The Underground Coffeehouse served as a reminder of how tight-knit the Bellingham music scene can be. This particular show truly was not advertised enough since the line-up consisted of two wonderful bands and a small, scattered crowd. However, the performances were impressive and the crowd grew as the night went on, comprised mostly of friends of the bands. This gave the rest of the show a sense of closeness, as if it wasn’t really meant for a large crowd.

Femme Uke (Ashley Thomas and Laine Kensington) possess a charming quality which appeared throughout their entire set. This began with their giggly soundcheck and continued to show up between songs when the duo would crack jokes to one another. The songs they played were inherently hilarious since they ranged in topics like summertime pubic hair, the strange enticement of Bellingham, and how much they loved one another. With such simple lyrics surrounding lighthearted subjects, they reminded me of Kimya Dawson or Daniel Johnston in the way that their words are impactful.

They mentioned how little they perform together which was surprising considering how well they played. In fact, they seemed totally engrossed playing together again, which materialized when they would break out into laughter out of sheer giddiness. Thomas kept saying how happy she was to be back in Bellingham and cautiously announcing their next song, while Kensington swayed back-and-forth in anticipation.

They were smiling the whole time. Their chemistry on-stage was incredible. At one point, mid-song, they yelled “Whistle solo!” at which point they began to whistle together, much to the delight of the audience. They then yelled “Goat solo!” and started to imitate goat noises which actually sounded pretty spot-on. One crowd member suggested a “Han Solo.” Kensington laughed and said, “Oh, man. I haven’t been playing enough Lego Star Wars on GameCube to get into that right now.” The crowd was enamored by this until Thomas chimed in, saying she doesn’t really like Star Wars. They finished their set with some covers and thanked the crowd.

Cora Glass, a local singer-songwriter, makes up Chestnut Collection. Her performance was well-placed next to Femme Uke since she also played songs with wonderful lyrics. She alternated between her ukulele and guitar, showing proficiency with both instruments. Her voice was extremely clear and professional, often leaning towards folk-based influence without totally committing to that genre. Glass sat on a stool, closing her eyes as she sang, which really allowed the audience to focus on her lyrics. The crowd in the Underground Coffeehouse typically generates a light din but she was able to captivate everyone, keeping the room silent while she sang. Her songs seemed to be mostly reflective and about her friends.

Interestingly, Glass kept referring back to a few years ago when she and Femme Uke performed together more frequently, which was poignantly illustrated by both members of Femme Uke sitting as close to the stage as possible, taking in every word of her songs. About halfway through her set, Glass introduced a song and forgot the words just as she started strumming. She laughed it off and eventually remembered how the song went but she kept her cool the whole time. Her ability to play a relaxed set spoke to her strong experience as a musician.

Both bands were awesome to watch and I highly recommend seeing them perform live.

A recent songwriters circle featured Drew Fichette (Rooftops), Alexandra Song (Mary Mary), Bradley Lockhart (Baltic Cousins), Biagio Biondolillo, Cora Glass, and organizer Kat Bula. To participate, e-mail Bula at kat@platespinnerpromo.com. Photos by Paul Turpin

The Honey Moon has been offering more than just their usual belly-warming mead. The tasting room has been spotlighting local songwriters the second Saturday of every month and housing a “songwriter circle,” featuring a changing rotation of performers that represent a variety of backgrounds and musical styles.

Over the course of the past two years the cozy space has evolved into a full-fledged music venue. They now offer live music on a regular basis, greatly contributing to Honey Moon’s success and making it a local staple.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize what an amazing venue the Honey Moon is,” organizer Kat Bula explained. “It’s intimate; classy but unpretentious, and they have live music five nights a week. I wish more venues in town looked to them for a model of how to take care of musicians. And since it’s a tasting room, not a bar, it’s all-ages.”

The idea for the once-monthly gathering came about on the eve of a canceled gig about two years back. One of the bands Kat Bula played in bailed last minute, but she felt compelled to go on. “I hate being onstage by myself,” admitted Bula, “So I got friends to come take turns playing songs with me.”

Among the original participators were Wesley Davis, Kayla Jeffress, and Go Slowpoke’s Anna Arvan. “I generally try to book a variety of songwriters from different parts of the scene and even a few out-of-towners,” Kat explained. “That way the audience who comes for one particular person is exposed to others they might not normally go out of their way to see.”

