Wyoming is Jacob Bercovici, Los Angeles native, songwriter, guitarist for Julian Casablancas, Columbia Records recording artist and producer of sound. His music is delicate, but not wimpy, his voice is deep, but not Crash Test Dummy deep. His songs are soothing and innovative, simple; like a cold winter breath on your shoulder. Wyoming makes lovely music to die to, cook to, and reflect to. Im listening to it as i write and think that i shall listen to it again and again. I usually pass off soft music as something for older people, but i could definetely see myself bumping this at 4 am when the party is dying. A true talent. Check him out!

‘WYOMING’ - OPENING FOR ‘ONE ESKIMO’
@ The Triple Door - 10/14/10
216 UNION ST. SEATTLE, WA
Mainstage Doors @ 730pm
http://www.tripledoor.net/

Jimmy Lee Lindsay Jr. died in his sleep on 1/13/09. Wonder what happened?? I predict sleeping pills and alcohol.

Cant believe it. Another one bites the dust. Was just thinking how pretty and talented she was a couple of days ago. Poor thing. Drugs are bad!

Panama Gold has been plugging away in their home studio, and have finally finished their self-titled EP. According to the band, the process was a fun one, and challenging at the same time. The boys honed in a little further on their signature sound while adding strings and horns on their first single, “Cheer up Shayla”. The EP is ten songs deep (we know, a little longer than an EP should be) and perfectly matches their live set. Go to their myspace to listen to the songs, or purchase a copy through Madcap Records.

by Kelly Dugan, Day G

A stellar new studio has arrived for musicians at the core of Seattle’s vibrant Pike/Pine corridor!! Owner Leigh Stone’s creation, Crybaby Studios, has laid out a magnificent, well-planned one-stop-shop where musicians can write, rehearse and record in the heart of the city, instead of having to go to… well, Woodinville or something.

At the Friday night studio opening, party-goers jammed and sang Karaoke, while several bands played us some live songs in their individual rehearsal rooms. The surprisingly functional vintage pinball machines, tasty deli trays and well-stocked fridge complete with Heineken and Rainier, kept the party going ’til the wee hours of the night. Members from local bands Atomic Bride, The Royal Bear, Panama Gold, Ocelot Omelot, and the Tempers were all in attendance, scoping and enjoying the freshly constructed recording studio.

Crybaby studio’s atmosphere is on par with other top Seattle facilities: They’ve got a friendly staff, killer lounge, and unfettered access to a treasure trove of tools. I know what you’re thinking.. “But how much?”. The studio rental is priced at ‘worth-every-penny’ rate of $350.00 per day.

What about the specs? The studios are complete with a hi-def Pro tools rig, and a posh 24-track board that once recorded “The Terminator” !!! It’s true, If you come once, “you’ll be back”. ( hey, it’s the Terminator).

You can contact them with any questions you have, here:

www.crybabystudios.net
206-660-0117

‘Grace’: PETA’s Thanksgiving ad

Thats the word. Hooray for Seattle. Lets do it Mikey.

On Monday night gossip blogger and music enthusiast Perez Hilton brought his touring show to a mellow, and unsuspecting Seattle. I knew that there was going to be some dance-worthy acts playing, but I had no idea that I would leave with sweat dripping from my beard and my comb over exposed. The bill consisted of NYC’s Semi-Precious Weapons, Seattle-based Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head and Ladyhawke, from Australia.

 Semi-Precious Weapons took the stage first and came out swinging. SPW are a bombastic 4 piece glam rock band led by Justin Tranter, an incredibly gifted vocalist, dancer and comedian. His antics were bold and flamboyant, but never threatening or in poor taste. They ripped through a flawless set that was perfect parts throwback rock and progressive dance-rock. Their sing-along choruses and stripped down songs recalled the sounds of KISS and The New York Dolls while still manifesting some expiremental arrangements. Tranter and band were the ideal primers for the night with their erratic showmanship and crowd interaction.

