Kristy Lee Cook may be the closest we get to a local hand in the pot this year. Which basically means Blake Lewis might get to keep his crown. (Did he get a crown for coming in second?) more ›

Last Friday we saw Sea Wolf at Chop Suey. We found this Pop Matters review of their first full-length album, but if you'd like to learn more, here's an interview by Sound on the Sound. more ›

But then Earlimart [MySpace] takes over, sounding like Grandaddy's Postal Service, with lush orchestration. And what's when we saw god, or Jesus, specifically. It was just one of those nights where you're feeling it, and you look around and everyone else has that same bright-eyed look, and then you see Jesus working on a plate of perfectly crispy Sichuan green beans, giving his server an A-OK sign. "7.2 on Pitchfork!" Jesus says. "I loves me my rainy-day pop!" Earlimart plays the romantic swoon "Answers and Questions" [over here], they play the uptempo "Everybody Knows Everybody," they make us all sigh miserably with "Don't Think About Me" -- they've got the knack down of kicking a song off with a quiet verse, then bringing in the drums. They're backed by the Dream String Team, giving them a big 9-piece sound. It's our companion's first time at the Triple Door, and she loves it -- "This is so fabulous," she says, bouncing a little on her seat. "Normally you're at a show and you're standing and you're mildly uncomfortable -- and that's not even counting this incredible freaking banana split!" (The secret is the gelato from Gelatiamo.) Earlimart nears the last song and Jesus hops up on his chair: "You're all coming with, come the Rapture! Anybody who missed tonight -- fuck 'em!" Which, as we thought about it, was no more arbitrary than other religious proclamations, but the waitstaff makes him get back down and we notice they won't refill his wine glass, even after he waves it upside down conspicuously. Still, the announcement makes the encore particularly sweet -- Earlimart don't even make us wait that long before trooping back out. more ›

When we got to the Crocodile last night, the Norwegian invasion was in full swing, with singer/songwriter Thomas Dybdahl [deebdoll] holding the audience in the palm of his hand. He's low-key and instantly likable, and a crooner of bittersweet verses about girls who have baggage ("Adelaide" and "Cecilia") and middle-aged men who need to break out of their routine ("Henry"). more ›

We just assumed this was to prep us for an earful of earnest agitprop about Rich World/Poor World divisions -- which we were okay with. We got Lolita-meets-Psycho-meets-Clockwork Orange instead. We realize this will suit some of you just fine. If so, skip to the end for ticket info. more ›

Not a huge week in music, but hey, it's a holiday. Stay home and eat! Then put your sweatpants on! more ›

Seattlest had the chance to take in quite a few good shows over the past week. Saturday night was no exception. It was just last March when we first saw Art Brut here in Seattle. They were still relatively unknown at the time, having just released their debut album Bang Bang Rock & Roll in the States. After hearing their album, we weren't sure then they could pull off the live show. After their 2nd stop in Seattle, it's clear that Eddie Argos and company haven't skipped a beat. more ›

October is here! That means candy apples, inappropriate costumes, and tons of live music. more ›

Seattlest caught Bainbridge Island writer Mary Guterson at Wordstock in Portland in April, and she was so freakin' funny that we immediately bought her book, We Are All Fine Here, a dry, first-person story of Julia, a burned-out married woman who hooks up with her old boyfriend. And because Seattlest is an author-stalker, we couldn't just read the damn thing, we had to call up Guterson and chat. more ›

LAist is flashing a sad peace out to their editor Carolyn Kellogg with one hand and bumping knuckles with their new head typist L.A. blogger king Tony Pierce with the other. more ›

Seattlest serves up musical jambalaya for the masses… Delicious! more ›

Uh oh. Seems as if there's some city-funded disruption of shopping and commerce (both of which are a citizen's patriotic duty) going on downtown, care of everybody's favorite drum-centric hooligans, the Infernal Noise Brigade. more ›

Last week while driving down Stone Way, hand poised over horn, we were surprised and somewhat dismayed to see that Vern Fonk Insurance had closed shop. However, a quick check at the Fonk site indicated that the office had only moved to a newlocation. As a result, because of Fonk's horn-blowing slogan, we imagine their old neighbors are relieved to have them gone, just as their new neighbors are probably preparing a lawsuit. more ›

We Are Scientists (not to be confused with one of Seattlest's all-time fav GBV songs) are happening at the Croc tomorrow night with Tourist and if recent raves are to be believed they're quite the little up and comers. Check Jeff Baum on Gothamist: more ›