This Friday night, Dec. 12, one of my very favorite bands (and possibly the most underrated group in Seattle) Transmissionary Six will be playing their final show at the Sunset in Ballard. It's an early one, like they like to do, so the gang can all swoon to the beautiful music early and then head off to the big KEXP bash or wherever else one needs to continue the party.

Transmissionary Six was a duo of Terri Moeller (from the Walkabouts and other bands) and Paul Austin (ex-Willard Grant Conspiracy) that brought on board such great players as Jon Hyde and KEXP soundman Kevin Suggs (among other greats) over the years. Begun in the dying dazzle of 90s slowcore, their songwriting capabilities evolved to the point where the smallish audiences at shows like the Sunset were equally enraptured by their confident talents and puzzled that fans of Richard Thompson, Elvis Costello, and Sam Phillips weren't making this band stars. Albums self-released and put out through Roslyn and Tarnished are some of the best buys in local music for high quality songwriting and performing.

Friday night will be a bit more special, and psychedelic than usual, as members of Head Like A Kite, Animals At Night, and Disinterested will be joining the TM6 to make it a noisy as hell exit for this stage of Terri and Paul's musical career. There will also be a massive merch blow out with all CDs going for $5 a piece and the last of the t-shirts getting sold on the cheap.

For those who knew and loved them, please come out to say goodbye. For those who wondered what the fuss was about, give it a shot and see what you missed, and what hopefully will come around again in another form somewhere down the line.