I wear Vans too!

Bay Area Hyphy crew the Pack are coming to Spokane. This is gonna be awesome!

Tuesday May 26: the Pack, Jamal Ali, Jinx at the BLVD. 6pm. all ages.

The Best Hip Hop Show That's Ever Hit Spokane (part 3)

Up next in the dopest of the dope Spokane hip hop shows: Aceyalone. He wears many a hat, as a founding member of the legendary LA crew Freestyle Fellowship, as a solo artist (most outstandingly the highly acclaimed All Balls Don't Bounce), and as a partner in different groups (Aceyalone & RJD2, Haiku D'Etat with Myka 9 and Abstract Rude, the A-Team with Abstract Rude). The man is an underground hip hop legend.

His new record mixes hip hop and doo-wop and is hands down the best hip hop I've heard all year:

Aceyalone - the Lonely Ones

Sunday May 10: Aceyalone, Abstract Rude, Myka 9, NoCanDo, DJ Drez and Raashan Ahmad at the BLVD for ages 18 and up.

The Best Hip Hop Show That's Ever Hit Spokane (part 2)

Part two of our series (of the dopest hip hop show ever to hit Spokane) brings us to Abstract Rude, a Los Angeles veteran representing Abstract Tribe Unique. He just released a new record on Rhymesayers produced soley by Vitamin D of Seattle. Hot fire.

Sunday May 10: Aceyalone, Abstract Rude, Myka 9, NoCanDo, DJ Drez and Raashan Ahmad at the BLVD for ages 18 and up.

The Best Hip Hop Show That's Ever Hit Spokane (part 1)

Here's my contention: that this upcoming Sunday's hip hop show is the strongest Spokane (hip hop) show from start to finish that I can think of (please correct me if I'm wrong). This will be a multiple entry post because there is so much ground to cover. So let's start it off with the opener:

Rashaan Ahmad: We've talked about him a few times before. One of the nicest, most down to earth, dopest emcees around from Oakland, California. Here's the new single from Raashan and his crew the Crown City Rockers:

Crown City Rockers: Body Rock

Sunday May 10: Aceyalone, Abstract Rude, Myka 9, NoCanDo, DJ Drez and Raashan Ahmad at the BLVD for ages 18 and up.

Dynamic

The Helio Sequence bring their unique brand of indie rock to Spokane on Friday. I saw the Sub-Poppers play the Capitol Hill Block Party a few years back, and was pleasantly surprised. For a two piece band, they have a very full sound - plus the drummer seemed to have more fun drumming than pretty much any drummer I've ever seen play.

The BLVD: Friday, February 27. The Helio Sequence, Yarn Owl, Please Draw in Me, Pegasus Dream. $8 for ages 18 and up.

Will This Dave Cancel?

Hope David Byrne's show is anywhere near this awesome.

David Byrne plays the Fox on Thursday February 19. 

Bringing Em Back!

Oh man, one of the funniest videos ever.

Dirt Nasty, ahem, Simon Rex, returns to the BLVD on Friday.

I think this video speaks for itself.

Dirt Nasty, Andre Legacy and Beardo play the BLVD on Friday January 30 for ages 18 and up.

Ughh Ain't Dead!!!

This weekend we get a very special visit from two unique camps of underground hip hop. Sole of Anticon and Myka Nyne of Freestyle Fellowship play the BLVD on Saturday night.

Spokane's had a few different visits from the Anticon camp - Themselves Subtle opened for Minus the Bear a while back and Why? played alongside Wayne Patrick last year, but we haven't had the crew/label's founder Sole visit our fair city. Sole can make some pretty weird music. Here's one of the more accessible tracks from Sole's early material:

Sole: Year of the $exxx $ymbol

Myka Nyne hails from Los Angeles California and is a member of the seminal ground Freestyle Fellowship, who formed at the very famous open mic sessions at the Good Life Cafe in the early 90s. He's got a truly unique voice, check him out on this collaboration with Prefuse 73:

Prefuse 73 with Myka Nyne: Life Death

Myka Nyne and Sole play the BLVD on Saturday January 24. Gun of the Sun opens. 9pm, 21 and up, $7.

Hardcore at the Hop this Saturday

Excuse the horrible title, it's the best I can manage on 3 hours of sleep.

This Saturday (01/24), Seattle's Vanguard returns to the Cretin Hop. In tow are Providence, RI's Soul Control (on Rivalry Records, legit label - check 'em out), Ill Intent (Seattle), More Than Heroes (Portland), and Wound Up opening. More surprises are bound to happen...

If you've been living under a rock, you can find all the bands on myspace. Plenty of singalongs, fun, and limited merch is guaranteed to be had.

Doors at 6:00, $10. Show's a little spendy, but touring ain't easy or cheap.

Sunny Days

Jeremy Enigk. Sunny Day Real Estate. I wasn't ever blown away by the importance of Diary, the proclaimed "first emo record." But I did happen to get into their final record the Rising Tide, which I still think is a beautiful rock and roll album, with Jeremy's lovely falsetto and crunchy guitar riffs blaring in my Ford Tempo on the way out to Cheney.

His new solo record moves into a lighter direction than my experience with his projects. I first heard the song Cannons on KEXP, and instantly recognized Enik's voice. A few days later I picked up the record World Waits, again full of falsetto, lush textures and tales of love.

Here's the mp3:
Jeremy Enigk - Cannons

Jeremy Enigk plays at the BLVD on Monday November 17.