A couple of months ago I emailed Die Antwoord's publicist regarding their upcoming Seattle show. I hadn't heard from anybody so I followed up last night, and this morning I received an email stating simply "They're not on label anymore." Interscope dropped Die Antwoord for being too obscene, so they are releasing Ten$ion independently on February 7th.

The South African trio will return to the Showbox at the Market on February 20th. You cannot miss this show. They might verbally abuse every single person in the room, but they'll do it with such Zef…

In case you've been living under a rock, we have our second show coming up! Kelly mentioned it in a previous blog, but we're so excited for the show and who is playing that dedicating a blog post to the headliner didn't seem unnecessary in the slightest.

MayWeather have been around the Seattle music scene for quite some time and with the release of their self-titled EP in October, they've generated a fair amount of buzz. I have to hand it to these guys, they write some of the catchiest…

Normally I would say that a song like Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye & Kimbra has no business being covered by any other artist, because the original is so brilliant that nothing else can compare. Then I found this cover video by Walk Off The Earth. Watch this entire four piece from Ontario play a single guitar, and fall in love:



P.S. Sorry for my absence as of late. I've been tied up in other areas of life, but I promise more frequent updates starting... now.

In honor of the show The Moondoggies are playing this Saturday, they put this funny video together. The Moondoggies, a Seattle band, are playing at The Neptune this Saturday with The Maldives for their sixth annual Christmas show extravaganza. Tickets are $15 and doors open at 8pm. If you haven't heard about either band before, take the time now to check out the music on their Facebook pages.

For more information on the show, you can check out The Neptune's website.

Hey hi hello. It's been a while since I've posted more than 10 words, and for this I apologize. My new "career job" kind of has me by the (metaphorical) cajones. That being said, Keeping Secrets and Pink Bead are throwing their CD Release show together at Showbox at the Market this Saturday, November 26th (TOMORROW). This is a perfect excuse to ditch the extended family who decided to stay for the entire weekend. Monsters Scare You, Vices, To Paint The Sky, and Numbers are…

All right, let's be real. This isn't the first or last time you'll hear about these guys from Kelly or I; well, considering this band is Kelly's baby, but also because they're great guys. I was kindly invited to hang out with them on the set of their first music video, which was a great time. Numbers are picture perfect of what a D.I.Y. band should be, from funding the production of their new merchandise to recording their first music video on their own. Besides the fact that they are talented musicians, I have…

Hey guys, it's been a few weeks since I have posted but in searching for something new, I decided to write about something fun and interactive that you can be a part of.

Recently Kelly and myself had the pleasure of working with a really talented band called Keeping Secrets from Tacoma, (I recorded their upcoming album, and Kelly did their promotional photos - she did a GREAT job!) and soon after I began managing them because I really believe they have something refreshing to offer not only the music industry in general, but also the…

Sticking with the theme of Music Monday on Twitter, I think it'd be appropriate to post this blog today. The last time I took a hard look at Seattle music, I was pretty disappointed; granted that was a year ago, when Gatsbys American Dream did their spur of the moment performance of "Theater" that inevitably led to the band's reunion. It's amazing how much can change over a year. Every where I look now, I hear about more Seattle music staples joining forces and creating new bands and even more bands coming out of the woodwork with musicians quite new…

This might sound crazy, but I'm in the back seat of a car on the way to the Gorge right now for the Identity festival.. What might be even crazier is that the scenery out here reminded me that I haven't posted about Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' video for Otherside yet.

If you aren't one of the 100k+ people who have already seen it , watch the video above! They've been working on it for a long time, and the outcome is incredible.

