Black Prairie with Tiburones - Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA

 Black Prairie

We were introduced to Black Prairie in 2013 at the Newport folk festival in Newport, RI. Almost a year later we were able to catch them at the beginning of their tour promoting their latest album Fortune. Black Prairie was kind enough to play some songs from Fortune for us behind the venue.

Please be sure to check them out on tour and by streaming their music.

Fortune proves the band has outgrown its roots as a casual side-project of indie folk band The Decemberists, solidifying into a primary, creative focus for its members—a band with its own internal momentum, genuine character and style.  “Making this record was the most collaborative and magical thing,” says founder Chris Funk.  “I’m excited to play these songs live.”

Black Prairie may look like a bluegrass or folk band, but their tastes and repertoire are much more expansive. There is a fierce emphasis on musicianship, Powell says, but otherwise: “They’re genre-less. They’re not afraid of anything. 

The band’s story started in 2007, when Chris Funk gathered local musicians he admired for a chance to write music and play instruments he wasn’t utilizing in his role as guitarist in The Decemberists.  He pulled in fellow Decemberists Nate Query and Jenny Conlee, on bass and accordion, Annalissa Tornfelt on fiddle and vocals and Jon Neufeld (Jackstraw, Doloreon) on guitar, followed later by Decemberists’ John Moen on drums.  Their only ambition was to have fun, but ideas started sparking immediately—they were pushing their own musicianship.

Tiburones was a hidden gem for us! After our session with Black Prairie Chris Funk said “ You’ve got to get this band Tiburones out here and do one of these.” When Chris Funk tells you a band is awesome then you don’t second guess it! Tiburones (Shark) is one of those bands that you hear and you immediately know they have something that most bands don’t. They have a sweet and soulful sound with a charming Latin element to the vocal stylings of Luz Elena Mendoza. Tiburones is on my list of the top bands to look out for in the very near future. 

Sharon Van Etten - "I Love You but I'm Lost"

Sharon Van Etten recently hosted The New Yorker up to her West Village apartment where she sang “I Love You but I’m Lost,” from her forthcoming album, “Are We There.” She showcases her rich, earthly tone and even gives a little insight into what makes her tick as a songwriter. Watch the performance above.

If the intimate nature of the video is appealing, be sure to catch her in person. Van Etten is about to embark on an ambitious world tour, featuring local stops at the venerable Iron Horse Music Hall (May 8) and the intimate Columbus Theatre (May 10). For a full list of tour dates, visit her website here.

Daniel G Harmann - Showbox - April 17 (Preview)

Fastback Sessions

 

Thursday April 17th

@ the Showbox market

$15 in advance / $20 at the door

BUY TIC FROM DANIEL G HARMANN:

http://www.rawartists.org/seattle/spectrum/?artist=207125

Spectrum, the Seattle RAW event, is a craft fare, fashion show, art exhibit, rock show all wrapped up into one. Live music, DJs, dancers, and so much more will fill Seattle Showbox for one night highlighting the best Seattle's art community has to offer.

One of those featured artist is singer/songwriter Daniel G Harmann. Harmann is a master craftsman of working class art. With the lyrical depth of Low or the Red House Painters, Harmann constructs “iceberg rock” as powerful as late 90s post punk, & as emotionally honest & deep as melancholy rockers Jimmy Eat World, Idlewild, or even Fugazi. Harmann's songs draw the listener in with their dark & smoky feel, while escorting you through life's landscape of pain & redemption in a way only a trusted friend can.

Arc Iris Album Release Show

 

Jocie Adams took the stage quietly. Well, as quietly as someone in a gold-sequined jumpsuit can anyway. Adams, best known for her work in the Low Anthem,  saddled up to a piano tucked in the corner and began playing. A classically trained composer, Adams glissaded through a delicate, dream-like passage. She was soon joined on stage by pianist Zach Tenorio-Miller, who leaned over her shoulders and accompanied the piece with both hands. The pair strung together gorgeous, dramatic lines. It was a creative and altogether enchanting opening, and Arc Iris was just getting warmed up.

Soon a menagerie of musicians joined the pair on stage, colored lights reflecting off the band's multi-faced outfits. Boasting a cellist, a double-bassist, a trumpeter, a trombonist and pedal-steel player, and a drummer, the band blossomed into a miniature orchestra, a group capable of delivering elements of classical, jazz, folk, country, and big-band, seemingly all on the same song.

