{photo by Jenny Jimenez}

Forget press releases, music blogs, phone calls from my Mom: I find out most everything in life these days by Facebook status updates. Couples get engaged (or break-up), pals travel to exciting places, former high school classmates make more babies, and bands play rock shows... and call it quits. Guess which event this blog post is about...?

Sadly, I just received a Facebook invite of the band break-up variety: Seattle band H is for Hellgate just posted an event to their final show, and we're all invited. From the short-but-sweet invite:

"Jon is moving overseas, so Ben and I are putting down H Is for Hellgate. Please come and celebrate our final performance with us."

Sad, sad news. But should be a great show. It's at the Comet on Thursday, July 23, with support from Bone Cave Ballet, To the Waves, and Oregon Donor. Be there, and bring your hanky -- and some earplugs.

H is for Hellgate plays TIG's Inauguration Celebration with Friday Mile, Benjamin Bear and Ed Wang on Tuesday, January 20. $7, 21+, doors at 8pm.

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TIG staffers are a lot like you -- coming up with our list of faves for the year is a fun and gripping process. After comparing/contrasting/debating our individual favorites, we figured the sum of our imaginary parts would make for an interesting list.

While ChrisB and Keenan, among other things, brought in the power-pop elements,  Chris Estey stood by the smartie subtle elements of this year's Northwest offerings. Imaginary liz, as usual, loved the lo-fi and indie-pop songs, while imaginary dana spent much of the year obessed with Throw the the Statue and of course, the Fleet Foxes. And nearly all of us agreed that the Saturday Knights album was a force to be reckoned with. Here's our our staff votes tallied up...

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Please join us on Inauguration Night - after you've watch the swearing-in of President Obama and Vice President Biden and Rick Warren's invocation - at Chop Suey for some kick ass rock and roll with some of my absolutely favorite Northwest rock bands.

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Seattle indie/prog rock band H is for Hellgate not only have an exciting NW tour coming up Memorial Day weekend, but they've also taken some damn fine promo photos, courtesy of the lovely and talented Jenny Jimenez.

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While Bumbershoot and the Capitol Hill Block Party have grown to astronomical (read as: huge touring bands) proportions, The Georgetown Music Festival is keeping it local as can be, with a preliminary lineup of loads of Seattle- (and a few Portland) based bands prepared to rock South Seattle this June 2-3.

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At work here, H is for Hellgate almost appears to be two separate bands.

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Podcast of our Feburary 10, 2007 appearance on KEXP's Audioasis with DJ Shannon. Listen to our favorite local picks of the moment, including tracks from the Shaky Hands, H is for Hellgate, the Femurs, Brent Amaker, Dolour, Friday Mile, the Golden Year, M. Bison, Optimus Rhyme, & The Quiet Ones.