Summer Meltdown will once again be providing the “biggest little festival in the Northwest” this year August 9-11th at the Whitehorse Mountain Amphitheater in Darrington, Washington. It is 2013, Meltdown’s 13th year running and this festival boasts headliners like Lotus, Minus the Bear, Xavier Rudd, and Emancipator. Check back for their final additions to the lineup.

Check out the announcement here–> Summer Meltdown Lineup!

VR Trainers are two musicians from Olympia, one a current Western student, one a Western music grad. John von Volkli is the vocalist and guitarist and Jon Bash seems to be the multi-instrumentalist and both helm programming duties. In total, New Release is a short and sweet wad of ear candy – a little bit bubblegum with a handful of pop rocks, washed back with some refreshing lemon lime soda.

Listing Prince, Roxy Music, Kraftwerk and Talking Heads amongst their numerous influences, and that can be heard on the record- albeit in bits and pieces. The band definitely exists in the dance pop rock realm with similarities to No-Fi Soul Rebellion, Eagle Teeth and The West (the latter two of which they played a BEAF show with last month). The music isn’t groundbreaking or genre bending by any means, but it is done well. Of the numerous recordings they have done up to this point, this is their freshest and shows promise.

The highlights on the album were “Attaché,” “New Release” and the closer of the album, “Behavior.” “Attaché” has the catchiest chorus of any cut on the album and features a pretty nifty guitar solo that seems to give a nod to their Prince influence. The guitar solos are the strongest aspect on the album – there are not many of them, but when they do come in, they are perfectly placed and pretty damn tasty.

The band notes on their bandcamp site that they recorded New Release this past winter and was created to “celebrate the arrival of spring.” While, the album is sunny enough, it feels more at home playing during a BBQ or a bike ride through the park, rather than at a raging dance party in one of the many dilapidated houses that oh so many Bellinghamsters call home.

The first track really starts things off right. It moves from part to part while letting some parts have room to develop and others to serve as exciting transitions. But there’s something off about the second track, as things don’t quite pick up right. This isn’t going to be a track-by-track, don’t worry. But it really drops in energy in track two, without having yet established the energy. But track 4 picks it right back up again, as the rhythms in ‘Static Waterfall’ are really on point. But that song is almost 8 minutes long and that beat can only carry so much weight.

That’s really how I feel about a lot of the album. There’s some stuff on here that’ll make an aspiring rapper think “damn, if I get this guy making beats for me, we’d be the next Odd Future” and they might not be wrong. There’s some quality stuff on here but it’s really easy to see some incredible potential to the sound. It’s kind of grimy and it has a LOT of space without being minimalist, which make it really easy to superimpose some rap over them. On their own, the tracks are interesting musically and sonically, but it sounds like one of those projects or groups that has one main creative force. That can sometimes be more difficult to create a natural energy and keep tabs on parts running too long, repetitive structures, or any of the countless limits of personal creativity. I don’t know if this is a collaboration, but it has the sound of a single person trying to do a few things and only successfully doing a portion of them. Some people can write beats, some can write riffs, etc. I would be really interested in this music with a vocalist or a live instrumentalist. As it stands, Fat Cat EP is a really engaging EP that brings the listener in close.

Released four years after the critically acclaimed Goodness Gracious (he played NPR’s Tiny Desk series), Chris continues to write some of the most honest, heartfelt and engaging songs in indie rock. Seemingly stream of conscious lyrics that tell elaborate and quirky stories, one of the most engaging aspects of the music is Chris himself. If you’ve ever seen him play live or watched live performances, his imagination combines the vividness of creative schoolboy with the realities of an artistic adult. Tall tales that bring the listener into Chris’s world, almost like stepping into Wonderland.

Unlike his local performances, Back to the Ache was recorded with a full band and the dynamics amongst the musicians is amazing (mostly likely do to their constant time on the road). While the focus is often on Chris’s lyrics, the music is also captivating – sounding fresh and engaging in a genre that isn’t always so.

The downside to the album is more personal than stylistic – hearing The Heligoats as a full band makes me long to see them live, but seemingly whenever Chris does play in town, it’s as a solo. Hopefully that’ll change soon and we can see The Heligoats in all their glory.

All in all, this is a grand record, a guaranteed good time for any listener.

So many bands listen to music in their genre and focus on mimicking it as closely as possible but The Ames have managed to completely miss their genre entirely. They are known as a folk band but their album falls more closely to pop-rock. If this scares you, don’t let it. All this means is We Were Kids will appeal to people who like folk, pop, rock, roots, singer-songwriter, indie music, etc. For anyone counting at home that’s pretty much everyone. Recorded in B Natural Studios down in Shoreline, the sound engineering on the disc is solid. At times the bass is a little loud and I found the cymbals (particularly the ride) to be a bit bright in the mix but I haven’t heard vocals or piano this well recorded in awhile.

My only complaint about the music itself is that there wasn’t enough! Someone needs to tell these guys (by lining their pockets with cash preferably) that if they’re going to make music as good as this then we want a longer album. We Were Kids clocked in around 20 minutes making it a great EP but not really a full length CD yet. The record features seven songs but two of them are transition pieces so we’ll call it five complete songs. Some are are upbeat, happy jams that would be fun to dance to, others more somber. To the Heart, the first song on the EP sounds like what I imagine Phantom of the Opera would sound like if Elton John wrote it. The piano on the album is driving and vibrant, often in control of the feel, even more so then then drums at times. Not to take away from the drumming which often features fantastic dynamics and a range of styles and grooves to keep things interesting. When playing along side a full 88 key piano many bass players can get lost but I didn’t feel that was the case here. Throughout the album Sam Carltons vocals range from stylish and fun, to soulful- even painful at times giving the full album a brilliant, distinct sound. In the future I would love to hear The Ames branch out a little more with their orchestration. More backup vocals, harmonica, banjo, and guitar on their next recording would fill out the sound and could be the difference between local band and national touring act.

We Were Kids really is an impressive recording. There isn’t enough emphasis put on creative, original song writing in music these days and The Ames have that in strides. Find a way to hear this album and make sure you check these guys out next time they play because it’s bands like The Ames that put B’ham music on the map in the first place.

The opening track, “Richmond,” is immediately likeable, and has a melody that channels a summer day float down a lazy river. Steady and strong yet somehow easygoing and gentle make for a wholly enjoyable track. Lead singer Emile Panerio shows off his vocal range too, hitting some notes as high as the cathedral he references in song.

Midway through the album comes “Pollen Part One,” which is written in a way that only a young person staring the real world in the face can write a song: brimming with youthful energy but simultaneously overflowing with apprehension. With only two lines of lyrics, the cello that comes in around the two-minute mark adds so much depth to the track that it almost steals the show. Learning Team is band that has mastered momentum in songs, and this track shows of the band’s ability to build and build upon a track until it snowballs into a full-fledged folk pop gem.

The highlight of the five song EP comes at “Pollen Part Two,” perhaps the album’s most bubbly track, recalling the delightful jitteriness of a Voxtrot track. The melancholy cello in the final track, “Coterie,” is worth noting as well. Ultimately though, there are many bright spots but it somehow doesn’t feel like enough.

It’s not so much that something is missing; in fact it’s all there, and maybe that’s what keeps Aporia Coda from being a great album instead of just a good album. It leaves the listener with no room to be surprised. It doesn’t necessarily feel like a band pushing itself either. It’s too steady, and it straddles a weird no man’s land between comfortable familiarity and trying something new – although not quite new enough. While they are noticeably stepping up their game in terms of production and audio engineering, in this case the band is all dressed up with no where to go.

–Kirsten O’Brien

Volume 1 is a celebration of the dangerousness in rock: sex, murder, lies, drugs, skeletons, you get the idea. This is the soundtrack to rock’s seedy underbelly. “Fire” opens with police sirens and a sultry, ominous bassline, before erupting into its pyrotechnic chorus. “Murder” is another highlight, a midtempo ode to, well, i’m sure you can guess. “Phoenix Cool” paints a hallucinatory portrait of a post-apocalyptic wasteland and flattens you with a massive chorus. The guitar work is particularly noteworthy, leads snake in and out of the gritty vocals and the sturdy rhythm section.

What’s probably most impressive about Volume 1, however, is the moments when the band show their capacity for restraint, letting the gaps between licks and whispers over isolated basslines speak where pure riffage can’t. These are the moments that prove that not only is less more, but sometimes it’s the very difference between a sloppy rock and roll makeout and the experienced, sensuous love that Black Beast Revival makes to your ears.

Arvan has a deceptively commanding voice, immediately soft and inviting but bolstered with a confidence and depth that makes her lyrics all the more relatable. Her songs have heart and soul, there is a real voice behind them crying out, albeit in a reserved sort of melancholy. They’re never musical indulgences, the lush instrumentation remains a backdrop for the cheekily confessional lyrics. And rest assured, the music on its own is terrific, but Arvan’s command of words is ultimately what makes I Love You Avalanche so important. Some of these songs are absolutely tearjerking. Who can’t relate to a time when “the emotions of a person you have ceased to love become silly”? Or realizing a relationship isn’t going to work out? Or seeing yourself looking for the same person over and over and being disappointed every time? Or watching a younger sibling grow up and being scared for them? The wry irony of the album’s title is that these are very real emotions, and one suspects very real stories. And the sardonic self-distance with which Arvan presents her songs of love and loss takes them far beyond mere confessionals.

Sometimes Fiction speaks where mere facts are not enough. The liner notes begin by thanking a recently born baby, and end by thanking a loved one who has passed on. I don’t know if that’s a relevant detail, but I feel like it is. This is the kind of record that makes you want to find the little things that matter. Fiction has thus far been underappreciated in Bellingham as of its release in April. Let’s change that, folks. It is probably the best collection of music in this town in a good long time.

