The Fleet Foxes returned to the Paramount for another double-header along with the Walkmen. Happy to be back home they played another packed house in their usual quiet manner. The venue was silent between songs while the band tuned up and switched instruments. Robin Pecknold and J. Tillman took turns with the crowd banter, stories, and gems like this one: "I'm in a very nostalgic self-mythologizing kinda mood tonight." Shows like that make for more of a living room vibe than the massive venue that is the Paramount. more ›

In terms of music, Saturday was definitely our biggest day at Bumbershoot. We spent most of the time running from one partial set to another. Along the way we caught Thao Nguyen and her backing band, the Get Down Stay Down. Thao's breathy voice is much bigger than the tiny girl it comes out of, and with her solid, clap-happy set, she managed to be energetic (for a singer-songwriter) without verging into crazy territory (even if she did almost perform one song twice). more ›

Jack has already mentioned Stars at the Showbox, and Katelyn's put the word out about Grayskul and Hangar 18 at Chop Suey. That leaves us to mention M.I.A. and the Cool Kids at Showbox SoDo, or, if you like things a little more old-school, Mudhoney is at El Corazon. Here they are playing "Hate the Police" in Prague: more ›

While you are now officially unable to see Hootie and the Blowfish this weekend in Roslyn, WA (get well soon, Hoots), next week offers a great show at the High Dive. And it's on a Wednesday night, so you don't have to contend with the mongrel hordes and/or white-capped frat boys that inhabit the Fremont environs every weekend. more ›

We randomly checked out the Walkmen and Kaiser Chiefs show at the Showbox last night, mostly in the dark about their work. Although we had seen the Walkmen live once before, we couldnt remember if they had made much of an impression. During the opening, a friend summed up their sound as "like the Strokes except not irritating." That's a good enough summary although we'd swap out the Strokes with Rod Stewart, who Walkmen lead singer Hamilton Leithauser sounds exactly like and if you don't agree then fuck you. more ›

Seattlest has loved Brooklyn-based rockers The Walkmen for a while now, but it was their second full-length, 2004's critically acclaimed Bows and Arrows, that really got us good. The album slowly revealed its facets, intense and yearning one moment, subdued and wistful the next---qualities that made it a great post-break-up listen. Since we had nearly worn that CD out over the past two years, it was about time for some new tunes, and the Walkmen deliver with A Hundred Miles Off, in stores yesterday. more ›

, dammit! And breadth- strewn with more pop-culture references, adventurous music choices, and nerd-chic than any show can contain and expect to be successful- that's our O.C. more ›