Results tagged “artbrut”

It took five songs for Eddie Argos & co. to beat the Seattle chill. As they began their set around midnight Saturday, the audience was depressingly reminiscent of the last time we saw Art Brut play, when Argos (possibly probably drunk) began expressing his disgust with the audience's lack of enthusiasm. Aside from a small core of 15 to 20 enthusiastic under-21s (God bless 'em) crowded in front of the stage, the rest of the audience was painfully staid--indie rock kids who couldn't deign to do more than slightly bop their heads, scenesters trying to carry on conversations during the show.

Two reasons: Kultur Shock on Friday (with X-Ray Press and Orange Tulip Conspiracy, $10, 21+), Art Brut on Saturday (with Miike Snow and Black Nite Crash, $13, all ages). Local gypsy art punks Kultur Shock are releasing their fourth studio album this year, and are about to jet off on tour in Russia. They don't play Seattle all that often anymore, and they're an insanely wild live band, mixing Sabbath-style guitar riffs with Balkan trad, shredded violin solos competing with lead-singer Gino Yevdjevic's melismatic vocals. As for Art Brut, they were indie rock darlings a couple years ago after an amazing debut record, , recorded in beautiful Salem, Ore. and produced by the legendary Frank Black. Also, like Kultur Shock, Art Brut is a fantastic live band that gives it their all and is best seen in a club.

Just a quick note--there's a couple concerts coming up in June that have got us excited, and tickets are on sale this week. Right now, you can buy tickets ($13) for Art Brut's Saturday, June 13 show at Neumo's (all-ages, bar w/ID).

Just when you thought that college campuses would be unable to handle any more scourges to their populations, with meningitis and date-rape rampant, a new scourge has reared its ugly head: severe, humorless sobriety.

A few hours from now, London folktronic sextet Tunng kicks off the weekend early and for free at Nectar. Doors are at 5pm for the 21+ happy hour show.

This Sunday, they return to Seattle for the fourth time (they most recently played Bumbershoot), with the Hold Steady at the HUB Ballroom at the UW. Art Brut's newest effort singles like "Modern Art" and "Bad Weekend," but it still delivers some memorable songs like "Direct Hit" and "Nag, Nag, Nag, Nag."

Yes, British indie rock quartet Editors are headlining at Chop Suey tonight, but we're more excited for super-catchy opening-opening band Ra Ra Riot. The Syracuse-based six-piece has guitars and cello and violin (oh my), and they've got one certifiably awesome song ("Dying is Fine") that's based on an ee cummings poem and reminds us of "Come on Eileen"--in a good way. Earlier this year, they wowed the critics at SXSW, ending up on NME's list of top 10 bands at the 2007 conference, before tragedy struck and their drummer died a few months ago. But the band has soldiered on, putting out a self-titled EP and touring non-stop with such acts as Tokyo Police Club, Art Brut, and The Cribs. Tonight they bring their big sound and bigger heart to Chop Suey. Catch them now, because they aren't going to be under the radar for much longer.

Seattlest had the chance to take in quite a few good shows over the past week. Saturday night was no exception. It was just last March when we first saw Art Brut here in Seattle. They were still relatively unknown at the time, having just released their debut album Bang Bang Rock & Roll in the States. After hearing their album, we weren't sure then they could pull off the live show. After their 2nd stop in Seattle, it's clear that Eddie Argos and company haven't skipped a beat.

Ah, so now we know where the festive audiences are: seeing the Scissor Sisters or Kinky. Because they were certainly not at the sold-out Showbox Wednesday night for the Brooklyn band double feature of Grizzly Bear and TV on the Radio.

October is here! That means candy apples, inappropriate costumes, and tons of live music.

While some members of Seattlest spent their Saturday night listening to a bunch of twee pussies, we were enjoying one of the punkest bands to emerge in many-a year (assuming the term "punk" still means something and/or can be used to describe an ethos). Art Brut put on one of the most entertaining shows we've seen in recent memory, thanks in large part to energetic, charismatic frontman Eddie Argos, who manages to be utterly charming even with his fly half-down. We want to be him, skeevy mustache and all, or at least buy him a drink or three.

Back in 2003, when Art Brut formed, the British music scene was dominated by power pop outfits like The Libertines, who were better as celebrities than musicians. Today, we have similarly over-hyped bands like The Arctic Monkeys and The Subways, who release albums that NME fawns over for six months until the next big thing comes along.