It's safe to assume that Sharon Jones is cooler than you. The current queen of neo-funk/soul grew up in Macon, Georgia and Brooklyn, singing in church before ending up doing session work in the '70s as the anonymous vocals on dance and disco records. Without a solo contract of her own, she left the industry and took odd jobs like corrections officer at Rikers Island and Wells Fargo armored car guard. Fate intervened in......

If you would've told us back in the golden days of Heart, back in the "Barracuda" days, that Ann Wilson would one day record a version of "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" featuring guest vocalists Shawn Colvin and Rufus Wainwright, Seattlest would've told you to shut the hell up. But now here we are in 2007, when Mandy Moore and Babyface have gone and recorded folk music records, or at least records that show......

Fate, karma, kismet -- call it what you will but the week before A Fine Frenzy came to town a friend in Switzerland sent us a YouTube video of her song "Rangers." We listened, found the album, and two days later noticed she was coming to town that Sunday. Here is the video, just so you can follow along: (And here is YouTube's A Fine Frenzy catalog.) What we didn't know at the time was......

This is a big weekend due to the Esurance® Capitol Hill Block Party alone. Tickets are not sold out yet; if nothing else, just by 'em at the door. But what to do if you want to avoid the Hill and the confluence of all those hipsters? Tonight, there's Ryan Adams at the Moore. He's no longer the junkie hot mess he used to be, so this time around he probably won't go nutso if......

First things first: Where the shit does one get something to eat in Downtown Tacoma? Seattlest spent yesterday evening wandering around the "Theater District" looking for a place to fill our bellies. We must've walked about a mile in all directions, only to find a McDonald's, a Pita Hut, a pizza-by-the-slice place, a couple sketchy pubs, lots of boarded-up storefronts, and approximately nine million coffeeshops. It was only when we got back in the......

The Triple Door continues to be the Venue Most Likely To Book Bands We'd Like To Sleep With. Ah, metaphorically, right -- bands that create an instant, itchy lust to hear more. Now while we cool down a bit, here's a coming-up-next announcement: Wednesday, 7:30pm: Rosie Thomas w/Denison Witmer & Sheila Saputo. A folksy singer/songwriter with a fabulous voice, Thomas has a charmingly off-beat stage presence. Sunday/Monday, 8pm: Rufus Wainwright is in town for......

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......

SNOW: Alpental got 4 inches at the base Saturday while we were up there, and the snow was light, with plenty of wind fill if you know how to seek out the good spots. We were jealous of our friends staying up in Lot 3, whose alarm clock this morning was the rumbling, gun-shot sounds of avalanche blasting. All day // Your favorite resort // It ain't cheap DANCE: The New York Times once......