“Dj high tek will fuck you in the ass.” Of course that’s how Die Antwoord’s bizarre spectacle of an evening begins. The trio take the stage draped in neon orange sweatsuits, hoods over head the crowd looking like a scene out of eminens 8 mile. Hands bouncing, heads nodding. And let’s talk about the crowd for a second, rabbit outfits, zebra hats, homemade puffypaint sweatshirt. And XX half of the duo Yolande Visser, looks like and just rolled out of bed. While Ninja looks a bit like he just rolled out of prison. It takes but 1 song to get his shirt off, rat tale out, dick flopping through his sweats and a huge dive info the rabid crowd. One of the most energetic I’ve seen in some time.

Between songs there’s a shot at humor from Ninja:

“Two penis’s rob a bank, a vibrator walks in. One says to the other “oh fuck it’s robo-cock.”

I think it’s fair to say, only at a die antwoord show do you get a joke like that. Ok, maybe Odd Future…

5 songs in and the projections make you wish you’d taken count of how many weiners you see tonight, because in this track alone I think we’ve locked down a good 130-500 (do you count repeats of the same ones??) these are questions I actually have to ask myself.

Undeniable is their presence and command of both the stage and the crowd. With unflinching confidence and perfected Antics, gimmick or not die antwoord take little time in turning you into a believer. For a group who’s staying power has been in question since day one they certainly do a good job of shutting up the critics and getting people to show up. The sold out showbox is the bands true debut unless you count an opening slot for deadmai5 last year. Proving that as time goes on die antwoord are the ones having all of the laughs including the last.

See beautiful photos here.

Listen to these songs here.

Combining elements of post rock with the pop straight-forwardnes and groove of Foster the People. Out of the gate Milo Greene have a sound of their own. And it’s backed by marching band cinematic drums. In town just wrapping up recording sessions for their debut effort, the set begins to a modest crowd, though impressive for a Wednesday night at the High Dive. Whispy vocals over heartbreak guitar melodies are a quick mood change. Instantly accessible and soothing. It’s not hard to imagine them playing this same set opening an evening at Key Arena. And the opening slot is certainly not meant as an insult either. More of a testing of waters, after all they’ve yet to release an album as it is, there has to be a proving ground somewhere.

It’s interesting to watch their song progressions as they shift from challenging to smooth in moments, and with ease as well. Having a cute bassist doesn’t hurt either. It worked for the smashing pumpkins, right? Banjos, guitars, and multiple vocalists fill out songs meant for a starry night in the back of a pick up truck.

Continually compelling tracks are mesmerizing watching them balance pop and instrumental atmospherics. You can see they’re great at constructing pop melodies but have a desire to reach for greater heights. Will that translate for audiences when their album drops? Perhaps, but the true test is time. Their clean complex sound looks great on paper (which really means they sound like a headlining band for clubs like this) but I’m curious for the recordings. The true test. The sounds are there, the performance presence is there, but are the songs? Immediate stand out “1957″ suggests absolutely. In a year of boy, girl duets the track is one for the times and tempts fate to take them to new heights once it’s fully unleashed on the world. But for now, in places this small with questionable personnel manning the sound consol, it’s hard to tell. Let’s reconvene when the album drops because a band like this deserves a fair shake and a further examination for certain. Hear 1957 for yourself here: http://www.facebook.com/MiloGreene

It’s tough to believe it’s February 7th and this is the first review I’m writing of 2012, but sometimes you just gotta wait for something great to come around, and when Wilco’s in town, that’s not something you miss. Running from the station to the theater at the end of my radio shift rendered useless as I still found myself late, so this review begins at song two. Which, if you’ve gotta kick a show off with something, it may as well be an alternate arrangement of “Poor Places”.

