stacie slotnick presents
[ new music ]
K and KNW-YR-OWN artists
the microphones/mt. eerie
karl blau
d+
weeds
9pm start
$8 suggested donation
THE MICROPHONES/MT EERIE: The Microphones is the alias of Anacortes,
WA-based lo-fi psych-pop mastermind Phil Elvrum, also known for his work as
a member of K Records bands D+ and Old Time Relijun. Following a series of
cassettes on the local Knw-Yr-Own label, including Wires and Cords, Tests,
and a self-titled effort, the Microphones issued their first full-length
effort, also titled Tests, on the Elsinor label in the autumn 1999. Don’t
Wake Me Up appeared on K the next summer, followed in 2000 by Window and It
Was Hot We Stayed in the Water. 2001 saw the release of The Glow Pt. 2,
which added new dimensions to the Microphones’ sprawling sound. Shortly
after the release of 2003’s concept album Mt. Eerie, Elvrum decided to
retire the Microphones moniker and continued to tour and record under the
name of the collective’s last album.
D+: D+ is a trio that specializes in heartfelt rockin’ with a rural
sensiblity. Tales told in a singular American voice, wry and dry, humourous
and unbribled. Bret Lunsford (also of Beat Happening), Phil Elvrum, and
Karl Blau grew up in and around Anacortes, WA, on the San Juan Island of
Fildalgo, and on Puget Sound. They have a unique take on the lifestyle of
the region and its problems: they advocated arming the beavers with
automatic weapons; when life gives you dandelions, make dandelion wine. D+
toured the U.S. with Dub Narcotic Sound System after the release of their
debut album in September of 1997. Dandelion Seeds is a co-release with
KNW-YR-OWN, a loose collective documenting its own scene in Anacortes.
There is something raw and real about Anacortes’ sounds that recall reasons
for doing that have been forgotten or buried. You can feel the grain, smell
the sea and the soil.
KARL BLAU: Working out of the small town of Anacortes in northern
Washington state, Karl Blau has released several cassettes, as well as a
CD, Shell Collection, on the small Knw-Yr-Own label. Shell Collection, from
1997, is comprised of four-track recordings that are among the more
intriguing and versatile sounds to have come out of the lo-fi indie
underground. With a vibe that is both down-home and whimsical, Blau grafts
parts of winsome folk-rock onto lazy jamming blues, vintage rocksteady
reggae, high ’70s soul harmonies, and ceremonial-sounding flutes in his
unpredictable and shifting mixture of elements. The spontaneity and lack of
calculation in his recordings are integral to their charm and conviction.
Blau is also part of the jam band Captain Fathom, whose Knw-Yr-Own CD is
more conventional (though not enormously so) in songwriting, and more
disciplined in performance and recording dynamics.
also on the bill, WEEDS: Mirah’s sister!
for info:
http://www.krecs.com
stacie_slotnick@yahoo.com