Wish me luck this weekend.…

Ukraine-based band Make Me Famous have just recorded and released a music video for their acoustic cover of their song Make it Precious. The track is a complete 180 from their usual sound but just goes to show the real talent and flexibility of the band creator, Denis Shaforostov's, voice and writing capability. If anyone doubted Shaforostov's ability to sing, I hope this video helps prove otherwise. Also not to be overlooked is lead screamer, Serj Kravchenko, contribution to backing vocals. It appears not only can he growl like a grizzly bear…

Business Boys Never Rest released their highly anticipated EP Villains for FREE DOWNLOAD today. Their sophomore release includes guest appearances from local Seattle scene heavyweights, Lizzie Huffman and Spencer Mertel (of Man Without Wax). Check it out!

Business Boys Never Rest released a sick music video for their song "FAME" today. This hip hop trio will be releasing their "Villains" EP for FREE download next Tuesday (8/9/11). I likey free music.

You may recognize the voice on the single's hook. It's sung by none other then Lizzie Huffman! I look forward to downloading their EP next week.

Check this group out now, so you can say ya knew 'em before they blew up!



WWW.BBNRMUSIC.COM

In a magical world of hot chicks and good music there is a thin line that no one crosses: The line into Nerd-Landia. Luckily for us the trio that is Courage My Love, stepped over that line and then kicked its graphic novel ass all over the place with "I Sell Comics".



You may be asking yourself "Why in the hell is this even a song?" The short answer, which still happens to be a long answer, is that Kevin Smith (of Clerks/Mall Rats/Red State fame) had something to do with it.

Yeah, this guy:…

They say a picture's worth a thousand words, so read the above flyer and come on down, up, or over to El Corazon tomorrow for VICES' first show ever. It's an all ages shindig with a stacked lineup; you'd be crazy not to make an appearance. Bring your best Hamilton, and we'll see you tomorrow night. Support local music!

So as promised, I am back to share a little bit of goodies with you!

As previously stated, I have been working relentlessly to help some of the Puget Sound's finest put out new music this past year. Something that I am really passionate about (other than music itself), is the fact that I value community and the music scene here in the Northwest depends on the support of people like you. I just wanted to take a moment to share a couple of these bands who've recently put together music videos to the music we created together. I hope…

Long time old friends. I have been a little MIA on here (I can see Kelly rollin' her eyes at me haha) but I wanted to include you all in what I've been up to for the past few months, maybe even year.

Blessed just finished recording the long awaited album, of which I was a majority songwriter, and Im really stoked for you all to hear it.

Among other things I have been recording music here in the Seattle area for bands like Monsters Scare You!, Anchor The Tide, To Paint The Sky, Alabaster, Keeping…

When I first started getting involved in Seattle local music, bands like Gatsbys American Dream, Danger:Radio, From Aphony, and Blane were names commonly found on the bills for a majority of shows. With that in mind, last night's show a throwback. I think it's fair to say that only at a Rain City Ambience show would you find members of each of those bands, even if the members from those bands weren't performing but merely in attendance. Before I joined the staff here, I had always thought of this website as the middle person in the scene,…

Its been about 4 months since the electro house enigma that is Mord Fustang first appeared on ze interwebz. Like a blind girl at a deaf orgy, the electro scene had no idea who was coming. He would spend the next few months filling our brain boxes with a sound Mr. Fustang himself describes as "Arpeggios, wobbles, 1-up mushrooms and disco basslines." Good on ya mate. His tracks would enjoy their time in the spotlight, spending several weeks with multiple songs appearing in Beatport's Top 10. In truth I've kind of been putting off writing this because...…

That's right: There is a band called SEACATS tearing up the Washington music scene, and they are playing their album release show tomorrow night at the Vera Project. This band is living proof that an awesome band name goes a long way (hell, it makes me read your email), so PLEASE for the love of GOD stop giving your band stupid unpronounceable names. Never mind the fact that there are two acceptable ways to say "ambience"--the point is that these guys kick ass.

