Three Imaginary Girls - The Girls

Capitol Hill Block Party 2009 {Saturday}

Chelsea Werner — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:39:53 +0000

25 Jul 2009

As I approached Block Party from Broadway on day two of Block Party, I heard the rising wave of Hey Marseilles on the main stage. Upon entering, my half hung over self was immediately swept up in their orchestral swell. Their performance only got better and better until the last song where their improvised musical meanderings became overwhelming.

By 3:30 the Saturday heat smothering the Vera Stage was intense and as Collin English, drummer of The Pica Beats expressed in their video interview, losing three pounds playing their set was the highlight of the show. It wasn’t their best set, but the use of a horn section in lieu of recently losing their keyboardist, worked extremely well, especially on the extended version of “Territoire” (watch the imaginary interview).

The shade in Neumo’s during The Girls hardly offered respite from the heat, as the floor was packed for their set that started off with an Elvis Costello feeling of light-heartedness, but became more cut and dry rock as their songs employed Nirvana-esque feedback and shredding solos. Personally I’m of the opinion that the world does not need another guitar solo. So I left to join the smiles beaming up at the main stage as Brooklyn-based, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart began to play a set that was all crashing and soft, like a two ton truck full of angora bunnies had been dumped on the crowd.

Let’s say a crap-load of extremely furry bunnies had been hoping around during their set, we all could have started knitting scarves and gotten really down with the twee that The Pains of Being Pure at Heart were already draping over our shoulders. I had been looking forward to seeing TPOBPAH perhaps more than any other band at Block Party, considering this was their first show in Seattle. I wasn’t the only one; you’d think they had played many times and were beloved by all, based on the audience reaction. Their boy-girl harmonies were not perfect and that was fine with me, in fact I wish I could have heard the vocals better over the rolling fuzz of sound. I swear strangers were making friends as “Everything With You” began and by the end of their set, I felt kinder towards everyone around me and psyched for the upcoming release of their Higher Than The Stars EP, out September 22nd on Slumberland.

Next I caught New Faces playing the Vera stage and wondered when the post-punk revival of Interpol had been revitalized and if this wasn’t another post-post-poster band. However, the new material they played used a decent amount of keyboard that managed to uplift their sound and add an interesting dimension to the warbling vocals of Nico Janssen. The crowd had a conspicuous amount of parents in it, but everyone was clapping along to almost every song.

The Thermals took the main stage as the sun was setting but I could see enough to catch the fist-pumping on stage during “How We Know” before breaking into a cover of Nirvana’s “Sappy.” Despite our location making this cover a safe-bet crowd pleaser, somehow this seemed ballsy in The Thermals’ unabashed admittance of their influences. Not content with one cover, they also played The Breeders’ “Saints.” This brought me great joy as I feel like they probably play a tighter live version of this song than The Breeders themselves.

(Thermals photo by joshc as posted in the TIG flickr photo pool.)

Sauntering into The Lonely Forest’s set I was impressed by the way that this band didn’t limit itself to any one musical genre. Their sad slow songs became yelled laments, harnessing a slight amount of grungy introspection. They were consistently melodic, never plain old noisy, and during “Malconstitution” it began to rain with sincerity almost equal to that of the singers vocals. However, despite the yelling, the tight melodies and the sincere-soaked lyrics, The Lonely Forest never became emo, or even screamo. They managed to coat their songs in a softness that didn’t allow the emotions expressed to feel feigned.

While watching The Gossip cover Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody,” I was debating taking Thurston Moore’s advice during his live KEXP interview that we all go home and deactivate our Facebook accounts tonight. But how could I focus on that as Beth Ditto said “Cheers bitches,” and we all started to drink. The Gossip rocked out, Ditto’s breathy powerful vocals backed by the forceful and fun tunes being weaved together by Paine and Billie. They seemed to being having a blast, Ditto breaking into a rendition of Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” before they trailed into their own hits.