The Jan. 8 show featured Drew Fichette (Rooftops), Alexandra Song (Mary Mary), Bradley Lockhart (Baltic Cousins), Biagio Biondolillo, Cora Glass, and Kat Bula. To hear the wide range of perspectives between each performer allowed me to hear them each in a unique way. For some of the performers, it was enlightening to see them outside of their normal band format and perform a broken-down version of their songwriting process. Typically Drew Fitchette can be seen pummeling his guitar and executing complicated math-rock melodies at a Rooftops show, but watching him play an acoustic set acquainted me with a different side of him musically.

“As a listener I think the change of context helps you listen to the songs differently, especially if the person usually plays with a loud band,” said Bula. “As a musician, it can be a creative challenge to figure out how to put your songs across when you’re used to having others helping you.”

The atmosphere of the performance in its entirety was calm and refreshingly intimate compared to a typical amped-up show at a noisy bar. However, shortly after the show had started, Honey Moon booker and bartender Linda Melim had to hush some patrons because they were speaking over the performers. It instantly shut up the entire room. Thankfully they became sincerely engaged with each songwriter and actually paid attention to the voices and melodies amplified by nearby microphones. Previously distracted audience members were absorbed into the songs and and nestled into a deeper understanding and appreciation for the row of musicians before them, so much so that you could instantly tell that it made an impression.

Kat maintains that in order for the circle to work it’s important to keep things low-key and open. Essentially, it’s a house jam show in a live venue format. It makes the musicians more comfortable and spontaneous while helping to mix up the sound and keep people engaged.

Kat Bula, excited about the rising popularity of songwriting circles in other cities and within Bellingham, said, “I think that is just smashing. Songwriter rounds are a good thing.”

For those who’d love to hear covers of their favorite locals bands this might be of interest to you; every six months, musicians gather at Honey Moon for a local covers circle. “It’s so fun to hear local musicians cover each other’s songs and to see which ones they choose,” stated Bula. “I also love to hear people play songs by artists who moved away or don’t really play anymore. It can be easy to forget that local music has a past as well as a present.”

Kat Bula is looking for a broader range of talented performers, especially those over 40 and under 21. If you’re interested in joining up for another songwriting session e-mail Kat a link to your music at kat@platespinnerpromo.com.

What's Up! Magazine Cover - January 2011. Cover art by Bradley Lockhart

HAPPY NEW YEARS! GO HAWKS!

As per usual, we’ll start off with a little What’s Up! news, all of which is very cool. This month we’re celebrating our 150th issue – a hell of a mark for a monthly publication (we’re celebrating our 13th anniversary in March). When the mag started, I had no plans of doing 150 issues of What’s Up!, I just thought doing a magazine would be a lot of fun so I could talk about cool bands. Well, 150 issues later, it’s still unbelievably fun to do this magazine and I get to talk about tons of cool bands and artists. This music scene has gone through a lot of ups and downs over the last 150 issues, but for every step backward, it’s taken two or three steps forward. You can’t even begin to compare the current music community to what it used to be. Even with all the recent venue issues, this is an amazing, amazing town for local bands. In 1998, when the magazine started, there weren’t many bands that would stick around after graduating from college, so there was a really high turn over. These days, though, there’s still a high turn over, but a lot of bands do stick around just look at the What’s Up! Awards line up. The Productionists, Polecat, Keaton Collective, Zorbatron, Baltic Cousins, and Glowbug all bands that aren’t going anywhere. These are men and women who call Bellingham home and contribute mightily to the music community. Back in 1998, 1that just wasn’t the case. It’s been a wonderful transformation to witness and be part of. (For those folks who aren’t familiar with the magazine’s earlier years we didn’t start putting out 12 issues a year till the fourth year).

The other bit of news is… the 10th Annual What’s Up! Awards Show! It’s back! Again, this isn’t anything we expected to evolve the way it did it was a way to throw a party and give the music scene a pat on the back. After 10 years, it’s grown into a showcase for some of the best bands in town and a way to celebrate the music scene! This year, as was the case last year, things kick off on Friday, Jan. 28 at the Underground Coffeehouse with Biagio and the Argonauts and Candysound. Then, when that show ends, everyone heads up to the Viking Union where Lampost Revival, Dog Shredder, No Fi Soul Rebellion and Acorn Project will wow the all-ages crowd.

