The Re-Birth of Soul: Raphael Saadiq at Showbox 11/16

Review by Willie Matthewson | Photos by Brittney Bollay

At this year’s Bumbershoot, I only saw the last 5 minutes of Raphael Saadiq’s show.  But it was the best 5 minutes of the weekend.  That does not count as seeing Saadiq perform either.  Tonight’s show; however, was an electrifying performance. The voice is no secret – you’ll immediately recognize it from your Tony, Toni, Toné mixtape.  No cause for alarm, though, you’re not in the middle of a boy band reunion.  Instead this was a crafted mix of the old and new. The nine-piece band was impeccably dressed in fitted suits and ties – you could tell from the moment a foot hit the stage that the band meant business.

Their groove had the crowd charged for Raphael’s entrance in a shock of brilliant red.  The schoolgirl squeals took me back to the days of Motown as Saadiq flew into “100 Yard Dash” and “Keep Marchin” with full vigor.  The crowd was ready and kept the pace.

Did I mention how beautiful the crowd was?  Beautiful and energetic.  There was dancing, flirting, and swooning all night long. The ten-song first leg of the set was classic R&B accentuated by the dynamic back-up singers, and irreproachable horns. But after a quick change, Saadiq explored 70’s R&B with a cover of Sly’s “Underdog” and demonstrated his bass skills on a sultry version of “Skyy, Can You Feel Me”.

The crowd was purring.  Even more when Raphael’s jacket came off. Saadiq demonstrated that he has been creative and musically involved with top modern R&B/hip-hop pedigree such as Anthony Hamilton, D’Angelo, Kelis, Q-Tip, Ludacris, and Joss Stone with “We Fight/We Love” and  the funky “Get Involved”.  The band was tight, ending the night with a rousing bluesy jam of “Let the Sunshine In”.

Raphael Saadiq’s Full Setlist:
Intro
100 Yard Dash
Keep Marchin
Love That Girl
Dance Tonight
Be Here
Medly
Let’s Take a Walk
Never Give You Up
Sure Hope You Mean It
Stayin In Love
Outro1
—
Underdog
Skyy, Can You Feel Me
Outro2
—
We Fight/We Love
Get Involved
Big Easy
Let the Sunshine Outro

It would be a shame to omit any mention of the opening act – the sultry and leggy Los Angeles based vocalist Anjulie.  Even though Anjulie is a relative new performer, she displayed a charismatic ease for entertaining.  Her band was precise and followed Anjulie’s cues to sync the music to her seductive choreography. Don’t take this to mean that undue emphasis was put on making the show a visual performance; her songs were solidly crafted and performed.  This was a night of pure unadulterated entertainment. The Canadian born singer’s voice was strong and dynamic yet she seemed restrained until hitting a comfortable stride on “Love Songs” and “Addicted”.  The Seattle crowd – always tentative – showed signs of comfort and even swayed to the fresh rendition of Annie Lennox’s “Why” followed by the chanteuse’s recognizable pop number “Boom”.  She closed her set by enticing a member of the crowd onto the stage to dance to her Latin-styled “Jamba”.

Full Anjulie setlist:
Big Things
Rain (perfect song for tonight)
Love Songs
Addicted
Why
Boom
Heat
Jamba

Click & Dagger in Chicago: Meat Puppets @ Schuba’s 11/13

Photos by Emily Ann Garcia | Review by Tim Bauer

Winston Audio/Dynasty Electric/The Meat Puppets @ Schuba’s in Chicago 11/13

At some point in sixth grade Kurt Cobain became a godlike being to me, just as he has to many others who have just entered the double digits. However as time has gone on my love for Nirvana has been replaced by the bands that influenced them. The Meat Puppets are among the bands that I checked out so that I could know what inspired Cobain, and as a 13 year old the Meat Puppets were not enjoyable. I loved their songs that were featured on MTV Unplugged in New York, but the rest sounded boring. I had not listened to them again until recently, when I listened to Meat Puppets II and Up on the Sun, and I learned yet again never to trust opinions formed while a teenager.

