Noah & the Whale in the Belly of the Neptune (Photo Gallery)

Noah & the Whale in the Belly of the Neptune (Photo Gallery)

If you have an indie-music-playing device, you’re most likely familiar with Noah and the Whale’s “5 Years Time,” and, more recently, off the new album Last Night on Earth, the single “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.” Does Fink’s deadpan baritone remind you a little of Beat Happening’s more basso Calvin Johnson? How about The Nails? The lyrics tend to have a touch of Lou Reed and Tom Waits. As it turns out, Fink will back me up on those influences, and list a few more. Continue reading Noah & the Whale in the Belly of the Neptune (Photo Gallery)

Glimpses: 5 Ways of Looking at a Penguin

Glimpses: 5 Ways of Looking at a Penguin

You never know quite what you’re going to get when you start perusing our Flickr pool. With over 5,600 photos from some of Seattle’s most talented Flickr-ites, it’s usually something good. This time, we drop the word “penguin” into the mix and see what develops. Sure, a trip to the zoo, but also a few other encounters you may not have been expecting. That’s Jeff Blucher’s hungry little guy in the thumbnail. Continue reading Glimpses: 5 Ways of Looking at a Penguin

Soundgarden at the Gorge: Extremely Loud, Incredibly Close, and Scarily Good

Soundgarden at the Gorge: Extremely Loud, Incredibly Close, and Scarily Good

When Soundgarden emerged from the wings in a dazzle of light, I had the lens cap off, the flash off, and the appropriate settings engaged. That in itself was amazing. How lively and primed—though yes, aged—original members Matt Cameron, Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil, and Ben Shepherd looked from this close. And their sound? Ditto.

The band was as solid and on as it is on Live on I-5, this spring’s primer from its 1996 tour. Actually, the 2011 Soundgarden was better, tighter, as if the lengthy break only made the guys hungry for another stage. Continue reading Soundgarden at the Gorge: Extremely Loud, Incredibly Close, and Scarily Good

Sondre Lerche Rocks the Croc [Slideshow]

Sondre Lerche Rocks the Croc [Slideshow]

The Sondre Lerche show began a little early on Saturday night, when Nightlands invited a hoodied Lerche out to the Crocodile stage to help with an uptempo cover of Lindsey Buckingham’s “Trouble.” At 28, he’s written his first adult album, to hear him tell it. He played seven (out of the ten) tracks on his the self-titled album, along with Lerche standards such as “Airport Taxi Reception,” “Two Way Monologue,” and “Phantom Punch.” Continue reading Sondre Lerche Rocks the Croc [Slideshow]