While he’s known for playing live both solo and with The Argonauts, the album features the whole band in all of their glory – Rabia Magnussen (Baltic Cousins), Anna Arvin (I Love You Avalanche) and Kat Bula (Big Sir, Thimble vs. Needle) all lending their talents to this beautiful recording.

The highlight of Nothing… is “True Love Bound,” a beautiful pop song that balances banjo, piano, fiddle as well as Biagio and Anna’s voices. It’s one of those songs that is striking from the first time you hear it – if you caught it on the radio it’d become your new favorite song (and, frankly, it’s far better than most of what is on the radio – the whole album is).

It’s also great seeing Clickpop releasing music again, having put out records by The Trucks and Black Eyes and Neckties, the label has been on hiatus as of late (family and work commitments for label owners David Richards and Paul Turpin).

Here’s hoping that Biagio will now hop in his car and tour the US, playing these wonderful songs for fans across the states.

lack Mesa represents a style of music that isn’t very common in Bellingham. The Post-hardcore/screamo thing takes a lot of polish and creativity in order to deliver something worthwhile, as harping on the themes and emotions typical of the genre is a precarious edge to tread. With the Little Positive EP, they have a well-recorded release to establish who and where they are as a band at this point in time, and they do a good job of producing a coherent and competent 6-song EP.

Black Mesa are confidently vocal-driven, something also atypical of lots of independent/amateur bands. With song topics such as politics and the general stresses of life, vocalists Andrew Hansen and Adrian Arvizu both make their presence felt and, in general, really pull it off. The vocals start out strong but falter at times. The intense vocals really are well done, by the way.

Musically, they have some comfort zones that they sometimes get stuck in, but they play everything very convincingly. Drummer Derek Zanto and Rowan Firethorne (yes, that’s his real name, how cool is that name?) establish a solid foundation with hard-hitting drums and pulsing but steady basslines while Andrew and Adrian layer effectively with expressive chording and lead lines, respectively. The leads have that energetic ‘pull-offs with delay’ thing going, which I always like and are emblematic of this style.

A lot of what Black Mesa does could be considered conventional, and I don’t know that that’s necessarily bad. There are a lot of good influences and ideas in their songs. Whether they’re channeling Brand New, Thrice, or the Bled, they’re doing it confidently. Sometimes, though, they mix and match aspects of their favorite music instead of making it their own. But that’s probably the hardest thing any band can try to do. Perhaps it’s just the familiarity I have with the genre (those three bands were literally in my AIM profile whenever I last had one) that makes me notice ‘oh yeah that’s like ‘Cold Cash and Colder Hearts’ and that last song was like ‘Limousine’ instead of just recognizing it as a Black Mesa song. This EP does a great job of giving you an idea of what Black Mesa is as a band while simultaneously giving you something to look forward to in their work moving forward.

The Apartment Kids is Peter Hilleary (formerly of Todos Somos Lee and currently with NavigatorCommunicator) with a few notable additions, though all the music is written by, and the majority is played by, Hilleary. Which makes Hilleary, totally badass. Because this disk is just that—totally badass. There are elements of the mathy-vibe of Todos, but The Apartment Kids is a world onto it’s own. Great acoustic guitar often flowing through crisp drums with haunting vocals and anchor bass lines—all elements that have seemingly been played to death, but Hilleary brings it all to life with The Apartment Kids. The music is haunting and mysterious, dark and flowing, crisp and complicated—it’s all of these and more, which makes the fact it was never really released that much more interesting and depressing. This is music that should be heard by more than a handful of friends (and one lucky music writer), hopefully that will change.

Songs and sounds this good deserve to be played live and here’s hoping that added press and pressure will get the already busy Peter forming The Apartment Kids with other musicians.

The first act of the afternoon was a solo performance by Ben VonWildenhaus. His psychedelic experimental music sparked curiosity of passersby who were ended up staying a while to check it out. VonWildenhaus made creative use of his looping pedals and reverb laden microphone to create atmospheric drone music. We were all taken by surprise when a saxophone player appeared seemingly out of nowhere and added a new dimension to the performance. It was good to see the ex-pat VonWildenhaus back in town, if even for the day.

Complete with an upright bass and a rocking chair, The Shadies are a delight for anyone with a remote interest in blue grass, in contrast to Ben VonWildenhaus, who was a pleasant experience for audience members with an interest in another kind of grass. A fellow spectator commented, “They seem really authentic. It’s refreshing.”

Following The Shadies was Waterbear (formerly known as Chris Nunn and The Movie), whose Americana style fit perfectly into the afternoon.  It was definitely nice to hear some new talent and see a couple names on the bill that I didn’t recognize.  Though I love running into familiar faces at shows, I appreciated seeing so many new faces on Saturday and enjoying music in a different atmosphere.

As the afternoon’s festivities came to an end, Girl Guts brought their unique and energetic music to the streets of Bellingham. The addition of their punk rock style to the day made Avalon’s Record Store Day a mini showcase of the variety of music that happens in Bellingham.

Despite a little rain, the live music at Avalon got the people of Bellingham excited for the season of outdoor music while celebrating Record Store Day.

I first became introduced to NoMeansNo by a former roommate who had many of their albums on vinyl and regularly sported a shirt with the words “Be Strong Be Wrong” emblazoned on the back. The aforementioned band motto is from their 1989 album “Wrong,” which is perhaps their most well-known album.

Originally, the band was scheduled to play at the Shakedown in February, but the show was cancelled due to passport issues. When the show was cancelled, many a Bellinghamster was up in arms, but there was a promise that the show would be re-scheduled in the Spring, and if you know anything about NoMeansNo, then you probably know that not only are they great musicians, they are also really nice dudes who do not let their fans down.

There was a buzz all day about the show, and it was the talk of the town among anyone with any knowledge of punk history. When most bands are well into their 50’s and beyond, you do not expect them to be anywhere near as good as they were in their heydey, but NoMeansNo doesn’t know that, and probably don’t care either.

The show kicked-off with Girl Guts, who are a solid pop-punk band based in Bellingham. The set was clean, punchy and catchy and was a good start to the punk raucousness that would soon follow. Next up was Ford Pier, a Canadian musician who has been acclaimed by the Globe and Mail, and was a former member of Canadian punk legends D.O.A. Pier and the rest of his band churned out some high-energy rock n’ roll, which was the perfect rising of the bar for NoMeansNo.

If you have never heard the prog-punk, jazzy insanity churned out by NoMeansNo,then do yourself a favor and listen to “Wrong,” “Why Do They Call Me Mr. Happy? and ” 0 +2=1,” for starters. The live set featured fan favorites and staples from just about every album is their discography. The highlights for me were “Cats, Sex and Nazis,” “The River,” and “The Tower,” but they really tore it up with every song, influencing the crowd to push each other around in a bopping mosh pit, which resulted in me bending my glasses severely out of shape, being covered in lukewarm Rainier and scuffing up my shoes beyond repair.

All in all, it was exactly the type of performance I would suspect from such a legendary band. I could always buy another pair of glasses, but I may not to get to see the Wright Brothers of NoMeansNo do their thing, as they have hinted that the shows on this tour will be followed by a hiatus of some sort.

So, thanks Rob and John Wright, and the guitarist whose name I did not catch! You guys rock harder and work harder than bands half your age!

Following them was Mumbls, a bay-area lyricist who performs in more  of a drawling, poetic style reminiscent of Cage. In fact, I was pretty sure it was Cage until I checked it out later. He didn’t elicit a huge response from the crowd but he had a good energy and some interesting, grimy tracks. He seemed to lack the bravado and charisma upon which this genre relies heavily.

Bringing that charisma in spades were Roach Gigz, the penultimate act. With two vocalists and a dynamic, interactive DJ, they ran around the stage, incited the crowd, and got the mood up. They featured a more refined version of the kind of tandem, rapid-fire, tag-team style Jaywalk were going for, but the beats were more polished and left more space for the multiple vocals. They clearly knew what they were doing and had a good time. Moreover, their set had a healthy balance of statement lyrics and positive messages, so the mood wasn’t spoiled but they were still taken seriously.

And of course, the reason everyone was there that night, Andre Nickatina. Truth be told, I had no idea who he was besides the name and I had a very backwards preconceived notion of his style; I expected a more bombastic and poppy, cheesy rapper. Andre came onstage, all 6’5” of him, spouting rough-voiced doctrine of life on the edge balanced with fun and moral values. He summed up all of the typical rap and hip-hop themes to the utmost degree, but he epitomized why those are the tropes. The beats were impressively tight, as were his deliveries of line after line of well-though-out lyrical verse. His command of the stage and the crowd was exceptional, and the chemistry with his DJ and wingman (or whatever you call the clinger-on in a rap crew) was such that, the instant he stopped a line, everyone knew something was up when he stopped performing in order to stop some altercation in the crowd. “Whoa, hey, that’s not cool, get out of here” and on it went, spirits never broken, everyone back in the mood. He played his hits about drugs, alcohol, and sex, and he also delivered some good values in there about loyalty and finding meaning in things.

This kind of show is all about having a good time and it certainly seems, at least judging by the smoke plume and bar-back queue, that was accomplished by all in attendance. Except whoever started that fight.

There were no openers slotted for the evening and the audience verified that none were needed. More rowdy, crazy and intense crowd behavior cannot be found anywhere. To those who scoff at the idea of a hardcore mosh pit happening at a pop concert, I can only offer witness and testament from the crowd. Aggressive behavior reached a new level as hair was pulled, shoes stepped on, skin bitten, and more. With club wardrobes and arena-ready attitudes, a few riled up ladies had to be escorted out by security. This was Mean Girls 2.0.

