So there we were, trudging down 15th Avenue East a little...not glumly, no, but resigned to the fact that we were walking down the street with two DiGiorno's for One--for One! like a knife slid under the ribs--in a plastic sack because we'd forgotten our canvas bag, along with a slice of double-chocolate cake because, well, we deserve it, and as we made our way past Sonic Boom we heard a voice carry out......

Seattlest has always felt odd using the listening stations in music stores. We love 'em and--the purchased and downloaded ringtones of strangers on the bus not withstanding--still feel that they're the best way to check out new music. It's just kind of weird rocking out in a store with the cans on while other people around you browse the shelves, blissfully unaware of the epiphany you're having, or that in some small but significant......

Sometimes this Seattlest is a bit behind the news, so an e-mail we just got from a friend who works in Fremont let us in on the fact that the Fremont Sonic Boom is closing and selling its CDs. 30% off new ones and 50% off used. When we saw that, we wrote a post bemoaning the loss and making the required statements about missing the Fremont of yore. But Seattlest Audrey pointed us......

We're as guilty as anyone else when it comes to not knowing that Nada Surf has been living a second life of sorts -- a new life, all their own, long after "Popular," the satirical high-school anthem that ruled MTV circa 1996. Nada Surf has spent the past decade recording, touring and reestablishing themselves with the North American Audience. It's a cool story, we think and not one you often hear. Band gets major label......

The last time multi-culti multi-genre singer-songwriter Manu Chao hit the Seattle area was at Sasquatch this summer (see above). Singing in French, Spanish, Arabic, Galician, Catalan, English, Portuguese, Italian, and Wolof, Chao fuses a variety of styles, including rock, reggae, punk and ska. So this ain't your grandma's drum circle's world music. There's no word as to when he's headed back to the Northwest, but if you're looking to experience the Spanish political punk......

This summer Manu Chao showed his love to Seattle (and the rest of Washington) with an explosive set at Sasquatch (above). The seriously broadly multilingual and multicultural songwriter—he's French-born and -raised of Galician-Basque origins and sings in French, Spanish, Arabic, Galician, Catalan, English, Portuguese, Italian, and Wolof, often mixing languages within the same song—Chao fuses a variety of styles, including rock, reggae, punk and ska. With his hodgepodge of genres and tongues, he crosses......

Six Organs of Admittance is one man--Ben Chasny--and whoever he gets to come along for the ride. Shelter From the Ash, Chasny's ninth album under the Six Organs name (out today), features contributions from his Comets on Fire bandmate Noel Harmonson, Elisa Ambrogio of Magik Markers, and Superwolf/Zwan's Matt Sweeney. The album is a freak-folk magnum opus, full of well-restrained improvisations and fluid ruminations, considered and varied instrumentation (electric, electro, and acoustic), hypnotic vocals,......

Above is a clip of local band-made-good Schoolyard Heroes, from their video shoot for new single "Plastic Surgery Hall of Fame," the final product of which can be seen here. The song's off their new album Abominations, out this Tuesday. In order to celebrate the release of their third full-length, the horror-punk four-piece is playing two shows in two nights for all their Seattle-area fans. Monday night at Sonic Boom Ballard is the band's......

Last night at the Crocodile was one of those evenings you stumble on where things just keep getting better and better. We went down to see headliners Sea Wolf [MySpace] after hearing them do an in-studio bit at KEXP (not posted yet). About two songs in, the indie-folk melodies and lead singer's baritone duets with cello swept us and Shelves of Vinyl off our feet. They're a six-piece -- Alex Brown Church on vocals and......

While Neumo's hosts SIFF's second Face the Music Rock Party, featuring the dreamy pop of Viva Voce, the fragile and spooky soul of Jesse Sykes, and the swoon-worthy indie rock of Siberian, local cutie pie sister act Smoosh opens for sassy Brit girl-group throwback The Pipettes tonight. Here's a video of Smoosh's cover of Bloc Party's "This Modern Love" from a show earlier this week: And the Pipettes--who also have a free instore tonight (7pm)......