Then, the following night, it’s show time at the Wild Buffalo starting at 9 p.m.! Opening up the show will be Glowbug (Daniel Anderson will premier his latest project), followed by Zorbatron, Baltic Cousins, Keaton Collective, The Productionists and Polecat. Intermixed will be awards handed out by some of Bellingham’s best and brightest musicians (did I really just say that?), as well as dancing from The Dirty Bird Cabaret, music between sets by DJ Postal, Poops will again be our host, and The Belletrists will play to attendees as they walk through the door before the show even begins.

Every year I’m blown away by the Awards Show and this one will be no different. Oh yeah, it’s only $6. Seriously, SIX BUCKS!

Now to some music scene “stuff.”

RECORDS AND RELEASES

Bellingham’s king of the avant-garde, Bruce Hamilton, has started a new label named Spectropol Records. Its first release, duopoly, features Bruce in duets with 21 other musicians ranging from free improvisation to experimental remix to electroacoustc recomposition. If you like interesting music, read the review coming up next month or give it a listen now at http://spectropolrecords.bandcamp.com/releases. I REALLY love it, parts of it are beautifully unnerving.

Cora Glass put out a recording last summer that, regrettably, flew under the radar. Well, NO MORE! Under the moniker, Chestnut Collection, Cora released the Go Fourth EP, a cool blend of indie folk. In November, she released Said Conversation, a continuation of said indie folks. Or indie Americana whatever works you should check it out.

Snug Harbor have been putting in the time, hunkering down and rehearsing in anticipation of recording their new album this month. Look for it to hit the streets in March or so.

Pink Hotel Music, a collective featuring 11 local and regional bands including Candysound, Cat From Hue and Caulfield and his Magic Violin are working on a compilation that will hopefully be hitting the streets in the spring. I’ve got a sneaking suspicion 2011 isn’t going to be the year of the rabbit, but the year of the Teo.

It could also be the year of the Seagull Livingston Seagull. They’ve been hard at work on their latest (and greatest) which will be released within the next few months. I really dig these guys one of Bellingham’s up and coming bands.

Pirate Pirate Motorhome (not to be confused with Pirate Motorhome, the Swedish metal polka duo) are almost done with their latest (and greatest, thinking about really running that phrase into the ground) release and are planning a tour based around SxSW, which sounds a lot like a band that is playing SxSW. More details to foooolllllooooowwwwww.

Erin Corday’s new release has been pushed back to either February or March, due to technical difficulties at the printing plant. I’m not sure, but I believe a switch has been made with another go of it so, again, stay tuned!

The Endorphins have been in the studio, recording their follow up to their debut EP. A CD release will be at the Wild Buffalo on Feb. 25. Austin is very excited.

Caparza, which features members of Jo Dawn Baker, Our Fallen Heroes and countless other bands will FINALLY be releasing their debut EP next month. There’s a hint of rock and hint of roll and a butt load of having your face smashed in. Pretty sure guitarist Lance Vangraham is top three of Bellingham’s tattooed musicians. I like that!

COMINGS AND GOINGS

Audra, formerly of Rhombus (and of Cabin Tavern fame) is now playing bass with the Party Thighs, filling the spot left empty by Jenn Hartman’s departure. That makes 20 bands that Casey Nolan is in.

The mighty Drew Fitchette (Mary Mary, Rooftops) has joined up with Evan Bridges (ex-Pirates R Us) to open a new coffee shop downtown. Located kitty corner from the Depot Market, close to Boundary Bay, Onyx is a small coffee bar that specializes in “single origin drip” that’s made to order. They’ll be using only the best of the best coffee ranging from regional (Seattle) to international (Norway). They expect to move into coffee catering as well as a mobile coffee cart. They’re open 10-6, Wednesday through Saturday.

Another coffee shop is opening up as well, this one a couple doors down from the Wild Buffalo. The new location for Woods Coffee is at 1313 Bay Street and will feature not only coffee, but music as well. Although the music will be slow at first, they hope to have music six nights a week within six months. The big show this month is the CD release party for Jesse Morrow on Jan. 21.

