The Imaginary Zine is a 60-page old school printed zine recounting our first 10 years with some of our favorite blog posts and stories from our imaginary friends. It is extemely limited with only 333 handcrafted zines made.
It also includes a cd chock full of rare, live, or exclusive songs by some of our favorite local artists, including The Long Winters, BOAT, Tullycraft, Exohxo, Tennis Pro, Math & Physics Club and many more!
{This is part two of our Pickathon 2012 coverage. Be sure to pop over here to catch the first half, with photos of Thee Oh Sees, Langhorne Slim, The Mynabirds, Bowerbirds, and more!}
Our second full day at Pickathon kicked off just right on Sunday, as we strolled onto the grounds around high noon to hear none other than Gordon Gano himself, along with the Lost Bayou Ramblers, blasting out fiddle-mod-ed Femmes favorites like "Blister in the Sun" and "Add It Up" out into the sunshiney, dusty heat. The crowd, artists, and media folks alike stood grinning and thrilled, and few steps to the right, the set bled right into a breezy yet energy-filled performance by Portland's Y La Bamba. We're going to go out on a limb and say it was {damn near} one of the finest festival start-off mornings in recent memory.
Y La Bamba:
After a bass-heavy jam sesh from The War On Drugs, indie scene crossover favorites Shovels and Rope were up, and like the Gordon Gano set, it was much to everyone's delight. There's a hell of a lot of quality sound that comes out of these two when they take the stage, as they fuse good old-fashioned songwriting with smart melodies, a strong vocal sensibility, and an infectious energy. Seattleites likely caught their set pre-Pickathon at the KEXP Concerts at the Mural series last Friday, but if you didn't, they're playing just about every day between now and September 1st in different pockets across the country. Click here to see if any of it is happening near you!
We know, we know -- Pickathon? you say, with an air of disbelief. Isn't that a bunch of beardy hippies with banjos out on a farm someplace in rural Oregon? Do they even have wi-fi? Fret not, dear imaginary friends: we are here to share the good news, which is the plain and simple fact that Pickathon Is Awesome. It's kind of got everything you ever hope for in a festival -- multiple stages in the open air that vibe on well into the nighttime, it's not too crowded, there's abundant camping on-site, and it's chock full of local food vendors and boasts a purposeful, sustainable green vibe. And of course, first and foremost, Pickathon's got the bands. (And ps, apparently, abundant wi-fi.)
This year's lineup has everything from sad bastards and bastardettes {like Laura Gibson, Alela Diane, and the Bowerbirds} to full frontal shredders {Heartless Bastards, Cave Singers} and back again. Whether you like the cool, sweet croon of Neko Case or the jamtastic vibe of Dr. Dog, or those multi-faceted types like Langhorne Slim -- who gives us a little bit of everything, from scream to croon to a howl -- you'll find your groove on Pendarvis Farm. And to sweeten the deal for you not-so-rootsy folks, the weekend is parsed through with some of the best of right now's straight-up indie.fill-in-the-blank vibes, with sets by Y La Bamba, Typhoon, Thee Oh Sees, and THEESatisfaction.
Here's a little more on the folks you already know and love:
The idea of hearing the Cave Singers rage on into the nighttime on a farm in the middle of nowhere (kind of) has got me near-giddy with delight. Imagine if they went back-to-back with Heartless Bastards? HELLO, DREAM SET. Their shreddy, full-volume indie-roots part Zeppelin, part campfire vibe is unlike anything else out there, and we are bummed out to the max that we won't be hitting town until late Saturday morning -- their Friday night set is going to be a doozy. If you're up there on time, catch these guys on Friday night from 1a - 2a (hell yeah!) in The Galaxy Barn, and on Saturday on The Woods Stage from 4:30p - 5:30p.
Fresh off of a well-recieved performance at the Capitol Hill Block Party, Ms. Case will be gracing us with her one-of-a-kind croon twice at Pickathon as well. Her stories are well-worn and beautifully crafted, and as her bio states, walk the line between contemporary and timeless with nary a mis-step. She'll headline The Woods Stage on Saturday from 9p - 10p, and the Mt. View Stage on Sunday from 8:45p - 10p.
We're lucky to have the folks at More Dust Than Digital and our pal Greg Vandy in our midst, creating killer artist portraits like the one above for local folkster Alela Diane. She's currently on tour in Europe (per her gorgeous recent Instagram photos) and will be making her way back this way for two sets at the festival. Catch her at The Workshop Barn on Friday from 5p - 6p, and again on Sunday on The Woods Stage from 3p - 4p.