SEACATS have been generous enough to let us offer you a free download of…

Last night I had the pleasure of joining Chris Bicknell and Kevin Hanaford, of the new band Fira, in the studio. Those names aren't at all foreign to Rain City Ambience. They recorded a new demo for the band within our time there and I can say with all certainty, there is change coming. I can't exactly pin point what, but it's been a long time since I've seen that much passion for music come out of individuals in the scene. The band is still very much in the beginning stages but I know it's going to blow…

On March 5th, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis played their last of three sold-out shows at the Showbox. I said it that night, and I'll say it again: Despite the fact that I rolled solo to a hip hop show on a Saturday night, by the end of the concert--even as a photographer--I felt like I was in a completely different world. The last time the "show high" effect rubbed off on me while I was working was, uh, never--mostly because usually when I go to shows I zone out, take pictures, and leave. Every single artist…

It's been a while since we have heard anything from our friends in the Hexxus camp, but never fear! The band has actually spent the past month slaving away at tracking a new 15-song record for your beautiful ears to absorb. They're completely producing, mixing, and mastering the album themselves, and rest assured we will be the first ones to tell you the official release date of this destined-to-be-glorious album.

Hexxus has experienced a couple of members changes since the original record--Chris Curry is out and Justin Lambert (Wish I Was A Prodigy) is in--but we have…

Photo by Jade Ehlers

Local electro-pop duo Go Periscope are doing big things! They recently released a new track, entitled Boys Like, Girls Like, on their Facebook page, and I must say--this is guilty pleasure music at its finest. Download their remix albums for free on BandCamp.

Now for the big news: Jimmy Fallon announced on his show tonight that Go Periscope are among 16 bands in the running to be featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. To help GP advance to the next rounds, all you have to…

Moneta at Warped Tour 2010

Moneta, who are probably best known for their cover of 1000 Miles, announced on Facebook last night that they are breaking up. Reasons for the split have not yet been stated, but the the band will be missed regardless.

Details of an "epic final show" will come soon--and we'll let you know as soon as we find out.

For nostalgic value, check out some of our old posts on Moneta:
My photos from Warped Tour 2010.
Katie's review of the Villains release show.
My blog…

Bellevue natives What Matters Most have been supporting RCA since we first started back in 2005, so hyping the release of their new EP, The Emergent Property, is the least we can do.

What Matters Most, Heir to the Throne, To the Wind, and Data Junkies are playing tonight at Studio Seven. The show starts at 8 and the cost is $8. Really, can you think of a better way to spend your Saturday night? Because I sure can't.

Listen to four (of six) songs off The Emergent Property on Myspace.

For…

At least 50% of electro-duo Touch Bass is from Seattle, so this news is completely relevant. The pair have released two cover songs in the past two days--one being a semi-ridiculous rendition of the bed intruder song (hide yo' kids hide yo' wife) and the other a slightly more serious Dynamite. You can listen and/or download both songs on their Facebook BandPage (which, by the way, might be the first legitimate music app I've seen on the book of faces).

Enjoy.

Local-but-soon-to-be-LA-bound-band Me Vs. Myself are done with their music video for Carefully, and they want you to be one of the first people to see it! All you have to do is email the band at MeVsMyselfMusicVideo@gmail.com, and shortly after you will receive a link for your private viewing.

The video was shot a couple of months ago in New York by our friend Ryan Kam, who also directed MVM's video for Promising (as well as a ton of others--treat yourself to his Vimeo page).

Check out MVM's Facebook event for…

Vices, comprised of Jacob Sacquitne (The Sky Electric, From Aphony) and Brendan Wilson, are launching their website and releasing two demos tomorrow, and I don't mean to be cliche... but these songs are going to melt your face off.

Listen to a teaser clip of one of their demos here!

Keep your eyes peeled on the Vices Myspace over the next couple of days for more information.

And you guys said we don't post heavy music anymore. To that I say: BOOYAH.

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been a little MIA as of late--the Internet here is pretty terrible (stolen from a neighbor, of course) and I haven't really had the patience to upload photos over a bad connection. I'm sticking it out tonight to post the pictures that only 5 people have asked about so far: Me Vs. Myself, Sunderlyn, and Carly Henley on August 4th, 2010 at the new(ish) Hard Rock Cafe in Seattle!