Last month we described the wrong Casey Nolan band as being Downfall. It’s not her pop/punk band, rather her metal band. Still Casey Nolan, still awesome.

CONGRATULATIONS

It’s with incredible excitement that I get to announce the birth of Emmett Calvin Gilbert, aka “Little Poops.” Born on Dec. 28, Little Poops was said to have gotten the nurses singing karaoke within an hour of his birth. Congrats to Poops and Sarah, we here at the magazine couldn’t be more excited for you three!

Looking forward to seeing you all during the Awards Show weekend Jan. 28-29. Thanks for supporting What’s Up!, and enjoy all the happenings this month!

Brent Cole

editor@whatsup-magazine.com

The sheer range of work on display at the more than 20 venues that participated in March’s Downtown Art Walk would have been impressive enough, but there was a special manic energy to last month’s offerings. In case you missed it, here are a few highlights:

Digs (200 W. Holly St.): Although Digs is a home decor store, it feels more like a museum for artifacts from the distant future (or Norway.) This means that Digs shows are always worth attending, because even if you don’t enjoy the art, you’ll probably fall in love with a pencil from 3015. However, their March show, “Fragmented Memories,” did not disappoint. Painter Kei Omotaka, who works in acrylics and oils, constructed an unusually cohesive show themed around the limits of memory and vision.

Her paintings, large-scale portraits which catch their subjects in the midst of activity, embrace a realism that dissolves, here and there, into pixelation. This pixelation serves a number of purposes sometimes, it suggests frenetic movement on the part of its subjects, such as the sculptor at her potter’s wheel in “A Summer’s Day.” In this case, the spinning clay serves as the hub from which the pixel patterns radiate, which conveys both the speed at which the clay is turning and the pinpoint concentration that the potter is focusing on her work. In other paintings, such as “At the Dinner Table,” the pixelation creeps more quietly into the frame, dissolving it in stray edges and corners, so that it is not immediately noticeable. The subjects in these quieter paintings are caught in momentary repose the pause before they eat, or stand up, or speak.

Jinx Art Space (306 Flora St.): Jinx was still featuring last month’s Red and Pink show, a group art show riffing on Valentine’s Day themes; however, this was not problematic, as that show was awesome, including everything from late ’70s-style penciled nudes to jarred hearts carved from beets. Furthermore, music by Zack Zinn, Frozen Cloak, and Gunslingers was featured. According to reliable sources (i.e., onlookers that I interrogated), this was one of the more interesting “musical concerts” to happen in Bellingham in recent memory. Zack Zinn made warm but eerie soundscapes, Frozen Cloak played music as heavy as an actual cloak logged down with frozen water crystals must feel, and Gunslingers were loud, manic, and French.

The Amadeus Project (1209 Cornwall Ave): Music of a very different sort was featured at The Amadeus Project, a music school/gallery where both students and professionals were improvising sonic accompaniments to paintings by Yvette Neumann. For whatever reason, access to free classical music is hard to come by in downtown Bellingham. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of piano tonal work with Neumann’s quiet pastorals, which tend to haze into abstraction. Neumann layers acrylics and pastels in order to achieve compelling textures, at once hard-edged and soothing an affect remarkably similar to that of the staccato sprays that uncurled from the grand piano, each note as firm and distinct as needles on a pine branch but clustered to achieve a soft, blooming whole.

Bay Street Village (301 W. Holly St.): Bay Street Village is home to the Blue Horse Gallery, Studio UFO, and Works on Canvas Studio & Gallery, as well as a plethora of smaller galleries, artist’s studios, and businesses. On March 5, all three floors of Bay Street Village were densely packed with artwork, artists, and onlookers. Those artists who didn’t have spaces of their own were exhibiting in the hallways and stray alcoves. The overall effect was baroque, to say the least like falling through a wormhole into some kind of Farscape Art Narnia.