Arc Iris ran through numbers from their debut self-titled album - an album completed some 18 months ago. ("That's a long time," Tenorio-Miller shrugged bemusedly.) It's an album that refuses to be tied down. They sounded lively on"Singing So Sweetly", a jazzy number that highlighted Adams' vocal versatility over plinky piano keys and affected trumpet-playing. "Powder Train" may be the only song about cocaine that features a cello, oweing elements to country and knowing winks from Harry Nilsson. The group sounded equally adept with doo-wop ("Ditch") and Dirty Projectors-like upper-register harmonies.

At turns vulnerable and self-assured, playful but sincere, Arc Iris practices a certain kind of alchemy. Adams and co. take seemingly disparate musical elements and meld them with sneakily poignant songwriting to form an intoxicating concoction of memorable, magical musicality. The live show and the terrific album are both well-executed experiments well worth your time. 

Date	Venue	Location	Tickets
Apr 08	Mercury Lounge	New York, NY	Tickets	RSVP	Share
Apr 09	BARw/ Plume Giant	New Haven, CT	Tickets	RSVP	Share
Apr 11	Pittsburgh Winery	Pittsburgh, PA	Tickets	RSVP	Share
Apr 14	Schuba's	Chicago, IL	Tickets	RSVP	Share
Apr 16	Jamin Javaw/ Juana Molina	Vienna, VA	Tickets	RSVP	Share
Apr 17	Boot & Saddlew/ Juana Molina	Philadelphia, PA	Tickets	RSVP	Share
Apr 25	Colony Cafew/ Burnell Pines, S...	Woodstock, NY	Tickets	RSVP	Share
Apr 28	The Sinclairw/ Plume Giant, Lau...	Boston, MA	Tickets	RSVP	Share
May 01	The Workmans Club	Dublin, Ireland	Tickets	RSVP	Share
May 02	Night & Day Cafe	Manchester, United Kingdom	Tickets	RSVP	Share
May 03	Live At Leeds	Leeds, United Kingdom	Tickets	RSVP	Share
May 04	Stag & Dagger	Glasgow, United Kingdom	Tickets	RSVP	Share
May 06	The Louisianaw/ Nicole Atkins	Bristol, United Kingdom	Tickets	RSVP	Share
May 07	Bush Hallw/ Nicole Atkins, N...	London, United Kingdom	Tickets	RSVP	Share
May 09	The Great Escape -The Fly Stage	Brighton, United Kingdom	Tickets	RSVP	Share
May 10	The Great Escape - Uncut Stage	Brighton, United Kingdom	Tickets	RSVP	Share
May 11	Paradiso	Amsterdam, Netherlands	Tickets	RSVP	Share
May 14	Les Trois Baudets	Paris, France	Tickets	RSVP	Share
May 16	Privatclubw/ Allie	Berlin, Germany	Tickets	RSVP	Share
May 17	Le Botaniquew/ Nick Mulvey	Brussels, Belgium	Tickets	RSVP	Share
Jun 22	Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revivial	Croton On Hudson, NY

In Memoriam of David Lamb - Pay Tribute By Sharing His Art

 

It was nearly three years ago at a sweltering show in Pawtucket, I first really took notice of David Lamb’s tattoos, most notably the text across his knuckles. “COME” across one hand it said, and “HOME” across the other.

Those words took on a much different context about 10 months ago when Lamb was       diagnosed with leukemia and was forced to cancel the band’s headlining tour. Waves of support followed, and Lamb was able to receive life-saving treatment. Some four months later, those words were reframed again when Lamb returned back to Rhode Island, a sign singing “Welcome Home!” draped across their Warren apartment.

The son of ministers, Lamb’s early songwriting seemingly centered around characters that neither sought nor found redemption. They weren’t always lovable but they were always interesting. Later lyrics shone light on a certain determinism, a resignation that the the world is cold, but you can “lay in the morning sun” once the work is complete. The band’s last album, the Thomas Paine-referencing Fits of Reason, was more outward gazing, reflective of Lamb’s truth-seeking spirit.

He charted his own course, leaving a stable (and well-paying) job working on electrical systems at Blount Boats to realize his vision. Brown Bird toured the United States and Europe, and played the main stage at the Newport Folk Festival. Bigger stages and brighter lights seemed all but inevitable, but Lamb would be the first one to tell you about the pitfalls of predetermination.

When asked the backstory of the tattoo that graced his knuckles, Lamb said:

I had just ended a seven-year relationship, and the other members of Brown Bird at the time were focusing on other projects. So I was out on the road alone for six months and also leaving a very high-paying job that I felt was locking me into a lifestyle I didn’t want. So the tattoo was to remind me that, however how far out I go, not just physically but emotionally and psychologically, I wanted to return to some sort of home base and not change the core elements of who I am in the midst of all this drastic change.