Disclaimer: I couldn't shoot from many different angles, and the lighting SUCKS at this place, but I tried to work with…

Make sure you head out to El Corazon tomorrow night to see our friends in Oceans (ex-Vision & Valor and Hello, High Water! Devils Hunt Me Down, Magoh, and Florence Acres will also be playing.

Watch for Jessie's interview with Oceans coming any day now... aaaany day now... *ahem*

See you tomorrow!

Just letting you know that Jessie Gracic is an amazing musician who needs to upload new songs to her Myspace--or just make more music in general. We hung out with our good friend, Joe, yesterday, and jammed for a few hours (I pretended that I knew how to play the bass and had fun even though I suck). I took about 550 photos (srsly) and am going to make a stop motion movie once I obtain Final Cut Pro, but for now I just have some stills to share.



…

I should have posted this blog earlier, but better late than never!

My significant other (AKA Simon AKA the Snow of Kilimanjaro) is a DJ on UW's student-run Rainy Dawg Radio, and tonight is his last show EVER!

Tune in from now until 11. So far he has played some new Crystal Castles, Delorean, and Royksopp. Next up you will hear Mew, Tokyo Police Club, and maybe a little MGMT.

Click here to listen!

On April 16th, Green River Community College will be hosting an all-ages show in their Lindbloom Student Center. Moneta, Shyforshy, Sunderlyn, and West on 18 will be playing the event. Doors open at 6:30, and the show is only FIVE DOLLARS!! How's that for a recession show? If you find yourself down in the southend on the 16th, you better stop in for this magical event.

Ahh.. Shows at Green River Community College... Really brings me back to the KGRG Summer Riot-- when Boys Dont Bleed were still a band. MAN, that makes me feel old.

Looking for something to do tonight? Head out to Corner State's CD release show in Bothell! They will be playing with our dear friend Carly Henley.

The show starts at 5PM and costs $5! Check out the flyer below for more information.

Moneta have posted a new song on their Myspace page, and I have to say that I actually like the direction these guys are going in. It's great to watch local bands stick it out through the hard times and evolve into something awesome, even if I wasn't the biggest fan of the music in the first place. At this point Moneta just MAY have won me over (okay, they definitely have).

Plus, their album artwork is amazing:

Don't forget, Moneta's CD release show for Villains is on March 27th…

Our featured artist, Hexxus, is playing at El Corazon tonight with the Sky Electric, A Hope For Home, To the Wind, and Alive Through Love. The show starts at 5:00, and will cost $12 at the door. See you all there!

After months of anticipation, our friends in Me Vs. Myself are streaming their complete EP Seasons on their Myspace page, check it out here! They've also gone live with a new Myspace layout courtesy of yours truly. Check out what people are saying on Absolute Punk!

And most importantly, today is also the release of their music video for Promising directed by our favorite Ryan Kam. Click on the image below to watch the video on Ryan's vimeo page, or go to the bands Myspace to watch it on their page.

First off, can I say how much I do not like Green Day? Does anyone else agree with me?!

I'm disappointed by the Grammy's, for this is the AWARD show, the face of "music". I really don't care about people who can't sing, dance, or move a crowd. But seriously, since when did cencoring Eminem become such a unknown concept? When did the great Stevie Nicks become Taylor Swift's backup singer? Why is Travis Barker playing drums for Drake & Lil Wayne? Who is T. Pain really? Lady Gaga + Elton John? WHAT IS THIS MADNESS!!!

Well, anyways, tonight I…

Are you ready for the Hexxus CD release show? We definitely are!