Winston Audio

The show took place at the intimate candle-lit Schubas, which holds about 160 people. By 9:00 the crowd was already forming in the bar area before doors opened, and the room was about half full by the time Winston Audio took the stage at 10:00. The band started with three rockin’ songs with no breaks in between and hit the highlight of their set with their fourth song, “Keeping it Down.” This song started with the guitarist playing a short riff off that led into a Foo Fighters sounding verse and chorus. After the second chorus, both guitarists had fun with feedback while the bassist jammed over gradually more aggressive drums. This was one of the few moments of the set that truly caught my attention and that seemed to break from their more mainstream sound.  Near the end of their set one of their guitarists commented that one of his first ten CDs purchased was by the Meat Puppets. This wasn’t a surprising comment because the band sounded like a band that should be opening for the Meat Puppets, and while they were not terribly original, they put on an enjoyable 30 minute set.

Dynasty Electric

I returned from a quick break in the action to see a girl on stage wearing a sparkly hooded robe and hearing a man nearby comment that there was a witch onstage.  While the singer’s outfit was intriguing, Dynasty Electric’s music was much more interesting. Their set started with the guitarist, Seth Misterka, playing a distorted riff over a programmed beat and then singer, Jennifer DeVeau, joined in on the theremin using not just her hands but also her head and body to play this unique instrument. This got the attention of the still partially full room. Throughout the set the duo continued to put on an entertaining show filled with giggles and smiles from the band and audience. DeVeau offered very unique dancing that may have seemed more innovative if I had not just watched Shakira’s “Shewolf” video before heading to the show. Their 25 minute set flew by and seemed more like a band I would hear before Santigold than the Meat Puppets, but the more dance-oriented group brought some variety to the night.

Most likely due to Dynasty Electric’s very brief set, there was a 40 minute wait until the Meat Puppets, and during this time the room slowly filled with about 140 men and 10 women. This may have been the biggest dudefest that I’ve ever experienced at a show, and it was fitting for the more aggressive sound of the Meat Puppets, but it was very different from the usually hipper, younger, and less male dominated crowd often found at Schubas. At 11:47 the Meat Puppets walked on stage, and it seemed like the crowd barely noticed until they kicked into their first song with their distinctive style of country punk music.

The Meat Puppets

They played without much pause between songs, and the only thing spoken into the microphone all night was “thankyou” after two songs. The crowd seemed enthusiastic with many air guitar players in the crowd and screams for songs throughout the set. One man though seemed to be determined to get a mosh pit going. During Lake of Fire, which closed the main set, he began trying to get a circle pit going that many in the crowd surely would have joined in their younger days, but no one seemed interested. It was interesting to witness an attempted moshpit during the extended jam that ended Lake Fire because this, like several other songs through the night, had a several minute guitar solo that at times sounded more like Phish than a band that emerged from the hardcore scene in the 80’s. After Lake of Fire, they briefly left the stage and returned with the drummer hopping like a bunny to deliver a one song encore that again featured a long guitar jam. These jams that occurred during seven of their songs were the major detractor from the otherwise enjoyable set. The songs covered by Nirvana: “Lake of Fire,” “Oh Me,” and “Plateau” along with their 1994 hit “Backwater” received the strongest reaction from the crowd, but besides these the crowd adored songs from throughout their career. The only time that the crowd seemed to lose interest was during a short tuning break that brought on many drunken shouts to get on with the show.

Before seeing the show I was worried about how good the Meat Puppets would be after nearly 30 years since their formation. It’s hard to say what the motivation is for the Meat Puppets’ continued activity. They might still enjoy playing in small clubs, or maybe Cris Kirkwood needs money to pay for his legal and medical fees after his post office scuffle in 2003. It sadly is the case with some older bands that the only apparent reason for their continued touring is money, but this did not seem to be the case for the Meat Puppets. Curt and Kris seemed to enjoy being on stage even if they had little to say to the audience, and their new drummer, Shandon Sahm, treated the crowd to funny faces throughout the night. After the show, I was satisfied with the Meat Puppets’ performance, but I’ll remember Dynasty Audio’s much more unique performance, surely the same way I would have felt if I had seen the Meat Puppets opening for someone like Lou Reed in 1985.

