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Somewhat confusingly, the Hague also seem to go by And I Was Like, What?. Whatever the band wants to call itself is fine by me, as long as they stick to what they do best: performing Britpop-inflected indie rock that draws inspiration from epic mopesters like the Smiths while adding
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The music of Sam Vicari is such pure, visceral power-pop that one might be taken aback at the sounds of those first chugging chords. Apparently a one-man operation, Sam Vicari's themes and vocals have a pungently nerdy air about them, imbuing his full-length, Keep Careful, with the kind of ecstatic,
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Listening to Gillian Welch - in particular her new album, The Harrow & The Harvest - there's a palpable yearning that lurks in and around her music. Welch's adherence to classicism in the areas of folk, bluegrass and country has about it the mournful pang of nostalgia for a time
Music
Have you seen Midnight in Paris? You should. Without giving too much away, the film's central theme revolves around people being nostalgic for times they never knew - for ages they weren't alive to experience. Owen Wilson, as the Woody Allen substitute, feels he missed out by not being alive
Music
If I may, here is a slightly ridiculous comparison: Girl Trouble and their surrounding entities are the Coppolas of Tacoma awesomeness. In addition to the fantastic rock 'n' roll that has come shooting from Girl Trouble's general direction for well over 20 years now, the extremely talented local filmmaker Isaac
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The music of You Are Plural is so immediately, vibrantly engaging that it can be almost jarring. The first song on Hand it Over, the band's debut LP, is a spryly shuddering meeting of strings and bubbling electronic instrumentation that sweeps along the lovely vocals of the female lead. The
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The Lovely Bad Things play blissed-out, fuzzed-up garage-pop that bursts with jangly exuberance. The band's sound is unmistakably Californian in its laid-back pop-mindedness. It's a barrage of good feeling and summery fun. Their live videos reveal a playfully engaging group of high-energy performers who yearn for nothing more than to
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I saw Night Beats throwing bones in a shot bar in Austin, Texas. I saw Night Beats drinking fresh-pressed apple juice in the backyard of a mobile home on Tacoma's South Side on the Fourth of July, just after finishing my first interview as a music writer for the Weekly
Music
I saw Night Beats throwing bones in a shot bar in Austin, Texas. I saw Night Beats drinking fresh-pressed apple juice in the backyard of a mobile home on Tacoma's South Side on the Fourth of July, just after finishing my first interview as a music writer for the Weekly
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Over the past decade, there has been an increased focus in indie rock on catharsis - of not shying away from emotion, of not acting cool about the weight of the world. Slam Dunk continue that celebration of emotion. At their best, their songs have a jubilant, giant sound that
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After taking a break for a couple years, Tacoma's nerdiest native sons, the Cutwinkles, have returned to the stage. Having formed as students at SOTA, the Cutwinkles quickly bonded over an intense love of punk-rock and video games. The resulting amalgam is one of the most ridiculous and fun bands
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Minimalist Brit-punkers Animals and Men have been at it for a long time, coming up in the late '70s and continuing in a trail-blazing fashion through the '80s, surviving the bloat of the '90s and emerging as DIY godfathers in the present age. Throughout that time, Animals and Men have
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The last time I saw Saucy Yoda, it was at an underground benefit show being thrown for a friend. Standing in front of the stage with just a microphone in hand, being accompanied by a prerecorded backing track, Saucy Yoda unleashed a flurry of absurd party jams that incorporate equal
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The Dignitaries are a garage band. This aesthetic is one they've honed to a fine craft. On the band's debut LP, Rocket Science, 15 songs blaze by in a fuzzy haze of two-minute bursts. Like the album's name might suggest, these songs are all fire and momentum - spent after
Music
It used to be that garages were utilized in a musical sense due mostly to necessity. They were sanctuaries from disapproving or sensitive-eared parents, or reprieves from the financial constraints of renting studio time. What was eventually discovered, though, were the artistic freedoms granted to a band performing in relative
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Though it's only been six months since Eliot Lipp's last triumphant return to Tacoma, we at the Weekly Volcano are happy to promote whenever this successful local-boy-made-good comes back to town. Lipp has been working hard to make a name for himself in the world of electronic music, utilizing a
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On the song, "The Wind Cries Gary," Karen (the band) nicely sums up just what makes them so appealing; beginning with the stupid-silly song title, and on through the bubblegum bass line, angular guitars and shouty vocals, there is an undeniable, goofy exuberance that permeates the music. The band's punk
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On Friday, May 27, Enumclaw teacher Amy Erwin's life was taken by her husband. He then turned the gun on himself and took his own life, leaving behind two children, ages 13 and 7. In the stunned aftermath of this tragedy, Amy Erwin's longtime friend, Tacoma's Sean Lund, has organized
Music
On Friday, May 27, Enumclaw teacher Amy Erwin's life was taken by her husband. He then turned the gun on himself and took his own life, leaving behind two children, ages 13 and 7. In the stunned aftermath of this tragedy, Amy Erwin‘s longtime friend, Tacoma's Sean Lund, has organized
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I normally don't drink cocktails - I mostly stick to well whiskey. But, when I'm feeling ostentatious, or if someone else is buying, these are the drinks I remember best (in no particular order): White Russian, New Frontier Lounge: A drink that I had tolerated at other bars was a revelation