Blue Horse Gallery presented “4 Women 4 Seasons,” an exhibition of landscape works by Valerie Collymore, Ruthie V, Lisa McShane, and Mary Froderberg. Work by Didy Lutz and other artists was also on display. I really enjoyed “4 Women 4 Seasons.” You can tell a mature painter by the way that he or she handles light. Even in some of the show’s more abstract pieces, you knew exactly where the light was coming from, and it had a distinctly Northwest feel you could almost guess what time of day it was. Ruthie V’s acrylic studies of local landscapes, such as Edison slough, had a looseness and freedom that was deceptive, as these qualities are extremely difficult to achieve without skill and study. Froderberg’s oils were bright, fluid and playful, especially the autumn-themed paintings, with their striking foliage, still pools, and expectant houses (you could tell that somebody was about to come home.) I also enjoyed Collymore’s summery pastorals, wherein the trees were treated as carefully as human subjects, and McShane’s winding paths and mountainous vistas, which had an ominous, shadowy quality that somehow recalled both Giorgio de Chirico and C.S. Lewis.

The featured show at Works on Canvas Studio & Gallery was “Third Person Plural: Variations in Abstract Painting.” Chris Shreve, Sharon Kingston, and Kay D. Little presented three very different takes on abstract art. I was especially struck by Shreve’s acrylic work, which had an eerie cleanliness. Little’s acrylics were also very, very clean, but with a more graphic quality. In contrast, Kingston’s oils looked soft and textural.

One of my favorites of the smaller studios, Ashcan Alley Art featured charcoal and ink drawings by Christine Feltman. After a night of viewing large, bright and aggressive works, Feltman’s small, intimate drawings came as something of a relief. The pieces mostly featured human figures, often in recline. I also enjoyed the watercolor and ink nudes at Francie Allen’s studio, which were saucy and luxurious.

The Ground Floor (1105 N. State St.): The Ground Floor is primarily a space for the healing arts; however, they occasionally house musical events as well. The featured show at the Ground Floor was “Living OUT Loud in Color: Contemporary Queer Women’s Art Show,” and it was followed the next evening by a concert featuring Council of Lions, Sev and the Sins, Rhombus, Femme Uke, Chelsey Weber-Smith, and Cora Glass. This kind of multi-media female artists’ showcase used to be a rarity in Bellingham, and it’s exciting that such events are becoming more commonplace. Much of the featured artwork was by students, and it was great to see such eclectic groups collaborating to present an entire weekend of new and fresh works.

Excellent shows were also in evidence at The Paperdoll, the Waterfront Artists Studio Collective, Honey Salon, and Allied Arts. All in all, Bellingham’s Downtown Art Walk is more alive than ever, even in the depths of March.

–Marie Biondolillo

(This review was edited for length. Read the complete review at whatsup-magazine.com.)

January 2010 Cover by Bradley Lockhart

"Painted Backs" by Shelly Browder for "supporting artistry through community"

Well hello, there, boys and girls. Happy New Year! How are you this year? I’ve gotta say, aside from the birth of my darling Ruby, 2009 was a challenging one. So we’re looking forward to a new year and welcome 2010.

And to start the year off we launched a new look to What’s Up! Magazine. Not many folks know this, but my initial idea for the magazine (during its conception) was to publish in a tabloid format. At the time, though, it didn’t work out, so we went with something different. Almost 12 years later, I’m very, very excited to have the new look, it’s what it was supposed to be in the first place.

We are not doing a massive overhaul of the mag’s feel we love the magazine, just needed to implement it into a tabloid feel. This change is more affordable for us (which helps keep us in business!) and allows us to publish more content! This issue, for example, we added the feature “Off Beat,” which looks at a news story that may be of interest to music lovers, as well as “What We’re Listening to,” a rundown of some of the great music (from all over the globe) that local folks are listening to.

With this issue, we had some things pop up after the holidays that kept us from being able to include everything we’d have liked to (or allow us to get out on time – we apologize for the delay). But stay tuned over the next few months, as we’ll be adding and expanding our music content, including more columns and special features, diversifying and providing you with lots more local goodies to read. I would tell ya about them, but then it wouldn’t be a surprise.

In other What’s Up! news, it’s that time again! The 9th Annual What’s Up! Awards Show is being held on Saturday, Jan. 30 at the Wild Buffalo and will feature Femme Uke, Pan Pan, Dog Shredder, Acorn Project and the All Nighters along with sets by the Dirty Bird Cabaret. Poops will again MC the night, while DJ Postal will be spinning at the breaks. Plus, all the glorious awards, which will be amazing. there are some incredible surprises this year. Cost is five bucks. FIVE BUCKS! Ya know, I really can’t believe the show is in its ninth year blows my mind.