Carter appeared oblivious to the chaos and reveled in the attention. Attendees didn’t appear to come for quality music, they came for entertainment and that’s exactly what Carter provided. Taking a break between every set to catch his breath, Carter definitely flaunted some dance moves that reached gymnast proportions at times. The entire set felt like a 90s flashback with Carter, his two dancer gentlemen, and his DJ coordinating their choreography and backwards baseball caps.

Music alternated between Carter’s earnest attempts at making his 25-year-old voice mimic his preteen hits and the DJ spinning the current top 40 tunes. It was a confusing juxtaposition aimed at unifying eras that just felt awkward. In particular, one baffling song involved lyrics repeating “America!” over and over while the dancers spun and shook full-sized American flags. Unfortunately for Carter, what’s cute when you are 12 isn’t the same when you are in your mid-20s. Singing about how you are the man no longer is endearing; it is egotistical and rather sad. And yet, the extremely excitable crowd was extremely satisfied as was apparent by the never-ending shrieks of ecstasy and underwear tossed on stage.

Nostalgia was in the air as the audience collectively reminisced on the glorious early 2000s. The After Party Tour doesn’t necessarily mark a comeback but rather a continuation. Perhaps Carter said it best as he triumphantly stated, “Aaron’s party NEVER stopped!”

]]> http://www.whatsup-magazine.com/2013/05/aaron-carter-april-9th-at-the-wwu-viking-union/feed/ 0 http://www.whatsup-magazine.com/2013/05/american-aquarium-and-the-swearingens-april-13-at-the-green-frog/ http://www.whatsup-magazine.com/2013/05/american-aquarium-and-the-swearingens-april-13-at-the-green-frog/#comments Sat, 18 May 2013 08:29:34 +0000 Author Credit Pending http://www.whatsup-magazine.com/?p=5267 Continue reading →]]> “So it’s going to be that kind of night,” BJ Barham slyly announced as he swigged from a newly acquired bottle of whiskey. And what a night it was, as Raleigh N.C.’s own American Aquarium graced the stage at The Green Frog, offering the crowd a powerful set of soul stirring ballads and foot stomping rockers in the vein of Lucero and Drive-By Truckers.

Opening the show was Seattle’s own The Swearengens, who got the crowd hooting and hollering with their country twang. The band’s energetic set featured themes from an array of country staples from songs about drugs (“Bloody Gloves”) to songs about heartache (“The Letter (Don’t Look Back)”) and everything in between. Although the heart and soul of The Swearengens belongs to front man Fredd Luongo, Brigitt Rains, who Luongo called his “sassy backup singer,” adds an extra layer to the songs with her smoky vocals. The two sound good together, and one only wonders why Rains isn’t involved in every song? Overall, The Swearengens provided the perfect foreplay for the evening, warming up the crowd and building the anticipation for what was to come.

American Aquarium took the stage with a fire that burned all night long. Roaring through two sets, including a mini acoustic set by Barham in the middle, the band unleashed an extra helping of alt-country goodness on the Green Frog patrons. The band – Barham –vocals/rhythm guitar, Ryan Johnson – lead guitar, Whit Wright – pedal steel, Bill Corbin – bass and Kevin McClain – drums — brought their A-game, indulging the crowd in a plethora of southern fried tunes. You could tell the band was having a good night, not only because of the receptive crowd, but also because of the hospitality offered by their host. Barham mentioned halfway through the set how much “better the crowd was” than the previous nights’ show and how they were ready to cancel the next few weeks of the tour and take up residency at The Frog for awhile (I’m guessing quite a few people would enjoy that).

Rockers like “Rattlesnake,” “Burn.Flicker.Die” and “Casualties” kept the crowd energized, while slower songs like “City Lights” and “Road To Nowhere” demonstrated Barham’s true gift as a Bruce Springsteen-esque wordsmith.

Although everyone in the band sounded great, it was the pedal steel skills of Wright that really shined, especially when he joined Barham for a few acoustic numbers.  There is nothing like the sound of a pedal steel, and when it’s done right, it adds so much to a band’s sound.

Even though Wright kept my attention with his skills, the real star of the show was Barham. A pearl snap poet, Barham fully engages the audience with his stories and songs about living, loving and life on the road. All of his lyrics have a place in their respected song and none are wasted lines, which is a rarity today. You can truly feel the pain in his whiskey soaked voice.

Towards the end of the night, Barham apologized to audience, saying he was “sorry for all the sad songs” being played, but I don’t think it affected anyone’s mood, as there was no appearance of sadness among all the smiling faces in the crowd.

–Jared Curtis

So, while it may have been five years since FFA has played a show, Bellingham has definitely gotten an ear-full of them in one form or another since the break-up. Yet, the five years of silence from the band as a whole ended in March, as FFA released Conqueror, their “new” album, which was actually recorded five years ago but was never released.

“The album was the last thing we did as a band,” Jeff Kastelic said. “We finished it and it just kind of sat there and collected dust. We never even played a final show or anything, so this was literally when it all came to a halt.”

Jeff Kastelic and Savage both said that Conqueror – which clocks in at more than 70 minutes and has nine tracks – was the most ambitious album the band ever recorded. Up to that point, the band released one EP and two full-length albums over a span of seven years.

“This was the first album we recorded on our own,” Savage said. “We really tried to push our boundaries and make music that we had never heard before. It is a pretty intense record, and it is super raw. I mean, we recorded it in seven or eight different locations, with different equipment, so no two songs sound the same. There is no consistency and at times it can be pretty difficult to listen to, but that’s what it was and that is how it is going to stay. It is like a time capsule.”

In many ways, the recording of their last album was a huge learning experience for the band members. Kastelic said that the recording of Conqueror really influenced the work he would go on to do later with his other bands, and has really helped him get a good grasp of the recording process. He called the recording of the album a “stepping stone” towards his evolution as a musician.

“In the end, I think Conqueror really captured what Full Frontal Assault was all about. It is an artifact of what we were going through at the time and captured the band’s DIY philosophy perfectly,” Savage said. “The DIY ethic was really important to us at the time. It was do it ourselves or don’t do it at all: the merch, the tours, the album art, it was all made by us.”

Another aspect of the FFA philosophy captured on the album were the themes of survival and inspiration, Kastelic and Savage said.

“You know, when people saw us play and took us at face value they would think we were all about death and destruction and were a bunch of fucked up weirdos,” Savage said. “And maybe that is true to some degree I guess, but our band was really about overcoming the odds and rising up. We did sing about death and destruction, but it was always about overcoming those fears and being strong and being part of a brotherhood. That was really what FFA was about. It was more of a punk rock ethos than a black metal one.”

Kastelic said the reason they decided to release the album after so long was because they wanted to share it with people and pass on the inspiration.

“People always think metal is meant to bring you down, but we always wanted to inspire people,” Kastelic said. “Our goal was to use extreme music as a tool to do some good, as cheesy as that might sound. We wanted to inspire and motivate people to survive all the challenges that we all have to endure in life and to rise above all the negativity.”

Challenge is a subject that comes up often in the album because, at the time, the band was going through their own challenges. Kastelic said that it was really hard to come to the terms with the fact that the band was breaking up right when it seemed like they were reaching their full potential.

“In the end, we felt there was never a clear explanation as to what happened to the band,” Kastelic said. “So this album is like a ‘thank you’ to all those people that keep asking about us and have supported us this whole time, and still want to hear what FFA has to offer.”

Kastelic and Savage said there will probably never be a FFA reunion show or an album release show, but the album will be for sale online and at Everyday Music and Avalon.

Over the past three years, the band has played more than 200 shows, according to lead vocalist/ guitar player Aaron Guest, and in the process has garnered a solid following in Bellingham and among Americana-lovers all across the Pacific Northwest and points beyond. The band includes Guest, Cayley Schmid on fiddle, Richard Reeves on stand-up bass, Karl Olson on drums and Jeremy Elliott on lead guitar and vocals.

In many ways, the new album is a combination of the new and old for Polecat. The album features much of the sound that the band is known for – namely Americana/ roots music with tinges of Irish music and rock – but the album also features new sides of the band. There are more orchestral parts, a refined sound and some flirtations with percussion that meets reggae and other genres that people may not associate the band with at first.

“When people ask us what genre we perform in, I just call it ‘roots music,’” Guest said. “It’s the people’s music. There is something in it for fans of every genre, I think.”

Fathoms was recorded at famed Bear Creek Studios, as well as at Fairhaven Studios and The Roost during last winter. The Bear Creek experience was especially exciting for the band, Schmid said. Bear Creek is located in a cabin in Woodinville and has been the site of notable recordings, including The Lumineer’s self-titled breakout album, Helplessness Blues by the Fleet Foxes, Badmotorfinger by Soundgarden and Dancing of the Ceiling by Lionel Richie, among many others.

Polecat said that they recorded all of the “guts” of the album at Bear Creek, and then fleshed out the 12 songs on the album at the other studios.

“There is definitely a sound and a vibe at that studio that could not compare to places we have recorded at in the past,” Elliott said. “They just had tons of great gear and it really allowed us to expand our sounds and explore new tones.”

Guest said that the songs on the album have been ones that they’ve been working on and playing live for the better part of the two years since their last album, and while they are known for their live show, they wanted to approach the album with the goal of a more worldly approach.

The worldly approach that the band speaks of includes the addition on classical guitars, vocal harmonies, keyboards, mandolins and piano. While the band can not play all of the instruments in a live setting, they said that they could not help but take full advantage of the opportunity they had in the studio.

“It’s true: most of our fans are fans because of our live shows, so what we did with the album is record all the basic parts of the track live, together in the studio playing at the same time,” Guest said. “The additional instrumentation was all about doing it tastefully and making it subtle enough to not hinder the live aspect of our music.”

