BOBBLE TIKI: THREATS & PROMISES >>>

It's Thursday, which means Bobble Tiki is spewing local music news over on the mothership. Check it here.

MICHAEL SWAN: ROUTE C GUY THANKS YOU >>>

Look what the Weekly Volcano Delivery Guy discovered on his North Tacoma route this morning.

MATT DRISCOLL: CATCH THEM BEFORE THEY'RE HIGH AS A KITE  >>>

Something tells me Volunteers is going to go over well in Tacoma. A classic rock inspired mix of sex, drugs, debauchery, open chords and more drugs thrown in for good measure â€" Volunteers comes off like Brooklyn’s version of The Jet City Fix, replacing the Buckcherry vibe of JCF with a ratted hair indie bent that’s a little less embarrassing to get behind in places beyond the 253.

Having released the impressively solid Spectrophilia last year, not to mention having music featured on MTV’s Real World: Brooklyn and Oxygen’s Bad Girls Club, Volunteers seems on the cusp of greatness â€" or at the very least notoriety beyond rock and roll obscurity â€" which is all you can really ask for, right?

If you miss Volunteers at the Java Jive tonight, think about catching them live on stage at the Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam this November. No joke.

[Bob’s Java Jive, 8 p.m., $5, 2102 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253.475.9843]

BOBBLE TIKI: KRIS ORLOWSKI AT THE NEW FRONTIER TONIGHT >>>

Bobble Tiki likes to say he put the pop in “pop rock” â€" but that’s only because of the alarming noises Bobble Tiki’s joints make when he gets out on the dance floor. Those that have witnessed Bobble Tiki bust out the running man at Kry shows know exactly the sound Bobble Tiki’s talking about â€" and it’s not pretty.

Luckily, when Kris Orlowski plays The New Frontier tonight, Bobble Tiki probably wont be inspired to dance â€" rather, he’ll just sit happily nursing a strong drink and enjoying the radio ready sounds of one of the Northwest’s more talented singer songwriters. These are the lessons Bobble Tiki is learning with age.

According to MySpace, Kris Orlowski “has an edgy roots-rock mix with hints of alternative and pop jazz-fusion” â€" but that all sounds like mumbo jumbo to Bobble Tiki.

Let’s just say this Orlowski fellow knows how to pen a catchy number.

[The New Frontier Lounge, with Boscoe’s Brood, Thursday, July 2, 9 p.m., $5, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020]

MICHAEL SWAN: FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2009 >>>

1. Since forming in 1990, the Old Blind Dogs have stood on the cutting edge of Scotland’s roots revival. Check them out at 7:30 p.m. inside the Capitol Theater in Olympia.

2. Frost Park Chalk Challenge, Season 2, Episode 14, begins at noon in Frost Park.

3. Local jazz, blues and soul band The Carter Brothers play the new Sax on 6th club at 9 p.m.

4. Three Dead Whores, Civita, Smoke Like Daddy, The Plastards and Watch It Sparkle play The Seafarer’s at 8 pm.

5. Jazz guitarist Michael Powers performs an intimate 8 p.m. concert featuring with special guest opening act The Pamela Carter Band at the Midland Music Hall. Proceeds from this event will help to support the NW Music Mentor's "Share the Music" youth programs.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

JAKE DE PAUL: FRIDAY FOOD LINKS >>>

Outdoor Barbecue: Charlie McManus and the Crown Bar crew take it outdoors every Friday and Saturday night for curbside apple wood smoked ribs brats and brisket.

NEW BEER: 7 Seas Brewing, Gig Harbor’s first craft brewery, has scheduled three release parties.

Noooooooo!: Dunkin Donuts to temporarily stop selling hot chocolate, Dunkachinos because of â€" you guessed it â€" salmonella concerns.

Start Your Fourth With A Bang

The Hub opens at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 4, for breakfast that includes $3 Bloody Marys and $3 Red, White and Blue drink specials. Nice.

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

MATT DRISCOLL: THE WOOLLY BANDITS >>>

If you like a show â€" and I mean a real, live, going to leave you talking about it for days show â€" you’re going to dig The Woolly Bandits.

Sure, the Bandits have the ‘60s inspired, go-go boot clad, garage rock ethos down pat â€" but there’s more to this band than just sound. The Woolly Bandits are a full package â€" sonic vibrations and coolly crafted image, shaggy haircuts and style to spare.

