Van Conner formed a little Northwest treasure back in the late ’80s known as Screaming Trees with his brother, Gary Lee Conner and Mark Lanegan. Screaming Trees rode the grunge wave of the ’90s never quite reaching the heights of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains, but still carving an Identify that will receive mentions in their subsequent musical endeavors. Such is the case with Van Connor’s current band VALIS (Vast Active Living Intelligence System), which will perform this week at Hell’s Kitchen.

Conner formed VALIS in 1998 with Dan Peters (of Mudhoney), Kurt Danielson and Patrick Conner. Peters and Danielson later left the group, and Sean Hollister, Wes Weresch and Adrian Makins joined the ranks.

“VALIS has been in the studio with Mos Generator’s Tony Reed recording songs for a compilation CD I am doing for Small Stone Records,” explains Connor. “It is all Northwest bands. It is going to have Mos Generator, VALIS, Skullbot, Golden Pig Electric Blues band and All Time High. Right now I am calling it Northwest Mind Meld but that might change in the end.”

Tacoma artist James Bender will create the album’s artwork as he has for the last two VALIS CDs.

“Should be out in mid-2008 on Small Stone Records,” adds Connor. “Then we are going to go back in the studio with Tony and start up on our next full-length CD. We have about half of it written and are working on the rest now.” — Angela Jossy



[Hell’s Kitchen, KISW Loud and Local presents: VALIS, Mos Generator, Witchburn, and Sower of Dischord, Friday, Aug. 17, 9 p.m., $5, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]