COME ON AND SAFARI WITH ME: Seattlest's first concert of note was the Beach Boys at the Brevard County Fair in Central Florida. We walked into a trash can, and somehow that's the part of the night we most remember. John Stamos was there playing the bongos. Otherwise, we couldn't really tell you much about the show. That was 20 years ago. So, we have to kind of Salute the Boys (sans Brian Wilson) for still playing shows. Tonight's performance will benefit Children's Hospital. So you can get your "Kokomo" on and support a good cause at the same time. more ›

Tuning the Air continues their multi-guitar soundscape at the Capitol Hill Arts Center showroom every Monday through 12/17. So you've only got four more chances to see the guitorchestra in action, playing their fusion of the old and new, the classic and the modern, live and in the round. Intrepid reporter MvB has seen them on more than one occasion and had this to say about the CHAC residency: Tuning the Air is guitar-topia,... more ›

Tuning the Air is guitar-topia, a guitar chamber orchestra -- a dozen or more guitarists playing works from Fripp to Bach, the Beatles to the Beach Boys, with original material and improvisations mixed in. And it's all done in a circle around the audience, giving you the impression that you're finally living in that huge guitar you've always dreamed of. To familiarize yourself with the performers, you can check out their photos here. more ›

If there were a righteous God in heaven, Dr. Dog would be huge. Of course, if there were a righteous God in heaven, perhaps Dr. Dog wouldn't be saddled with such a horrid, fame-killing name. Despite the cringeworthy moniker, we love this Philly-based rock band: for their radiant layers of Beach Boys harmonies, for their shimmering jangle of major chords, for their psychedelic pop sheen. Haters claim that they are too derivative of the Beatles, but what band playing today doesn't share lineage with the Fab Four? Besides, we'll take derivative of the best band ever over derivative of the flavor of the week. Dr. Dog played the Croc this spring as an opening band and they nailed it. Now they're back in town as the main act and we know they're gonna make another killing. Expect sunglasses donned at all times, throwback rhythms, the occasional drunken rambling, and mini pop masterpieces played with high energy, retro flair, and unbridled enthusiasm. more ›

We say this with absolute certainty: we will never willingly go see Animal Collective live ever again. The past two times we've seen them have been trying at best. Last year, we convinced two friends to buy their own tickets to accompany us to one of their shows. Last Friday, we talked another friend into going with us to see AC. Both nights ended with us apologizing to our friends for what we made them endure. After Friday night's sold-out show at Neumo's, our crotchety companion provided his two-word review: "vapid and inane." Sigh, he's dead right. more ›

Jason Holstrom may be known as a founding member of two local bands, Wonderful and United State of Electronica, as well as a producer for such acts as Dolour and Aqueduct, but now he's got a new group up his sleeve: The Thieves of Kailua, a one-man island-pop project. Through its sunny surf sounds, layered loungey vocals, and a mixture of production techniques both old and new, the self-titled album evokes a Hawaiian vacation--starting with the visitor's first enchanting aloha, the typical tourist encounters, and a brief brush with the titular thieves, all the way to a bittersweet "Hula-Bye." We spoke to Jason about his island adventures on the cusp of the Thieves of Kailua's CD release show: Thursday at Chop Suey, $8, doors 9pm, 21+. more ›

As a wise man (Stephen Malkmus) once said, "Aloha means 'goodbye' and also 'hello,' it's in how you inflect." He must've been predicting the advent of local musician Jason Holstrom's new tiki project The Thieves of Kailua. A huge departure from Holstrom's other work with Wonderful and United State of Electronica, the self-titled album (just released on Mill Pond Records) is a loungey ode to Hawaii, complete with Beach Boys-inspired harmonies, plucky ukuleles, and percussion like waves hitting the seashore. Like a lazy day at the beach, it goes well with a maitai or a mojito or a bucket full of Coronas.... more ›

Our daily drug of choice… more ›

The Tyde/Brian Jonestown Massacre/Dandy Warhols show Friday night was amazingly incident-free. Seattlest, like others in attendance, was there as much for the potential carnage resulting from the BJM/DW rivalry and BJM lead singer Anton Newcombe's instability as the music, so while there was nothing to report in the way of shenanigans, the music made the evening more than worthwhile. more ›