Seattle Weekly October 3, 2012 : Page14

2012 » Seattle Weekly’s Local Music Festival » Saturday, October 6 the Long Winters’ John Roderick (who also produced the record) that our Mike Seely called “an early front-runner for best song put out by any artist in 2011.” around musician. In his solo productions and those with heady, freestyling duo Metal Chocolates, he sways from jazzy and glitchy hip-hop instrumentals to soulful not-quite-house tracks to tropicalia-inflected singer/ songwriter material. His tastes and talents are boundless; watch where he goes next. Brothers From Another, 11 p.m. On their HILLIARD’S BREWERY (all ages) BY ERIC GRANDY Townsend–based MC does that earnest-white-rapper thing that’s so popular around these parts, spitting it hella sincere whether he’s snarling about his hip-hop cred or Slugishly mourning some doomed romance. Brain Fruit, 7 p.m. For sure one of the more Mike DC, 6 p.m. This Canadian-born, Port recent Taco Tuesday EP, this Seattle hip-hop duo dedicates a song to artisanal-ice-cream queen Molly Moon, extols the virtues of love (worth changing your college major for), and praises their 206 elders in “Sonic Boom.” If it wasn’t clear: This is one profoundly pos-vibing, town-friendly rap act. out-there bands playing this year’s Reverb Fest, this Seattle drum-and-synth duo applies muscular live drumming to hypnotically evolving synth arpeggios, with results that can range from motorik-krautrock cool to fully unhinged noise jams. If all those words sound like nonsense to you, just trust and go get your mind blown. Soul Senate, midnight Forever subor-dinate to the whims of the Funky President and hemmed in by the decisions of the Jazzy Judiciary, Seattle band Soul Senate nonethe-less delivers a traditional suit-and-tie soul revue—including a loungey cover of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”—that both sides of the aisle can agree upon. Chocolate Chuck, 8 p.m. Little brother of queens THEESatisfaction, Chocolate Chuck would be, what, like an archduke among Seattle hip-hop royalty? Lineage aside, the young producer has plenty going for him in his own right, with a sample-flipping style that’s simultaneously breezy, bass-y, and based. Julie C, 9 p.m. On the cover of her Sliding Scale EP, Julie C looks more like a cool librarian than a battle-tested rapper, but her 206 Zulu affiliations profess a love for hip-hop culture both progressive and traditionalist, and her rhymes are nimble and sturdy enough to stand on their own. OCnotes, 10 p.m. Otis Calvin “Notes” III is currently reigning as this city’s most inspired beat-maker and maybe most promising all-MIRO TEA (all ages) BY KEEGAN PROSSER Darren Loucas, 6 p.m. The veteran blues rocker who brought us the Jelly Rollers and Juke steps into the limelight as a solo act. Weaving simple melodies, a mean falsetto, and intricate guitar riffs, Loucas channels the honesty of the ’90s, bathed in raw folk tradition. SHERRY LOESER CONOR BYRNE PUB (21 and over) BY JULIA MULLEN GORDON NoRey, 6:30 p.m. Since the “dogmatic, coked-up, llama-killing, Esperanza Spalding– boning, Michael Pollan–scolding, über-locavore Cascade foothills chef” Lou Kohl appeared on SW ’s cover last year, it’s been a challenge to separate him from NoRey front-man Alejandro Garcia, who portrayed the fur-coat-clad spoof on the cover. By day, Garcia may masquerade as a culinary outlaw, but by night his distinct accent is put to use in NoRey, whose globally influenced, edgy pop wouldn’t sound out of place in an Iñárritu film. Lifestyles of the Poor and Unknown, 7:30 p.m. Not many bands call Port Shannon Stephens plays Conor Byrne at 9:30 p.m., Saturday October 6, as part of Seattle Weekly ’s Reverb Local Music Festival. Shannon Stephens, 9:30 p.m. “Faces Like Ours,” Shannon Stephens’ duet with Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy from this year’s Pull It Together , is a strange take on the country lament, calling attention to white privilege with its slant lyrics. Stephens’ secret weapon is her ability to twist traditional forms, making topics like rent and dishes vessels for philo-sophical exploration. Whitney Ballen, 10:30 p.m. When Ballen Eugenie Jones Quartet, 7 p.m. This sassy jazz vocalist delivers soulful tunes in the same vein as sultry mamas Sharon Jones and Nina Simone, backed by a stellar lineup of seasoned musicians. Don’t be surprised if she name-checks Beyoncé and Angelina (she has before), or drops a sexy, piano-driven rendi-tion of “Cry Me a River” (she’s done that too). REVERB • SEATTLE WEEKLY • OCTOBER 3 −9 , 2012 Townsend home, but this one makes an exception. Led by Spencer Tucker (a tugboat deckhand and high-school classmate of this writer), LPU isn’t far from the whimsical, off-kilter style of early Modest Mouse, while Tucker’s deep vocals recall Wolf Parade’s Dan Boeckner. turned 21, she didn’t drink a sip of booze. Her album, White Feathers, White Linens is similarly pure; from its very title to Ballen’s childlike vocals to the tinkling music box that marks the album’s beginning, her songs come from a place of innocence and wonder. opening twangs of slide guitar on Harrington’s new record, Makin’ Our House a Honkytonk , it’s clear this is party music. Harrington proves herself a charismatic and commanding vocalist whose songs are perfect for a twirl around the dance floor—hat and boots required. album, last year’s Burn the Boats , Earl proved her chops at intelligent country, showing she could compete with genre masters like Neko Case on songs like “At the Start,” a duet with LUCIEN PELLEGRIN Rachel Harrington, 11:30 p.m. From the Gabriel Mintz, 8:30 p.m. If you’ve been 14 traumatized by one too many Bumbershoot drum circles, you’ll naturally be apprehensive of Gabriel Mintz’s socks-with-sandals style. But give a listen to 2010’s Volume 1 , which proves him a highly skilled player whose pop sensibility shares equal space with insightful songwriting. We promise it sounds nothing like the Dave Matthews Band. Shelby Earl, 12:30 a.m. On her debut OCnotes performs at Hilliard’s Brewery at 10 p.m.