This Blitzen Trapper track ("Furr") is the one that got me hooked, and the one that keeps me coming back to this band for a contribution on about half of the mixes I make for friends looking to be turned on to 'new' music. They're fresh off of a tour supporting Wilco, will be making a stop out at Doe Bay Fest later in August, and they'll be hitting the road in late September / early October with our pals The Head and the Heart. Short version? Get hip if you're not already there. You can take them in at Pickathon Friday on the Woods Stage from 9p - 10p, and Sunday on the Mt. View Stage from 6:45p - 8p.
Hello, jamtown. To quote Dr. Dog on recording their latest album: "It was reminiscent of when we were starting out and were these fearless weirdos in a basement, so confident and reckelss and bold." That's exactly the vibe we're hoping to catch from them up at Pickathon, as they take us on a trip from noodle-jam to gritty rock and back again. Couple their instrument-wielding talents with an at-times unprecedented lyrical prowess, and you've got a recipe for a good time. Dr. Dog plays The Mt. View Stage on Saturday from 9:45p - 11p, and The Galaxy Barn on Sunday from 1a - 2a.
Just like the Cave Singers, I am beside myself at the opportunity to spend a set or two with The Heartless Bastards out in the starry, clear nighttime. The cut above (yep, that video is about six years old) is "Brazen", off of 2006's All This Time, but still stands up strong -- it easily could have been recorded last week. They'll be kicking ass on The Mountain View Stage on Friday from 8:45p - 10p, and again in The Galaxy Barn from 1a - 2a on Saturday night (Sunday morning).
Is it mid-July already? Holy shit. That means that the Capitol Hill Block Party is here, and there are a couple of things that will be crucial to keep in mind as you head out this weekend to inundate yourself with sun, buddy hangs, and set after set of live music.
One, if the weather stays in our favor {right now Saturday and Sunday are looking like 74 and clear!} you'll need plenty of sunscreen -- for full coverage of your fair PNW skin, folks, it's best to put it on before you leave the house. (Wait, who let my mom in here? Ahem.) Two, if you're knocking back tons of a few drinks over the course of the day, don't forget to hydrate properly. Water = your BFF. Three, for some reason, the ATMs that are loaded up in the "festival grounds" seem to all run out of money at the same time -- so make sure you pick up cash before you head in. And four, try as you might, you can't catch every band on every stage, and that's why you should take our picks with you to make sure you don't miss the best of the fest:
Must-see #1: Lemolo {8:30pm, Vera Stage // Saturday, also at 3:30pm on the Barboza Stage for KEXP}
We can't get enough of Lemolo, and we've waxed on and on about their live shows, their video, and most recently their full-length album, The Kaleidoscope. With two back-to-back sold out shows for the album's release a few weeks ago, most of Seattle has caught the buzz about what makes this duo great -- but if you haven't yet, make sure to get yourself in front of the Vera Stage for their 8:30pm set on Saturday for a slice of their one-of-a-kind shreddy indie dreamscape bliss. Lemolo will also be playing on the Barboza stage at 3:30pm as part of KEXP's Block Party setup, similar to the secret lounge at Bumbershoot. Two shots to catch them = no excuses!
Must-see #2: Father John Misty {4pm, Main Stage // Friday}
Another performer we'd be surprised to see missing from your non-negotiable list is Father John Misty, a brilliant incarnation of everything you didn't know you needed in your new favorite band. It's a part rock, part thrust, part hip-swinging croon that manages to embody a well-read version of a great high (but maintains enough edge to keep you guessing). As if being a killer percussionist, a tremendous vocalist, and an all-around genius aren't enough, Josh Tillman is insanely hilarious -- for those of you who didn't catch it the first time around the tubes, this interview is nothing short of brilliant:
Fuck you, Joe!
Must-see #3: Alicia Amiri {as herself at 5:45pm, Cha Cha Stage // Friday, as Nightmare Fortress at 2pm, Neumos Stage // Saturday}
The weather has finally started to cooperate and prove it still has a sunny side. All this sun-infused summer bliss means two things:
1. It's time to work on our summer music mix tapes
2. The Capitol Hill Block Party is right around the corner, and we all had better start prepping!
This Thursday, June 28th around 10.20am, I'm going to be on KOUW / 94.9FM's Weekday show with Larry Mizell Jr. (KEXP and master of most rad Seattle music things) and Beth (Vera Project) to talk about those two very important things.
What is your "Summer 2012 Song?"
Are you going the way of Best Coast's "The Only Place" or is there something from the new Grimes album that is on repeat as you drink in the sun's rays? Right now, besides a lot of sparkly British indie-pop (Tigercats! The School!), I've got the new Dent May, The Features, and Gospel Music in high rotation.