In just 35 short years, Lamb gave much of himself to the world, to his family, to his wife and bandmate MorganEve Swain, to his fans. Perhaps we can take solace in the fact that maybe now he is finally home

Words by Brian Hodge for Visible Voice

BROWN BIRD - Fingers to the Bone from Kitchen Sessions on Vimeo.

Fastback Sessions #3 - "& Yet"

The Fastback Sessions is impressively (yet not surprisingly) maintaining their momentum. It's refreshing to watch this grassroots force give a multi-dimentional platform that has no agenda but to support fresh music. Although Seattle holds it's place in the world of music there is a lack of warmth and romanticization within the community. The Fastback Sessions is attempting to take back what the hipsters have stolen.

The band "& Yet" gracefully performed for the 3rd round of the Fastback Sessions. Every song sounds like it could be the soundtrack for a dark indie film that leaves you questioning aspects of life but never gives an answer. Their refined sound evokes thought and emotions with true substance from heart. 

Enjoy an interview and video of "& Yet" by the Fastback Sessions below!

Photos//Words by Visible Voice

Video by the Fastback Sessions

Death Vessel - In-Store, Tour Dates (Newport Folk Festival Preview

You know the old saying about judging a book by its cover? With a name like Death Vessel, you could blame a listener for being a bit surprised when they first hear Providence, Rhode Island's Joel Thibodeau.

Behind a thin voice - at once youthful and timeless - Thibodeau constructs angular, insular alternative folk that belies the band's hard-edged name. Death Vessel's latest, Island Intervals (Sub Pop), is wonderfully produced, packed with lush textures, forming an ideal soundscape for Thibodeau's voice to simmer, swoon and soar. The album was recorded over three months in Reykjavik, Iceland, with assists from producer Alex Somers and Sigur Ros singer Jonsi.

Thibodeau recently celebrated the release of Island Intervals with an in-store performance at Providence'sWhat Cheer? Records + Vintage. You can hear a portion of the title track at right and better yet, catch the band's interesting act in person as they tour with Shearwater. 

mar 19 mar 20 mar 21 mar 22 mar 23 mar 25 mar 26 mar 27 mar 28 mar 29 jun 07 jul 25 THE EARL CAT'S CRADLE ROCK & ROLL HOTEL THE BELL HOUSE THE COLUMBUS THEATRE BRIGHTON MUSIC HALL DIVAN ORANGE HORSESHOE TAVERN THE PYRAMID SCHEME THE EMPTY BOTTLE THE THING IN THE SPRING NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL atlanta, ga carrboro, nc washington, dc brooklyn, ny providence, ri boston, ma montreal, qc toronto, on grand rapids, mi chicago, il peterborough, nh newport, ri

Words//Video by Brian Hodge

Yucca Mountain on The Mixtape w/ Sean DeTore

Seattle's Yucca Mountain recently released a brand new self titled album that is absolutely superb. It's on constant rotation in my CD player and will be for the foreseeable future. The album is gritty and dark and sad and something that you really need to listen to, like, right now.

Jeremy Burk and the boys dropped by the mixtape a short time ago to chat music, face transplants and to play some tunes in studio. One of the tunes played was a song called "Isabelle Dinoire", which is a song about a woman who was the first person to undergo a partial face transplant, after her Labrador retriever mauled her. See the connection to face translplant talk? The other song was a cover of a tune from the show Fraggle Rock, the total opposite of face transplant material. Depending on who you ask, I guess.

Make sure to see Yucca Mountain when they play Conor Byne Pub and Green Frog very soon!

Words by Sean DeTore

Photos // Video by Visible Voice

Langhorne Slim - Sunset Tavern - Seattle, WA

An intimate solo performance by Langhorne Slim couldn't have been a more accurate description of his show at the Sunset Tavern on Tuesday night. About 200 fans packed the tiny bar, and were treated to two full hours of story-telling, anecdotes, and plenty of songs about plenty of women. And somehow he managed to hypnotize us with just a stool, a notebook, and an acoustic guitar. 

A Law-less Slim joked around and interacted with the crowd, and also took it down to silence while performing Song for Sid in memory of his grandfathers and a friend's mom. He encouraged the us all to dance if it was our time to dance, and stomped through some of his greatest hits with serious passion. Being without his band allowed his voice to stand out like never before. 

The night ended with Slim on top of the bar, leading the crowd in a singalong of You Are My Sunshine per audience request. After

the show he invited everyone to come chat with him, as he always does. Only this time we felt like we knew him on a whole different level. 

Words//photos by Ashley Couey