Lovely and melancholy Twiggy lookalike El Perro Del Mar (née Sarah Assbring) sings about parties and candy like she's about to place a call to the suicide hotline. Alright, it's not quite that depressing, but she's able to make her 60s girl group harmonies and "shoo-bee-doos" sound downright despondent, and that takes a special Debbie Downer-ability. How very Swedish. Of course, we say all of the above in the nicest possible way. Her poppy......

There' a constant ebb and flow when it comes to the music we love. Sometimes it seems like there's just nothing interesting out there. Nothing to light us up when we listen at home, in our car or on the bus, eyes closed. And then sometimes we find ourselves hauling fist-fulls of new music to the counter of our favorite record store. This week we've been all about Aqueduct's Or Give Me Death, Jesse Sykes......

MUSIC: In a case of perfect billing, Math and Physics Club are taking a break from puppy petting and hand-holding to sing some songs for the kids as part of Town Hall's Saturday morning concert series. 11am & 1:30pm // Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Avenue (at Seneca Street) // Free for kids 12 and under, $5 for adults - adults must be accompanied by a child COMICS: Gabrielle Bell, Kevin Huizenga, and Anders Nilsen......

MUSIC: Ben Kweller's in town opening for Gomez at the Showbox, but the smart money is on going to see his in-store, since it's free. Go hear some great indie-pop to kick off your evening. 5:30pm // Capitol Hill Sonic Boom, 514 15th Ave E // FREE SPORTS/TV: If you're Seth, you're falling all over yourself with the King County 4A district playoffs. If you're anyone else, you're thinking tonight is a good night......

Wednesday, February 14 >>> Sparklehorse at Showbox. Sparklehorse is touring in support of their first effort in five years, with more of the same delicate, pretty songs that made them indie darlings. Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter open. * sample: Song Streams available on MySpace 8:00 pm // $17 // 21+. >>> Miss Mamie Lavona the Exotic Mulatta at Conor Byrne. The last time we saw Miss Mamie she charmed us in entirely......

Steve Jobs announced yesterday that he'll advocate eliminating copy protection for downloaded songs, also known as DRM. We asked our various music dorks what they think. Donte: *yawn*. He doesn't say anything that wasn't already out there, so he spends however many words to say "drm sucks, it's the riaa's fault." Uh, thanks. itunes means squat to me other than a huge proof-of-concept. I'd love for non-drm'ed music to be sold more on principle, but......

Wednesday, January 17 >>> West Side Story at Central Cinema. When we first saw the opening sequence to West Side Story, we were convinced our English teacher was playing some kind of joke. Then the Jets vs. Sharks fight sucked us in, and since then we've known the joke was on us for ever doubting the Greatest Musical Ever Made. 7pm; $10 (plays through the 21st) Thursday, January 18 >>> Carrie Clark & The......

MUSIC: Criminally underrated British singer-songwriter Jim Noir delivers his psych-pop twice tonight: first an acoustic set at Sonic Boom in Ballard, and then rocking out at the Croc as part of the Sub Pop/Barsuk Winter Celebration and Holiday Party Extravaganza. 6pm // Sonic Boom Ballard // Free 8pm // Croc // $10 SINGIN': Have a very piratey Christmas at this month's Northwest Seaport sing-along, full of shanties and featuring a recitation of "A Visit from......

Seattlest got paid today. What does that mean? Off to the record store we go. On our list today: Sufjan Stevens: Songs For Christmas (for tolerable Christmas music at home this year), Built To Spill: You In Reverse (finally), Joanna Newsom: Ys (we just stumbled upon her online today), and The Shins: Phantom Limb EP (for the wife. She finds them just adorable). So what's the rest of Seattle listening to this week? Here are......

These cold nights we've been having really take us back to when we were kids and we had to ruin our awesome Halloween costumes with coats and bulky sweatpants to keep warm. The kids are out there working hard this Halloween night, so don't be an ass. Cough up the candy. Tuesday 31st, Halloween Night >>>"Devo Tribute Night" at Chop Suey. Teeth and Hair, The Pleasureboaters, The Torn ACLs, A Gun That Shoots Knives.........

