Commandeer the Tractor with Honkies and Dogs, pick a boil with Beefcake, dance through the night and well again into the afternoon at the Garden, then let us shake hands and part the better for our time together. more ›

Looking for a way to give back this holiday season but still feel like you're getting something other than a good feeling? Head out to Gigs4Good show with Drew Grow and the Pastor's Wives, Lower Lights Burning and Chris Cunningham (of Ravenna Woods) at the Tractor tomorrow. It's going to be a great time and will help satiate your charitable side. more ›

Day twelve is upon us and Morgen is taking a nostalgic turn. Shonen Knife has been a mainstay in Japanese pop music for twenty years and our photographer got caught up in their magic web in high school. They're just as fun and full of energy two decades later as you can see in today's photo. more ›

Kris Orlowski has one more reason for us to give thanks this week with a cd release show for his new album Warsaw. We've caught a glimpse of what you're in store for and this is a show you don't want to miss. With Hot Bodies in Motion and Smokey Brites rounding out the bill it's the best show you'll see all week (if not all month). more ›

Shonen Knife is another of those bands that have been a persistent whisper in the music industry since the early '80s. So many of my favorite bands from back in the day have returned to the limelight and this one got us the most excited this year. more ›

We're very excited to announce that The War on Drugs will be playing at the Tractor Tavern tonight. We mentioned it earlier today in our calendar section, but it bears repeating. We love them for the grimy and wandering sound they create that has landed them comparisons to a mixture of Dylan and My Bloody Valentine, and also because, from the bottom of our hearts, they make the best road trip music in the entire world. more ›

The Tractor Tavern is the place to be tomorrow with the talents of Doug Paisley and Megafaun heating up the stage. If you're at all a fan of bluegrass, folk, or plain ol' Americana-style music then this is the show for you. more ›

The Lumineers hail from Denver, but they've made quite an impression on Seattle fans. On their very first venture to the Emerald City they donned the stage at Neumos for Capitol Hill Block Party and blew us all away. Come out to the Tractor Tavern tonight to see what we're all talking about. more ›

‘Thanks for the Ether,’ Rasputina’s groundbreaking debut album from 1996, demonstrated to a generation of indie rock fans that the cello wasn’t just for classical music. Tonight lead songstress Melora Creager and her bandmates bring their cello-driven rock to the Tractor Tavern. more ›

Local group People Eating People kicked off the night with pounding old-timey keyboards and a mix of sultry and wailing vocals. The highlight of their set was the clapping breakdown in Rain, Rain. We're suckers for foot-stomping, hand-clapping songs though, and their whole vibe fit right into that. more ›

GET NOISY: Noise for the Needy 2011, a raucous, rockin', Real Change-supporting musical extravaganza, begins tonight. With shows all over the city from now until Sunday, NFTN is a not-to-be-missed opportunity for slacktivists like you to have fun, drink and support a damn good cause. Kick off the killer weekend with tonight's show at Neumos, featuring Detroit Cobras, Girl in a Coma, and the Fucking Eagles. more ›

The work of singer-songwriter Cass McCombs has a thoughtful intensity well suited for somber reflection. As weekend pursuits wind down, consider stepping out to the Tractor tonight to see McCombs play in support of his latest release, "Wit's End." Those who make it will witness an artist engaged with ghosts from Sundays past, present, and future. more ›

It's Tuesday. Most of the workweek lies ahead. Rain's in the forecast. Many Seattleites are still smarting from weekend misadventures in love. Well, when the going gets tough, the tough find company. And nowhere will those unlucky in love (or otherwise malcontent) find a better companion than at the Tractor tonight, where Jessica Lea Mayfield brings her brand of brooding neo-folk. more ›

As promised, Morgen has some tickets for you. Get on it! more ›

Don't Mondays just make you want to traverse the universe's time holes? Ugh...we hear you. But don't worry--Sarah J. has good news on what's good to do. more ›

Couldn't make it to see Ólöf Arnalds last week at the Tractor? Colby was there, and brings fantastic photos to show for it. more ›

From Iceland, with love--Ólöf Arnalds is coming tomorrow. more ›

Music for all types to start the week off right. more ›

What can we say about Friday that hasn't been plastered on the 'net for the past couple days? How about we reiterate: "Holy crap!", "Wow!", "They're incredible!", "One of the best live shows in Seattle!" Yea, that about sums it up. To be fair, we didn't really mention Concours d'Elegance in our preview. That's mostly to suspend judgment until we'd actually heard them live. When you check out their music, you'll probably understand. Not only is there music very electronica-based, but they also have a killer light show integrated into their live act. more ›

