The Fun Police

The Fun Police are… well… fun! A quick listen of their most recent EP, Spring Break EP, had me dancing in my seat. Released for free at their website, www.thefunpolicemusic.com, the EP is three songs long with “Gringo Merengue,” “We Don’t Want No More,” and “Rather Be Dead.” The Fun Police are a refreshing reggae/ska band from Tacoma, Wash., with an impressive range of musical talent. With hints of blues, jazz, and frequent tongue-in-cheek lyrics, the band guides listeners through layers upon layers of funky, fun music. Definitely worth the listen, even (if not especially) for those not familiar with the genre.

The Fun Police released their first full length album in November, 2009, titled You Better Run, available at CD Baby here: cdbaby.com/cd/FunPolice. They are frequently playing shows in the Puget Sound area and “a sidewalk near you” in Seattle/Portland. The list of upcoming shows, as well as any other news from the band, may be found on their Myspace page: myspace.com/thefunpolicestation.

Upcoming Shows:

• Apr 2 2010 8:00P World Famous Bob’s Java Jive Benefit TACOMA, WASHINGTON
• Apr 6 2010 8:00P The Funhouse w/ Ocelot Omelet, Spillway and Neighbors SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
• Apr 7 2010 9:00P Tony V’s Garage w/ Posum Fat EVERETT, WASHINGTON
• Apr 9 2010 9:00P The 4th Ave Tavern w/ Dreaded Knuckles OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON
• Apr 10 2010 8:00P The Shelter w/ Back Ally Kicks and Go Get The Scissors! CENTRALIA, WASHINGTON
• May 8 2010 8:00P The Hub Bar and Grill w/ Black Market Review and Go Get the Scissors CENTRALIA, WASHINGTON
• May 21 2010 8:00P Cafe Venus and the Marsbar SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
• Jun 26 2010 8:00P Private Party TACOMA, WASHINGTON
• Dec 25 2010 4:15PA Sidewalk Near you… SEATTLE. PORTLAND, TACOMA, BEDALE

Nouela and Brian at The Sunset (credit: Christen Shaw)

People Eating People is the solo piano pop project of Seattle artist Nouela Johnston, and it is absolutely astounding. Johnston has gone through much turbulence to arrive at her current position. In 2007, Johnston was locked into a contract with Mon Frere, the band who won the SoundOff! Battle of the Bands in 2007, which she immediately regretted. Johnston dropped from the band which caused her “[…] a shit-ton of legal messes,” as she explained to The Stranger earlier this week. Unable to release her own music until, among other things, the sum of $5,000 be paid to Cake Records, and she played and toured for-hire with three other bands: Say Hi, Fall of Troy, and Creature Feature. All the while, Johnston was recording a demo which eventually reached the hands of Nabil Ayers, current label manager for 4AD, who offered to release her full-length album.

Her self-titled album, People Eating People, released in November 2009, is an emotional outpouring of jazzy vocals and piano. Johnston is classically trained in jazz piano — she began performing recitals by the age of 4. Being that she is classically trained, her music is technically masterful and complex — her vocals are to match. Her lyrics are personal and emotionally driven; we can see such in “I Hate All My Friends.” Pounding and fast jazz keys supplement her apparent anger as she sings a tale of lies and deceit. With “All The Hospitals,” Johnston shows her flexibility as a jazz pianist. Fluctuating, complex rhythms, all the while delivering the similarly fluctuating jazz-style vocals. A highly emotional tale of depression, making references to suicide amongst other things; “don’t cut too deep, take all those pills…don’t swallow… everyone you love is on your side.”

People Eating People — “All the Hospitals,” from People Eating People (2009) | download
[audio:http://www.musicgeek.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/PeopleEatingPeople.mp3]

See below for upcoming shows, live videos, and a video interview.

People Eating People is being very well received in the Seattle music scene and have what seems to be a glowing career ahead. People Eating People are not currently on tour, but frequently play shows locally at just about all the venues here in Seattle. Information about show dates/times are frequently updated on People Eating People’s myspace page, myspace.com/peopleeatingpeople.