Conor Byrne Pub

Julia Mullen Gordon

NoRey, 6:30 p.m. Since the “dogmatic, coked-up, llama-killing, Esperanza Spalding– boning, Michael Pollan–scolding, überlocavore Cascade foothills chef” Lou Kohl appeared on SW’s cover last year, it’s been a challenge to separate him from NoRey frontman Alejandro Garcia, who portrayed the fur-coat-clad spoof on the cover. By day, Garcia may masquerade as a culinary outlaw, but by night his distinct accent is put to use in NoRey, whose globally influenced, edgy pop wouldn’t sound out of place in an Iñárritu film. Lifestyles of the Poor and Unknown, 7:30 p.m. Not many bands call Port Townsend home, but this one makes an exception. Led by Spencer Tucker (a tugboat deckhand and high-school classmate of this writer), LPU isn’t far from the whimsical, off-kilter style of early Modest Mouse, while Tucker’s deep vocals recall Wolf Parade’s Dan Boeckner. Gabriel Mintz, 8:30 p.m. If you’ve been traumatized by one too many Bumbershoot drum circles, you’ll naturally be apprehensive of Gabriel Mintz’s socks-with-sandals style.But give a listen to 2010’s Volume 1, which proves him a highly skilled player whose pop sensibility shares equal space with insightful songwriting. We promise it sounds nothing like the Dave Matthews Band. Shannon Stephens, 9:30 p.m. “Faces Like Ours,” Shannon Stephens’ duet with Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy from this year’s Pull It Together, is a strange take on the country lament, calling attention to white privilege with its slant lyrics. Stephens’ secret weapon is her ability to twist traditional forms, making topics like rent and dishes vessels for philosophical exploration. Whitney Ballen, 10:30 p.m. When Ballen turned 21, she didn’t drink a sip of booze.Her album, White Feathers, White Linens is similarly pure; from its very title to Ballen’s childlike vocals to the tinkling music box that marks the album’s beginning, her songs come from a place of innocence and wonder. Rachel Harrington, 11:30 p.m. From the opening twangs of slide guitar on Harrington’s new record, Makin’ Our House a Honkytonk, it’s clear this is party music. Harrington proves herself a charismatic and commanding vocalist whose songs are perfect for a twirl around the dance floor—hat and boots required. Shelby Earl, 12:30 a.m. On her debut album, last year’s Burn the Boats, Earl proved her chops at intelligent country, showing she could compete with genre masters like Neko Case on songs like “At the Start,” a duet with the Long Winters’ John Roderick (who also produced the record) that our Mike Seely called “an early front-runner for best song put out by any artist in 2011.”