Back in October 2009, I went to a show at the Marlboro Rec Center in Marlboro, New Jersey as the photographer for Jersey Shows (not to be confused with Jersey Shore... there weren't any guidos to be found.) I was originally there to shoot for my good friends Solfege Radio. My camera died right after there set. BUMMER. I found an outlet near the door and sat for the next few bands. I heard Matt of Danimal Records say that the last band was about to hit the stage and I should take some photos, so I unplugged my charger,…

Tis the season for pop-punk/hardcore/rock bands to produce what i like to call... xmas-core. After having surgery during my finals week, I was pandora-ing listening to some "interesting" covers of all our favorite Christmas classics. This season, you won't have to settle for cookie-cutter Christmas tunes. Settle yourself in for a wild ride. We all have our favorite "punk goes christmas" collection. I'll be making my list AND checking it twice.

So, as i compiling this Xmas-core list, tell us:
What is your favorite Christmas song cover?

As you ponder, check out these albums for ideas!
1. Santa Cause: It's…

Seattle natives New Heights have had a lot on their plate lately, and right now they are having a Christmas sale at their Big Cartel merch shop.



Order their recent EP, Starting Again, at their online merch store. The album is $7 alone, but you can purchase a CD package of both Starting Again and their older EP, Worlds, for $10. There is also a CD/t-shirt package for $20. So many options!

New Heights' next show is on February 5th at the Ethnic Cultural Theatre on the University of Washington Seattle…

So, I've been following the progress of Taylor Thomas's clothing line Live To Love Apparel. Her mission statement is all about love. The clothing line is to remind people of love, whether you believe in God or not. Live to Love Apparel exists because love is the greatest gift of all.

Check out the winter line and order stuff today!



Order Here!
Myspace Here!
Twitter Here! (for discount codes!!!)

Personally, I've only actively used Last.fm. I found this website on my own and it's grown from there. Basically, you download Last.fm player to your hard drive, it takes all your music (and it's plays) on your computer, loads it into this database, complies the data, and stores it. It then creates a radio station to what you already have on your computer. You can then tune into other radio stations related to artist or genres. If you're not on your main computer, you can go on your Last.fm site and listen to YOUR RADIO STATION that automatically loads.

Plus,…

Northwest natives He is We have posted a live acoustic video of their song Happily Ever After on their PureVolume page.

Click the photo below to watch.

Apparently Facebook is the new place for bands to hang out, because Man Down Medic has posted a new song on their profile. The track is titled Not Enough Trouble, and the music player is on the lower left-hand side of the page.

I don't know what makes this song so great; maybe it's the fact that before Sam showed it to me he was talking about how he had no drama to write about. Then he wrote a song about his lack of inspiration. And it's awesome.

Just listen.

From their Myspace:

"Vision and valor parts ways with Tony
After much thought and deliberation, Corey, Aaron and Ryan have decided that they can no longer continue down a musical path with Tony D'Angelo. The reasons for this are many, however we are not here to slander or defame anyone. Simply put, we have always prided ourselves on being friendly, respectful, honest, ethical, and men of a strong, sound moral code. Thus we can no longer affiliate ourselves with someone who does not share these traits.

Please allow us this opportunity to say what an absolute joy it…

Our Texan friends in Otenki shot a music video awhile back, and it is now available for your viewing pleasure on Vimeo. The song, Phoenix, is off Otenki's debut EP, Making Sense of Static. Satiate your pop-punk side.

Just click the photo below to watch!

Basically, The Almost has the coolest pre-order ever. If i try to explain it, it'll come out like mush... so, to help explain it, I found this video of AARON GILLESPIE (love of my life) explaining it.

CLICK HERE!

From the preorder site:

Can't wait until November 3rd to get your Hands on the new Almost full length "Monster Monster"? Well here's your chance to buy your limited edition copy, AND get some goodies to listen to NOW!!!! The full album comes out on Nov. 3, but you have the chance to get this Limited Edition…

I've always liked NeverShoutNever (name is an alias for Christofer Ingle). It's not just his cute face, acoustic style, and attractive red hair. He's got talent. That's it. Watch his new video and tell US what you think. It's not like a regular booty-poppin, name droppin', artsy silly pants video... it's a video that entertains & makes you think.

As my hometown went to Warped Tour 2009 @ the Gorge, I spent my August 15, 2009, at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey. This show was unlike any competition I've been to . This show was The Battle of the Bands, New Jersey edition.