(Thermals photo by joshc as posted in the TIG flickr photo pool.)
Next was the set that I was perhaps most surprised by. Future of Left was inside Neumo’s, and even though it seemed like everyone was outside for the end of The Gossip and the beginning of Sonic Youth on the main stage, it was packed. As aggressive as their albums may be, The Future of The Left’s live show had the floorboards caving under the collective pounding of the band and the audience. Someone had their crutches in the air, clapping along to Andy Flakous’ synthesizer playing. Mclusky fans may feel that FotL’s use of a synthesizer is too divergent from the guitar driven rock they loved, but don’t be fooled, this element is what made these songs more than just testosterone packed pounding.

Thurston Moore told us that Sonic Youth’s set would be mostly tracks off The Eternal, and I knew it would be widely covered, so while I stayed to absorb some of their set, since I adore them, I quickly headed to Vera Stage to end my night with Vancouver band, The Japandroids. I’m pretty sure guitarist Brian King brings his own fan with him on tour so that he can stand in front of it and blow back his glorious curls. If this was just a fluke, he should consider making it a staple of their live show.

For two people they packed a lot of f-ing energy into their songs and were still asking the sound people to make them two times louder. The drum kit was facing the side of the stage rather than the front and while drummer David Prowse sang on “Rockers East Vancouver,” a slightly emo jam, King stood with one foot on Prowse’s bass drum, strumming away. You could tell that these two boys have a lot of love for each other and were having a seriously good time defying the festival, saying, “We’re just gonna keep playing till they pull the plug. Heck, we’re in Seattle, not Vancouver.”

And so day two ended, leaving me with the knowledge of just how loved Seattle is, with almost every band citing Seattle as one of their favorite places to play. Maybe they say that everywhere they go, but I for one felt it.

All of the photos without photo credit noted above are by Trickshot Photography... see them all!

Win tickets to see the Vivian Girls this Thursday at Neumo's

imaginary liz — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 04:40:51 +0000

Let's admit it: There has been a wave of near-deafening hype behind the Vivian Girls for over a year now. Then admit this: All that love is well deserved. The Vivian Girls have knocked the socks off a lot of really smart people who have good taste in music for a reason... they really are that good.

You should go see the V Girls when they play Neumo's this Thursday, April 30th with Abe Vigoda and The Girls (which makes sense to have them on the bill for so many design and sonic reasons)... and we're happy to say that we could help you get there with some money left in your pocket to pick up a cd or t-shirt at the merch booth.

Enter to win a pair of tickets to see this Thursday's show courtesy of Three Imaginary Girls. Email us at tig @ three imaginary girls.com with your name and the subject line "VGirlsGirlsGirls" by Tuesday, April 28th at 9a PST.

Yes No Yes No Yes No

Andrew Boe — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:54:10 +0000

7.3

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DF6GUE/?tag=wwwthreeimagi-20

the girls.jpg

Clocking in at just a touch over 25 minutes, the new ten-track CD by the Girls is a retro power-pop release for all of your dancing needs. Titled Yes No Yes No Yes No, the Seattle group's new offering is gaining attention from the airwaves of KEXP to positive reviews from Pitchfork, among other sources.

Sounding like the offspring of Blondie and the Cars, this release is a catchy, poppy little album that hits its jumping and swaying stride on the opening moments of "Where Wolves Drink" and does not let up all the way through until the final notes of closer "Point of Departure" are left ringing out. This is definitely music for a live setting, with the band's signature upbeat, fun songs with just a hint of grime slathered into the mix.

The Girls first gained notoriety for their energy at live shows and Yes No Yes No Yes No successfully captures that sound in a studio format. For a taste of their sweet jumping sense of pop melody, be sure to attend one of their upcoming live shows. Be sure to bring your dancing shoes.

Clocking in at just a touch over 25 minutes, the new ten-track CD by the Girls is a retro power-pop release for all of your dancing needs.