Tassels tied to cloth hang from the rafters, setting the back drop for the scene as well as placed at intervals from over head to the front of the stage. Images from the American skies to random dribbles of color to the human body make their way across the plain, projected from the back of the theater, presenting a much more elaborate set up than one might guess at first glance. Tweedy and co spread across the stage jamming out in a way my friend describes as “if Radiohead started a band with Dave Matthews”. You’ll have to forgive her, it’s her first Wilco show. If any comparisons are made I’d say they channel Pink Floyd in some ways in their extended arrangements. Very progressive, Classic yet inventive, brilliant dynamics, and unparalleled and amazing feeling. An epic jam on Whole Love opener Art of The “Almost” builds and builds and builds until it feels like guitar player Nels Cline’s fingers couldn’t possibly be able to move any faster but somehow as the tempo increases so does his speed resulting in a poundig climax before jumping straight into “I Might”, Whole Love’s first single and Wilco’s reemergence back into our collective ears after 2009’s Wilco(The Album).

Few Bands mix it up with the finess wilco does. Every set unique with the perfect mix of tracks pulled from a vast catalogue. Gems picked to compliment one another rather than to show off. The smell of weed trickles between the heads of the crowd, only emphasizing the mellow waves we’re all surfing along together in the sounds. Jeff’s first words to the crowd come before “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart”. Hello Seattle! he says, before the nights biggest sing along thus far begins. Smacking us with a double whammy playing impossible Germany just a song later, it’s almost too much good stuff (that’s a saying somewhere, right?) the sold out paramount is mezermizd. The brilliant lighting embracing every note, emphasizing with each cue. Even the dads here are rocking out (tweedy included, his son directed their latest video) new tracks flow perfectly with old favorites. Holding their own amongst a sea of revered songs, who knows, with time they themselves may find their way into the “fan favorite” section as well.

It should be noted that there’s still something special about when the band plays tracks from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. I’m not entirely sure if that’s a blessing or curse, but either way the band take it in stride never neglecting nor showcasing the record, which allows them the luxury of not hopping on the “classic album bandwagon” touring the nation like a traveling show playing the same record every night. Defining albums be damned, Wilco are far from a one album band. Back to back runs of “Heavy Metal Drummer” and “I’m The Man That Loves You” you are great but there’s nothing more exciting than hearing a band play their latest songs live for the first time in your town, escaping your headphones and making their way onto the stage. “The Whole Love” is easily as good as anything they’ve put out… well, ever. And that shines through tonight as well, so they have little to hide in bringing when showcasing the new tunes.

The set reaches it’s peak of intensity with the kick off track from 1996’s Being There, “Misunderstood” finds the crowd locked on, mouthing each and every word. A resounding cheer ringing out as Tweedy sings “we still love rock and roll”, culminating in the songs chant of NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING. It’s moments like these that rarely occur on a tuesday night in seattle. The main set comes to a close rounded out by Summerteeth fan fav “A Shot In The Arm”, Tweedy steps away from the mic to lead the crowd in a heartfelt gang vocal just before the song pushes to it’s peak. Say what you want about Dave Grohl, gimme Glenn Kotche any day. His off kilter style, perfect timing and impeccable hit placement is unmatched by any drummer out there.

The band return for a six song encore that finds it’s intensity again in a string of Being There era tracks to wrap things up. A reminder to us all that as Wilco charge into the future, prolifically putting out album after album of new late-night-under-the-moon anthems, they haven’t forgotten about their past, and neither should you.

Setlist:

One Sunday Morning
Poor Places
Art Of Almost
I Might
Bull Black Nova
Company In My Back
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
Kamera
Impossible Germany
Born Alone
Laminated Cat (electric arrangement)
Shouldn’t Be Ashamed
Whole Love
Heavy Metal Drummer
I’m the Man Who Loves You
Standing O
Misunderstood
Dawned On Me
A Shot in the Arm

Encore:
Candyfloss
War On War
Walken
Red-Eyed and Blue
I Got You (At The End Of The Century)
Outtasite (Outta Mind)

Sasquatch 2012 info is here!

Details for this years festival were announced tonight at the official festival launch party at the Neptune and here’s what we found out.

