Friday, July 3, 2009

More Summer Fun


Well, we're well into summer now and I wanted to create a post where people could comment as they pleased, all about summer. I have a few things to say first, though.
I'll be gone at camp until the 12th, so adios until then, but before I go, I want to make sure that everyone in Washington knows that Never Shout Never is coming to The Big Dipper (in Spokane) on July 6th. I highly reccomend you attend, as I will be unable to *tears*. (http://www.myspace.com/nevershoutnever)

Ok, enough of me...now it's your turn!
  • What are you doing for the Fourth?
  • Do you have any camp memories to share?
  • Are there any special summer rituals you have with your friends or family?
  • What is your favorite summer treat?

(My answers; Lake, building a camp casino in the woods, Star-tripping with friends in the forest [a great activity, fun for all ages], and watermelon!)

Stay Safe!

Read. Think. Type. Rock.

-Katie

Good Symposium, I suppose...


We're saying 'hello' to a new month, and with this new calender-page comes the celebration of *INTERNATIONAL ZINE MONTH!* (Yeah, there is a website alllll about it...)


As you all know, I am a total zine-lover! (My little "cut n' paste" obsessions are currently threatening to take over my room floor...) Therefore, you know I'm gonna be jazzed to read up on a great upcoming event : The Portland Zine Symposium!

Taking place over July 24, 25, and 26 in the Portland University's Smith Memorial Ballroom, the Symposium will celebrate everything zine-related. You'll find ad-tables by local zines publications and their authors, collections from popular distros (short for 'distributions', that's where you BUY a zine...), and TONS of people to talk to about the awesome-ness of zines and their creation. Yes, yes - that means workshops, discussions, and zine-trading galore; favorite pastimes of the zine-lovin' group.

The Symposium is organized by 'old-school' zinester, (well...old school to us, seeing as she started nearly 13 years ago...), Alex Wrekk. Ever heard of her book, Stolen Sharpie Revolution? Or her zine, Brainscan? Or her custom-button company, Small World Buttons? They're basically the 'holy standards' that people who make zines try to live up to. A great example of how a living can be made purely by expressing yourself, (and inspiring others to do the same.)

This event sounds like a great time - especially if you're into self-publishing, zines, handmade crafts, or even just supporting the community and it's local vendors. (All of which I LOVE!)


Anyone interested? If you were publishing a zine, what would be your main topic? Music? Food? Reviews? Movies? Photography and art?

Thursday, July 2, 2009

New Music For Your Ears

It was proven at approximately 12:28 p.m. today, that I am not infallible. The Films (an AMAZING band) released a new album entitled Oh, Scorpio and I did not know about until NINE days after the release. I know, I'm just as ashamed as you are. But, to insure that this is not repeated, I have compiled a list of all known upcoming release dates of some of my favorite bands for you and I to enjoy. Also included are recently released albums that you may have missed. (Order= Band, Album, Release date)
  1. Built To Spill - There Is No Enemy (October 2009) http://stereogum.com/archives/progress_report/progress-report-built-to-spill_073321.html
  2. OK Go - The Influence of the Blue Ray of the Sunlight and of the Blue Color of the Sky (September 2009) You can listen to the first single here :http://music-mix.ew.com/2009/05/ok-go-skyscrape.html
  3. Matt Hires - Take Us To The Start (July 28, 2009) You can Pre-Order on iTunes (http://www.myspace.com/matthires)
  4. All Time Low - Nothing Personal (July 7, 2009)
  5. Discovery - LP (July 7, 2009) This is the much anticipated release from Vampire Weekend's Rostam Batmanglij & Ra Ra Riot's Wes Miles...Fun!
  6. Cobra Starship - Hot Mess (August 11, 2009)
  7. Nathan Maxwell And The Original Bunny Gang -White Rabbit (August 18, 2009) This one is for Jeremiah...it's got Flogging Molly's bassist :)
  8. The Dead Weather - Horehound (July 14, 2009) This is Jack White (of the White Stripes) new project
  9. The Flaming Lips- Embryonic (Summer 2009)
  10. The Shins, No Doubt, and The Long Winters will also be releasing something in 2009!

Can't wait until these albums come out? Wilco, Ben Kweller, Grizzly Bear, The Decemberists, The Cab, Mew, Spoon, Meg & Dia, Hawk Nelson, The Hollywood Undead, and The Bombay Bicycle Club all have brand spankin new releases! So enjoy, and Happy Listening!

