Joel Smith and the Hands of Plenty - Spokane, WA (6/19/2009)

Joel Smith and the Hands of Plenty were opening for Ten Mile Tide at The Swamp last Friday. I first got to see them at Elkfest. We got to see Joel Smith before the thunderstorm drove us back in from the patio. Ten Mile Tide was beginning to setup inside when we left, but were no where near ready to play. The Swamp's patio is a nice place to listen to music when there isn't a downpour.

Skeletonwitch - Spokane, WA (6/12/2009)

I first heard about Skeletonwitch when they were added to the lineup of the Scion Rock Fest in February. Skeletonwitch play fun, straightforward blackened thrash metal. I say fun not to diminish the heaviness of their music. The riffs are punishing, and frontman Chance Garnette commands the stage with his black metal inspired growls. You can't take yourself too seriously in the world of metal or you are doomed to become a joke trying too hard to be hard. I fall firmly on the side of GWAR and Iron Maiden on the metal theatrics argument.

These guys were nice to talk to, and you could tell they had a blast playing. Before playing one song, Chance told the crowd, "This one's about Sataaaaaaaan!" before guitarists Nate and Scott launched into a twin axe attack as smoke billowed out from the back of the stage. That is what metal is about.

Skeletonwitch has Beyond the Permafrost out on Prosthetic Records which I picked up at the show. They are working on their new album and recording in Seattle. Here's a live video of them in Brooklyn to give you idea of their live show though the sound isn't too great.

Elkfest 2009 - Spokane, WA (5/29-31/2009)

Elkfest was hot and fun this year. The Elk installed water misters in their tented area which were quite refreshing. All of the bands were pleasantly surprising. I was already looking forward to seeing the Moondoggies and I wasn't disappointed. I caught the very end of Shim's set on Saturday night. I'll definitely have to check them out in the future. I was able to grab CD's from the Moondoggies and Joel Smith.

The Booze Fighters

Silian Rail

Joel Smith and the Hands of Plenty

The Maldives

Pickwick

David Dondero

The Moondoggies

Flickr, Last.fm

The Decemberists - Missoula, MT (5/24/2009)

We made a short trip over to Missoula to see the Decemberists they day after their Sasquatch performance. It was a homecoming of sorts for Colin Meloy who was born in Montana and started the band Tarkio there. They played The Hazards of Love in it's entirety followed by a varied collection of Colin Meloy/Tarkio/Decemberists tunes. The Hazards of Love takes on new life on the stage and the Decemberists played for almost 3 hours.

Blind Pilot

The Decemberists



Flickr, Last.fm

Setlist:

1-17. The Hazards of Love (album)

Encore

18. Apology Song
19. July, July!
20. We Both Go Down Together
21. Sleepless
22. Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)
23. (Country Western) If I Could Only
24. Dracula's Daughter
25. O Valencia!
26. The Chimbley Sweep
27. Sons & Daughters

Encore

28. Save Yourself
29. A Cautionary Song
-livejournal

Tracks 19, 29 from Castaways and Cutouts
Track 26 from Her Majesty
Track 20 from Picaresque
Tracks 22, 25, 27 from The Crane Wife
Track 21 from charity compilation Dark Was the Night
Track 28 from Tarkio album I Guess I Was Hoping for Something More
Track 24 from Colin Meloy album Colin Meloy Sings Live!
Track 18 from 5 Songs
Track 23 Emmylou Harris cover?

Review: The Thermals - Now We Can See

I've had this review sitting on the shelf for a while. After the Thermals pottery class, I thought I would bring it out. This album has been out for over a month and I've been digesting it since then. The Thermals last album The Body, The Blood, The Machine is probably one my favorite albums to come out in the last ten years. It's catchy, anthemic, and makes you want to drive with the top down. Now We Can See is equally anthemic and catchy. The move from Sub Pop to Kill Rock Stars hasn't changed their sound. The addition of a new drummer and a new producer hasn't either. This record is pure Thermals garage rock.

That's it. Nothing else needs to be said. This is both a good and bad thing. The record stands on its own, both simplistic and powerful, but it doesn't aspire to much greater heights. The title track has already grown to be commonplace for me. The production and the "oh we oh" chorus seems forced. I don't want to be one those fans who is like, "I like them better when they had that raw sound on their demos", but it is partially true. "I Let It Go" was the song that got me excited for this album when I saw a clip of them performing it on a short documentary about Portland music. They were in a basement, with no drummer, just playing.

This is a good album. Hutch and Kathy are great songwriters. My expectations were high, probably too high. I'm already excited for the next album and for when I finally get to see them live.

Highs: "I Let It Go", "Liquid In, Liquid Out"
Lows: "Now We Can See"

Mp3: "Now We Can See", "I Was Afraid (Demo)"

Rating: 7.7

Thermals Pottery Class

IFC decided to have the Thermals make some stuff out of clay. They talk a little about their audience and their concert "faces". Not much information about their music other than clips in the background, but if gives you some insight into their personalities. Possibly NSFW when Hutch discusses and demonstrates French eroticism.

Elkfest 2009 Lineup

Elkfest is taking over Cannon St. again for 3 days of music, sun, and beer. Elkfest runs Friday through Sunday, May 29th through May 31st. Artfest is also taking place down the street at Coeur d'Alene Park. Here's the Elkfest Lineup, check out the Elkfest page for artist links.

Friday May 29th

4 PM - The Booze Fighters

6:30 PM - Silian Rail

9:15 PM - The Globes

Saturday May 30th

2 PM - Kaylee Cole w/ Adam David, Dane Ueland, and Kevin Long

3:30 PM - Joel Smith & the Hands of Plenty

5 PM - Whiskey Dick Mountain

6:15 PM - La Cha-Cha

8 PM - The Maldives

9:15 PM - Shim

Sunday May 31st

3 PM - Pickwick

4:15 PM - David Dondero

5:30 PM - The Moondoggies ("Changing" MP3)

7 PM - James Pants & the Royal Zodiac

8:15 PM - Velella Velella ("Do Not Fold/Do Not Bend" MP3)