Reviews

The Jesus and Mary Chain with The Turn Ons at Showbox Sodo

Andrew Boe — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:07:35 -0700

It was an evening of typical deadpan cool Mary Chain. Singer Jim Reid rarely interacted with the crowd and the rest of the band hardly broke free from their statuesque stage presence.

Sub Pop 20: Flight of the Conchords

Imaginary Banana — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:48:39 -0700

When the humble and talented boys from Wellington, New Zealand took the stage on Saturday night at Marymoor Park, the excitement and anticipation of the crowd was palpable.

Tilly and the Wall at the Echoplex in LA

Diana Salier — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:55:46 -0700

All of the band members are so ridiculously genuine on stage and have such an awesome appreciation for their fans that it's hard to ever utter a negative word about them - and if they keep it up, no one will ever have to.

Photo Essay: BOAT w/ Tullycraft and Fishboy at the Sunset

Steve Louie — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:01:53 -0700

A sweaty night of indie-pop songs about taqueria girls, vampires, baseball, bubblegum and Chicago public schools.

Fishboy at the Fremont Troll

Steve Louie — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:31:27 -0700

Spelling Sing-a-longs at the Fremont Troll

Sub Pop 20: Wolf Parade

imaginary chona — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:57:07 -0700

The Canadian five-piece put on a captivating and flowing long set. The vocals were handsome, the energy was definitely pumping, and the instrumentals were majestic.

Sub Pop 20: No Age

imaginary chona — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:47:19 -0700

Their sound is punchy and dancy and possesses all the right grooves to get you going good.

Sub Pop 20: Foals

imaginary chona — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:25:07 -0700

I mean so bad ass that guitarist Jimmy Smith was spotted retching backstage. Alas, the occupational hazards of rocking as hard as they do.

Sub Pop 20: The Helio Sequence

imaginary chona — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:06:05 -0700

Nobody makes blips and mad math rock drumlines sound as good as these guys.

Sub Pop 20

imaginary stella — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:40:30 -0700

All in all, Sub Pop 20 was probably the best festival I've ever attended. A sleek schedule, a shockingly good lineup, and a stellar time all around. Happy Birthday, Sub Pop! And many, many more.

Sub Pop 20: Fleet Foxes

imaginary chona — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:29:35 -0700

An honest and raw set, Fleet Foxes have never disappointed me. Their sound epitomizes Seattle folk.

Sub Pop 20: Green River

imaginary stella — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:29:24 -0700

Tonight, edging toward the end of this stellar two-day fete in honor of Sub Pop's birthday, the band that was once only the stuff of lore took the stage and became reality.

Sub Pop 20: Beachwood Sparks

heather b — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 19:44:45 -0700

Their harmonies were sweet and the whole effect is just good-natured country pop, twangy little riffs and upbeat drums; there's nothing at all negative about their music.

Sub Pop 20: Comets On Fire

heather b — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:48:40 -0700

Everyone looked like they were being blown away, but not in a good way, everyone seemed kind of rooted to where they stood, unable to move, unable to walk away. I was a little relieved when it ended!

Sub Pop 20: Red Red Meat

imaginary stella — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:33:07 -0700

Especially lovely today were the languid wafts of guitar and hypnotic beats layered by Rutili's husky voice, a mix of Jay Farrar and Mark Kozelek.

Sub Pop 20: Kinski

heather b — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:54:37 -0700

When listening to Kinski I always feel like I've been projected into some kind of secret agent spy movie and we're at the big car chase scene on a mountain pass.

Sub Pop 20: Blitzen Trapper

heather b — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:42:53 -0700

They finally did get a little experimental-folky later in the set, busting out the maracas, cymbal-infused drums, and oh! cowbell! Lots of screamy, feedback-y organ too.

Sub Pop 20: Grand Archives

imaginary stella — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 13:47:16 -0700

Their sweet vocal harmonies, lilting tempos, and quiet melodies awakened my senses as the mid-day sun began to filter through Marymoor Park's trees.

The Real Tuesday Weld: Whatever happened to grunge?

ChrisB — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 12:17:32 -0700

The Real Tuesday Weld played their cabaret-style pop, or what Coates calls “antique beat” – think the Gershwins with an iBook.

Sub Pop 20: Pissed Jeans

imaginary chona — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 02:49:27 -0700

Frontman Matt Korvette captivated the sold out audience with his stage antics (water bottle kicking, belly thrusting, mic biting, thrusting the microphone into his eye, etc)