New Music Review: The Sea Navy – Memory Matches



Review by Royal Stuart

Having missed The Sea Navy on their recent tour with Dave Bazan and Say Hi, I was unprepared for what I heard when I hit play. The first few quick-paced drumbeats from Jordan Cumming and the up-front notes from Stuart Fletcher’s bass draw you in immediately. Then the instruments pause for a measure and in comes Jay Cox screaming “If you want to get OUT,” jolting you way out of your seat. The good news is, the instruments kick back in, and Jay’s singing blends in to allow you to settle back into your seat surrounded by a cozy post-grunge blanket of sound.

Upon first listen, I can’t say I was blown away. But after sitting with Memory Matches on repeat for a while, it has definitely grown on me. The third release from The Sea Navy comes in at only 24 minutes, filled with 10 punchy songs all under three minutes each. To their credit, I had a lot of trouble trying to put my finger on who they remind me of, and ultimately came up empty handed. If you listen closely you can hear little whips of other bands: a tiny bit Galaxie 500; a tad Dismemberment Plan; a smidge of the Cold War Kids. Sounding unlike anybody else isn’t usually something worth mentioning. But with most new bands today lazily picking up exactly where a defunct band has left off, being original in your sound stands out as an achievement. The Sea Navy have definitely managed to create something unique with this record.

Talktalktalk was an immediate standout. What can I say, I’m a sucker for stringed instruments. Throw a violin or two into the mix and I’ll be on your side for sure. And with archival footage of an über-happy couple of teens at the 1962 World’s Fair, the video is quite fun to watch as well. There’s a similar video for What Curse?, an ode to America’s pastime, using old baseball footage as the backdrop. It’s quite good. (full disclosure: I’m a baseball fan. Go M’s!) While that’s the only overt song about sports on the album, songs titled Not My First Rodeo and March Madness show that Jay may not be a typical sports-hating hipster.

The penultimate song, Old Haunts, is where the album really climaxes. At 2 minutes and 37 seconds, it’s the second-longest song on Memory Matches. It’s a fairly simple song about a ghost (or ex-lover?) preparing to become a bother (chorus: “I want to know right now / how you plan to haunt me / will you spend all your days just / living with the living?”), but there’s a great little shift in key and beat in the middle of the song that gives it some dimension that’s not seen in the rest of the album.

At only 24 minutes long, the record is over before you’ve had a chance to really get into it. I wish it were a tad more fleshed out. Overall, this Seattle-via-Boston band has some great songs and some ok songs on this album. But it hints at something greater, and I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes out for their next live gig to hear what’s next.

Live Review: Bishop Allen/Throw Me the Statue/Darwin Deez @ Chop Suey – 11/7

Click & Dagger newcomer Royal Stuart was at the Bishop Allen show last week (sans photog unfortunately) and gave us a great first impression of his work. Here’s his review from the show:

Review by Royal Stuart

There are very few songs with the magical power to evoke goosebumps upon every listen. Live or recorded, it doesn’t matter; it consistently happens at the same spot in the song — cresting over the bridge into the final chorus, almost as if there’s a tone or beat within, that, when struck, triggers chills in the listener. Radiohead’s Let Down, The Beatles’ Polythene Pam / She Came in Through the Bathroom Window, and Bishop Allen’s Flight 180 all have this magical moment. And last night’s performance of Flight 180 at Chop Suey was no different.

We all knew it was coming. Surely they wouldn’t not play it. But after their 50-minute set they left the stage having done just that. The anticipation was killing us. Since they chose to put that song in their encore, they made the song somehow impossibly bigger than it already is. Every song, from the 80s-tinged synth-pop of opener Darwin Deez, into the bouncy tunes and antics of Throw Me The Statue, up through the first song of Bishop Allen’s encore was played in preparation for Flight 180. Building, building, building, up to that chill-inducing point in the song, “if you feel like DANCING…”

It was fantastic.