My head is spinning as I peruse the Capitol Hill Block Party day by day schedule. For example, are the Sunday line-up fates really asking us to choose between missing the end of Neko Case's set (who starts at 7:45pm on the main stage) and the beginning of Grand Archives (who start at 8:30pm on the Barboza stage)? Or the end of Grand Archives and the beginning of Porcelain Raft (who start at 9pm back on the main stage)?
Who are you most excited about who's on this year's Capitol Hill Block Party schedule?
Whether you're married to the New Pornographer's one-of-a-kind sound or you're head over heels for the solo show: in some capacity, you loves you some Neko Case. We know. Us too. Some days it's the wandering piano-guitar intro of "These are the Fables" that envelops our hours and some days it's it's the trickle-down gorgeousness of "That Teenage Feeling" -- but no matter how we hit the shuffle button, everything this woman does pulls our heartstrings in the best possible way. Which is why we're over-the-top excited that she's coming to the Paramount next week with a newer love of ours, Y La Bamba. So excited, in fact, that we want to send you and a friend to the show!
With End of Year listmaking being the favorite holiday pasttime for a lot of us around here, we asked some of our local music friends to submit their own top 10 lists this year. The first to return theirs was Scott Giampino, the talent buyer at the Triple Door. His list (in no particular order, he says) is after the jump.
Anyone out & about this past Thursday night? Talk about freaky weather - everything was all kinds of crazy, heady, ocean-scented wind gusts through the city mixed with golden-pink sunset bliss. The walk down Pine Street was perfectly lit, with the breezes knocking us sideways between the buildings on cue, leaving us semi-flushed in all the right ways as we pushed through the doors of the Paramount for the Neko Case show.
It's astounding how many things are going on tonight! ChrisB will be at Metric at Showbox (read his interview with them), Keenan will be at Jens Lekman (Oh sweet Jens) at the Crocodile, imaginary victoria is at Neko Case (at the Paramount), imaginary hyme is all about the Desolation Wilderness show. Even our imaginary gal in LA, CA has chimed in with a recommendation to see recent Barsuk singing artist The Wooden Birds at Chop Suey tonight.
And then there's these other show's we'd be freaking out about if the above didn't have us scattered everywhere:
* Spanish for 100 will be at the Sunset with At-The-Spine and Autolite Strike -- Word has it that the Spanish for 100 show is going to be especially killer as they have special reason to cover both old and new songs tonight
* Y'alternative crooners The Felice Brothers will be taking over the Tractor
* Even Cafe Vita is in the action with a performance tonight to raise funds for the Vera Project: Say Hi, Grant Olsen (Arthur and Yu), Mount Eerie, and Shawn Smith
* Jason Lytle of Grandaddy is going to be at the Mars Bar tonight (not a joke! He's heading over there after he opens for Neko at the Paramount)
It'd be a waste of everyone's time to list off all the reasons you should go see Neko Case at the Paramount Theater. Everyone knows that it will be life-changing. Her mighty voice will soothe the most discontent of souls and her Patsy meets Loretta crooning will warm broken and suspicious of hearts. She invented the alt-country meets riot grrl aesthetic that powers her poignant songsmithing that make all flutter with consoling comfort.
And the crowd she travels with is worth the ticket price alone. Joining her onstage as of late includes Eric Bachmann of Crooked Fingers, Kelly Hogan and our very own Rachel Flotard (of Visqueen).
Basically, we'll all be lined up outside the backstage door professing our love with engagement rings in hand.
Three Imaginary Girls is excited to make one imaginary reader's day with a pair of free tickets to see Neko Case (with Jason Lytle opening) at the Paramount on Thursday, June 4th.
To enter, email us at tig @ three imaginary girls.com with your name and the subject line "DoctorNeko" by Thursday, May 14th at 9a PST.
Latest comment by: ochotona: "For those of you who don't win tix to the Paramount, consider getting tickets to her Tacoma show (go to broadwaycenter.org)-- the Pantages is a lot smaller than the Paramount, and it should be a very cool homecoming in T-Town."
Seattle's favorite girlfriend Rachel Flotard (of Visqueen and general Rachel Flotard fame) is helping Neko Case on her performance on David Letterman tonight!
Also sharing the stage will be Eric Bachmann (Archers of Loaf/Crooked Fingers) on guitar.
Like the watching recent Jimmy Fallon episodes didn't already remind you that Dave is King, here's another reason. Let's watch Paul drool over the double trouble duo of Neko and Rachel!
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Imaginary. You could call it that.
Imaginary. You could call it that.
A chat about our favorite songs this week on KUOW's Weekday show
A chat about our favorite songs this week on KUOW's Weekday show
A chat about our favorite songs this week on KUOW's Weekday show