BEST LOCAL MUSIC COVERAGE IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>
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 it's hard to sleep when you're so busy watching Battlestar Galactica (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. This week the Volcano delves into the SCMC conference coming to Tacoma's Marriot Hotel Feb. 4, and spills a few words on the Trasholes, Leezy Soprano, Zodiac Death Valley and more.
It's just further proof that the Weekly Volcano music section is your every-Thursday chance at the best in local music coverage anywhere in the South Sound.
Here's a look at the sonic goodness coming at you in print and online in this week's Volcano ...
The Songwriters Composers Music Conference (SCMC), based out of Washington D.C. and coming to Tacoma Feb. 4, bills itself as a nationally-travelling event designed for unsigned artists, bands, songwriters, producers and independent labels. The SCMC says it offers lessons for success in the music business along with a chance for aspiring musicians, songwriters and producers to show off their skills in front of a crowd of prominent music industry "artists & repertoire" (A&R) representatives and major label types. Admission to the conference, which bills itself as open to anyone but seems most geared toward hip-hop, is $25, which includes an itinerary full of music business-related instruction. But the SCMC also promotes $300 and $500 packages promising private one-on-one meetings with the SCMC A&R panel and a chance to perform at the SCMC showcase in front of the A&R panel and the major labels in attendance. The SCMC website - scmcmusicconference.com - says of the $500 "VIP All Access" offer, "This package was created for artists, producers, independent labels, and managers who are looking to take their careers to the next step." ...
For some within Tacoma's tight-knit, historically DIY music scene, offers and advertisements like the ones made by SCMC raise red flags of concern. Longtime "anti pay-to-play" activist Bon Von Wheelie (Bonnie Henderson), drummer of the Tacoma band Girl Trouble, is one of those people. Von Wheelie's activism against those she views as preying on the naiveté of young artists has been documented in the Volcano before, most notably her nearly-two-year legal battle with Ohio-based Gorilla Entertainment. She instantly bristles when anyone offers to sell aspiring bands a chance at fame and fortune. ... -- Matt Driscoll
So who has the crown right now for Tacoma hip-hop? Many would say Leezy Soprano is running the show. He had a breakout year last year and this year he's keeping his buzz big with the release of his newest project, United We Ball, available for download here. The first single to hit YouTube is "Leezy."
Soprano is teetering on national-success right now. The video got nothing but love on Worldstarhiphop.com, and Seattle and the rest of the region are recognizing the genuine realness and skill Soprano brings to the table. He just might be making the best street hip-hop in the area right now. Soprano has a flow that most of these lazy unoriginal Tacoma gangsta rappers wish they had, along with the authenticity that many rappers in Seattle lack. Soprano has just the right mix of energy, reality and lyrical seriousness to make his flow undeniable, noticeable and dope. ... -- Josh Rizeberg
WE RECOMMEND: ZODIAC DEATH VALLEY
The music of San Francisco's Zodiac Death Valley straddles the lines between psych-rock, pulsing new wave, freak-folk, and the sun-beaten pop of Dire Straits. It's an infectious combination, aided largely by impeccable songwriting. The band's music is nothing if not filled with memorable hooks and substantial melodies. These are hefty songs, carrying with them a kind of weight and import that isn't usually found in the usual roundup of psych-inflected groups. ... -- Rev. Adam McKinney
Lead singer and guitarist Ian Call's voice rides that line between adolescence and adulthood, which only makes each voice crack sound that much more punk rock. It's exciting to see another young band following the lead of other s***-kicking acts like the defunct Freakouts and Durango 95. - Rev. AM
PLUS: BETTER LIVING THROUGH MUSIC - Death By Stars and a benefit for the Tacoma All Ages project
PLUS: CONCERT ALERT
PLUS: THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE LIVE LOCAL MUSIC LISTINGS IN THE SOUTH SOUND
PLUS: PURE, UNBRIDLED NONSENSE