Bumbershoot 2008: Day 1

three imaginary girls — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:36:21 +0000

30 Aug 2008

bumbershootday1.jpg

Bumbershoot is a musical extravaganza, spanning the three-day Labor Day weekend with more bands, arts, and elephant ears than anyone can possibly capture. We had a posse of imaginary writers (ChrisB, Chris Estey, imaginary elle, imaginary dana, and Cory), and photographers (Chona, Kyle, Nathan, and Andrew) all over Seattle Center, trying to capture the frenzy and mayhem of Bumbershoot 2008. Below you can see and read about our adventures during the first day, which kicked off with local electronic duo Beehive and ended with superstar Beck, and covered over 20 other bands in-between.

Enjoy!

Beehive, Wells Fargo Stage

Beehive must be one of the most hard-luck bands in Seattle. The local electronic duo had gotten a difficult timeslot - Saturday at noon but tried to make the most of it. They played an energetic rock set that lasted about 35 minutes, simulating a rock band with electronic instruments. To get the crowd on their side early started off with two covers known by everyone in the fairly large crowd - "We Will Rock You" and "Helter Skelter." Overcoming a scratchy microphone, they got a lot of the crowd to stand and even a few danced. They found their groove early and singer/programmer Alethea, or "Butterfly Beats," delighted the crowd with her soulful voice. (ChrisB)

Beehive photos by Andrew Waits.

New Faces, EMP Sky Church

I've seen this band a bajillion times -- I practically stalk them -- and this was a very good show. They had a great dynamic with a pretty big turnout. They owned that huge stage. (Chona Kasinger)

New Faces. Photos by Chona Kasinger.

Throw Me the Statue, Rockstar Stage

An important aspect to booking festivals is kicking things off with a band to set the right mood. Throw Me The Statue was just such a band, with their undemanding pop tinged with elements such as a backing horn section. Their crowd was comfortable enough to stand or sit, a few head bobbers sprinkled here and there. (imaginary elle)

Throw Me the Statue. Photo by Chona Kasinger.

Throw Me the Statue. Photo by Kyle Johnson.

Neko Case, Samsung Mobile Mainstage

It makes sense to put former Washingtonian Neko Case on the mainstage at Bumbershoot because it was the first time I've seen her in a venue big enough to contain her voice. She played for about 75 minutes and was funny and likeable throughout, making note of playing depressing country songs in the middle of the day. "Deep Red Bells" and "That Teenage Feeling," played back to back sounded enormous and expansive - especially with three different guitar parts (Jon Rahouse on petal steel, Paul Rigby on electric guitar and Case herself playing acoustic guitar). She and longtime collaborator Kelly Hogan joked midway through the set that it was too early in the day for them to get wasted. Their humor was hilarious and provided a necessary balance for the emotional content of her set. {see the setlist} (ChrisB)

Neko Case and Kelly Hogan. Photo by Nathan Feder.

Neko crowd. Photo by Kyle Johnson.

Das Vibenbass, Wells Fargo Stage

The aptly titled quartet Das Vibenbass bring the jazz vibe and bass to the 21st Century music listener, bringing the genre to a more accessible level. Hell, as their set progressed, I started to realize I wished we were listening to the local band--an upright bass, saxophone, drums, and vibraphone--in an exclusive, smokey hidden jazz club with a gin, rather than out in the sunshine on fold able chairs. Wait a minute… are they playing a jazz rendition of "Black Hole Sun" not in a cheesy Kenny G covers Top 40 sort of way, but a very slick, enjoyable way? Never mind, they do know how to bring jazz to the modern ear. Their entire set was brilliant, definitely fetching all the praise they have received, such as being nominated in the Seattle Weekly for Best Jazz act. Doesn't hurt that their saxophone player was a good looking, well-dressed fellow as well. (imaginary elle)

Das Vibenbass photos by Kyle Johnson.

Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, KEXP Lounge

Thao and the Get Down Stay Down photos by Andrew Waits.

