Word Magazine's readers have been creating a map detailing where iconic album cover photos were taken. So far, there are three listed in the Seattle area: Damien Jurado's Waters Ave. S., taken at Waters Ave. S.; Mudhoney's Superfuzz Bigmuff, taken at 207 First Ave. in Pioneer Square; and (of course) Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Posse on Broadway," taken at the NE corner of John and Broadway. (The definition of "album" is a loose one, obviously.) That's a......

If you didn't get enough of Sub Pop during all the recent twentieth anniversary festivities, tonight's another opportunity to salute the local label. Starting at 8 p.m. tonight, Mudhoney and No Age play a free show in the KEXP parking lot (113 Dexter Avenue N.) as part of the Toyota/Urban Outfitters Free Yr Radio concert series benefiting independent radio stations, including KEXP. The event's free, but you gotta print our your e-ticket at freeyrradio.com.......

Sup Pop is well-known for unabashed self-promotion and grandiose overstatement. Thing is, most of that (tongue-in-cheek) hyperbole is deserved. The much-touted reunion of Green River, one of the label's first signees, was no different. It truly was the highlight of Sub Pop's two-day 20th birthday bash. From the moment Green River—drummer Alex Shumway, guitarists Steve Turner, Stone Gossard, and Bruce Fairweather, bassist Jeff Ament, and frontman Mark Arm—took the stage, the crowd (packed tight and......

Without Green River in 1984, there might be no Sub Pop Records today. Without Sub Pop in 1987, there might be no Mudhoney—or even Pearl Jam—in 2008. (Green River begat Mudhoney and Mother Love Bone; MLB begat PJ.) And without either in the 80s, there likely would have been no "Seattle Sound" explosion in the early 90s. Fortunately, the timing and location were right for both the post-punk-rock band—originally comprised of singer Mark Arm,......

Strange bedfellows Urban Outfitters and Toyota Motor Sales are teaming up—as they did last year—to "support and publicize" the audio goodness that is independent radio. Again dubbed Free Yr Radio, this effort means free live music in 10 American cities, including Seattle. Our city's beneficiary is KEXP. Awareness-raising live music will be courtesy of Mudhoney—who'll release their eighth full-length album, The Lucky Ones, and reissue the legendary Superfuzz Bigmuff on May 20—and No Age.......

We clued you in to this last October, but now it's official: Sub Pop Records is celebrating its 20-year existence with a three-day comedy and music festival July 11-13. And the (initial) lineup, though weighted more heavily in the hipster-ish now, features a few super acts from the label's big then. Per yesterday's press release: The SP20 activities will commence with a comedy show on July 11 at The Moore Theatre. Among the performing......

May and June will be great months for concert-going fans of the few seminal Seattle rock bands and artists still thriving today. If you live east of, say, Iowa. Because the following local acts will play everywhere from Columbus to West Palm to NYC to London. And not Seattle. Shawn Smith: To support The Diamond Hand, his latest (fantastic) album, the Brad frontman and soloist extraordinaire will play five shows in early May, jumping......

Before there was Soundgarden or Mudhoney or Alice in Chains, there was Skin Yard and Gruntruck, two late-80s-spawned bands that foretold and influenced Seattle's grunge phenomenon. Ben McMillan, who died here yesterday of complications stemming from diabetes, fronted both bands. He was 46. Seattlest wasn't fortunate enough to live here when McMillan's bands existed, but thanks to the magic of the internets, we can pretend, if only for a few minutes, that we were. This......