The top 8 bands from all over New Jersey competed in this finale of the battle. My friend and I endured a long trek to Sayreville... a long traffic'd Garden State Parkway. If you know me, you know that one thing I hate with passion of 3 firey suns is traffic. Why? I can't…

Like I said before, we are going to start covering more shows, and apparently Hexxus are our guinea pigs. Oink oink! Or maybe it's squee squee? BREEEEE.

Anywho, the show was awesome. It was the Sky Electric's first time playing in Seattle, and they killed it. Not to mention my favorite photo from the night was of their frontman, Cory. ;D Check the full blog and you can see for yourself.

We'll start the coverage off with a photo of Jessie, pointing. Oooh...


And the line..


Just a little…

Hopefully we will be able to do this with more shows, because I had a lot of fun on Friday night and want to start covering concerts on a regular basis. It'll be like those cheesy nightclub pictures you always see on peoples' Myspace/Facebook pages, but they will be awesome because the music doesn't suck and everyone is cool. I didn't exactly have the gall to go up and ask people if I could take their photos for the site, but maybe I will figure out a way to avoid looking like a creepster in the future.

Also, I took…

My dear friend, sleep fiend, and RCA enthusiast/contributor Jessie Gracic is quite the musician (if you were previously unaware), and now she has some badass recordings that are up on her Myspace page.

There are five songs on the Hunters EP, which will be on iTunes within the next couple of weeks. Jessie has posted three of the tracks on her Myspace. It was all supposed to be released on August 1st, but I think she got too excited and posted them today instead.

Listen, listen, listen. She's also posted a blog with song…

I haven't been to a show in a while, so this should be fun. We will be taking photos and interviewing the band, so if you have any questions be sure to leave them in the comments.

That's right, Progress in Color have re-recorded/posted two of the songs that made us want to interview them back in 2007.

The new recordings sound awesome, and with them Caleb posted a sort of disclaimer blog (check their Myspace to read it, or the comments for a direct link) telling people why they shouldn't say the older songs are better because "they suck" and that's all they had the ability to record in the beginning. The new versions are how they were always supposed to sound.

Caleb also states that if you like the demos…

What an adventure last weekend was. The guys in Hexxus and I went out to the Edmonds waterfront to take some promos, and they ended up getting really, really messy in the process.

First we took some normal shots, which turned out the best:





Then came the sand/seaweed/Value Village jackets. I really wish we could have taken some more photos with this, but the sun was going down and the only place we could think of to take pictures was knee deep in the Puget Sound. Unfortunately, that didn't work…

Metal fans listen up! The Sky Electric is a brand new band out of Seattle, but it is comprised of many familiar faces. Previous members of From Aphony, Dance, and Ameretta have gotten together and are prepared to melt faces.

With the recent addition of vocalist, Cory, TSE are complete, and have posted a brand new song on their Myspace page for your listening pleasure. An EP is also in the works, but a release date is not yet clear.

The Sky Electric will be playing their first show at El Corazon on August 5th.

I have been wanting to write about this since the second I got back from listening to the new Man Down Medic tracks yesterday afternoon, but I haven't been able to come up with the right words to describe how incredible everything is sounding so far. I guess 'incredible' would be a good word, but maybe I'm a little biased.

In case you don't know, Man Down Medic is a Seattle band made up of three siblings- Sam, Jacob, and Larissa- along with a keyboardist named Phillip and a drummer named Harrison. I booked their first show at KTUB almost…

Jessie and I will be going out and taking promotional photographs (that sounds so official!) of Cavalier today, so keep an eye out for those!

Actually, it sounds like Jessie is going to be calling the shots on this one, but maybe I will take pictures of buildings or squirrels or something while she is doing her thing. All I know is that I have not gotten the chance to officially break in my new camera, and this sounds like a perfect opportunity.

On that note, if you need promos then shoot me an email... I need to…