The Girls, EMP Sky Church

In the dark crowded Sky Church at the Bumbershoot Festival yesterday afternoon there was briefly the flavor of a late 70s small club show, with the one "wavo" band in town that "got it." The transgressive energy of sleazy humor ("Fixing The Chairs"), light-hearted Futurism, clipped robot rhythms, weird stop-starts ("TV Glow"), and shuffle beats from Shannon Brown (vocals), Elie Goral (drums), Derek Mason (keyboards), Vas Kumar (guitar), and (bassist) Griff happily entranced the hometown Seattle mob. The crowd wasn't frenzied but it was very cheerful. Just like the shared similar aesthetic Figurines and Futureheads, The Girls is even better live than their recordings, wishing they would add more of that spontaneity and rawness next time out to their songwriting. It would be great if this city had its next Screamers, and this band maybe could be a contender for that role. (Chris Estey)

The Girls. Photos by Chona Kasinger

Grynch, Fisher Green Stage

Grynch photos by Kyle Johnson.

Mono in VCF, KEXP Lounge

Nada Surf, KEXP Lounge

The KEXP Lounge is such an amazing refuge from the hurried, elephant-eared pace of Bumbershoot. There a few hundred lucky fans can see bands in a intimate dark (air-conditioned) setting. Catching Nada Surf acoustic style was definitely a highlight of my Bumbershoot experience; Matthew and Ira's spot-on harmonies positively sent chills down my spine. Also of note: the bassist for Osma did an admirable job filling in for an injured Daniel Lorca. Watch a video of the band performing "Weightless." (imaginary dana)

Nada Surf photos by Chona Kasinger.

Fall of Troy, Exhibition Hall

Fall of Troy photos by Kyle Johnson.

PWRFL Power, EMP Sky Church

The Walkmen, Rockstar Stage

The Walkmen. Photos by Chona Kasinger.

Estelle, Fisher Green Stage

Estelle, the British R&B/soul star, delivered what will be one of my favorite sets of the weekend. Playing before a huge crowd on the Fisher Green stage, she more than lived up to the buzz surrounding her new <em>Shine</em> album. On stage she reminded me of a cross between Sharon Jones and Lily Allen - two of my absolute favorite performers. Her band was tight and funky - although I wish they would have been funkier; their obvious influences are Parliament/Funkadelic, The Famous Flames and The Dap Kings and only on a few songs ("Pretty Please" and "American Boy") did they seem to break out. "American Boy", the #1 UK single that also features a cameo from Kanye West, closed the set and the enormous crowd sang along and danced - it was one of those great moments where a huge and diverse crowd shares a fantastic performance of a song that is the soundtrack to a whole lot of summers. (ChrisB)

Estelle. Photos by Nathan Feder.

Saul Williams, Fisher Green Stage

Saul Williams. Photos by Kyle Johnson.

Man Man, Rockstar Stage

Man Man. Photos by Chona Kasinger.

Man Man. Photos by Andrew Waits.

Nada Surf, Starbucks Stage

Nada Surf. Photos by Chona Kasinger.

West Indian Girl, EMP Sky Church

West Indian Girl. Photo by Andrew Waits.

West Indian Girl. Photo by Chona Kasinger.

West Indian Girl. Photo by Kyle Johnson.

Kinski, EMP Sky Church

Kinski. Photos by Kyle Johnson.

!!!, KEXP Lounge

I really enjoy !!!, the Sacramento-based, punk/funk/jam band but writing about them gives me fits with MS Word's grammar check; using Google isn't any easier. Still, their 30+ minute set in KEXP's music lounge was great fun. Playing mostly newer songs (singer Nic Offer even said that they would give us "a hit and a half"), they still delivered the same dance punk they are known for. Offer might have forgotten a few times that this performance was being broadcast on the radio because he dropped the f-word a few times. The funniest time was when he said that he thought the room was full because we were all "the fucks who are going to see Beck tonight" (!!! and Beck is the most unfortunate scheduling conflict of the weekend) and threatened to give a crappy performance for the last song. They didn't; in spite of their threats, they still rocked. (ChrisB)

M Ward, Rockstar Stage

M. Ward. Photo by Andrew Waits.

Beck, Samsung Mobile Mainstage

Did you think Beck was watching a legend in action, as Imaginary Kiku did? Or did you think he was, in a word, bullshit, as ChrisB did? Our imaginary coverage has a little something for everyone.

Beck. Photo by Kyle Johnson.

Enjoy!