Strangely, the show was not sold out prior to the start time. I’ve seen both Bishop Allen and Throw Me The Statue perform in larger venues separately, touring along with bigger acts, but somehow the combination of the two fails to fill the relatively small floor at Chop Suey. Unexpected, but welcome, as it’s always nice to have a little extra breathing room when standing for 3+ hours, well into the early-early morning.

I only managed to catch the very end of the opener, Brooklyn’s Darwin Deez. Managing a rare feat for an opening band, the audience liked them enough to beg for an encore. The band was even unsure if this was an ok move, yelling out as they strapped on their instruments for the second time, “Justin, is this ok?!” That one song, along with some further evidence online, made me wish I’d shown up earlier to catch their whole set.

The last time I saw Seattle’s Throw Me The Statue I wasn’t very familiar with the band. I’d only heard a couple songs on KEXP, and that combined with the fact that they were sandwiched between the phenomenal Grand Hallway and headliner Robin Pecknold (of the Fleet Foxes), I was none too impressed. But a lot has changed since then. Their 2nd album, Creaturesque, was released in August. And while a lot of the songs on that album could be identified as covers of songs not written by Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, and other Northwest favorites, their middle-act set last night allowed the band to shine in all its indie-pop glory. I suggest you catch these guys the next time they roll through your town, as they won’t be playing these smaller venues for very much longer. The few songs they played from their debut, Moonbeams, along with most of Creaturesque (of which the bass-lead Ancestors was a major highlight), made a perfect launchpad for Bishop Allen to jump from.

Brooklyn’s Bishop Allen is a nerdy band. Justin Rice, the lead singer, wearing a dark-blue wool cardigan and large, plastic-rimmed glasses, came onto the stage looking nothing like what you’d expect if you were only hearing them perform on the radio. But for what Justin may lack in chiseled looks, he gains in stage presence. Along with his longtime co-songwriter and bandmate, lead guitarist Christian Rudder, Justin commands attention. His voice and demeanor on stage, even when totally screwing up a song (as he did not once but twice when trying to perform Empire City early on in the set), is that of a seasoned professional.

While their sound has changed drastically over the years, from a more punk-pop base on their 2003 debut Charm School, up through 2009’s great pure pop exploration Grrr…, Bishop Allen’s live sound remains consistent from start to finish. There are very few slow moments overall, and those that do come (markedly when the lead singing duties moved to keyboardist Darbie Rice a couple times during the set) are welcome breathers between intense, power-pop singalongs. I found myself bouncing up and down with the non-capacity crowd a number of times during the set. And even though Bishop Allen may have four people on stage singing the same lines at the same time at various points during their set, it was clear that the audience, at least towards the front of the stage, knew the words to nearly every song the band performed. Each song was a battle for the listener, trying to pull Justin’s voice out from the sea of singing from all around. It can get quite annoying when the guy behind you, singing off-key at almost a full octave lower than the lead singer, is the loudest thing in your ear. But thankfully those moments were few and far-between.

Like Castanets, Middle Management (both from The Broken String) and Charm School’s Busted Heart were marked highlights throughout the set. Even during the less-noisy moments, such as Darbie’s quieter singing on Butterfly Nets, where the silence throughout the bar showed that everyone was paying rapt attention, made for a set without any dull moments. As the band was completing the aforementioned capper for the evening, Flight 180, I remember thinking they must end the show now. Anything that follows that religious-experience of a song would sound like an afterthought. But try they did. As the drummer and bassist left the stage, Darbie looked at Christian with a “sure, why not?” kinda jesture, and came to the main mic again. With Christian on guitar and Justin on xylophone, Darbie proceeded to sing the normally male-lead Ghosts Are Good Company from Charm School. And she absolutely nailed it. The six-year old song ended up sounding completely new without the heavy drums, background-chorus or slide guitar from the recorded version. And even with the decidedly unfat Darbie singing the chorus “I can’t do this, I can’t do that, I can’t believe I got so fat…”, it all somehow worked fantastically together.