Upcoming Shows

Mar 9 2010 8:00P
Chop Suey Seattle, Washington

Mar 13 2010 8:00P
Sunset Tavern Seattle, Washington

Mar 26 2010 8:00P
The Moore Theater Seattle, Washington

May 14 2010 8:00P
Chop Suey Seattle, Washington

Band Members

• Nouela Johnston
• Recorded Drums: Mark Gajadhar
• Recorded/live Drums: Ben Libay/Brian Turner
• Recorded Guitar: Christiaan Morris

Panther Attack! @ Club Tropical (credit unknown)

The first track on the album, “Frolic, Just Don’t Lick,“ is slow to crescendo and has a shoegaze feel. It lays out the groovy standard to come throughout the album. The guitars have a muddy feel in this track and, appropriately, croaking frogs. Layered cleverly through the guitars, the bass pulls us slowly forward through the mud, reminiscent of plodding through a swampy, hazy field. The drums are absent through the entirety of this track.

Recorded and mixed by Brandon Eggleston at Bear Creek Studio in Woodinville, WA. Mastered by Ed Brooks at RFI. Panther Attack! is Andrew Grapes, Josh Grapes, Jon Wiens, Kelly Mynes. Martyr Bonus may be purchased for $10.00 through the band’s MySpace, myspace.com/pantherattack, and their latest EP, Sharp Moments EP, is available for purchase at Triple Down Records at tripledownrecords.com.

Panther Attack! – Martyr Bonus (track list)

The Cat From Hue, indie/psych-folk quintet from Camano Island, Washington, are an interesting listen. Clearly influenced by other indie bands from the northwest, Modest Mouse and Portugal. The Man, this young group uniquely portrays the Puget Sound in their lyrics alongside upbeat, folksy instrumentals. In “Welcome Back The Rain,” through well constructed folk guitar, slow drum beats, tambourine, and high keys, their music emulates the sound and feeling of a typical rainy day in the Puget Sound. Their lyrics in this song are delivered strong and sleepy, with the verse declaring “We watch the days run down to the hour change/We watch the green leaves turn around, and walk through the sleet and the rain…” and more cleverly sour lyrics regarding the Seattle music scene: “I hear the Puget Sound is Land of the Green/I reciprocate the meaning with the speech about the scene […] just a crow in my crow’s nest/tippin’ back my Seattle’s Best Coffee.”

The Cat From Hue — “Welcome Back The Rain,” from Shoreline
[audio:http://www.musicgeek.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/04-Welcome-Back-The-Rain.mp3]

The Cat From Hue — “Stumble On,” from Shoreline
[audio:http://www.musicgeek.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/03-Stumble-On.mp3]

The Can From Hue are currently unsigned and have many shows lined up. To see more information about the band visit their myspace, myspace.com/catfromhue, or visit them on Facebook. See below for a video of them live, acoustic, as well as a look at their upcoming shows.

Members of The Cat From Hue

• Nikko Van Wyck – Guitar | Lead Vocals
• Wes Williams – Lead Guitar | Vocals | Audio Engineering
• Matt Olsen – Keys | Vocals
• Evan Downey – Bass | Vocals

Upcoming Shows

Feb 26 2010 8:00P
The Slab w/ Subtle Like A T-Rex, Animal Outfit and Special Guests
Seattle, Washington

Feb 27 2010 8:00P
Columbia City Theater w/ Still Time, Candysound, and Quilt
Seattle, Washington

Mar 13 2010 7:00P
Ground Zero w/ Town Called Machine, Lets Get Lost, Celebra, and To The Sea
Bellevue, Washington

Mar 19 2010 8:00P
Candysounds Tour Kick off @ The Hell House w/ The Oregon Donor
Bellingham, Washington

Apr 30 2010 8:30P
Zippy’s Late Night w/ Candysound and Astronomer Royal
Everett, Washington

May 28 2010 8:00P
Laughing Ladies w/ Emily Lewis
Seattle, Washington

Hooves and Beak, credit: Brady Harvey

Whitney Flinn of Hooves and Beak, originally from Lawrence, Kansas, is currently on extended hiatus in Seattle, Washington. A participant in the Sound Off! Battle of the Bands, Flinn advanced to the finals of the Sound off! Battle of the Bands with a performance Saturday.The Sound Off! Finals will be held on March 6th at the EMP|SFM, the Experience the Music Project, and Science Fiction Museum.