Candy Fest

imaginary dana — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:59:10 +0000

The whole event goes down on July 12, and is brought to us thanks to the fabulous bookers at the Comet Tavern and King Cobra.

We Are Wolves with The Girls at The Nectar Lounge

heather b — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 04:30:40 +0000

30 Jan 2008

wearewolves08feb.jpg

DJ Not So Good had been brought in to spin between sets, and we were really impressed with his range and style. The first band up was The Girls, who set us up with some good quality post-punk: fast-paced with good electronics thrown in, reminding me of The Stooges crossed with a little PIL. The Girls appeared well seasoned and comfortable on stage, very charismatic and animated. They easily segued into a heavily keyboard driven, consistently high energy set that the smallish crowd really seemed to like.

Wikipedia's "Electroclash" entry reads as follows: "Electroclash describes a style of fashion, music, and attitude that fuses New Wave, punk, and electronic dance music with somewhat campy and absurdist post-industrial detachment in addition to vampy and/or camp sexuality. The movement combines the 1980s electropop/New Wave/Italo disco sound by means of synthesizers and drum machines. Visuals that are affiliated with electroclash often resemble or directly allude to post-1970s Westwood and Warhol fashion/art scenes" - And you know what? It describes the whole We Are Wolves experience perfectly.

We Are Wolves were the headlining act of the night. What a stylish group of boys! And they had props! They started their set with huge plywood skulls hovering above their heads - why? I don't know. It was cute though.

We Are Wolves are a 3-piece electroclash outfit from Montreal, consisting of guitar, keyboard and drums. They set the atmosphere and had a lot of stage presence. A high-intensity strobe went along with the music, all of it making me feel like I was seconds away from having a total seizure (but in a good way).

The band was tight stylistically and had a lot of sex appeal. The keyboard was a featured part of the whole overall sound, the drumming was simple but clean with solid beats (and the drummer stood during the whole set). At times, the keyboardist and drummer doubled up on the drums, which really added to the intensity. And I totally heart the French Canadian frontman, just frittering all over the place in his little cowboy boots.

Between songs, We Are Wolves spoke French to the audience and finished their set with a song entirely in French (although the vocals were a bit hard to hear on that one). The crowd, albeit tiny, really seemed to enjoy themselves as well. Overall, We Are Wolves really tore up the place. Hells yeah...

A high-intensity strobe went along with the music, all of it making me feel like I was seconds away from having a total seizure (but in a good way).

Join us Friday night for the second "Unscrew the Croc Employees" benefit show at Chop Suey

imaginary liz — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 05:09:10 +0000

Join us at Chop Suey this Friday (January 4th) for a second "Unscrew the Crocodile Employees Benefit Show" featuring stellar Seattle bands Coconut Coolouts, The Intelligence, The Girls, and Das Llamas.

Another UNSCREW the Crocodile Employees benefit in January

imaginary liz — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 20:44:15 +0000

It's good to know that there's a ton of folks who loved and miss the Crocodile and it's employees as much as we did.

Glory be to this town and the folks that have gathered the recent benefits to help the Crocodile employees who have found themselves suddenly and fairly inexplicably without jobs in this holiday season.

There's already a benefit planned at Chop Suey on 12/30, and Three Imaginary Girls is proud to help sponsor a second one, for Friday, January 4th at Chop Suey.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: Viva Voce, The Girls, John Vanderslice, BOAT, Speaker Speaker... aka "Band's we wish we'd seen"

imaginary dana — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 04:34:21 +0000

28 Jul 2007

Since we imaginaries couldn't be everywhere at once, we wanted to share some photos of the shows that we missed, but our erstwhile photographers -- Laura Musselman and Chona Kasinger -- saw and documented.

The Girls (photo by Laura Musselman)

Viva Voce (photo by Laura Musselman)
We've heard nothing but great things about Viva Voce's set at Neumo's... and really, we would never expect anything less from this Portland duo.