The evening started off a little uncertain. Alexi Murdoch's friend (and bass player) did a set of his own with an acoustic guitar sans strap. He was a little unsure and the guitar kept slipping down since he plays standing up, but had a great voice. The crowd was a bit rowdy so it was hard to hear, but we enjoyed it none the less. When Alexi took the stage it went almost completely silent. The sold out crush of people were still as the dead as he started his first quiet note into the mic. The sense of awe continued most of the set and it was amazing just to hear and see him sing. He seemed pretty shy or at the very least humble. Hopefully he'll head back our way soon and play "Orange Sky" for us next time. more ›

Despite the fact that it was a Wednesday night and cold, a decent crowd showed up at the Tractor for the somewhat unknown Scottish band, Broken Records. Unfortunately there were some people there putting on a show of their own but luckily the great Tractor staff nipped that in the bud so we could enjoy the great music. We were also impressed by U.S. Royalty. They had a really dynamic frontman reminiscent of Fitz from Fitz and the Tantrums who got the smaller crowd moving around the dance floor. We highly recommend you check out both of these groups. We also want to throw out a big apology on behalf of Seattle to Broken Records for powering through your set while the ass in the audience was talking louder than your music. We still had a great time listening to you. more ›

We've heard from quite a few music enthusiasts that they're tired of all the "beard rock" that's been running rampant throughout the city. Ok, we admit, we're big advocates of this movement and really excited about the direction Seattle music is going. However, we also recognize that's not the only type of music out there. As a matter of fact, there's hundreds of other styles that are lacking in this city and if you're unlucky enough to dislike folk rock, then you are hard-pressed to find a good local show. Well, tomorrow night Broken Records is headed to the Tractor Tavern and we think you'll like it. more ›

Tonight at the Tractor there's an incredible lineup waiting for you to enjoy. One of the openers is semi-local dark new-grass rock band The Builders and the Butchers. With two percussionists, a mandolin, guitar, and incredible vocals they will blow you away, no doubt about it. The heavy drumbeats make you stomp the floor without even thinking about it. They have a strong following in the Northwest already so you'll be surrounded by fans singing the lyrics loudly (and possibly out of tune due to drunken merriment, but you've got to expect that). We have been longtime fans of this band, so it's about time you became one too. more ›

COUCH W/O CUSHIONS: A cushionless couch is mostly just a frame, which is not a bad analogy for the musical improvisation collective Couch without Cushions. They will be performing drum circle style at the Greenwood Collective during the art walk and inviting any and all to join. Bring instruments or a talent. Bring guitars, wooden frogs, beatboxing, poetry, a train whistle, bells, dinginglings, kazoos, or a story. One of the artists is building a giant sheet-fort and in order to make it two stories is looking for extra sheets. All of this is true. What better way to greet the weekend than with an epic pretend/creation session with strangers? We know of none. Friday 6:00 p.m. // Greenwood Collective // FREE more ›

HEY GOOD LOOKIN': Country-rock group The Handsome Family has had a fruitful career. Formed in '93 by the husband and wife team of Brett and Rennie Sparks, the group's first album came out in '94, and since then we've seen eight more full-lengths and a handful of fine EPs. Traditional American music with just a touch of rock, The Handsome Family plays bluegrass and country as well as the best of em. The lyrics are dark, sometimes menacing, gothic in a way, but always thoughtful and perfectly complementary to the jangling sound of resurrected Americana. With Sean Rowe. more ›

We already knew that Star Anna & The Laughing Dogs were going to be great, so that was no surprise. However the opening act, Kasey Anderson & The Honkies, taking the stage for the very first time that night, was a great way to ring in the new year with a packed house at the Tractor Tavern. more ›

If you can believe, we here at the Seattlest music department aren’t tracking the pulse of our local music scene 24/7. We actually do sleep and work (we do cheat at work though) to sustain this habit of listening and going to shows on a far-too-regular basis. So I was surprised when my boss mentioned during a recent work conversation that I should check out Ellensberg’s own Star Anna & The Laughing Dogs at the Tractor Tavern on Thursday night. more ›

Seattlest will be counting down to 2011 with a series of posts on our highlights of this year and what we're looking forward to in the next. Got a list to suggest? Send it our way. See the entire series here. more ›

We at Seattlest have been hooked on Dick Dale ever since we saw Pulp Fiction. The song “Misirlou” plays during the opening scene, which undoubtedly sets the tone for the entire film. more ›

HOLMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Taproot Theatre intended to premiere Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol last year, but when an arsonist's fire shut down the theatre for months, it was forced to cancel the Holmes world debut and instead staged It's a Wonder Life: A Live Radio Play at North Seattle Community College. Now that Taproot has returned to its full glory, Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Carol finally meets its stage. In this presentation, Holmes has gone the way of old Scrooge. Hardened toward the Christmas Spirit, he is visited by three Christmas Eve callers that provide him clues from his past, present, and future. more ›