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.

more...

This weekend (Saturday and Sunday, March 13 and 14) Seattle area comics fans have a big old funny book hootenanny to party at inside the Washington State Convention Center. There are some panels and huge rooms full of comics and toys being sold. Also, dealers of another kind: I found the bootleg soundtrack to the Aussie skinhead flick Romper Stomper there last year! Right before a dark cloud of Suicide Girls turned a long table's corner and crashed into a swarm of Star Wars Storm Troopers. I am not making any of this up. It was freaking awesome-possum.

more...

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!}

more...

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).

more...

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!

more...

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!)

more...

Three Imaginary Girls, The Stranger, Pabst Blue Ribbon and Neumo's are proud to present Hootenanny! -- our very own SXSW sendoff party for 2010 -- with Visqueen, Hey Marseilles, Mash Hall (formerly known as They Live!), and Fences on Friday, March 5th at Neumo's.

It's that time of year again, kids -- where we all steel ourselves for some couchsurfing, and start making our wishlists for the bands we can't miss -- yes, it's time to head down to Austin for SXSW 2010! And to celebrate, we'd love for you to join our sendoff party at Neumo's on Friday, March 5th. Come join us as we wish our favorite ladies and gents well before they hit the road... tickets for this 21+ show are only $10 in advance and $12 at the door.

Expect a downright rager of a night, with local big-guitar all-stars Visqueen headlining the bill, and Hey Marseilles bringing their lush, alt.indie.orchestral songwriting skills to the stage. On top of that magic, Mash Hall and everyone's favorite Fences will be rounding out the opening support -- doors are at 8pm and you won't want to miss a minute of this lineup. So make sure you're on the hill nice and early!

more...

at The Crocodile

 

My Morning Jacket/Massive Attack/Pavement/Ween/Vampire Weekend/MGMT/Band of Horses/The Nationa/LCD Soundsystem/Tegan & Sara/Broken Social Scene/Passion Pit/She & Him/Public Enemy/Nada Sur/The New Pornographers/The XX, Dirty Projectors/Ok, Go/Drive By Truckers/Kid Kudi/Deadmaus/The Long Winters/Minus the Bear/The Mountain Goats/Quasi/Camera Obscura/Fruit Bats/Brother Ali/Midlake/Dr. Dog/The Hold Steady/Caribou/Simian Mobile Disco/City of Colour/No Age/the Temper Trap/Vetiver/Miike Snow/Portugal. The Man/Telekinesis/ The Middle East/Mayer Hawthorne/Why?/Girls/Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes/Wale/The Lonely Forest/Japandroids/Boys Noize/Yacht/Laura Marling/Patrick Watson/Freelance Whales/Past Lives/Cymbals Eat Guitars/The Low Anthem/The Very Best/Phantogram/Neon Indian/Hudson Mohawke/Nurses/The Tallest Man on Earth/Fresh Espresso/Mumford & Sons/Jets Overhead/Tune-yards/Shabazz Palaces/Fool's Gold/Morning Teleportation/Z-Trip, Dam-Funk/Local Natives/Avi Buffalo/Booka Shade/A-Trak/Yes Giantess/Craig Robinson/Rob Riggle/Garfunkel & Oates/Luke Burbank & more.....

Tickets go on sale Saturday... so, erm, what do ya think?

 

more...

at The Comet

I've been wondering whether the Parson Red Heads' (PRHs) Residency was going to work out. I mean playing weekly shows for four consecutive weeks, up and down the west coast, without losing the magic is a pretty tall order.

more...