Speaker Speaker (photo by Chona Kasinger)

The Saturday Knights (photo by Chona Kasinger)

John Vanderslice (by Chona Kasinger)
Actually, we did catch about half of JV's great set on the Main Stage... and then had the chance to hear him play to a very small gathering the following day. The difference was staggering; somehow, JV translates better in a more intimate setting, where his stellar songwriting skills really shine. More details about that show coming soon!

Fleet Foxes (by Chona Kasinger)
We expect very, VERY big things from this band in the coming year...

And last but not least, TIG lo-fi favorites, BOAT (by Chona Kasinger)

>> Read all Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 reviews on TIG

The Girls (photo by Laura Musselman)

Viva Voce (photo by Laura Musselman)
We've heard nothing but great things about Viva Voce's set at Neumo's... and really, we would never expect anything less from this Portland duo.

Speaker Speaker (photo by Chona Kasinger)

Tonight's Recommended Show: The Ponys, Deerhunter, The Girls at Neumo's

imaginary liz — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 15:07:50 +0000

Join The Ponys at Neumo's tonight as they plod through their critically-acclaimed catalog. From what I've heard of their new album, they've taken it up a notch crafting an album that is (in the words of one wise reviewer) "denser, noisier and more fucked-up than its two predecessors."

Top 50 Northwest Releases of 2004: the Imaginary Readers' Poll Results {40-31}

three imaginary girls — Mon, 03 Jan 2005 08:00:00 +0000

#40 Cantona — 3x4
(self-released)

{official website}

#39 S — Puking and Crying
(Suicide Squeeze Records)

{official website} * {buy it}

#38 The Girls — The Girls
(Dirtnap)

{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}

#37 The Jeunes — 4 Song EP
(self-released)

{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}

#36 Daniel G. Harmann — The Lake Effect
(Post436 Records)

{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}

#35 Graig Markel — Tall Tales on Tape
(Sonic Boom Recordings)

{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}

#34 Mark Lanegan — Bubblegum
(Beggars Banquet)

{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}

#33 A.C. Newman — The Slow Wonder
(Matador Records)

{official website} * {buy it}

#32 Blood Brothers — Crimes
(V2)

{official website} * {buy it} * {tig photos}

#31 Tegan and Sara — So Jealous
(Vapor Records)

{official website} * {buy it} * {tig interview

The top Northwest releases of 2004 as voted on by you, our readers (see winners #40-31 here).

The Girls

lee. — Sat, 17 Jul 2004 07:00:00 +0000

7.2

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0001WJMVA/wwwthreeimagi-20

thegirls.jpg

'Tude. The Girls know it. It's what differentiates pop from punk, the have's from the have not's, the XY's from the XX's.

Don't get it? Try this instead: take the awkward new wave of the Cars, add in the confident punk of the Buzzcocks, and then cross them with modern art rock of the Liars. That might help you get a grasp on the Girls sound. Each song on their latest self-titled release boosts the confidences. It's like a mighty, sonic slap on the face, saying "Wake up! Let's go make some noise!"

Still don't get it? The Girls have attitude in spades, my friend. So much that I almost felt invincible as I listened to "She's Hysterical" on my walk to work.* It's a near perfect post-new wave/punk song. The jagged, crunchy guitar chords backing up the lyric, "We make war! We make love! But please get your hands off my ster-e-o! You are, you are, you are, you are, you are, you are, you are, you are . . . uh! oh!" was just the amount of 'hand on the hip-shaking, finger-wagging' fuel to support most any level of civil (or uncivil for that matter) disobedience.

Known for their alleged lap dances as much as their well-documented, ferocious live sets in animal print G-strings, The Girls are have made a name for themselves in Seattle's music scene. Dirtnap Records must be pleased as punch to have such a propulsive act on their roster. The Girls are cock-rock with a glammed-out synth/punk rock flair.

*Ok, ok! So it's not really that dangerous walking down Pine St. to work downtown, save for that moderately aggressive homeless guy hanging at the Melrose and Pine bus stop. But seriously, my confidence WAS boosted. This shit IS virile!!

The Girls have attitude in spades, my friend. So much that I almost felt invincible as I listened to "She's Hysterical" on my walk to work.