And don’t forget, on the night before the awards show we’re going to host the 2nd Annual Pre-Awards Show at the Viking Union and Underground Coffeehouse. Things will kick off at the UCH with Council of Lions and Bellingham Free Choir, then followed at the Viking Union by Rooftops, Sugar Sugar Sugar, Yogoman Burning Band and Idiot Pilot. The UCH show will be free, however the Viking Union show will cost $7 for general admission and $6 for students with a WWU ID.

Over the two nights, you’ve got 11 of the best bands in town, all playing music for your listening pleasure. Come check it out, should be a hell of a weekend! Thanks to everyone involved and supporting the show.

We’d like to welcome aboard the contributions of photographer Matthew Curtis. He’s begun taking photos for the magazine, including this month’s Pan Pan and Jessica Lohafer are courtesy of Matt.

Finally, before we get to the music, we have one last bit of news… What’s Up! is again working to update the local band database. Yeah, I know I’ve said this before, but this time around we have someone specifically working on it. And this someone is not just an overworked dad (me) trying to fit in the time. So, if yer in a band, send over your information (band name, members, contacts, etc.) to editor@whatsup-magazine or send us a message via MySpace or Facebook.

COMINGS AND GOINGS

The big news, of course, is the opening of the Plan B Saloon in the old Factory space. Opened up by Bucketz and crew, they kicked things off with epic show on New Year’s Eve with the Cheeps, Sugar Sugar Sugar, The All Nighters and Boss Rhino. They are working hard to get the month booked up, and one thing that is for sure (if early reports are accurate) is that Wednesday evening open mic is damn good. You can look for the club to be similar to the Rogue, but better, because it’ll also mix some of the Factory vibe (R.I.P). I expect this to be an incredible addition to the local music scene. Go and down and support them. We wish you the best you guys!

Speaking of the Cheeps, they are a band again. As Lupe from Sugar Sugar Sugar said to me, “thank f@#!ng God.” Agreed.

Chris Gusta (aka Deer Seeking Headlight) has teamed up with Bill Anker from the Whiskey Wailers as well as Jess Manley and AJ formerly of Octagon Control to make Scum Eating. They played their first show in early December and will hopefully be playing live more in the upcoming months. And hopefully changing their name, because Scum Eating freaks me out.

I’ve really been digging Dylan Morrison lately. He’s another guy that’s been a bit under the radar, but is very cool. Good folky stuff, check him out if you’ve got the chance. He left town for awhile, but is back in the fold.

Queen Amena are either on a long hiatus or have called it a day. I got the impression it was just a long hiatus, but ya never know with these things.

Another band that’s flying under the radar a bit is Hoot Hoot, featuring Alex Niedzialkowski from Cumulus as well as Sonja Prins and Cora Glass. They haven’t played a whole bunch, but I really love the couple songs on their MySpace site.

GOOD TIMES

Micah Knapp, one of the many badass movie guys in town, has a couple projects in the works. First off is a little movie called Fantastic Stan Goes to Hell, which includes none other than David Stray Ney playing the devil (don’t say anything), as well as a cool documentary on the Cliff House, which he’s been working on for a couple of years. There’s also rumors of a video for Jenni Potts. Gotta love a busy movie man.

I rarely, rarely ever talk about shows happening in Seattle, but there’s a fantastic band playing on Jan. 24 called White Denim. They’re from Austin and one of the best bands I’ve heard in the last decade. They’ve got nothing to do with Bellingham (other than we hope they’ll swing through our neck of the woods on their next tour), but thought I should give ya’ll a heads up anyhow.

RECORDS AND RELEASES

Four Players are releasing their debut CD, Four Score, with a pair of CD release shows on Saturday, Jan. 16 at Cap’s with guests Go Slowpoke, and also on Sunday, Jan. 17 at 5 p.m. at Everyday Music. The band includes members of the Roaming Moanies as well as Shea from the Sweaty Sweaters. Very cool music from a band that’s floated under the radar a bit.