The album was funded in part via IndieGogo, which is a crowdfunding site similar to Kickstarter. The campaign ended up providing the band with $3,045 for recording. Guest said the money raised was enough to pay for recording time at Bear Creek, and the rest of the costs for the album were paid out of pocket by the band members. In total, the band has pressed and packaged 1,000 copies of Fathoms, which will be for sale at the CD release show on May 11, as well as available for purchase at Everyday Music and Avalon.

As part of perks on the Indiegogo page, the band has been required to cover two songs. The song choice was entirely up the two anonymous donors who donated at least $375 to the cause. Guest said one of the song requests was “Stay All Night” by Willy Nelson, which can be found on YouTube, and the band declined to say what the other song was, but did say they will be playing it at the CD release show for anyone that is interested.

After the CD release in Bellingham, the band plans on playing shows in Idaho, Oregon and in Washington, including appearances at Ski to Sea and the Strait of Juan De Fuca Festival on May 27.

“We really feel good about this album. It is our most epic album, and our most expensive album to make,” Elliott said. “There was a lot that went into this album and we can’t wait for people to get their hands on it and to hear what we have been up to.”

The band will be hosting an all-ages CD release show for Fathoms on May 11 at the Majestic Ballroom located at 1027 N. Forest Street. The release party will start at 7 p.m., with Polecat playing at 8:30 p.m., and plenty of other entertainment scheduled before the performance, including face painting, a photo booth, a beer garden for those of drinking age and food provided by Kurly’s Kart. The cover is $5 and children under the age of 12 will not be charged admission.

“This is our most epic album and we really wanted to host the largest CD release show we have ever done,” Elliott, the lead guitarist, said. “So, instead of just playing at a music venue, we decided to find a space that will cater to all of our fans- both young and old.”

For more information, visit www.polecatbluegrass.com.

Since releasing their debut EP Summer’s Gone this past fall, production duo Harrison Mills (Catacombkid) and Clayton Knight (BeachesBeaches) of Odesza have gone from Bellingham basement to summer stages including Sasquatch and Capitol Hill Block Party. The group is experimental with their sound, blending a range of influences spanning hip-hop and ambient. Tracks off the debut, such as “How Did I Get Here” pack the same pride as boastful Bellingham summers for anyone who knows them, resonating long past its brief time.

Before embarking on the next leg of their journey, What’s Up! asked Harrison Mills a few questions about where they are, getting there, and who he won’t be missing at Sasquatch this year.

Last time we caught up with you guys, you were “Blowing Up” (to quote the article title). Six months later you are booked for the sold-out, largest music festival in the Northwest, Sasquatch in May and Capitol Hill Block Party in June. Did you expect to be playing the festival circuit this year?

HM: We really didn’t know what to expect since we had just gotten a booking agent a month or so before we found out we had gotten Sasquatch. We were a bit naive about how live music/touring worked. We’ve been very fortunate to have such a hard working agent (Jay Moss) helping us with everything.

You have recently relocated to Seattle since graduating. What is one thing you miss about Bellingham? 

HM: I would say being so close to all my friends. After college everyone just kind of dispersed.

Will this be the biggest show you have ever played? Are you nervous for the festival stage?

HM: It definitely will be. I think the biggest show we’ve played so far has been a little over 1,500 people. We’re kinda numb to it right now. Still seems a bit unreal that we’re playing such a huge festival and with such an amazing line-up this year.

What are your top five must-see bands at Sasquatch 2k13?

HM: Tame Impala, Sigur Ros, Baths, Empire of The Sun, The Tallest Man On Earth.

If you keep progressing at your current rate of success/time there’s no stopping Odesza. What can fans expect next?

HM: We’re working on tons of new music and trying to tour more. Two EPs are in the works and several remixes.

Aspiring regional acts often get a leg up on landing themselves on the Sasquatch line-up, but every place is deservedly held by the next big thing to hit the national scene. My major suggestion for this year, in addition to catching Odesza, is to depart from the main stage from time to time and take a chance on something new.

Odesza perform the final day of Sasquatch, May 27, at 4:55 p.m. at the El Chupacabra stage. See Odesza for their first headlining show in Bellingham at the Wild Buffalo on May 18 with IG88. Tickets are $5. For more information about the band, visit odesza.com.

First time film makers Maria Demopoulos and Jodi Wille bring movie goers straight into the loving and charismatic arms of the earthly spiritual father and leader of the Source Family, Jim Baker, aka Father Yod, aka “Ya Ho Wa”, in this beautifully crafted documentary about the Los Angeles based Utopian Society of the early 1970’s known simply as “The Source Family.”

The Source Family, known for its beautiful women, rock star aesthetic, and deeply spiritual practices, was born out of another phenomenon of the time – The Source Restaurant, one of America’s first health food restaurants. Run by the irresistibly charming Jim Baker (an accomplished youth, decorated World War Two Veteran, murderer, millionaire playboy, and restaurateur who founded several groundbreaking restaurants before starting The Source Restaurant), at one point it was the most profitable restaurant in America, per square footage, grossing more than $10,000 a day.

The Source Restaurant drew the attention of all types of rock stars, film stars, and socialites alike, including but not limited to: Woody Allen, Donald Sutherland, Steve McQueen, Goldie Hawn, and Joni Mitchell just to name a few. “One day all five members of the band YES pulled up to the restaurant each in their own separate limo,” recalled Yohowa #3 Aquarian, a Source Family member.

As the numbers of the Source Family grew they bought a large mansion, dubbed “The Mother House,” so they could tighten their bond, practice their unique balance of eastern and western religion combined with a diet of health, exercise, and marijuana (the sacred herb) and formed a rock band called “Yo Ho Wa 13.”

Ya Ho Wa 13 recorded over 65 albums, drew the attention of musicians world wide, and their records become amongst the most highly sought after records in American psychedelia.

Once located in The Mother House, the spiritual practices of The Source Family became more extreme, incorporating practices of ancient templar societies as well as sex magic, eventually leaving behind one of their own commandments – that the bond between one man and one woman should be sacred, and Father Yod, who at this point believed himself to be God, took 13 wives.

As time went on dissention grew in the group as a result of the complexities of multiple partners and extreme religious practices, leading the group to decide to sell The Source Restaurant and move to Hawaii where they were less than welcomed by the local population.

Things came to a head in Hawaii when an aging Jim Baker, who at this point had begin to confess that he wasn’t god, launched himself off a 1,500 cliff in a hang glider, despite the fact that he had no training whatsoever. The earthly spiritual father successfully landed the glider but broke his back in the process and died nine hours later amongst the emotional fanfare of his wives and followers.

The source family remained relatively intact, in one form or another, for another two years, lead by Makushla Aquarian who was one of Father Yod’s wives, before ultimately disbanding entirely in 1975.

In the end the story of Father Yod and The Source Family could be perhaps be summed up with a combination of familiar sayings, such as absolute power destroying absolutely and the road to hell being paved with good intentions.

The film was distributed by Drag City, the Chicago based record label, turned film distribution company who in their 20 plus years of operation have brought us groups like The Royal Trux, Joanna Newsom, and Pavement just to name a few.

“You are Jesus and I think you’re ready for that.” – Lyric of The Source Family band “Yo Ho Wa 13” Sung by the family’s leader, Yo Ho Wa himself.

The Source Family shows May 17 at 6:30 p.m. at The Limelight Cinema with a special appearance of an original Source Family Member, Rain Aquarian, who will be available for a Q&A after the screening.

Rose Windows began in 2010 with guitarist/composer Chris Cheveyo and vocalist Rabia Shaheen Qazi and the two slowly incorporated their friends into the mix over time, with the final line up consisting of seven might-as-well-be-family members. In addition to Cheveyo and Qazi there’s Nils Petersen on guitar, Richie Rekow on bass, Pat Schowe on drums, Veronica Dye on flute, and David Davila on piano and organ, and most of the members share vocal duties. Playing in such a large group has its challenges, such as scheduling, and the one time the Windows played Bellingham it ended up being only Cheveyo and Qazi playing a mellower two-piece set during Yellingham when the other members couldn’t make it.

“It takes more work but it pays off more, and it’s very magical when it all works out,” said Petersen.

It is probably made even more magical considering the diverse backgrounds of the group. Petersen and Dye are both classically trained, Davila is a self-taught jazz pianist from El Paso with some extra experience in mariachi music, while Cheveyo’s background has been more metal and “riff-rock” based.  But they also share common interests in bands like Black Sabbath and the Beatles in addition to an immersion in music from Turkey, Iran, and other Middle Eastern countries. “The scale structures they work with have a fluidity that’s unavailable in Western music,” said Petersen, referring to the sonic palette of Eastern folk music, which uses quarter tones (notes found between those of Western music’s 12 tone scale) and tends to have more of a rolling and bending feel.

The Windows’ songwriting process begins with Cheveyo writing a few guitar and vocal parts and then the arrangements are filtered through the group’s talents.  It can take a long time for them to finish a song as they write their compositions, put the songs away for a gestation period, and then return to them months later for tweaking. This is probably why after nearly three years of operation the band is only now about to release their first full length album, The Sun Dogs (recorded with Randall Dunn who has worked with Sunn O))), Boris, and Master Musicians of Bukkake), on June 25. In fact they already have material aging for their second album, but they aren’t in a rush to get their material out if they don’t feel ready. And why should they if they’re just having fun being a band, touring the West Coast and enjoying each others’ company?

“We’re lucky enough to have three established cooks in the band and we tend to eat better on the road than we do at home,” said Petersen. “We’ll shop communally and try to have very healthy diets.”

