Fell Sound

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Mirroring (Tiny Vipers + Grouper) "Fell Sound"
from Foreign Body (2012, Kranky)

(photo: outside the Peter Pilotto show, London, February 2012 | Instagram @strathshepard)

Image of the Day

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Peep the line-up for Cairo's fourth annual Expo.
Quite fantastic, I would say. Info here.

Dudes In Flannels That Are Dirty And Drink A Lot Of Beer

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Eirik Johnson: Missy Barlow's Dryer Lint Landscape, Lower Hoh River, Washington

Alright, this will be the last of my various posts about Eirik Johnson's show at the Henry, I promise (it closes at the end of the month anyway). I just wanted to mention that tomorrow night Tiny Vipers is going to be playing with Crystal Hell Pool in the gallery where Johnson's work is on display. Aside from playing in the actual woods or at the confluence of two rivers or something, that setting seems like just about the best possible match for their music.

Here's a video where Jesy Fortino (Tiny Vipers) talks about growing up in the woods (at 2:40).



(If you want to watch the rest of that odd little documentary about Seattle bands and/on Sub Pop, here are parts one and three.)

Visit the Henry's website or Hankblog or for info about the show tomorrow night– it starts at 7pm. More Tiny Vipers at Sub Pop and MySpace. Crystal Hell Pool here. More Eirik Johnson at eirikjohnson.com. The end.

Dream a Little Dream

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Tiny Vipers Dreamer mp3 (via Sub Pop)

New music for the quieter parts of your weekend, produced by Andrew Hernandez, who (the puzzle is all coming together) also works with Balmorhea. Can't wait to hear the whole album. More info here.

Photo David Belisle

Sometimes It Snows In April

On our way to and from the coast last weekend we listened to a bunch of new music. The stand-outs were I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day, the new album from Julie Doiron (pictured above), and two other albums I picked up by a group from Texas called Balmorhea: Rivers Arms, released in February 2008, and All Is Wild, All Is Silent, which came out a couple weeks ago.

I have mentioned Julie Doiron previously and have been a fan for quite awhile, but this new album is maybe my favorite of hers. Here's a video for "Heavy Snow."



She has a really strong command of when to make a song quiet and when to make it loud, which I like a lot. Check out juliedoiron.com for more info and a bunch of downloads from past albums. No Seattle tour dates are listed but she's playing at good ol' Union Hall in Brooklyn on April 25 if you're there. (And it looks like the Cave Singers are there tonight, fyi.)

Balmorhea was playing in Bimbo's the other day and I asked the multi-talented person behind the bar what it was. It's perfect music for a gray-weather drive on the coast – the songs all meld together and become a kind of lush environment. Turns out it's also perfect for walking through yet another freak snowstorm; I listened to this song twice on the way to the office this morning:

Balmorhea The Summer mp3 (from Rivers Arms)

It's all kind of like that, I love it. Get more info and buy Balmorhea records here.

I'm always looking for recommendations on new stuff so let me know what you're listening to lately too.

Up in the Hood

On Sunday we walked around Capitol Hill a little, and then had drinks at Redwood and watched the Seahawks wipe up the field with the sorry little '49ers. That was fun for a change.

Redwood is a relatively new bar that feels like it's been there since 1967. Apparently it's owned by (among others) Mat Brooke of Grand Archives and formerly of Band of Horses and Carissa's Wierd. (I realize that everyone in Seattle probably already knows this but I have to go at my own speed here.)

Carissa's Wierd Suedehead mp3

The bar has these old mining lanterns retro-fitted with new lightbulbs.

Taxidermy. Obligatory at this point, but I'm not really tired of it, I guess. It's kind of classic in bars – like you wouldn't get tired of paintings on walls.

The bathroom has all these old targets as wallpaper.

The bar is lined with shotgun shells. So yeah there's a vague undertone of violence…to animals, large and small…but somehow the place is very relaxing…for humans.

When the game ended, the bartender put on the new Mount Eerie album Lost Wisdom, featuring Julie Doiron and Fred Squire, which is so good, we stuck around just to listen. Get it on white vinyl with a gatefold and poster at PW Elverum 7 Sun, Ltd., or download it from emusic.

Redwood mixes a mean bloody maria – maybe the best I've had. It has long green beans in it, and they blend it really well. It makes a big difference.

I didn't order food but the menu looks solid too. I like Redwood – it will definitely be my third place, or at least one of them.

After that Emily and I walked over to Linda's Tavern, the old standby. It's across the street from my old office, and I used to go there sometimes.

After that was the Tiny Vipers show at Cairo on Summit Avenue, which was part of Expo 86.
It was weird to me that there weren't a ton of people there—I think if Tiny Vipers played Union Hall or somewhere in Brooklyn, it would probably sell out. Of course, selfishly, I would rather see a small show, and Tiny Vipers did not disappoint, even considering she only played four songs. I will look forward to seeing her play again.


Here she is playing "On This Side" for the Seattle Burn to Shine session.

Cairo seems like a cool place. It got written up in the T blog several months ago.

I got a zine and a Flexions record there, which I'll cover in greater detail later (rest assured).

And, finally, on the way home I walked by this little installation in a closed check cashing place on Broadway:

Reclaimed (Ace Cash Express), by Joanna Lepore, imagines that Seattle has been abandoned and "left to the mercy of nature." It's pretty cool.