Read. Think. Type. Rock.

-Katie

Monday, June 29, 2009

Sick Shows Coming up:Hollywood Undead


So come the Second of July the Knitting Factory in spokane washington is going to be taken over by one of the most edgy rock/rap acts since early Linkin Park! Theses six guys dropped a musical bomb last year with the release of there debut Swan Songs mixing strong metal esk drum riffs with Eminem style MC work and even some DJ work that stands up to the best!! Spiting the lyrics on this flashy one of a kind act: Johnny 3 Tears, J-Dog and Charlie Scene. A man known my the alter ego of Deuce spins the beasts well not really seeings how on stage at a Hollywood Undead show sits not one live drummer but TWO!!!  That leaves 2 men unaccounted Da Kurlzz drops a few rhymes with the other boys as well as some drum work and then Funny man who keeps the fans laughing and having a good time!! So i am counting on this being one Gnarly show (and do you even have to ask Yess i have tickets!) The other bands there to bask in the Undeads glow include The Sleeping (and emo and quite musically advanced band) and Mest. Well guys you all know how i will be spending my second of july and i will have the review for you right around the corner!!

Any other fans out there?? 
Could you call yourselfs DEAD HEADS??

Summer fun


Summer means a lot of things to a lot of people. To some, it's sleeping in and catching up on tanning time. To others, it's camps and swimming, biking and running. To me, summer means I have time to participate in my favorite activity: going to concerts. I usually try to go to the cheap/free local concerts, but last year I had the opportunity to go to the Sasquatch!Music Festival (not technically summer, but I'm counting it) This year I'm hoping to go to Bumbershoot in Seattle. Summer festivals are a hallowed American pastime and I highly suggest you surf the net and find one near your city. Festivals give you the chance to see bands from all over for a relatively low price and to hang out with some great people who share the same musical interests as you. Below are some links for finding out about some festivals.



Have you ever been to a music/art festival? What was your experience? Any fun/funny stories to share?



Read. Think. Type. Rock.


Katie

Internet Hot Spots You Might've Missed


It's official; I'm back! I'm not completely back in the swing of things, but to give everyone a little something to do (only if you're bored, mind you) I have compiled a list of my favorite websites....Enjoy!



  1. http://www.theawesomer.com/ - This is a site that just posts whatever they find awesome; videos, shirts, gadgets, people, events...anything! Head over there when you're feeling less than awesome.

  2. http://www.stereogum.com/ - I rave about this website to pretty much everyone I meet. They've always got the latest in underground music news and they're updated daily. Stereogum also has tons of FREE, LEGAL mp3 downloads for the alt-music lover. Fun!

  3. http://www.notalwaysright.com/ - Hilarious site with anecdotes from work. People can post all their nightmare customer stories here for you to read!

  4. http://www.crunkroost.com/ - This is the site for Spokane's up-and-coming expository music zine, which you may be lucky enough to find lying around town. However, if you don't live in the area, or just aren't lucky, check out the site to read articles and send comments.

  5. http://www.collegehumor.com/ - Whenever I need I good laugh, College Humor is a great stop. Funny articles, orginal comedy sketches and some live standup videos are enough to make me smil everytime. Of the CH Originals, my favorite sketches are the Hardly Working and Jake and Amir sketches. Totally genius.

  6. http://www.jakeandamir.com/ - This is more of an extention of the entry above, but these guys are too funny not to be mentioned twice.

  7. http://www.pollstar.com/ - Type in the name of your city, and most of the concerts within the next two months pop up on your screen. Of course, this doesn't have ALL of the dates, but it gives you a pretty good idea of what's going on in your town. I was a little depressed when looking at it though; the two best concerts happen when I'm out of town!

  8. http://www.threadbanger.com/ - Probably one of the best DIY websites on the planet. This site (which was recently updated) features tutorials, spotlights, fan creations, a forum, home decor lessons and so much more. ThreadBanger really promotes the DIY community and is helpful for both beginners and DIYers-for-life. Not sure what DIY is or if you'd like it? Head over to ThreadBanger to find out.

That's the list for me, but now it's your turn!


What are your favorite site and why?


What did you think of the sites above?


How many followers have you recruited since I've been gone? (That's right, I didn't forget!)



Read. Think. Type. Rock.


Katie