Next up was Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head who rocked the joint from note one. Their high energy performance engaged the entire demographic, while their songs were incredible and showmanship far beyond their years. NPSH’s synths were fat and juicy just like their record and their group vocals tight knit. “Me and Your Daughter”, and “Iceage Babeland” unlocked the crowd and even spawned some fans taking to the stage to get off with the band.

Ladyhawke hit the stage around eleven to an impeccably seasoned crowd who knew it was time to dance or die. Ladyhawke’s ‘less is more’ approach to their performance provided a great balance to the show, and found the masses trance-dancing after thrashing through the high octane sets of Semi-Precious Weapons and NPSH. Ladyhawke kept her eyes fixated on the crowd for most of the set while experiencing strange little twitches that made it seem like she was going in and out of a hypnotic state while performing. Their music was beautiful, energetic, and literally EVERY song was good. Highlights of their set were the Van Halen/Cyndi Lauper tinged ‘Back of the Van”, and ‘Dusk Til Dawn’ a synthy rocker with a driving beat and rhythmic vocals.

Perez had stated on his blog that his shows were turning into “parties” and I can now attest to that. Everyone in the place was grooving, which created a closeness that you don’t experience at most Seattle shows. During Ladyhawke’s set I found myself in a dance pit with a 6 year old, an old married couple in their 50s, and a slew of non-hipsters, while Justin Tranter crowd surfed and the NPSH crew group danced with arms around eachother. My friends and I couldn’t agree on who we liked best — all of the acts offered a unique element to the show which made for an unforgettable bill. Way to go Perezito and all the bands. The best Monday night … ever.

Myspace.com/semipreciousweapons
Myspace.com/ladyhawkerock
Myspace.com/natalieportmansshavedhead

 

Whats goin on Al? I thought you were the only Stroke that wasn’t on drugs! You’ve been highly productive in the last two years, perhaps the touring got to ya. Agyness Deyn claims he’s been highly confrontational and erratic; I predict booze and coke as his main vices… You know if the Strokes put you in rehab it must be bad. Good luck Al, straighten out.

The word is that Louis XIV has broken up. Brian Karscig has apparently left the band and started a new group, The Nervous Wreckords, after stating, “Louis XIV started to feel more like a business than a camaraderie, and in that, the music started to suffer and started feeling uninspired.” The blog post on their myspace page stated that Jason Hill is said to be working on new solo material as well.

It is a sorry thing to see such a great band go under, but perhaps this will simply turn into a hiatus while they seek out their separate creativity destinies. There doesn’t to appear to be any animosity within the band, however there is a clear artistic suffocation occurring. The band has their own record label and studio, Pineapple Records and XIV recorders, which is outfitted with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of vintage equipment, so it is doubtful that they will be going their separate ways.

While Louis XIV enjoyed plenty of commercial success and toured numerous times with The Killers and on their own, they somehow struggled to reached the mega-cog status of bands like Radiohead, The Killers and Bloc Party. Their first independent releases, The Pink and Blue EP’s and their January 2005 debut, ‘The Best Little Secrets are Kept,’ were stripped down, raw, vocally playful and easily consumable. LXIV remarked that their method was to go into the studio and ‘not overthink it.’ The band went back into the studio to record ‘Slick Dogs and Ponies’ which was released in March of 2008. This effort used much more studio trickery to fill in the gaps, and while delivering some great songs, it lacked the simplicity and punch of the initial formula. The international music press didn’t appear to be as excited about the new release and some fans may have lost interest while waiting 3 years for their album to be completed.

Louis XIV is arguably one of the most creative and talented rock bands to surface in the past decade – They were electric onstage and brilliant in the studio. Hopefully they decide to call this a ‘break’ and not a ‘break up,’ so as to leave the door open for future recordings and tours.

Louis XIV Myspace
Nervous Wreckords Myspace