Taking the stage at this years 4 day festival will be (amongst others):

Jack White, Beck, Bon Iver, Pretty Lights, Tenacious D, The Shins, Beirut, Girl Talk, The Roots, The Head & The Heart, Portlandia, Feist, Silversun Pickups, Metric, Explosions In The Sky, The Joy Formidable, Mogwai, Nero (DJ), M. Ward, John Reilly & Friends, Childish Gambino, St. Vincent, The Civil Wars, Jamey Johnson, Little Dragon, Tune-Yards, Wild Flag, Blind Pilot, Wolfgang Gartner, Beats Antique, Apparat, The Walkmen, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Mark Lanegan Band, Spiritualized, Blitzen Trapper, The Cave Singers, Shabazz Palaces, Fun., Grouplove, Tycho, Sbtrkt, Strfkr, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Deer Tick, Imelda May, Alabama Shakes, Dum Dum Girls, The Helio Sequence, Kurt Vile, Cloud Cult, We Are Augustines, Ben Howard, Here We Go Magic, Zola Jesus, The War On Drugs, Shearwater, Cass McCombs, Active Child, Trampled By Turtles, Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, Araabmuzik, Star Slinger, L.A. Riots, Com Truise, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, I Break Horses, Walk The Moon, Dry The River, Allen Stone, Pickwick, Hey Marseilles, Gary Clark Jr., Purity Ring, Electric Guest, Yellow Ostrich, Nobody Beats The Drum, Coeur De Pirate, Lord Huron, Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside, Beat Connection, The Sheepdogs, Hey Rosetta!, Said The Whale, Howlin Rain, Gardens & Villa, Felix Cartal, Craft Spells, Vintage Trouble, Poor Moon, Black Whales, Gold Leaves, Greylag, Awesome Tapes From Africa, Thee Satisfaction, Dyme Def, Fresh Espresso, The Physics, Sol, Metal Chocolates, Grynch, Spac3man, Don’t Talk To The Cops, Scribes, Fatal Lucciauno, Fly Moon Royalty, Katie Kate
Comedy: Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Todd Barry, Beardyman, Rob Delaney, Pete Holmes, Howard Kremer,
and more!

Here’s the announcement video

Sasquatch! Music Festival 2012 Lineup Announcement from Sasquatch Festival on Vimeo.

Other details

Date: Memorial Day Weekend (5/25 – 5/28)
Tickets on-sale: Saturday, February 11th at 10am
**Initially ONLY 4 Day Passes for the event will be sold
**All 4 Day Passes include camping

Price: approx $315 for 4 day passes

Presale: There will be an official Pre-Sale that starts Wednesday morning at 10am

REMINDER: The End will be giving away 4 Day passes all next week in the 9a, 2p & 5p hours.

More info is available at the festival web-site here

Deck The Hall Ball 2011 was an enormous success, from all 6 of our killer bands to all of you in the building, to those who streamed it online to those of you who are for the first time just now coming in contact with our winter fest. While unfortunately Deloreans are still just regular Deloreans and we can’t actually go back in time, we snagged a greatest hits reel of footage to help jog your memory and highlight some of the brilliant moments of the night. Until next year, have a listen/look below and have a happy holiday!

Foster The People “Pumped Up Kicks”

Mumford And Sons “Little Lion Man”

Cage The Elephant “Shake Me Down”

And don’t go and forget about hometown favorites Death Cab For Cutie “Soul Meets Body”

FUN! See you next year, punk!

