enjoyable -- think along the lines of MusicFest NW's style -- and for this, we applaud and squee! with joy. There's something about cramming too many people into too small of a space, even with a homerun lineup, that can make a gathering of the proverbial vibes inherently less fun.

And so -- with sneakers laced up and schedules in hand -- away we go with the music! Click the links below for more info on each particular show, including the where & what on how to get yourself some tickets:

(500) Days of Summer: She & Him cover The Smiths

Imaginary Amie — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:50:38 +0000

One of the most enjoyable films I saw at SIFF this year was the Marc Webb directed/Scott Neustadter penned (500) Days of Summer – which packed in enough pop culture references to make me feel really nostalgic. Of course this carries over to the soundtrack, something that I’m HIGHLY anticipating (out July 14th on Sire Records).

But I digress: I mentioned before that Zooey Deschanel’s band She & Him would have an exclusive track covering The Smiths “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” and lucky for us, Stereogum is featuring it! Click here to read the article, listen to the track - and see a cute video of Zooey & co-star Joseph Gordon-Levitt gabbing about karaoke tunes.

Complete soundtrack listing:

Starbucks releases Valentine's Day comp details (super secret?)

imaginary victoria — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:08:24 +0000

Sweet songs from some of our fave artists!

Three Imaginary Girls Podcast {November 25, 2008}

imaginary dana — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 04:57:52 +0000

It's your Thanksgiving week imaginary podcast, featuring some of the most awesome Northwest bands (and a few non-NW bands we couldn't resist sharing). Enjoy this with your turkey or Tofurky feast!

46:49 minutes (8 MB)

Volume One

imaginary stella — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 04:31:15 +0000

http://www.amazon.com/One-She-Him/dp/B0012IWHQO/wwwthreeimagi-20/

pe-she_and_him-volume_one.jpg

I’ve been dropping hints on TIG for months now about how badly I wanted to hear She & Him’s new record, She & Him Volume One, and it looks like it’s finally paid off. Sure, the album came out some two months ago and just arrived in the TIG review bin a couple weeks ago. But better late than never is the expression, right?

She & Him is the swoon-worthy project of Portlandite M. Ward and actress-cum-chanteuse Zooey Deschanel. The analog-riddled album is peppered with '60s-era ditties, chock-full of an old-timey feel yet sounding wonderfully of-the-moment.

The record pays homage to the vocally charged songs of old, including early-20th century female crooners and 1960s girl-group numbers, with mostly original songs (there are a few covers). Deschanel had squirreled away heaps of penned-and-recorded demos that she finally let loose after a one-off collaboration with Ward in 2006. Deschanel’s voice complements Ward’s guitar and production work the way frilly pink bubblegum ice cream so tastily pairs with a sturdy waffle cone.

For any doubters of doe-eyed Deschanel’s musical ability, I challenge you to give Volume One a listen. Fortunately, this isn’t another case of another young actress who decided to further her “empire” (ahem, Scarlett, Lindsay, Hilary…) by recording an album. This gal can sing, as evidenced in one of my favorite movies, Elf. And I trust that had I not known this was the voice of a familiar face, I’d still be smitten by the songs. There’s a ring of a modern day Judy Garland in there.

A string of three really strong tracks mark the middle half of the record, starting with “This is Not a Test,” which is probably my favorite with its wonderful jangly, Smiths-ish guitar lines and a lovely chorale-filled, sing-along melody. Next up is “Change Is Hard,” which reminds me a bit of Rilo Kiley (igLiz, don’t gag!) — if for nothing else than its melancholic slide-guitar and storytelling charms. And then there’s “I Thought I Saw Your Face Today,” begging to be ballroom-danced to.

I positively love the Hawaiian-island vibe of the pedal-steeled Beatles cover, "I Should Have Known Better," despite its inherent cheese. The concluding “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” is a strange choice of a cover, possibly just because I can never hear the song without going back to that hilarious scene in Revenge of the Nerds. But this quiet, a capella version is a good closer.

All in all, the record is a fun addition to the 2008 Summer Albums roster — and I can’t wait to hear what the (hopefully) forthcoming Volume Two will hold.

Fortunately, this isn’t another case of a young actress who decided to further her “empire” (ahem, Scarlett, Lindsay, Hilary...) by recording an album.

She & Him tour dates announced

imaginary stella — Tue, 27 May 2008 21:36:30 +0000

Reports of their scant-few early shows (including SXSW and San Fran's Noise Pop) profess that the duo charmed the socks off the crowds.