Parties out (and in) your ear

It's a big week for music releases, and since several have ties to the Seattle area, there are several free listening parties here in town, most with free goodies to boot. I'm going to the Gainsbourg function, maybe I'll see you there?

Album: Serge Gainsbourg - L'Histoire De Melody Nelson (Stream)
Host: Light in the Attic Records (Reissue)
Location: Gainsbourg, 8550 Greenwood Ave
Time: 9PM til closing

This 1971 concept album from France's eternal dirty old man, Serge Gainsbourg, is long considered a French Pop masterpiece. It's the logical culmination of European free love and rock excess - the Lolita of rock, in both profundity and perversion. With the bordello-like setting of Gainsbourg (the location) and the vocal patty-cake between Serge and Jane Birkin, you might consider bringing a change of pants.

Spinning records: Hunter Lee (Mono in VCF) and Steve Quenel (artist/Six Organs of Admittance)

Album: Pearl Jam - Ten (Reissued/Remastered)
Where: Easy Street Records W. Seattle
When: 9PM start time
Goodies: Free pizza, cheap beer and chance to win tons of Pearl Jam related goodies.

If you make it to midnight, they'll be special sale prices on all four versions.

Album: The Decemberists - Hazards of Love
Where: Easy Street Records, Queen Anne
When: 11PM
Goodies: Refreshing beverages and free Decemberists swag, plus enter to win an autographed CD booklet.

At midnight, the album goes on sale for the "special price" of $14.99.

SP20, Monday - Wolf Parade, Foals

If you thought that SP20 ended on Sunday, you're partly right... the official part did anyway. But like Green River and Fluid did the Thursday night before at the (tiny) Sunset Tavern, some bands were sneaking in more Sub Pop goodness outside the event. Monday night at Neumo's was billed as The Listening Party with Special Guests, and knowing that the band was getting set to start tour with Wolf Parade, some folks figured out that part of the secret pretty early. Yesterday morning, it was revealed that not only was Wolf Parade playing, but also Foals, essentially two of the three bands I most lamented missing out on by going Saturday instead of Sunday (the other being No Age).

The show was insanely great, Foals were tight as motherfuckers and Wolf Parade gave their usual stellar set. And I was surprised at how much I enjoyed The Listening Party as well, with their Pet Sounds, freak-folk, kitchen-sink sound. But ultimately, it was Wolf Parade's night, as evident in this video I captured of "I'll Believe in Anything," during their encore:



Note the annotated video... YouTube added that feature a bit ago, and this was my first attempt at using the 'Pop-up Video'-like technology on one of my videos.