With that, the show ended. Perfectly. I left the bar with a new band to investigate further, a stronger love for an up-and-coming Seattle act, and a renewed love of a band that I had allowed to wither away as new shiny-objects appeared in my playlists. But even though they’ve been around a while now, I feel there’s a lot more to come from Bishop Allen. They may not find that chill-inducing moment again, but I’m sure they’ll come very very close.

Live Review: Holiday Shores @ VeraProject 11/6

*A note from Dagger 1:

*Remember that giant ass rain/thunder storm we had last Friday? We thought, what a perfect time to test out a couple of the new Recruits at a cool local show. Lucky for us, Willie and Dave stepped up to the plate big time (Dagger Guys: 1 Dagger Girls: 0) and were on point to capture all the action. Here’s how the evening went down…

Photos by Dave Lichterman | Review by Willie Matterson

It was a dark and stormy night…

Since Mercer Street was hard to cross without reefing the mainsail, it didn’t surprise me that the crowd was thin at the Vera Project.  And a shame that it was.  The bands – Universal Studios Florida and Holiday Shores – didn’t seem to notice (The Evangelicals canceled due to family issues).  And I had forgotten just how good the Vera Project can sound.  This place is ably run by, and for, young artists.

Universal Studios Florida laid down three ambient songs reminiscent of the melodic side of Moby.  The crowd started swaying as New Cub, their last song, started with a danceable beat.  Regrettably it faded back into a trance groove.  Bring more of that next time, Jason and Kyle. Keep an eye out for these busy guys.  They’re honing their craft, working on remixes, and carrying class loads at the UW.

Full Universal Studios Florida setlist:

* Elm Skeye
* Sun Glyphed Commanche Kissed
* Greywolf
* New Cub

Holiday Shores brought their bright playful sound from central Florida.  They bundled up – honestly, it doesn’t normally rain like this in Seattle – in sweaters, hoodies, and corduroys then flew into a modest handful of songs from their latest album Columbus’d the Whim released on twosyllable records. These guys are fresh from wowing crowds at CMJ – their instruments showing wear from long stretches on the road. Nathan Pemberton and his crew bounced and played with full energy; though they could have been trying to get warm.  I was expecting more lo-fi noise and reverb similar to their album, but they played with a cleaner rawer sound.

The Vera Project crowd seemed to really enjoy that plan of attack. Bradley Bear, Phones Don’t Fued, and Errand of the Tongue seemed to get the most crowd response.  The calypso/southern sound was so infectious that I wasn’t ready to go back out into the cold dark stormy night.

Full Holiday Shores setlist:
* Days Drag
* Reruns
* Bradley Bear
* Experiencer
* Phones Don’t Feud
* Errand of Tongue
* Edge of Our Lives (dedicated to basketball)

A big thanks to my partner-in-crime and “THAT guy” David Lichterman for also fighting the elements and taking some awesome shots of both acts. Check out the full set HERE.

A Call to Arms: Click & Dagger is looking for a few talented writers…

Do you have a friend you always go to for new music? Someone always out at live shows who seems to know all the latest and greatest bands? If you or someone you know is that person, we want to hear from you!  Seattle Music Site Click & Dagger is growing rapidly and looking to expand our talented roster of music writers as we make our push for local music supremacy. The initiation is tough and we run a tight crew, but if you think you’ve got what it takes, drop us a line. Go ahead, we double dog dare you! Here are the details:

1. Send us a Direct Message on http://twitter.com/clickdagger with your Email address so we can send you more information about next steps.

2. We will send you an E-Mail back with a few questions about your background.

3. Qualified applicants will be given a fun and interesting secret task to complete. We will make our final selections based on these results. 

