The Sunday late-night crowd may not have been large at Olympia’s Brotherhood Lounge this weekend, but the energy was certainly palpable. Three bands were set to take the stage, culminating in the rock n’ roll quartet known as The Shivas, from Vancouver, Wash. Kicking their set off with the aptly […]
E-40 Upstaged By Juggalos
Arriving fashionably late, we waited in line as the doorman ushered in handfuls of twenty somethings as if we were waiting to enter a high profile nightclub. It was already 11 p.m., but the rush of intoxicated youth continued to bombard the Royal’s entrance as the muddled P.A.’s fueled our […]
Hellships Break Out With “Leaden Hum”
by Issac Scott The first thing you notice about Hellships when they play live is their sheer brutality. Sure, a lot of bands play loud. Every high school metalhead has their Marshal half-stack of amplifiers turned to 11. But Hellships bring a new kind of intensity to their instrument that transforms […]
LOVE THIS GIANT | David Byrne & St. Vincent
Independent solo artist St. Vincent and former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne released the long-awaited collaborative album Love This Giant on September 11, 2012. The unity of aesthetics and content in Byrne’s newest collaboration, plus Clark and minus his usual partner Brian Eno, innovates with easily recognizable elements of urban […]
Chillin’ with Jeffrey Lewis
With the sound of his friend and collaborator Kimya Dawson in the background, Jeffrey Lewis, whose unique mixed media approach has led to international success, answered questions in between sets Saturday night at the Northern. What’s your relationship with Kimya Dawson? It was 1998 when I started playing songs at […]
BURNING DAYLIGHT | King Dude
If you’re a practicing musicophile, chances are you’ve heard of King Dude’s cult hit “Lucifer is the Light of the World” off his 2011 album Love. A true Washingtonian (he was born in Kennewick), his dark, sometimes brooding, sometimes giddy “apocalyptic folk” music makes any rainy day a true celebration […]
Olympia Punk Bands Make Dough for Political Activists
Six local punk bands played October 12 at Northern to raise awareness for a political issue that has hit close to home here in Washington’s capitol. Angry Music for Real ‘¢hange’ Around 200 young people gathered at the volunteer-run, all ages venue, art gallery, and community space on one of […]
LP Review: SCIENCE! | Science
Olympia bluegrass duo make a name for themselves with studio debut Even before we heard Science!’s self-titled studio debut, they were quickly becoming one of the most talked about bands in Olympia. The duo was voted “best new Olympia band” by The Weekly Volcano probably because they are so damn […]
LP Review: SHIELDS | Grizzly Bear
Grizzly Bear break the confines of art-gallery rock with their new LP Shields, released September 18 on Warp Records. The Brooklyn quartet brings a Baroque flair to cutting edge rhythms on their sublimely complex fourth studio album. It is their first release since 2009’s hit Veckatimest, and, joyfully, the band […]
Music Spots
Olympia has a deep and storied history of live music since the 60s, stemming largely from Evergreen’s influence. Washington state’s capital has served as a training ground for bands such as Nirvana, Modest Mouse, The Melvins, and Sleater Kinney, to name a few. These are our picks for the five […]