Flinn is the sole member of Hooves and Beak and an inspiring musician. She masters the layering of strong, emotional vocals with harp, piano, accordion, banjo, and guitar — all self-taught. The vocals in her current recordings are vaguely reminiscent of other female indie vocalists — namely Joanna Newsom. Setting her apart is the clear emotional influence behind her words and supplemental strings. Flinn plays her harp in a colorful, folk style unlike any I’ve heard. Her voice is strong and clear, and her strings emulate this. In “Doorman’s Song,” Flinn sings of lost love, an addiction to drinking — all wrapped in her uniquely forlorn harp she creates a heart-wrenching and beautiful anthem.

More information about the Sound Off! may be found at their website, empsfm.org. You may also hear Flinn’s recordings on her Myspace profile, myspace.com/whitneyflinn.

Sasquatch! Music Festival @ The Gorge

With imminent arrival of the Sasquatch! Music Festival I thought we should give you a bit of insight as to what you’ll be seeing throughout the festival. Sasquatch! is on Memorial Day weekend, the 29th, 30th, and 31st of May, located at The Gorge in George, Washington. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Feb. 20 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. Get your tickets early — discount 3-day passes are only available the first day of ticket sales, ending at midnight on the 21st. Purchase tickets at sasquatchfestival.com/#/tickets.

Some of the major headliners one should look forward to seeing on the first day (May 29) include My Morning Jacket, Vampire Weekend, Broken Social Scene, OK Go, WHY?, and Minus The Bear. Sunday, May 30, we expect an equally stellar day with Massive Attack, Pavement, LCD Soundsystem, Tegan and Sara, and City and Colour. Monday’s lineup looks to be a memorable close to another awesome Sasquatch! with The Mountain Goats, MGMT, Band of Horses, Drive-By Truckers, and The Low Anthem.

2010 Sasquatch! Festival Lineup

• My Morning Jacket
• Massive Attack
• Pavement
• Ween
• Vampire Weekend
• MGMT
• Band of Horses
• The National
• LCD Soundsystem
• Tegan & Sara
• Broken Social Scene
• Passion Pit
• Deadmau5
• She & Him
• Public Enemy
• Nada Surf
• The New Pornographers
• The Hold Steady
• The xx
• Dirty Projectors
• OK Go
• Drive By Truckers
• Kid Cudi
• The Long Winters
• Minus the Bear
• The Mountain Goats
• Quasi
• Camera Obscura
• Fruit Bats
• Brother Ali
• Midlake
• Dr. Dog
• Caribou
• Simian Mobile Disco
• City & Colour
• No Age
• The Temper Trap
• Vetiver
• Miike Snow
• Portugal. The Man
• Telekinesis
• Mayer Hawthorne
• Why?
• Girls
• Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
• Wale
• The Lonely Forest
• Japandroids
• Boys Noize
• Yacht
• Freelance Whales
• Laura Marling
• Patrick Watson
• Past Lives
• Cymbals Eat Guitars
• The Low Anthem
• The Very Best
• Phantogram
• Neon Indian
• Nurses
• The Tallest Man on Earth
• Fresh Espresso
• Mumford & Sons
• Jets Overhead
• tUnE-YarDs
• Shabazz Palaces
• Fool’s Gold
• Morning Teleportation
• Z-Trip
• Dam-Funk
• Hudson Mohawke
• The Middle East
• Local Natives
• Avi Buffalo
• Booka Shade
• A-Trak
• Yes Giantess
• Craig Robinson
• Rob Riggle
• Garfunkel & Oates
• Luke Burbank

Panther Attack! @ ChopSuey 4/18/07

Panther Attack! have, to my mind, set a new standard for post-indie/punk/instrumentals. They have a unique ability to create a profound soul unmatched in their genre. Their dual-drum kits, bass, and guitar (often multiple) meld together to create free-flowing instrumental bliss — almost jazzy, definitely groovy.

They are from Seattle and have been preforming together since 2002. Panther Attack! has a self-released full-length album, Martyr Bonus, released in 2007, and in 2008, they released Sharp Moments EP on vinyl. Panther Attack! is not on tour, but they are currently booking new shows. The latest information about when and where they are playing can be found on their MySpace profile at myspace.com/pantherattack, and detailed bio, release info, and more here at the site for Triple Down Records, their record label, tripledownrecords.com.

Continue reading for a video of Panther Attack! performing in Glendale, Calif.