You know how some records are just impossible to find in stores, due to small distribution and tiny awesome labels? Well, Chris Mac does too. And that's why he decided to open Jigsaw Records (5459 Leary Ave NW, 2nd floor, right above Resolution Audio). "We deal directly with bands and labels around the world (many of which have little or no distribution) to help them get more exposure", says Mac, also the creator of the wonderful indie pop haven Indiepages.

Mac's got the tiny store (14x14) stuffed to the gills with only the highest quality indie pop and rock records, cds, and tapes, and with his encyclopedic knowledge of indie pop is the type of guy who loves making suggestions, even to the point of putting descriptor stickers on every new release he carries (you know, so if you're looking for twee pop, you don't accidentally buy a pop punk album).

Not only is he supporting DIY music, but the shop itself follows a strict DIY aesthetic, with wonderful hand-built shelves, made with love, carrying your new favorite records.

The shop opens this Saturday, March 13th with the greatest possible opening party imaginable, featuring the first Math and Physics Club show in 2 years! Also appearing will be the fabulous D. Crane of BOAT. The show starts at 7 and is all ages and free! Come browse records and walk away with a new favorite band or five.

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This weekend, some of Seattle's best music websites (and even better friends) are celebrating their birthdays and they've got your weekend booked with fantastic shows that showcase the talent and diversity of the Northwest. Back Beat Seattle is turning one on Friday and Ear Candy is celebrating it's birthday with what its founder, editor, chief, etc... Travis Hay calls "Ear Candy's Weekend of Awesome" and has shows Saturday and Sunday night at different clubs. Also quite thrilling: Dagmar and Amelia from Back Beat and Travis from Ear Candy have all written for TIG before starting their own flourishing websites.

Back Beat's show is Friday at the Blue Moon and it features Blood Red Dancers, THEESatisfaction and What What Now. It all goes down starting at 10pm and you'll need $5 and ID proving you're at or over 21 to get in the door.

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It's finally here! Tonight's the big night, and we hope you'll all be joining us for our very imaginary SXSW sendoff hootenanny at Neumo's! Doors are at 8, and tickets are going fast -- so make sure you get down there early.

We've told you about Fences, Mash Hall and Hey Marseilles over the last few days, and now it's time to give you some scoop on our headliner: Visqueen. Bringing big guitars, tight vocals, and catchy songwriting to the stage for as long as our imaginary hearts knew how to swoon, Visqueen is jumping on the success of their last album Message to Garcia and taking the show on the road. Literally.

March 13   Boise, ID @ the Record Exchange
March 13   Boise, ID @ Neurolux
March 14   Denver, CO @ Lion's Lair Lounge
March 16-21 SXSW
March 22   Tuscon, AZ @ Plush
March 23   Las Vegas, NV @ Thunderbird Lounge

Let's start them (and the rest of our fabulous favorite-ist bands) out right with a Seattle-worthy farewell tonight -- we'll see you all there!

Mash Hall and Fences are the first bands on the bill this Friday at Neumo's, and trust us when we tell you: you're going to want to be there early enough to catch both of their sets. Seriously.

Having gone through some positive shake-ups as of late -- Mash Hall with a moniker change, and Fences with some rad additions to their lineup -- these two local favorites are polishing up their best shoes and bringing us a taste of what they've got in store for Austin (and the rest of 2010). Make sure you come check them both out this Friday -- and in the meantime, here's a peek at some recent creative output from these two local favorites.

{PS: Tickets are only $10 and they're going fast -- take advantage of the pre-show price and pick yours up today!}

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Saturday night is the finals to the EMP's always excellent Sound Off! competition for under 21 Northwest bands. After three narrowing down the competition to four bands over the past four weeks, the winner will be named here, with Candysound, Hooves and Beak, Great Waves and SEACATS viable to take home lots of great prizes (including a guaranteed spot at Bumbershoot). A few days after the first night of Sound Off!, I ran into a local music legend at a book reading and she was raving to me about Candysound, for what that's worth.

On another note, our friends from the EMP asked me if we thought we had readers of TIG who wanted to see the finals for free. So, if you are one such reader who would like to go (and bring a friend), please send an e-mail to tig@threeimaginarygirls.com before 9am on Friday, March 5 with "Soundoff" in the subject line. Of course, this is all-ages with the show starting at 8 (doors 7).

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{Robert Schneider from the Apples In Stereo from Athens Popfest 2008}

We here at TIG have been crushing out over Athens Popfest for years. I've been every year since 2006 and Liz went in 2005 and 2007. It's pretty much always the best week of the year, fusing together amazing indie pop, delicious food (seriously, Athens has the best!), and wonderful community. I look forward to the lineup announcement all year long, and the wonderful popfest folks have given us just a taste of what's to come, featuring some of my current favorite bands and lots of TIG favorites (and as always, some newbies I'm so excited to hear)!

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Come and get your gee-haw on this Friday night at Neumo's -- on us!

That's right, we're giving away a pair of tickets to the show of the week, our very own SXSW 2010 Sendoff! You can rage along to Visqueen's big guitars, swoon to the orchestral-pop melodies of Hey Marseilles, get your groove on with Mash Hall, and warm your night up right with Fences -- all under one roof! (And PS -- tickets are only ten dollars in advance. Ten! It's a steal at twice the price!)

Just send an email to tig@threeimaginarygirls.com with the subject line, "Let'sGetReadyToSX!" by this Thursday, March 4th at 10am, and tell us why you and your +1 should be our lucky guests.

Good luck -- we'll see you all at the show!

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As you shake free from your mandatory PNW hibernation, you've undoubtedly caught wind of all the rad lineups coming our way as the first whiffs of spring tour sneak up on us. And next week is bringing one of the first post-winter shows to Seattle that we're really beside ourselves about -- those gorgeously accent-laden Scottish sad bastards We Were Promised Jetpacks will be hitting the stage at Neumo's on Tuesday, March 2nd.

(Yes, next week is March. Already. Yikes!)

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Whether you're debating what to do tonight, out of town on March 5th, not going to SXSW, or just need to get your indie.stringed.goodness fix -- you're in luck. Hey Marseilles will be headlining an all-ages show tonight at the Vera Project. Come on down and get your swoon on with Seattle's favorite seven-piece!

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"Pairing a French-lyricist and classically trained marimba player with the former lead singer of Harvey Danger, the second installment of Chamber v. Chamber looks at the sounds we create when we want forget about the holiday of Love."

Starring: Sean Nelson and Erin Jorgenson. I know. Rad, right? Read on:

As the musical fraction of the Sorrento’s Night School, Chamber vs. Chamber endeavors to spark a dialogue between indie rock and traditional chamber music, combining classical chamber performances with indie rock theatrics. Each Chamber vs. Chamber evening will include multiple illuminating performances and conversation between the musicians and leaders in the classical and indie rock canon. (The first Chamber event included the likes of Loch Lomond, Spectratone, and Lori Goldston.)

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