For a band that has yet to put out an album they have done a fair bit of touring and their show this May at the Shakedown will be at the end of yet another West Coast jaunt going as far as San Diego, all while planning regional shows over the summer and a stint East by the end of August. They are also slated to play the Sasquatch and Hopscotch (in Raleigh, N.C.) music festivals. Most of this has been made possible by their recent signing to Sub Pop Records.

“We’re really excited, [signing with Sub Pop] is something beyond our wildest dreams, and a lot of opportunities have opened up,” said Petersen, “but we still work our jobs, we’re still living the same lives.”

One part sideshow, one part Bulgarian wedding and one part scrappy 1920s ragtime, it may come as no surprise that many Skitnik members have close ties to the Bellingham circus community. The seed for Skitnik was planted in the spring of 2011, when the Bellingham Circus Guild produced a show called Circus Supernova. Current Skitnik members Ellie Rogers, Amiel Martin and RJ Rex were in the house band for Supernova, and the idea for a spin-off band was born out of a conversation between Rogers and Jeff Lefferts, a current Skitnik band member.

“I had already been learning some eastern European tunes with a friend of mine who plays the clarinet, and Ellie and I were just talking about projects we should do and all the sudden it was like, ‘hey we should make a Bulgarian band, wouldn’t that be fun?’” Lefferts said. “So six months later, we actually did it!”

Over the next few months, the group absorbed Alex Larson (clarinet and bass clarinet), Carrie Crocket (accordion/saw), and Stefan Freelan (drums/percussion). The band played several Vaudevillingham shows throughout October and November of 2011, but didn’t finalize  until spring of 2012 when they played as the house band for the JustinCredible Sideshow. The show features traditional sideshow acts such as glass walking and sword swallowing.

“That’s when I think we solidified and took off … We finally had a set list and a full band and we were accompanying these cool acts,” said Rogers. “It was really fun.”

Although the band has yet to release an album, they’ve used that to their advantage to experiment with new songs and arrangements. Martin explains that the band often takes songs and “Balkanizes” them, meaning they often change up the rhythm and tempo to a more traditional Eastern European tune.

“It’s a really adaptive music form,” Larson adds. “You can take just about anything and Balkanize it.”

The group has adapted several jazz songs, a waltz and even the Jackson 5’s “Blame it on the Boogie.” The arrangement process is a group effort, and every member has input about the song selection and how to tweak it.

“We almost always try to see if everyone agrees with something, and we rarely are so invested in any one idea that we cant let it go,” Lefferts said. “I think that’s one of the best things about this band, that we are able to listen so well.”

The band has kept busy playing shows around Bellingham, and has even been known to throw “Skitnik Picnics,” one-off shows at the amphitheatre in Boulevard Park. True to the band’s character and roots, the picnics are haphazard shows usually announced a few hours before on their Facebook. Despite the lack of planning or advertisement, groups of 50 to 60 people have shown up or wandered over from other parts of the park to hear the band play.  They’ve even experimented with a “boat tour,” which involved sailing a boat to the edge of the shore and playing for people in the park.

“We’re just doing something that’s natural and organic and fun,” said Lefferts. “It’s not meant to be commercial or slick or anything.”

After a quick U-turn at the middle school, we arrived at our destination, hungry for meat pies! Actually known as pasties (pronounced “past-ees”), the woman at the counter informed us that this type of baked good originated in Cornwall, England and was popular among miners. The insides would stay warm for hours and they could eat with their dirty hands, often discarding the crust. Fortunately for us, the crust on these particular pasties is flaky and delicious, and should most certainly be consumed. Good to Go uses local ingredients whenever possible, which has resulted in a high-quality product that reflects the quality of food available in our area.

Kayser ordered the BBQ Pulled Pork Pasty ($7.50), which was stuffed with tender pulled pork, corn, onions, fresh cilantro, and smothered with their very own Ty’s BBQ sauce. The pasty was baked to a beautiful golden brown and was hot to the touch. Upon cutting the crisp crust, the tangy BBQ sauce wafts into the nose immediately. It wasn’t long until he had devoured the entire thing. Though he had wished he tried one of the soups on the menu as well, the hefty size of the pasty was more than enough for dinner.

Apple had the Pot Roast Pasty ($7.50), filled with ale braised chuck, carrots, gravy and green onions, with an extra side of their fantastic meat gravy. This pasty blew any pot pie he’d had before out of the water. The generous amount of stuffing slathered in some of the best gravy he’d ever had resulted in a very happy Apple. They knew the moment they tasted their pasties that their first time in Everson would not be their last.

Apple also took home one of the Broccoli Cheddar Pasties ($6.50) to go, which cooked nicely in the oven. Broccoli cheddar is one of Apple’s favorite soups, and he was impressed by how well the pasty captured the essence of that soup in a different form. It had the perfect amount of cheesiness and the broccoli wasn’t over-cooked, which can sometimes ruin the soup. The filling never seeped through the crust; in fact it wasn’t soggy at all. He also heated up some of his leftover meat gravy, which he used for dipping after enjoying a spoonful or two of the gravy all by itself (yes, it’s that good).

For a town of less than 3,000 people, folks out in Everson are lucky to have something like Good to Go. The food is delicious, the people are friendly, and for those who prefer eating at home, they can stock up on pasties to heat up whenever they’d like. It’s clear that this food is made with a lot of care and though it was worth the drive, we hope that someday these pasties are available in Bellingham proper. Good to Go is located at 128 Main Street in Everson and open from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, visit goodtogomeatpies.com/.

As I write this we have been home for a week. A week spent re-acclimating to what our lives were before, picking up the pieces, and booking the next one. Six weeks was just long enough to get used to it, just long enough to forget what 9-to-5 looks like. It’s hard to even begin to explain what happened.

The last show we played before leaving for SXSW was opening for a live karaoke band on a Monday in Santa Monica. The venue had apparently forgotten they’d booked us but we made the best of it, melted faces, and it was good. Brice got back on stage for his karaoke fix with Seal’s “Kiss From A Rose,” a real crowd pleaser. We conked out for a couple hours on a friend’s floor in Venice Beach and crawled into the van at eight the next morning. Thirty-two hours of non-stop driving later we picked up our Ninkasi rep/recording engineer and good friend James from the Austin airport.

I can tell you we went to SXSW, the awesome shit show that it is. Thousands of people in the middle of Texas having a blast. Lone Star and Shiner Bock flow like water and do everything they can to cool the Texas sun. We shotgunned Lone Stars immediately and it was official. We were in Austin, Texas. We played three shows in the four days and had somehow saved 18 of the 30 cases of Ninkasi we picked up weeks back in Eugene. These disappeared quickly into the thirsty masses.

Our last show was an 8-minute set. 8 minutes! After getting his first dose of the beast, the promoter we were working with realized his fatal mistake. He had neglected to book us for Saturday and was willing to do whatever he could to get us on stage. As a result we had a 10-minute window, playing gear already backlined on stage belonging to our friends Rare Monk from Portland. These guys are rad and I have to say a word because their van was taken from them in Austin by a careless driver. Everything is fine one moment then the next shit is fucked. Thousands of miles from home and your van is scrap metal. The dudes made it out just fine though and finished the rest of their tour with the help of an Avis rental car.

I digress, we jumped on stage immediately after the monk, before people had even stopped cheering.

One.. two.. go.. we start Phoenix Cool. Bass drops. As the drums trickle in, Wolf hits the mic and I vault off the monitor onto the bar striking my guitar with reckless abandon. We rock, we rock hard, a fluid transition into one last song, Demon Bitch, not stopping the energy for a moment. People went APESHIT! There is a video up of Demon Bitch that our friend Pete from The Long Con took. I’d have to say the best show I’ve played was that 8-minute show in Texas.

Tour is a true test of one’s grit, manhood, and gear.

Our beloved van (we call her the Whiskey Beast)is the vessel that made it all happen. That white early 90s chevy conversion van. You may know her. Bill and I tuned her up to the best of our abilities the day before we left Bellingham. Right off the bat on our drive to Seattle, we have problems. With just shy of a bill and half to our names, our margin for error was slim… DIY or die, baby! Our catalytic converter was clogged, filling the cab with exhaust and choking the engine. Hardly able to hit 55 and burning gas like it was going out of style, we somehow were able to make it to Eugene, OR where we had access to a auto shop. A couple passes with a sawzall and some welding, we were good to go. And we did go… for a while. Jen and Jesse, we will always owe you one.

We ended up rebuilding our throttle body in Chris from Hooves friend’s driveway in Phoenix, Arizona on our way back to the coast. Let me tell you, Arizona is fucking hot. Oh! I forgot to mention at that point we were broke. The throttle body was draining our MPG to about 6. That’s right… 6 miles per gallon… Hella shitty. Luckily, a few fans chipped in and bought some merch and it set us straight. At least the drive between AZ and CA was beautiful. With just enough gas to make into San Diego on fumes, we roll up to our first gig there, where Sarah Day surprises us. How’s that for awesome? SURPRISE! Strung out from the road and boom! Girlfriend! Stoked!

West Coast… Sweet, sweet, West Coast.

Scenic Idaho was amazing to look at. There was a bizarre moment while driving from Missoula to Great Falls Montana, rolling through the stellar hills and mountains, when someone puts Coldplay’s “A Rush Of Blood To The Head”  on the stereo. We all look at each other trying to get a grip on the situation and then all start singing the lyrics. I don’t care what you think, try that shit. It was one of the best moments of the trip, don’t ask why just go with it.

I can’t put into words how much the help meant to us. You know who you are and we thank you a million times. We do it for the people and people like it when we rock the fuck out. Its a win-win, but tour is about so much more than just the shows. I’m convinced there is no better way to see this vast and awe inspiring country than through the windows of a band van.