Led by bass player Rik Collins â€" whose amazingly talented and captivating wife, Christa, takes the roll of Nancy Sinatra eat your heart out, vocal dynamo for the band â€" The Woolly Bandits are Tiki lounge cool mixed with rock ‘n’ roll punch. Originally a backing band for underground rock legend Sky Saxon of “the Seeds” fame (who recently passed away), the Woolly Bandits have been shaped by the style of rock ‘n’ roll past, but are very much a creature of rock ‘n’ roll present.

If you’re skeptical, try checking out the band’s most recent recorded effort, Woman of Mass Destruction, released by Citation Records. It’s an alluring concoction â€" with tinges of Saxon’s Seeds mingling with Cramps vibes, psychedelia and psychobilly â€" and a record that should legitimately intrigue listeners.

“You know I really feel like he’s with us,” says Collins of Saxon and his influence on the Woolly Bandits â€" a band moniker actually taken from one of Saxon’s nicknames. “Actually (it’s) not difficult (to go on tour so shortly after Saxon’s death) because I know Sky would not stop and never did.”

“The vision has always been based on what I would want to see at a show and incorporating the strengths of each member,” says Collins of his master plan for Woolly Bandit. “There is also this big uncontrollable factor and that’s exciting to me too. You see that in our live show.”

Or at least you will if you’re at the Jive on Friday.

[Bob’s Java Jive, with Minirex, Kaliningrad, Moonspinners, Friday, July 3, 8 p.m., $5, 2102 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253.475.9843]

Photo: Tomas Muscionico

BOBBLE TIKI: A CHAT WITH CHRIS TRASHCAN >>>

Despite the best efforts of Tacoma’s Bottle Rocket Czar Bobble Tiki knows the suburbs will look and smell like a set from Apocalypse Now tomorrow. Neighborhoods of otherwise model citizens will toss aside their compliant approach on July 4, using the celebration of freedom to exercise a little of their own. Vive la resistance! Sorry ... excuse Bobble Tiki’s French.

Speaking of exploding, Bobble Tiki about lost it when he discovered received that The Red Hot will take the Fourth off. Seriously? Where will Bobble Tiki hide Saturday? Bobble Tiki caught up with Red Hot owner Chris Trashcan for the scoop.

CHRIS TRASHCAN: Seriously. I will be somewhere with my cell phone turned off, enjoying life. The Red Hot Beertender Crew will be enjoying a deserved day off, and we'll be back for the attack on Sunday the 5th.

TIKI: Crap. Now Bobble Tiki will have to spend the day with the extended family. Ugh.

I’ll drop by the next day for my regular real beer float. Bobble Tiki sees you’re using Ninkasi’s Oatis this Sunday for the floats. Why?

TRASHCAN: I chose Ninkasi's Oatis this Sunday because it has a killer roasty, chocolate maltiness to it that goes great with vanilla bean ice cream. Kind of earthy. It's dark chocolate bitterness pulls through the creaminess as well. It has a smooth mouthfeel as is, which is even more pronounced on ice cream. Plus it's just fucking delicious.

TIKI: Hey, little help. Bobble Tiki’s nephews or something shake up his Pabst cans every Fourth. If Bobble Tiki taps the top of his can, will it not explode on him?

TRASHCAN: No, tapping a can does nothing except help to take more CO2 out of solution, which will cause even more foaming. If you don't shake up the can, you won't have this problem to begin with.

TIKI: Crap.

[The Red Hot, 2914 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.779.0229]

MATT DRISCOLL: YEAH, NAME FITS >>>

Even though with a name like Death First it may seem like it, this band is more than just metal. Or at least that’s what they’d have you believe. Based out of Buckley, Death First has listed influences as far ranging as Dylan, Beethoven and Radiohead, but when it comes right down to it these five dudes shred â€" there’s no way to deny it.

Check out the band’s contribution to 104.9FM the Funky Monkey’s From the Monkey’s Garage Vol. 2 â€" which features “Bleed the King” â€" one intense, guitar driven burner that seems to have everything a song could possibly need to make agro dudes and construction workers everywhere bow their heads in appreciation.

Before you blow out your eardrums on the Fourth of July, check out Death First the night before at Hell’s Kitchen.

[Hell’s Kitchen, with The Outfit, Pretty Ugly, Chicos Revenge, Peratus, Friday, July 3, 9 p.m., $5, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

NEWS TEAM: GOOD MORNING SOUTH SOUND >>>

Smokers: Tacoma police are on fireworks patrol.

Still Bad: Imprisoned ex-Fort Lewis Army Ranger allegedly tried to kill cohort in jail.

Drug Bust: 14-month investigation involved ICE, DEA and 14 state and local law.

Marines: Meet little resistance in Afghan push.