Seattlest and the fiancee have a holiday tradition that manages to work out each year, even when our procrastination reaches DefCon Four: Catch the annual Christmas Ship show at Gas Works on December 23. Seems the Argosy people that host the singers (Seattle Girls' Choir) on their ship have their own tradition: Ask the choir to sing beautiful, traditional holiday carols that everyone in attendance will recognize and sing along with no one will......

As ChrisB of Three Imaginary Girls points out, losing your job sucks. Losing a job that meant a lot to you sucks more. And losing all that during the holidays? Well that just blows a goat. So what do you do to help out these fellas who so unexpectedly got canned on Sunday afternoon? If you're former Croc booker Pete Greenberg (now at Chop Suey), you organize a benefit show to help these guys pay......

With all of the people that live/work on the Eastside, it is really surprising to not find more beer spots to explore. Granted, we probably haven't found everything worth visiting, but it just seems there is plenty of room for more good beer on the Eastside. Below is a summary of what you can enjoy on the other side of the lake. Breweries: Rock Bottom Bellevue is about the only place if you want......

The husband-and-wife team Over the Rhine [MySpace] play at the Triple Door at 7:30pm this Thursday and Friday, and both shows are already sold out -- SRO tickets will be on sale the nights of the shows. They're touring for their new album The Trumpet Child, which All Music Guide reviews thusly:Produced by Brad Jones and recorded in Nashville, the album's music is steeped in the other kind of Americana: not the gothic country one......

Seattlest has mentioned our appreciation for local band Sleepy Eyes of Death before. They opened for The Octopus Project, acting as a wonderful complement to their synthy quirkiness with a more epic, post-rock feel. Now it's their time to shine. Sure, they're opening again, but this appearance is for the release of their debut LP, Street Lights for a Ribcage. While there's something lost in the translation from live to recording (you can't capture......

Yesterday Seattlest stopped by Chop Suey on the walk home to see how the inaugural edition of the Sunday Summer BBQ Series was going. It was empty. It wasn't terribly surprising, since marketing for the series was pretty minimal, but we do fully support the concept: early shows, with grilled fare available outside. We only stuck around for the first band, Bellingham's The Love Lights, who switch up the indie-pop formula with the addition of......

Permit us to bloviate some on the death of David Halberstam today in a car crash, which is utter bullshit considering that the guy reported from fricking Vietnam and he dies in a traffic accident in San Mateo (the car that hit him driven by, in a terrible irony, a Berkeley journalism student) (actually, I'm an idiot, his driver was a Berkeley student, so there's no irony, just terribleness). Halberstam's Summer of '49, about the......

--Ken Griffey, Jr. bitched out Friday Night Lights author Buzz Bissinger today. --The news: Sonics' bill gets out of committee. The real news: Even though said committee is chaired by the bill's biggest supporter, it only passed by one vote. --The Real Change v. Weekly sniping continues apace. --Cutter & Buck: sold! --Local author John Moe discovers that lying to your child=entertaining blog post. Space Needle sketch from this awesome post.......

Austinist gets arty with an interactive guide to SXSW, loved some local art galleries and a new art exhibit and lamented the possible loss of "Friday Night Lights" production to New Mexico. Bostonist was happy they finally found an Anna Nicole Smith connection to their fair city and that an Apple Store was opening up. They were less happy that new rules have been established limiting underage shows and that their Governor is spending......

Tuesday, December 5 >>> Peter Walker at El Corazon. Not to be confused with Paul Walker or Peter Weller, Peter Walker's in town to support Young Gravity, his second album. We have read, though, that Walker evokes another Pete--Yorn. With maybe a bit more bite. 7pm doors; $10. All ages. With Division Day. Wednesday, December 6 >>> Victrola's own folk chanteuse Molly Rose headlines a singer/songwriter parade of not-yet stars at the Sunset Tavern.......

If you're hiking, consider charging up your iPod, as Seattlest finds out that a man lost during a hike was found by the glow of his iPod. That cleverness seems to be devoid in cops who were using police cruiser instant messaging clients - although we imagine IMs "so are you nakie" to be included in cop shows, just for realism. If only the cops were busting the Hummer-driving jerk who made a poor......

Another copious serving of live tunes (not to mention opportunities to leave your smelly apartment), courtesy of Seattlest. You can thank us later. Tuesday 26th >>> The Presets at Chop Suey. Between The Presets electro-rock and opening acts The Girls and No-Fi Soul Rebellion, this show can't help but to leave you in a sweaty heap by the end of the night. 9pm doors; $8 adv. 21+ >>> DJ Krush at Neumo's. Japan's DJ......

Tuesday 8th >>> The Blackpool Lights at El Corazon. Made up of parts of the Get Up Kids, Creature Comforts, and Ultimate Fakebook. 7pm; $10 >>> Manchester at Victrola on 15th Ave. "Pseudo-British" "indie folk pop" who sound a bit like more cheerful "Decemberists." 8pm; free. All ages. >>> Molly Rose with Pablo Trucker and J. Wong at the Green Room (at the Showbox). Victrola's own Molly Rose takes her singer/songwriter skillz downtown, with......

Though this is the organization's first few months of existence, the Mirinesse women's choir sings with confidence -- not surprising, as many of its members formerly belonged to the Northwest Girlchoir. Their whirlwind first season is already over -- three concerts this June, at Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church, Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Stanwood, and Seattle's Trinity Episcopal. Still, it's worth making plans to catch them next year. Founded by Beth Ann Bonnecroy and......

-This is a Detroit newspaper complaining about the lack of Starbucks cafes in their city. We shit you not. It looks like the Detroit airport has more Starbucksi than the city. -There are tomes to be written about Seattle drivers, but don't look for a chapter on road rage. We're cool as cucumbers behind the wheel. "You go." "No, you go." "No, I insist." -A guy in Snohomish County was arrested last night after......

Alejandro Escovedo will be performing at the Tractor this evening. Alejandro (We like to presume that we are on a first name basis with him, even though we never met. We just like the name Alejandro.) is one of the best alt-country singers out there today. He's what Ryan Adams would like to be if Ryan Adams was actually cool. The Burning Brides are performing at El Corazon tomorrow night. Some people say they sound......

About a year ago, Seattlest was at a dinner party where we struck up a conversation with the attorney seated next to us. We chatted pleasantly for awhile and eventually we asked him where he worked. He replied that he worked for Interpol. We got very excited since their debut album Turn on the Bright Lights had us annoying our co-workers and fellow commuters for months with our attempts to sing along. We felt a......