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The Weekly Volcano never sleeps. It's true ... or very close to true. We average only a few hours of shut-eye a night, be it because we're crazy bastards who stay up all night sledding any time it snows (Rev. Adam McKinney), or simply because there's just so much to do.
Included in all this doing? As always, another shining installment of the Weekly Volcano music section.
We wouldn't lie. You better believe we managed to pump out another stellar Weekly Volcano music section - your every Thursday chance at the best in local music coverage.
Here's a look at the sonic goodness coming at you in print and online in this week's Volcano ...
FEATURE: THE BIG WHEEL STUNT SHOW
(I)t wasn't long ago that a group of guys like the three that make up the Big Wheel Stunt Show wouldn't have been classified as much more than a meat-and-potatoes rock band from Tacoma. But the trajectory modern music has taken has somehow added a weight to their load. The Big Wheel Stunt Show isn't just a band; they're keepers of history.
And they don't seem to mind. Finalizing plans for a third full-length record - a concept album, according to Gimse and Nagle - the guys that make the band churn seem happiest to do what comes organically: laying down the sweat-pouring, guitar-driven rock with heavy and rotating nods to bands like the MC5, the Who, Joe Walsh and Grand Funk Railroad. ... -- Matt Driscoll
It looks like EvergreenOne, a big part of CityHall (along with Todd Sykes and DJ Hanibal), is set to release his first solo LP with a big show at The Space. The show is put on by The Warehouse on goes down Saturday, Feb. 25, featuring Fly Moon Royalty, The Breaklites, Dyslexic and, of course, CityHall. It's shaping up to be a big show. As of press time, EvergreenOne had not settled on a name for his new album, so stay tuned.
Speaking of CityHall, the collective's last EP was titled Low Blood Sugar. It was released late last year, a five-song ode to drugs, girls, hip-hop and Tacoma. Download it for free, with the rest of CityHall's catalog, at wearecityhall.com. ... -- Josh Rizeberg
It's hard to separate the music of Halcion Halo from the commanding voice that presides over it. Lead singer Jenson Charnell's voice can sometimes resemble the more mumbling, beat-poet-aspirations of Lou Reed - he never provides any release for the plodding, heavy alt-rock guitars, just ever-rising tension and downtrodden declarations. ... -- Rev. Adam McKinney
The Black Swans don't dabble in sunshine pop or carefree smiles without caveats. What the Black Swans do deal in - led by the singer Jerry Decicca - is lonesome and morose reality, achieving a package weighted with emotion and sparse comfort. It's hipster country with a healthy splash of despair, and that's something today's tastemakers have been able to get behind. Pitchfork gave the Black Swans' latest record, Don't Blame the Stars, a solid 7.5, while Paste weighed in on the LP with an 8.4. But beyond any of these contemporary accolades, what makes the Black Swans worth your attention is the band's diligence in crating songs that often border on the morose, while managing to avoid coming off like yet another act tugging at heartstrings simply for career gain. ... -- MD
PLUS: BETTER LIVING THROUGH MUSIC: Vagabond Opera, Dandy ...
PLUS: CONCERT ALERT
PLUS: LIVE LOCAL MUSIC LISTINGS
PLUS: INDECENT SNOW PICS