Hilliard's Brewery

Eric Grandy

Mike DC, 6 p.m. This Canadian-born, Port Townsend–based MC does that earnest white- rapper thing that’s so popular around these parts, spitting it hella sincere whether he’s snarling about his hip-hop cred or Slugishly mourning some doomed romance. Brain Fruit, 7 p.m. For sure one of the more out-there bands playing this year’s Reverb Fest, this Seattle drum-and-synth duo applies muscular live drumming to hypnotically evolving synth arpeggios, with results that can range from motorik-krautrock cool to fully unhinged noise jams. If all those words sound like nonsense to you, just trust and go get your mind blown. Chocolate Chuck, 8 p.m. Little brother of queens THE ESatisfaction, Chocolate Chuck would be, what, like an archduke among Seattle hip-hop royalty? Lineage aside, the young producer has plenty going for him in his own right, with a sample-flipping style that’s simultaneously breezy, bass-y, and based. Julie C, 9 p.m. On the cover of her Sliding Scale EP, Julie C looks more like a cool librarian than a battle-tested rapper, but her 206 Zulu affiliations profess a love for hip-hop culture both progressive and traditionalist, and her rhymes are nimble and sturdy enough to stand on their own. Ocnotes, 10 p.m. Otis Calvin “Notes” III is currently reigning as this city’s most inspired beat-maker and maybe most promising all around musician. In his solo productions and those with heady, free styling duo Metal Chocolates, he sways from jazzy and glitchy hip-hop instrumentals to soulful not-quite house tracks to tropicalia-inflected singer/ songwriter material. His tastes and talents are boundless; watch where he goes next. Brothers From Another, 11 p.m. On their recent Taco Tuesday EP, this Seattle hip-hop duo dedicates a song to artisanal-ice-cream queen Molly Moon, extols the virtues of love (worth changing your college major for), and praises their 206 elders in “Sonic Boom.” If it wasn’t clear: This is one profoundly pos-vibing, town-friendly rap act. Soul Senate, midnight Forever subordinate to the whims of the Funky President and hemmed in by the decisions of the Jazzy Judiciary, Seattle band Soul Senate nonetheless delivers a traditional suit-and-tie soul revue—including a loungey cover of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”—that both sides of the aisle can agree upon.

Miro Tea

Keegan Prosser

Darren Loucas, 6 p.m. The veteran blues rocker who brought us the Jelly Rollers and Juke steps into the limelight as a solo act.Weaving simple melodies, a mean falsetto, and intricate guitar riffs, Loucas channels the honesty of the ’90s, bathed in raw folk tradition. Eugenie Jones Quartet, 7 p.m. This sassy jazz vocalist delivers soulful tunes in the same vein as sultry mamas Sharon Jones and Nina Simone, backed by a stellar lineup of seasoned musicians. Don’t be surprised if she name-checks Beyoncé and Angelina (she has before), or drops a sexy, piano-driven rendition of “Cry Me a River” (she’s done that too). Prom Queen, 8 p.m. Churning out sickly sweet pop tracks inspired by pinup girls and 1960s housewives, Celene “Leeni” Ramadan is, naturally, everything Lana Del Rey tries too hard to be. A multiinstrumentalist with sultry vocals and a killer retro style, Ramadan pulls you in with her sugary disposition—and keeps you with her edgy girl power. The Crow Quill Night Owls, 9 p.m. Think old-timey string music of the 1920s and ’30s variety. If you’re a sucker for a good washtub bass, this act, which fluctuates from a duo to a six-person collective, delivers the goods. It’s the stuff you dance to drunkenly when your lady (or man) is fussin’—and all you want is a stiff drink. Spoonshine, 10 p.m. Playing bouncy Americana jams of the bluegrass persuasion, this act had a rowdy group of hippies stomping at Folklife earlier this year—and are bound to bring the same mischief to Ballard Avenue. Also of note: Their new EP, Song of Sockeye, was produced by Sound garden knob-twister Adam Kasper, and features George Schwindt of Flogging Molly.

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