Months ago, I mentioned in le Beat how much I love the Holy Tailfeathers. Well, the four-piece have finally released their debut CD (which I’ve had a version of for a while) and I’m ready for the town to fall in love with it as well. I’ve heard from more people that think they are, by far, the most underappreciated band in town, and I couldn’t agree more. They are absolutely fantastic, an incredible band with a fantastic vocalist in Leatherpants. It’s time you all discovered them.

The boys in Caparza have a new demo out and some shows coming up, so check ‘em out. Lance and the boys like to rock… err… RAWK (wow, I went old school on that one).

The Low Country Thieves have finished up their latest, The Nickajack EP. The bands been working on the album off and on for six months, so they’re excited it’s finally all wrapped up. You can buy the disc at CD Baby or at one of their local shows.

Vantage have just returned from a sweet little tour down to San Diego and back up to Bellingham, hitting some good hot spots in between. You can read more about how it went in this month’s Tales From the Road (page 33). This month, they’ll be at Two Sticks, the studio owned by Jason McGerr of Death Cab for Cutie fame (who, incidentally, has moved back to town) recording with Jackson Long. Looking forward to hearing the boys after they’ve been Jacksoned.

Another band at Two Sticks is the Love Lights, who are taking their first real break from playing live shows while they record their new album. No idea on when the disc will be released, but they’ll also be Jacksoned, so we’re sure it’ll sound good.

The Lumpkins, one of Bellingham’s gifts to country music, is just about done with their debut recording, Another Wasted Day. I’ve been told by head Lumpkin, David Stray Ney, that the band is incredibly excited how the recordings turned out. Initially the disc will be released on digital format only, then followed by 12″ vinyl. Good stuff. Also look for a story on them in the February issue of What’s Up!

Even though he’s got an album just out, Daniel Anderson is already working again on the new Ghost and the Grace CD… while he’s also working on the new Idiot Pilot CD. Both of which, from what he’s said to me, are above and beyond anything he’s ever done. Resident genius? Possibly. Hell, I’d give it a damn, damn good chance.

Yogoman Burning Band are working on a February tour, with details to be out soon. Jordan has also been down in Killion Sound in LA working on finishing up the new album. Fantastic.

Baltic Cousins have recently been in the studio, recording with John Brooks from Brunette Sweat. You can look for a story on the band next month in this very magazine. Ya know why? ‘Cuz they are GOOOOOOOOODDDD.

ON THE ROAD

Hitting the road in the spring is Sugar Sugar Sugar, who are playing a huge tour across much of the country. Obviously, ya know how much I absolutely love this band, they are the real deal and incredibly special. I’m looking forward to them spreading the Sugar gospel all over the U.S.!

Looks like Candysound will be hitting the road again this spring, down to California and back. No word on exact dates, but any time these guys hit the road, good things happen. They also recently went into the studio, though no official word from the band as to what happened with those recordings.

SHOWS

A couple of local bands are playing this year’s Sound Off! 2010 at the EMP Skychurch on Feb. 13. Candysound along with Pan Pan and Cozy Kitchen will be playing this huge show. Good luck!

On Jan. 21, Boogie Universal will make their triumphant return with a show at the Wild Buffalo. The Official Pre-Party and Fundraiser will include sets by Michael Manahan and Rob Noble as well as special guests. The show is a precursor to the big event, which will happen on Feb. 27 at the Majestic Hall and include Super Geek League, March Fourth Marching Band and over 100 performers. This will be one of the most incredible shows this town has ever scene!

The Winter Commission is getting organized for another event in the second week of February. Honestly, I don’t know much more than that but the news of another Winter Commission is really exciting.

Finally, as many of you know, a terrible tragedy stemming from domestic violence took place in the Kendall area. If you are in a domestic violence situation, please seek help. There are many, many different organizations that are out there to help including Womencare Shelter and Domestic Violence Services (734-3438) and Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services (715-1563). For help with alcohol abuse, seek out your local chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous for resources and help. Sadly, since 2003, I have known someone who has passed because of a situation stemming from alcohol or drugs. I’m not trying to end the column on a somber note, I just want to urge you to stay safe. Life, no matter how painful it may sometimes get, is absolutely worth living. If you need help, please seek it out, tell someone you love.

Thanks for all of your support in 2009, and we wish you a happy, healthy 2010 full of good times. See you next issue.

-Brent Cole
editor@whatsup-magazine.com