Thanks to all of our friends, old and new. It’s you that give us our drive. If you’re reading this and you were one of the people that put us up or came to a show again thank you. Everyone was so rad and accommodating. Hey I got an idea! Let’s invite four smelly dudes that live in a van into our home! A home cooked meal and a couch goes a long way.

Every day was a new adventure. Steak dinner in San Jose, finding a box of baby chickens in the middle of the night in Grants Pass, the greatest action figure collection I’ve ever seen in Montana, the diversity of tree species in Sactown, Corn Dog hats. The stories go on forever. I haven’t even scratched the surface. You want more? Come find us and buy me a beer!

Of course, it wouldn’t be long before Bill was one of the most respected musicians and personalities in town and I would love his band like no other. They played my 40th birthday party a couple of years back and since then, the band has become a band again with Bill “living” in Bellingham (Bill has been staying with friends for months but looks to be moving into a place soon). I, along with countless others, couldn’t be more excited having his presence back in town – he’s one of those guys that makes those around him work harder and do better – someone the local music and film scene will be able to learn from (with film, quite literally – see sidebar).

So, it’s my honor to have talked to Bill about music, life and film for this month’s 11 (make it 12) questions.

Who are you and where did you come from?

My name is William E. Badgley, AKA “Dirty Bill”, and I hail from Yakima, Washington. In 2001 I moved to Brooklyn, NY where I still have an apartment despite my efforts to relocate back to the state of Washington.

This month Federation X celebrates its 15th birthday, what is your favorite memory from the road with Federation X?

That’s a difficult one…

I feel like people expect me to have a bag of great stories from our travels that I can just reach into and pull out amazing tales from on command, but I don’t really.

At some point all the experiences of someone’s life, when it comprises such a large part of your life, sort of morph into one conscientiousness that makes you you. I started traveling in bands when I was 16, I’m 36 now and so it’s a large part of who I am on every level, it effects everything I do, all the decisions I make.

That being said we’ve been robbed at gunpoint, witnessed stabbings, been through every kind of storm imaginable, run out of food, been in countless scenarios where we didn’t speak the language, didn’t know the locals and the issues important to them, we’ve been made to feel like kings, like fools, and everything in between.

You’ve been away from the Northwest for over a decade, what about Bellingham drew you back?

Bellingham for me has always been intensely personal in feeling… the people, the music and art scene, right down to the buildings, the streets, the businesses and the geographic environment… I just care about it, I want to know what it’s doing and where it’s going… it “pops” in my vision, everywhere I look creates a picture for me that holds a lot of intensity and I can’t say that about a lot of places. I feel like everybody has a place that they belong to and I would say that for me that place is Bellingham.

While in NY you got involved with documentary films. What about documentary films calls to you?

I think that at the end of the day I’m really a lover of life wedded with a pretty blue collar work ethic that focuses my artistic attention to the everyday elements of the world I see around me. Feeling that way kind of leaves me with the question, “Why look beyond my immediate reality for a subject to work with?”

I suppose if I quit seeing beauty, honor, and drama in my surroundings I would feel the need to create scenarios from scratch but then again maybe if things got to that point there would be no need to create at all.

How has Federation X’s approach to music, business and touring changed from when the band started 15 years ago?

As with any relationship that has lasted as long as Ben and Beau and I’s have, there are lots of things that have changed and a lot of things that haven’t.

I would say that the connection that we all took notice of within the first month of playing together 15 years ago is still there as much if not more than it was back then. We’ve gotten a lot smarter, we’re older now, we’re better at what we do now than we were back then.

We’re adults you know, we’re not kids anymore, we can articulate our ideas better, not that there weren’t a lot of great things that were expressed back then, there were, but in a way I feel like those things were almost accidently expressed out of a shit load of youthful energy which is great but Now I think we can reach in and say, “This is what I wanna do.” And then just do it.

How old where you when you picked up guitar for the first time? Did you feel a connection with it instantly?

I played my first show in 1991, when I was 15, me and the neighbor kids… who I should mention were Ian Vanek of Japanther, Matt Vanek who went on to record for both K Records & Kill Rock Stars & Josh Vanek of Wantage and Total Fest fame… we played a show of Rolling Stones covers for their moms birthday in the drive way of their house… and I remember staring at my hands, just barely being able to plunk out the notes, and seeing pennies that people were throwing bouncing off the concrete beyond the guitar neck and thinking, “Well, I’ll be doing this forever.”

What advice would the Bill of now give to the Bill from 15 years ago?

Eh, none really, I’d say he did a pretty good job doing what he had to get done back then, I’m still doing all the same shit now but with a slightly different methodology… but I couldn’t be doing what I’m doing now without doing what I did back then so I have no regrets… nothing I would change really.

Do you (personally) enjoy Bellingham more now or when you lived here in the late 90s? Why?

Oh man, it’s so different, I love both times, wouldn’t trade either for the world… it’s why I’m trying to get back here in a more permanent sense.

Your KARP documentary, Kill All Redneck Pricks, took years to make and upon its release, was shown all over the US and in part of Europe. What did you enjoy most about the documentary process?

I really enjoy it all… I think you have to if you want to take on a project of that size, it’s an unbelievable amount of work and if you’re not in love with the process you’re gonna have a really rough go of it. I would say I love making movies more than loving having one that is already made.

Part of what I love about documentary film making, or doing one by yourself basically, is that you get to switch roles all the time, which keeps things interesting… also it seems to fit my personality pretty well… you have times where you are in your office, buried in your work for months on end processing things on a creative level, making things work… there are times that you are mindlessly carrying out busy work that just needs to be done and you can let your mind wander a bit… then there is the whole exhibition time period where you’re just traveling around talking to people about the work… it’s all the absolute best, I’m totally in love with it.

I crave all the different types of work that documentary film-making brings, I need what each one brings to the table in order to be myself.

What did you learn from the movie – not from making it, but the movie itself?

I’m taking this to mean, “What do I get from watching the movie?”…

I think the movie carries a pretty undying sense of brotherhood and that those sentiments guide the creation of music more than any one other thing. I see a lot of love in the movie when I watch it, both in terms of the band members and their personal relationships to the music and to each other.

What was it like recording with Deaf Nephews (Dale Crover from the Melvins and Toshi Kasai from Big Business)?

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. Deaf Nephews are the absolute best. Those guys are such ninjas… we have certainly recorded with a bunch of really amazing people but I definitely wish we had gone to Dale and Toshi years ago. They just really are tops.

They have a really excellent bed side manner that makes them incredibly easy to work with as well as having very strong opinions about what is going on and what should be done, and that is just a very rare and beautiful combination of qualities need to create at all.

What’s next for Bill Badgley?

Well, I will continue to make movies and records… I’m currently about to start post production for my first paid documentary feature film for a company based out of Los Angeles starring Grimes, Pictureplane, Big Freedia, Spank Rock and The Death Set called, “Get Amongst It; The Story of the First Check Yo’ Ponytail Tour” about a party night in Los Angeles called, “Check Yo’ Ponytail” going on their first national tour.

Also, Fed X turns 15 this month so we’re having a big birthday party/video filming weekend for our new record due out this summer on Recess Records and Molasses Manifesto called We Do What We Must… There’s also a book version of the KARP doc in the works so busy busy busy.

This month followed a raucous March madness, with the What’s Up! 15th Anniversary, too many local releases to count, hectic tour schedules, and announcements galore. Successful events around town did not wane, but many chose different venues off the beaten path, such as Yellingham’s living rooms, BEAF’s art spaces, and Worthy Fest’s Deming fields. Bands have slowed their roll a bit and we’re settling into a more comfortable, subdued pace for now as we gear up for the summer ahead. So make yourself a cup of earl grey, turn on Pan Pan’s new cover of the Downton Abbey theme song, and catch up on your local music le beat (feel free to read with a British accent, as I wrote it with one).

AROUND TOWN

Make.Shift had a routine check from the fire department this month and as many of you may already know, they are taking a temporary hiatus from live shows. Calm down, friends, don’t chain yourself to the building in protest just yet. The shows have all been moved thanks to flexible bands and a town full of helpful venues. They tell us the fire marshal and crew have been lovely and are working with the Make.Shift crew to get the venue space up to fire code for the next round of all-ages shenanigans. For now the artists are still in their spaces and the Alternative Library is still open! Follow their Facebook page to find out where the shows will be re-located and for how you can help out in the coming weeks.

Next time you stop by the Alternative Library, make sure you check out a new music magazine in town, Signed. The release of the magazine coincided with this year’s Yellingham and released their first issue featuring Mudhoney, Fugazi/Minor Threat, Black Flag, and Converge, with a mission (as noted on their Facebook page) of “spreading crucial music news and knowledge to the masses, while simultaneously crapping on the spine of mainstream media.”

David Ney has been in Bellingham for 11 years, and with a heartfelt announcement he alerted Bellingham of his pending departure to New York in August. His break up speech was perfect and left a 20-something like me ready for a little more Bellingham. David will remain with us for the summer, so take this opportunity to buy the once “Mr. Bellingham” a drink. The strongest protest thus far seems to be the “Neybys” (babies with a David Ney face) that are posted in restrooms around town.

Hot Damn Scandal is doing a kick off show for their kickstarter on May 11 at Boundary Bay. Head down there, it’ll be a good time.

Be on the lookout for ways to support the group working on opening a new Commercial Street Theatre Project, a newly proposed 200-seat theatre. More information can be found at cstproject.org.

PLACES TO BE

I feel like I can’t get enough invitations to weddings. The food, terrible dance moves, awkward family dynamics, not to mention the heightened state of all these elements the less involved in the wedding you are. On May 23, 7 p.m. at Broadway Hall we’re all invited to attend the nuptials of Jabez Richard and Ciera Richins. This is no average wedding. The couple has chosen their favorite local bands; Keaton Collective, Astronauts in Air Balloons, and a reunion of Savage Henry just for the occasion. They have invited us all, and let’s go. When else are we all going to be invited to the same wedding?