After kicking our collective asses for four consecutive days, the heat is finally backing down. So pull yourself together. Go outside again -- especially to Capitol Hill this weekend. Tuesday 25th >>> The Long Winters at Sonic Boom in Ballard. Putting The Days To Bed, the third LP from Seattle's The Long Winters, combines the lyrical intimacy and melodic complexity of the Ultimatum EP with the guitar pop rave-ups of the bands previous full lengths.......

We always try to listen to Don Slack's Swingin' Doors show on KEXP. If we aren't in the car when it's live (6-9pm on Thursdays), we catch the replay on KEXP's streaming archive. On last week's show, DJ Don played a fast Western-swing song with a great melody, "Banks of the Brazos" by James Hand. (You can hear it if you set the streaming archive to start at 6:45pm, or hear a snippet here). The......

Another week of Seattlest making all your plans for you. You don’t even have to think! Joy! Monday 20th: >>Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's second album sounds like they've started hanging out with the Black Keys. Hallelujiah. With Elefant and The Morning After Girls at the Showbox. 8pm, $17adv/$19 door, (21+) >>Shock Therapy: DJs Deutcher Meister, Lu Ying, Kamikaze at The Bad Juju Lounge Free! Tuesday 21st: >>Fish Scale Tour: Ghostface Killah, M-1, Common Market......

Call Rumsfeld! The United Kingdom is exporting weapons of mass distortion to the U.S.! [Insert laugh-track] Hovering between #7 and #10 on the Sonic Boom Top Seller lists is the debut album, “Everything Is,” by Nine Black Alps. (Easy Street is nearly a week late in posting their list, so who knows what’s going on over there.) Hailing from Manchester, England, Nine Black Alps traveled to Los Angeles to record with producer Rob Schnapf......

It's been over 24 hours since the new Neko Case album hit stores, and Seattlest still hasn't said anything about it? Unacceptable. Seattlest picked up Fox Confessor Brings the Flood last night at the Ballard Sonic Boom and loaded it onto our iPod. We've made it through the album twice so far today. Preliminary report: at least as good as Blacklisted, very possibly better. Case's voice is, as expected, utterly gorgeous. "John Saw that Number"......

Oh how the tides will change… For weeks now, low-key bands Cat Power and Belle & Sebastian have been holding the top 2 spots on the Easy Street and Sonic Boom Top-Seller lists. Not this week. This week is all about pure bravado, and it’s about smoking too much and wearing too many belts. Firmly planted at #1 at all Sonic Boom stores is Seattle band, The Lashes with their debut album, “Get It.” At......

Would you believe us, if we told you the little girl who gave Ben Seaver his first kiss on the lovable TV show “Growing Pains,” has an album on the Easy Street and Sonic Boom Top-Seller lists? Truth, it seems, really can be stranger than fiction. We are of course, talking about Rabbit Fur Coat by Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins, the new solo album by the lovely Rilo Kiley front-woman. This week, Rabbit......

Over at the mass-market music stores like Sam Goody and FYE, the “Best-Seller” lists are occupied by those finger-puppets artists you’d expect to hear on KISS 106.1 or KUBE 93 (i.e. Black-Eyed Peas, Kelly Clarkson, Jamie Foxx). Meanwhile, at Seattle’s two most successful indie-music shops, Easy Street Records (West Seattle, Queen Anne), and Sonic Boom Records (Ballard, Capitol Hill, Fremont), they too maintain Top-Seller lists—along with earthy atmospheres, scruffy sales clerks (many of whom are......

Velouria--the name evokes a land where everything is soft and touchable, or if you're more musically minded, it evokes images of Kim Deal and Frank Black. Velouria the boutique in Ballard rests comfortably between both evocations--everything in the store is soft and touchable, and its located right next door to Sonic Boom Records. Tes de Luna, the proprietor, has taken the time to give Seattlites a boutique unlike any other in the city. Each piece......

Besides raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, these were a few of our favorite things, at least in terms of live music during the past year. Audrey: Arcade Fire---May 28th @ the Gorge, September 21st @ the Paramount Though I am still kicking myself for missing their KEXP show at Neumo's last December (I chalk that up to "having my head up my ass"), I managed to see this powerfully emotive band twice......