4. Apply today – Selections will be made by November 1st!

*Feel free to pass this along to anyone crazy you may know…

FAQ:

What exactly are you looking for? Experienced Music writers or people with a background in Music. Passion/Musical Knowledge can subsititute some writing skills. Please have writing samples available.

What do you need me to do? Go to lots of live shows and write previews/reviews as well as review/find new music.  Plus, you’ll get to do a ton of other cool stuff most other outlets would never let you touch. Want creative freedom? This could be the place for the right person. Your writing will be backed by our world-famous concert photog group: The Deadly Viper Photo Squad.

What types of music/shows do you cover? You can take a look at our site for some examples or you can peruse some of our material on KEXP. Indie-Rock, Hip-Hop, Folk, Punk, Etc… If it’s good, we’ll cover it. We just need more help covering all of it! Our musical pallette is what sets us apart. Neumo’s, Chop Suey, and Crocodile happen to be our sweet spot locally, but we also cover the larger shows too.

What does this gig pay? If you’re asking, I probably can’t afford you. Unless of course you consider “Wicked Indie-Cred” a form of payment. How about never paying for music or shows again and being part of a kick ass local outlet like Click & Dagger? It’s all about exposure.

Do I have to be in Seattle? We need local people, but we are also looking for National and International writers! We would love to have some coverage in other cities – especially Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. If your’re in a live music hot-spot and want to help out, we’d love to hear from you!

What if I’m not a writer? Trust us, there are still other ways that you can help behind the scenes. Drop us a line and let’s chat!

Live Review: Kid Sister in Seattle @ Neumo’s 10/20 (1st show of the tour!)

Review by Jason Kinnard | Photos by Alex Crick

Tuesday was an interesting night in Seattle. Like most nights in this city, you can check out a good band just about every night of the week, and Tuesday was one of those nights. Having given up on trying to communicate with anyone from the Ben Folds camp, we set our sights on an early week Hip-Hop show at Neumo’s. It’s always nice to have a back-up plan and this seemed like a pretty good one. In fact, there was actually a fair amount of buzz around town for Kid Sister; the show definitely peaked our interest after a few listens. I’m also a sucker for a big show or the “next best thing” and this had all those elements. We had the Viper Squad there to photograph all the action.

Tuesday night arrives. Press contacts went well for us and by the look of things the guest list was a mile long for the show. It seemed like everyone was on there! You know there could be a problem when “JESUS +12″ is on the list. Luckily, things went off without a hitch and we even had time to grab a few drinks at Moe Bar. It was definitely a different looking set of patrons than what I’m used to seeing at Neumo’s but it just helped add to the intrigue for me. We discussed this at the bar over a couple beverages and then attempted to put it all on the Three Imaginary Girls tab. No luck. It was then that we came to the conclusion we generally don’t like DJ opening acts. They’re always a crap shoot. I still remember a horrid evening at the Pyramid Snowcap event a couple years ago with Citizen Cope where he had a DJ playing for HOURS before he came on. God that was painful. From then on, I’ve been leery.

Luckily, opening act Flosstradamus was nothing like that. They started off a bit slow but ended with a bang, playing all sorts of old school hits and getting the crowd ready for Kid Sister. There was the requisite ass being backed up and plenty of references to big butts, but it ran a little long for my liking. Overall though, I was happy with what I heard. DJ’s J2K (Josh Young) and Autobot (Curt Cameruci) were a cool tandem and actually part of the Kid Sister act. This was going to be an easy transition when she was ready to hit the stage. They ended their set with the obligatory “My Posse’s on Broadway” before it was time to raise our hands and make some noise. It was Kid Sister time…

Enter 2 black & silver  spandex dancers and you know some shit is about to go down. I see Kid Sister creeping up the backstage steps right before she jumps onto the stage and blows things up. The crowd went nuts.