For all you industry workers and musicians (that’s all the jobs, right?) Tubbs recently announced that every Tuesday night 10 p.m. to close they will offer a whopping 50 percent off drinks for anyone in the food-beverage service industry or an active member of a band. I’m curious what the measure of an active band will be.

Enjoying music is one thing. Enjoying music and having it be for a good cause is entirely another. On May 11 the Mt. Baker Theatre will host a non-profit tribute to Ronnie James Dio for NW Youth Services. O’Donnell’s flea market will host a local festival for the Blue Ocean Foundation on May 18 featuring many local acts including the Vonvettas, Pawnbroker, Br’er Rabbit, Minor Plains, The Austerman File and many more.

FESTIVAL FEVER

I get a warm fuzzy feeling seeing Bellingham bands on big festival line-ups. Capitol Hill Block Party on July 27-29 not only has a killer line-up this year with Flaming Lips as a headliner it also shows a little Bellingham love with Learning Team and Dog Shredder. Both these acts are putting their best foot forward with new music and getting some longing glances from our big city counter-part.

Summer Meltdown is in its 13th year and their first round of announcements of the festival lineup gave some indication that this year’s booking is on point. The festival will be August 8-11 at Whitehorse Mountain Amphitheatre in Darrington, WA, boasting the best of the Northwest and a grassroots festival that doesn’t scream “sponsored by Pepsi.” The next round of announcements come out May 17, but fans are given more than enough in the time being with Australian Xavier Rudd, “Jamtronica” Lotus, March Fourth Marching Band, Cave Singers, True Spokes, and already too many more to list.

As per usual, the Subdued Stringband Jamboree is happening the same weekend at the Deming Logging show grounds. I’ve been told that the Cole family will be foregoing the family camping section this year so they can be right in the mix. Apparently last year the kids didn’t like leaving all the tunes!

The 9th Annual Urban Music Festival will be held on May 31 and June 1 at the Wild Buffalo and will feature the likes of Acorn Project, Polecat, Snug Harbor and Profit Massive (among others). As always, there will also be an awesome alley show, this time at 5 p.m.!

SMALL SCREEN STARS

Have you ever wanted to be in a music video? Federation X is turning 15 this upcoming May and they are doing so with multiple video shoots on both Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12 seeking amateur acting skills, men dressed in black wielding instruments, good wizards, bad wizards, instruments, and most importantly your help to make it happen. Check out Fed X’s Facebook page.

I feel a bit behind the curve for not having already mentioned Gothingham in Le Beat. The video is the most recent release by Electric Shadow Films. The debut of the series is shot on the familiar streets of Bellingham, and is thus far, hilarious. I don’t want to spoil any of this for you, so please go to their youtube channel and follow the adventures of Spiderman and Batman both taking on Bellingham…in a Prius.

Documentarian Bill Badgley (also of Federation X fame) will be teaching a class through WEI Summer Production Courses, called Documentary Film and Television Production 101. A two week program (eight hours a day, four days a week), Bill will cover all the bases from topic proposal and casting to scoring and outputting from broadcast. For more information, contact Suzanna Blais at admin@weiedu.org or call (360) 739-1428.

NEW RELEASES

Biagio and the Argonauts released their much-anticipated record, titled Nothing Here You Wouldn’t Want and although I haven’t heard the album (I don’t make it into a record store nearly enough), I’m going to assume that assertion is nothing but true. It features the talents of Anna Arvan, Rabia Magnussen, Kat Bula, and was engineered by Paul Turpin.

When My Dad Bruce isn’t taking their pants off for What’s Up!, they are working on their fresh squeezed releases with Jesus Chris Willis. Someone on their Facebook page commented that upon hearing the new cuts, they “can’t wait to wobble their hips to it.” I can’t think of a better descriptor than that type of anticipation.

Odd Ones Out, a group of Bellingham’s younger rockers, spent their spring break at Binary in Seattle and are set to release soon as they begin work on an upcoming music video.

There were a lot of fantastic albums up for review this month. Take a chance to check out all the new releases reviewed including VR Trainers, I Love You Avalanche, Black Beast Revival, Learning Team, The Ames, and more!

WHAT’S UP! W/ WHAT’S UP!

In recent What’s Up news, co-owners of this fine publication, Brent Cole and Becca Schwarz Cole received the Mayor’s Arts Award for the magazine. I’m lucky to call them Mr. & Mrs. Boss.

Also to have on your radar, What’s Up! has a FREE local showcase coming up at The Shakedown on May 25. Featuring The Ames and Juniper Stills, this mixed bill will tempt those genre-curious folks out there on either side of the tracks. Be on the lookout for more What’s Up! local showcases to come.

Sincere apologies in the world of screwing up names in last month’s issue. Juniper Stills (the once Wyatt Parks & the Mute Choir) was given quite the creative misnomer, Juniper Soils, so if you’ve always wanted that band name it’s still up for grabs. Additionally, the Boowoops were incorrectly named in their CD review. Sorry to the groups, and please check out both the bands. Last but not least, we misspelled Jess Flegel’s name in 11 Questions. Brent feels especially bad for this one because, “Jess rules.” So, Jess, please accept our deepest apologies.

Get to work on your summer plans kids, and keep me in the know at megan@whatsup-magazine.com.

–Megan Housekeeper

Ever wake up in the morning to realize not only that you might be a child molester but that you have most definitely witnessed a murder? No? Me neither, but this is exactly the scenario that Timo Friedrich finds himself in, “Das Letzte Schweigen” the German film released by Music Box Films, alternatively titled “The Silence” for release in the United States in 2010.

And if you do find yourself in this particularly unique scenario, what on Earth do you do?! Hop the first bus out of town, get married, become an architect, start a family, and lead a normal life…

Or at least that’s what Timo does, that is until the exact same murder is duplicated detail by detail 23 years later and broadcast into his unsuspecting, tranquil, and quite lavish German home by a swath of news coverage.

Now enter a wonderfully complex cast of deeply conflicted characters including the mother of the girl who was originally murdered who lives a life of seclusion surrounded by the unmoved possessions of her daughter, the retired detective racked with guilt over his failure to solve the first murder, the parents of the girl murdered in the present case who are told by the German authorities to wait patiently at home while police detectives look for the body of their daughter holding out hope that perhaps she has only run away, the newly widowed and deeply depressed detective who is assigned to the current case and his partner who is blonde, beautiful and incredibly pregnant.

At the helm of this cast of characters is the most conflicted of them all, the presently crumbling Timo, who is shaken to the core by the murder, leaving his wife, job, and children to travel back to the town he once occupied, committed to plunge himself headlong into his own personal darkness in order to unravel the mystery that he had been working so hard to ignore for the last 23 years.

A series of flashbacks guide us through the genesis of the first murder and the mysterious explanation of the second as the sanity of the characters continues to deteriorate in this beautiful and complex film.

File with Happiness, The Woodsman, and Mysterious Skin.

Pickford Cinema April 12-18^th.

Review by William E. Badgley

However, as I continued to listen to the album I noticed underneath the bravado and charm of this lo-fi accordion, ukelele compilation of chaos, is a fair amount of anger at the world Strangely lives in, though it is beautifully wrapped in sardonic wit and odd couplings of imagery. Perhaps this was the point. Strangely is calling out up-tight society on the total hypocrisy of those who claim to “live-and-let-live” while simultaneously shoving their values down others throats. The duality of the album is therefore worth a listen, simply as a commentary piece by a young man with something to say. If nothing else it certainly beats the same old “iced-coffee-beautiful-day-to-be-in-Bellingham” lyrics we’ve heard from other local bands. The only real draw back to the album is that the message gets lost around the fourth track when it all starts to sound the same. This may be the bi-product of using similar chords and melodies which follow the same arch in almost every song, for instance track three, “Big Ole Song,” which becomes massively repetitive about 3 minutes in. Yet, as is the case with the album over all, “Big Ole Song” somehow manages to redeem itself with total sincerity in the last minute. Total sincerity—the entire album might be summed up with that. Strangely’s album is like a mud cake; to certain “grown-ups” it might be repulsive and hard to consume, for others it looks like a delicious treat with which to really piss off our parents. I would highly recommend giving it a listen to anyone looking for something new in the local scene. As I said earlier, even if you don’t like the musicality (something I personally have problems with but I might not be the worlds largest ukele/accordian fan), Strangley has something to say about the status quo and that something is worth listening too.

Initially listening to this group I thought they were much younger, approaching their music with a youthful energy reminiscent of when you had time to sit around and play music all day. The keys and vocals really stand out, but in very different ways. It sounds like the keys player may not be as entrenched in the aesthetic as the rest of the group, so where typically the keys might go for a big organ sound or something conventional, there’s a unique little flourish of plunking and tinkling tines. The vocals are very powerful, often pushing the compressors into clipping, which I like, but sometimes that same overdrive makes them just wash out the band. Overall, the production is very clear, but the hard-panned guitars and bright drum tones sometime lend themselves to odd-sounding passages. But this is a demo, and it sounds better than most demos. It’s just that, sometimes when everyone goes loud it only feels like one or two members really kicked it up to another notch.

If you’re looking for a band to catch for a good show and a fun time with a little edge, Takes All Kinds delivers on that front. It’s definitely worth watching for when their more lengthy material drops and we can hear what they do with a little room to breathe and to let the parts develop and move, musically. As it stands, there are real songs in here and depending on how they translate live, this could be a very enjoyable band that will play a lot of shows around town.