:E GREGR

I’ve never been to Voodoo, but my boss has been a whole bunch and he f-ing swears by the thing (plus they booked Soundgarden this year and also bring a large amount of money into a region that believe it or not, is still recovering from the effects of Katrina). Dates for the fest came out today and are Oct 16-18, which is well before the apocalypse, so if you’re looking for items to add to the bucket list, may as well tack this onto the road trip. Tickets go onsale tomorrow and rock a sweet price tag of up to 50% off in some cases for the next ten days (happy holidays and yadda yadda) check out past lineups here as well as pics from this years edition over here and getcha tix right here

Coming into tonights set I wasn’t sure what to expect. All I knew was that despite an incredible hometown reception to a full WaMu Theater, it was clear no one had any interest in leaving after The Head and the Heart, much like Mumford and Sons, we’re seeing a new breed of top billing emerge. One that people haven’t seen a thousand times, or even once yet. Florence arrives in a white gown flanked by an army of musicians dressed in black. A backdrop stained glass windows leads you even more so to feel as though you’re in the church of Florence. Her presentation is an art in itself, we’ll get to the voice later, but Florence’s presence is captivating. She throws herself across the stage, flails and contorts, twists and turns, all with the utmost precision, confidence, purpose, and the voice, it never falters. The crowd itself is absolutely wrapped around her finger, all on their feet, belting The Dog Days Are Over, taking to the aisles to get their middle-aged-mom dance on (thought the crowd was full of all ages it seemed to be this group that were the most adamant about physically expressing their excitement). In all honesty, it was a lot like a Britney Spears concert. Everyone singing all the words to the singles, completely entranced by the tracks they didnt know, and always screaming and reaching out, hoping for a high five, or to grab her hand or be noticed. Concerts are quite an odd thing like that, the way the atmosphere creates this larger than life, deity sort of figure onstage, and the place goes bananas like a Pentecostal church, “Speak to me!! Reach out and touch me!! I love you!! You know me better than I know myself!!” and maybe tonight, in that room, it was true. Florence entranced, and brainwashed many a soul, I expect we’ll be seeing her doing the same thing again soon all over the world in a much bigger room than this.

The Head and The Heart stroll onto the stage with the utmost confidence. Amazing for a band who just a year ago were playing no name bars in Ballard. That said, the songs while they remain the same, and by same I mean great as ever, this is a whole different band. Spending the last 6 months on the road with bands like Death Cab and Iron and Wine both state side and across the pond has sharpened them to a perfectly refined point. One that showcases their potential to be an organic band with a natural rise to selling out Paramount sized venues across the nation on their own. However the crowd, while obviously into it (they rose to their feet as the band took to the stage) are really making em work for it tonight, an all seated show makes it tough to gauge from the stage, I’m sure. Though with a hometown crowd, it’s certainly not a show they need to worry about winning anyone over as they effortlessly cruise through tracks from their self titled debut to the polite masses and between songs are met with screams and cheers. Then on the dime when the troupe bust out Lost In My Mind the entire place hops to it’s feet and claps and stumps their way through the track, so much so you’d think it was Mumford and Sons all over again. Even for Sounds Like Hallelujah everyone ooo’s and ahhh’s along, a testament that there’s more to them than just a radio single. Album 2? We’ll have to wait and see, whether they stay Seattle indie or tap into that Fleetwood Mac bubbling below the surface, it’s with excitement that we look for new music.

For not being American, Mumford and Sons sure are in touch with our roots. I’ve never heard/seen so many people foot stomping in one place this far north. Incredibly, 95% of the audience sticks around to catch their set. Hits like Roll Away Your Stone and Little Lion Man coming early in the set while they save latest single Awake My Soul for later. Backed by a full horn section and no drummer to speak of, the gentleman manning the upright bass is responsible for holding things down. Well, that and the bottom of everyones boots as they themselves stomp away. Marcus himself however, jumps on the kit towards the end of the set sings along as he percusses (not a word) his way through the track. Truly a spectacle much like Foster, this is the bands first large show in America, quite the jump from the Paramount just last year, And smaller yet their Red Hook End Session.

Encore is The Cave and the entire crowd agrees it’s their hit as every vocal chord is strained and belting each and every word along and when they’re not, stomping with full force as the key shakes with enthusiasm. These guys will be back here soon and it’ll be on their own, they’re gonna be… Scratch that, ARE enormous. Deck the Hall Ball ends, but guess what, we’ll see you in 2012. Thanks for another amazing year.