I’ll be the first to admit I’m a sucker for this sort of thing too. Not only was Kid Sister’s energy and attitude infectious, but her music was a lot more fun than I thought it would be too. I expected more rap than dance but got a healthy dose of both. It was the smile on her face though that told me everything I needed to know about Kid Sister’s music, this girl has passion. It was also great to see the way she interacted with the audience – and they ate it up. Hell, we were all smiling and dancing too! I especially loved how she dealt with the sparkle mask boys. Everyone was having a good time.

Kid Sister played most of the new songs from her upcoming album as well as classics like “Pro Nails” which really got the Neumo’s crowd moving. She ended her brief set to a raucous applause and subsequent encore. What a great way to kick off the tour. For an opening night, this had to feel fantastic. I think Seattle may have just caught another rising star.

Dagger Insider news: The cell phone that Kid Sister took and rapped with before placing down her bra belonged to our very own Viper Squad photog Alex Crick. Hot! We will now begin bidding for his cell phone…

Click & Dagger suggests: Chona Kasinger “Almost Famous” photo show 10/8

Chona @ KEXP “Secret” Music Lounge| Bumbershoot 2009

Local Concert Photog Chona Kasinger is holding her first ever public photo show for the West Seattle Art Walk at Cupcake Royale on Thursday, Oct 8th (more info HERE). Why does Click & Dagger care about a photo show you ask? Because Chona kicks ass, she’s down with KEXP, and she’s got skills.  She’s also a local fixture at the station and you’ll see her at just about every hot show in town. You can’t help but love someone so young with so much talent. She’s not at home talking about it, she’s out in the trenches doing it. Go eat a cupcake and meet a cool local photog. When you go, tell her the Deadly Vipers sent you.

Check out some of her amazing work on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chona_k/

Across the Pond: 7 new UK bands you need to hear!

Minnaars photo by David W Clarke

We scour all the UK forums, sift thru countless Emails, flip thru tons of press kits, Myspace pages, Youtube videos, and random mp3’s so you don’t have to. Here are 7 new bands from “Across the Pond” that are generating some buzz:

Minnaars: Kinda remind me of the Klaxons or the Foals. Lot’s of Hype is to be expected (and they sound good)

Frontiers: This is pretty hot, I definitely approve. The new sound of Nottingham.

Lovvers: Sweet Garage sounding Pop/Punk, they’ll be playing in Seattle @ The Comet on 11/20

Plugs: Definitely a unique sound, this is bleeding edge stuff. Not sure what attracted me to this one. Watch this VIDEO.

A Plastic Rose: Cool new band from Ireland. The boys are a little Emo but they’re not bad.

Bear Driver: A smooth sounding Indie-Pop quartet from Leeds.

Delorean: The band, not the car. Cool band (technically, from Spain). Listen to the song “DELI”.

Live Review: A night in Glasgow… in Seattle. We Were Promised Jetpacks/The Twilight Sad/Frightened Rabbit – Neumo’s (9/16)

Photos by Alex Crick|Review by Jason Kinnard

Well, Wednesday night certainly got the Fall concert schedule started off with a bang. Holy Shit! This was definitely one that we had circled on our calendars for a while now. Imagine if you will, Neumo’s magically transformed from a Seattle Hipster bar to a cool Glasgow pub that only serves PBR’s and Red Stripe, and you might be in the ballpark. This was one of those rare nights where every band on the bill was solid; a testament to the genius crew over at Fat Cat Records who put this showcase together. The venue was nice and toasty with a completely packed and Sold Out Neumo’s (Nice work chaps!). I usually like it nice and sardined, but I do have my exceptions (I’ll get into that later). All the locals were out to play, including KEXP’s DJ Shannon, our very own @klsargent (Dagger #2), The Viper Squad handling photo detail @crickontour and local Twtterati @mattwhiting & @1sjc. We were right up front for all the action; blocking your view…

*Dagger insider tip: If you see DJ Shannon front row at a show, it’s probably a safe bet it’s a good show.

