Rob Gordon once said, "The making of a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention. Then you got to take it up a notch, but you don't wanna blow your wad, so then you got to cool it off a notch. There are a lot of rules." more ›

Last time Under Byen played Seattle, we told you how great they were, and some of you listened, since Chop Suey was packed. Well, they're back again tonight (at Neumos), so you know what to do. Show up, stand in the dark, and sway to the band's beautiful output. Never mind that the lyrics are in Danish, that doesn't take away from the show in the slightest. They're opening for The Album Leaf, who put on an equally engaging live show (keep an eye on the robotic hypnotic drummer). Trust us, you don't want to miss this one (although if you are going to miss it, we hope you're at least headed to see Melt Banana at Chop Suey). more ›

Under Byen (meaning "under the city" and pronounced "Oh-nah Boon") is a pack of wild Danes who makes orchestral post-rock chockful of unfamiliar sounds, distorted vocals, effects pedals, and heavy feedback. The eight-piece has been together since the mid-90s, but it's their latest release Samme Stof Som Stof that has won them fans on this side of the pond. Part of it is due to their elaborate orchestration and sonic heft, and part of it is due to their blonde bombshell of a lead singer. Henriette Sennenvaldt is smoking hot, with quirky vocals in the vein of Bjork--case in point: the album's title track [mp3]--that serves to complement the band's deep sound. Under Byen headlines tonight's Euro-leaning show at Chop Suey, also featuring Au Revior Simone and Frida Hyvonen. We've been told all three bands are solid, a rare occurrence indeed. more ›

CINEMA: You could see The Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries so you can hold up your end of conversations about Swedish film. Or you can see them so you get all the cultural references in Deconstructing Harry and Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey. more ›