It’s within that simplicity that the genius of the Daffodils lies, everything seems to flow so naturally that the listener gets wrapped up in the songs – their music just feels right, especially as winter turns to spring in the Northwest. They are the a great soundtrack for warm days and lovely nights.

The standout track of In A Fog is the second song, It’s One which is honestly one of the best songs I’ve ever heard. Imagine 1964/65 era Beatle harmonies, but in modern day Edison – are Bonin and Reisen the next Lennon and McCartney? No, but that song touches the soul like few others, it reaches that “oh my God, this is genius” level – three minutes and 51 seconds of near pop perfection. Pretty high praise for a duo from a rural small town, but honest and true.

As always, no album is perfect, though The Daffodils have gone out of their way to keep the imperfections in. Bum notes, mistakes and all – it’s there and it’s glorious. Not all of the songs are as good as It’s One, but they’re close enough to make this a truly great piece of music.

-Brent

If you really pay attention, though, the songwriting is impressively complete. In places where the instruments could take it easy, such as vocal-centric verses, there is a lot going on, and it all builds toward the central idea of the song. There aren’t lazy, throw-away dead spots. So if any part sounds out of place, it isn’t because they didn’t try hard enough.

Whether on purpose or not, there are some serious standouts and some lulls where I have to wonder how they remember their parts, as each section could just as easily transition into each other. Tracks 3 and 6, Radio High and Winter, are exceptional and have some attention getting parts, but between those two songs I struggled to engage. The songs, while nice, didn’t grab me as much as those two. The whole album does a great job of tempering and pacing, ebbing and flowing, building and releasing. Moreover, it’s an uplifting and positive album with little bits of bittersweet laced throughout in careful measure. If you’re looking for edge and boundaries-pushing musical exploration, you may be let down. But if you need something nice to listen to, or you’re wondering what’s playing in coffeeshops these days, Everyday Jones’ new album is a shining example of music that doesn’t ask a lot of you and just takes you on a nice ride.

The lyrics do more than just tell stories; there are sharp little idioms and clever turns of phrase, nuggets of ideas that get expanded into larger, thematic ideas, and a broad range of focuses from relationships to personal glory and pride and everything else. At the end of a good, focused listen, it makes me really want to know the songwriters. Ben Fletcher and Seth Carlson write in a very comfortable and confident style and the vocal performances are rock solid, with well-tuned voices that know how to convey a feeling as well as a specific tone. The players all hold it down and sound great, and the horns really popped out at me on some of the later tracks. The recording quality is superb and really lets the individual instruments sound great while not dominating the mix.

While there are a couple of weaker tracks in the middle, they aren’t bad by any means and may only pale in comparison to the sharp, creative, and hard-hitting tracks that punctuate the playlist. They do well to not make the 3rd quarter of the album a total sink, as they mix the burners in with the slow burns. When the album finished, I wasn’t relieved, I was very satisfied. Putting ‘Ashes’ last is genius; they know that song makes you want more and leaves an impression like ‘hey, I gotta check these guys out.’ Now I’m gonna go check these guys out.

Thematically, Baltic Cousins’ latest release covers all the bases a comprehensive rock record should. Though at times angsty (“Junk Beach Part 2”), and at times rueful and questioning (“Junk Beach Part 1,” “Dead Artists”), Brad Lockhart’s songwriting seems grounded in the reveling and ecstatic.

Enter “Never Hold Your Breath.” The Broken Horn’s standout single instantly catches the ear with a simple instrumental intro showcasing Lockhart’s killer guitar tone, and a driving sans-cymbal drum beat featuring a set of powerful toms, no doubt lovingly tuned by producer Jackson Long.

But that’s far from all you get out of the song. Lockhart himself produced an animated music video for it, complete with soaring eagles, rustic pine-covered vistas, a loveably blundering grizzly bear, and some life-saving archery. While the cartoony cuteness of the video might not quite match the powerful earnestness of the song, that’s easily forgivable—it’s still charming as hell.

Bellingham punks, your second go-to track is going to be “Junk Beach Part 2,” a robust, thrashy, break-stuff anthem with a distinct early-2000s hard rock tinge. I might be way off base here, but I get a strong Foo Fighters/Queens of the Stone Age vibe on this one. Give it a listen and see if you agree.

With the release of The Broken Horn, Baltic Cousins demonstrates that they can produce a record with the polished accessibility to keep it long lasting, without losing the woodsy sincerity that PNW music lovers long for.

IG88’s production throughout the album is immaculate. The staccato nature to the beats in the background blend flawlessly with the smooth legato of Willis’ vocals. The eighth track on the album, Slow Burn, took the album on an unexpected, dark turn. Slow Burn has a mysterious feel, but doesn’t feel out of place on the album. That being said, I ended up listening to Slow Burn on repeat for about a half hour when I first heard it. The electronic sounds in the background were intriguing and the rhymes were perfect. The album finishes up with some upbeat tracks that you can’t help but dance along to.

Fever only has ten tracks, and when the tenth track finished playing, I only found myself disappointed that there wasn’t more to listen to. So I listened to Slow Burn a couple more times.

Blasphemy and Murder really kicks off strongly with the opener ‘Blades of Boros Hratu’ (I’m not an expert in these letterings, that may be very wrong) and while the production style makes you really focus in order to pick out what’s going on, once you’re locked in and hearing the individual parts you can start to pick out some really cool ideas and energy. They say this kind of music is mixed ‘everything louder than everything else’ or call it ‘wall of noise’ but if it starts with a wall, there are several walls and they are built rather well. Once the vocals come in, things really pick up.

The sheer energy and power of the vocals really carries most of the songs, as the other instruments lack as much definition. The only time the vocals don’t work for me is when they are less heavily layered but still maintain the same message and style. In the more subdued moments (of which there aren’t many, more on that later) the lyrics still address the crusading, combative nature of the style, while the vocalist sounds more alone and less powerful due to it. There are some excellent examples of this approach, Aborted comes to mind, but it is hard to place and Baal Beryth’s vocal composition seems more ‘full steam ahead’ than ‘this is where I’m happy, this is where I’m sad.’

Intense music like this, with excellent playing from all members, really comes down to the concept and execution of the ideas. On first listen, I think they mostly nailed it. The movement loses some fluidity toward the third quarter of the album, but it sounds more like they tried to incorporate some mature elements and just weren’t sure where to tap the brakes and where to see if they could break concrete with sound. If you like this style of music, you probably already like Baal Beryth, but if you didn’t know that some of these local black metal bands are good, this release is a nice introduction, because they are.

The record itself consists mostly of covers with a few tasty originals thrown in to keep us swinging our partners ’round. It opens with the American traditional Crown Junction Breakdown featuring the talented Larry Sult on banjo, then the next two songs feature vocalists on both an Amy Millan song as well as on the original Big Sky (yaaay, I love originals). The cover of Mr. Spaceman from the Byrds is probably my favorite song on the record as it really showcases PMB’s greatest talent: taking rock songs and hilbilifying them. The other covers which feature said talent include Pancho and Lefty, famously preformed by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, Train Train by Blackfoot, Steel Rails performed by Alison Krauss, After Hours, the Lou Reed song which they gave a ragtime feel, and they also combined the great American classic from John Denver—Country Roads, with some original music. Also on the record is the short but sweet Prozac Mtn Breakdown, and Horse Named Picasso, both originals and both fun listens.

It really doesn’t matter whether you’re a time-hardened Virgina ex-pat or you’ve never hoedowned in your life, those boys and girls of Prozac Mountain are guaranteed to have you feeling like you’re in an back-country adventure. If you’re looking for authentic bluegrass musicians playing your favorite rock and country songs of the 70s-00s, look no further then Up on Prozac Mountain.

Thrones opened the night with a great set of bass-heavy songs. If you do not know Thrones, it is Joe Preston on bass accompanied by backing tracks. Preston is perhaps best known for being in pretty much every influential sludge and drone metal band you can think of (the Melvins, Sunn O))) and Earth, to name a few.) His set was momentarily paused due to some sound issues, but once that was all figured out, the rest of the set went off without a hitch.

The next band up was The Need, who I had never heard of but quickly stole the whole show for me. The band is a three-piece, all-female band. The drummer/lead singer of the band played a drum kit that was a mixture of regular and electronic drums, along with a cowbell that got plenty of use throughout the set—she also played the drums standing up ala the Violent Femmes. The music was heavy most of the time, dance-worthy some of the time, and was all-around badass. Attending as many shows as I do, it is often hard to be surprised by a band you have never heard of before and they usually tend to be easy to describe, but the Need are one of those bands that I was totally taken aback by. Their music went from riot grrl punk, to slow, almost doomy metal, to post-punk and back. Either way, I hope their appearance in Bellingham was not a one-off thing as they are one of my new favorite bands and I want to see them again…and again…and again.

By now, everyone reading this should already know who Federation X is. Fresh off recording a new album, the boys of Fed X played a set that was heavy with their new material, which is fresh but also in line with the work they have done to this point. The guitars are still heavy, the riffs are still fat, the songs are still catchy as shit and the drums will still drive you into a frenzy. There is no doubt Fed X is still on top of their game and I can’t wait to hear the new album, which will surely be played on an endless loop like “Rally Day,” and the other great albums that comprise the rest of their catalogue.

Then there was Behead the Prophet No Lord Shall Live. This band has not played in years due to the death of violinist Michael Griffen, and features the drumming talents of Jordan Rain (aka the Yogoman in Yogoman Burning Band and the resident soul spinner at the Green Frog on Tuesdays.) Apparently, before Mr. Rain played feel-good reggae jams he was the drummer for one of the rowdiest noise-punk bands in the Pacific Northwest. Their set was short and frenzied and blew the minds of every person crammed into the sweaty basement of the Make.Shift art space.