We Were Promised Jetpacks

OK, So like I mentioned, the line-up for the evening was fantastic. You know things are going to be good when the whole place is just about jam packed for the opening band; in this case We Were Promised Jetpacks. In a city notorious for blowing off opening bands, that’s a pretty good accomplishment just by itself. And why shouldn’t it be packed? These guys put out a great album this year and thankfully the word seems to have gotten out. I don’t think they will be the opening band much longer (and probably shouldn’t have been at Neumo’s). Of course Click & Dagger has been down with the Jetpacks for quite a while now, but this was our first time actually seeing them live. I don’t know what they’ve sounded like anywhere else on tour, but they sounded incredible inside Neumo’s and had an amazing energy to them. I have a feeling this is going to be another one of those shows I look back at and say “Wow, I was there before they were big”. This is a band bound for stardom.

Dagger Insider tip: Buy stronger guitar strings! LOL

The Twilight Sad

Next up were fellow Scotts, The Twilight Sad. To be honest, this was one of the bands I was most excited to see. Unfortunately, their particular sound didn’t seem to resonate well with the Seattle crowd that I talked to at the show. The comments I read were pretty similar afterwards. They were definitely the odd man out on the bill and maybe should have even opened the show. They were pretty different from the opening band, and The Jetpacks were a pretty tough act to follow. You go from watching a band you just fell in love with, to a frontman who only gives the occasional glare into the crowd (when he’s even looking their way). It’s all about the transition and this was maybe the only slip-up of the entire evening. The Twilight Sad did have some definite flashes of brilliance in their set, but the real highlight for me had to be the new song “I Became a Prostitute” which I thought sounded absolutely huge in that room (those Keyboards!). Most of the rest wasn’t as memorable (maybe with the exception of “That Summer At Home I Had Become The Invisible Boy”), but I’m not sure their sound is as easy to pull off live. From my angle, I really had a hard time hearing the singer, and that might have made a huge difference. Not that it’s a requirement, but they also didn’t seem to do a very good job connecting with the crowd (James, please turn 45 degrees to your left). Not quite what I expected; I’ll chalk it up to an off night.

Dagger Insider tip: Move the singer up front and turn up his mic.

Frightened Rabbit

Finally, the headliner and obvious crowd favorite Frightened Rabbit took the stage. I was about to see what all the fuss was about. The 3rd and final band in what you could easily call a “Scottish Musical Trifecta”. Despite their top of the bill status, this was actually the band I knew the least about coming in. All I knew was that they were likely to be better than the other two bands I had just heard, so I was expecting a lot. Solid Acoustic guitar work and the soaring vocals worked well with what I thought were arguably the best sounding drums of the night. When the drummer shows up with an “ANIMAL!” T-shirt, expect good things. It was clear these boys were the most seasoned of the bunch and they also had the most active crowd of the night. People loved Frightened Rabbit and it was hard not to. Scott Hutchison was definitely the most endearing frontman of the night and the band sounded great live. Of course with any big show, you always have some minor crowd issues. And here’s where I bring up a few pet peeves:

1. We aren’t impressed that you “know the band” or you’ve seen them play somewhere else. Tell them that while you’re buying their merch after the show.

2. When you drink too much, push your way up front, and don’t know how to dance in a small confined space; that annoys people. That’s when I step in front of you and obscure your view (unless of course you happen to be Minka Kelly, which you aren’t).

3. We don’t mind singing along, but there’s a point where you have to draw the line. Finishing a singers lines for him during a quiet song is probably one of those times. Nobody paid to hear your drunk ass sing.

4. Never bump a photographer from the Deadly Viper Photo Squad. Ever.

The band played a nice long set with a perfect 2-song encore; one of which took place literally right above our head. The night ended with band members sitting on the ground and next to amplifiers as the feedback marked a poetic end to the evening. I definitely love hearing new bands and this was a fantastic night of discovery for me and just about everyone else in attendance. Make no mistake, Frightened Rabbit were exceptionally good, but on this night We Were Promised Jetpacks might have just stole the show.

All 3 of these bands are currently touring, check them out where you live and tell us about it!