Art by Zee

It’s a busy time for musicians Thao and Mirah. The two finally got their chance to record an album together – their self-titled album was just released on Kill Rock Stars (head over to RCRD LBL to download “Folks”) and they’ve also released a “New, Improved” live stuiod session which include versions of three songs from their album and a special take on Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield.” All four songs are available for free download at TheBayBridged.com, where three session videos are also available for viewing.

They’re also taking their show on the road, playing in the Northwest on May 6 at WWU up in Bellingham, May 7 at the Croc in Seattle, May 8 at the Wonder Ballroom in Portland, and May 9 at Northern in Oly before heading eastward for a series of shows across the US and in Canada that culminate in a June 23 show at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.

As if that’s not enough, Thao and Mirah contributed music to the soundtrack of American Teacher, a documentary that chronicle four teachers in four different settings across the country, taking an unflinching look at answers to the question so many teachers face: Can I afford to continue to teach? American Teacher screens in May in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC, with a Chicago screening in June, for more info about the film and the work of The Teacher Salary Project, check out their website.

One of the most consistently talented and fresh artists on the music scene today is Seattle-based singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile whose concerts are about as close to perfect as a live performance can ever be. Between Carlile’s amazing presence and the energy that she exchanges with her audience, every show is a masterpiece of its own.

It’s not quite the same as being there in person but her new album Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony is an impressive documentation of the experience nonetheless and definitely a collection of music well worth having. Once you listen to it, you’ll be more eager than ever to attend a show in person.

Carlile is currently out on the road visiting such places as Bend, Oregon; Gulf Shores, AL; and Columbus, OH. It’ll be a while before she gets back to the Seattle area but it will be worth the wait…as long as you make sure to get your tickets in advance. Brandi Carlile will play the Mount Baker Theater up in Bellingham on Thursday, July 28 – tickets go onsale through STG Presents and Tickets.com on Friday, May 6.

Also on Friday, May 6 tickets go on sale for Zoo Tunes, the popular outdoor concert series held at Woodland Park Zoo. Purchase tickets online or at the zoo gates.

The only band in NME history to have four consecutive 9/10 reviews (many bands never get one), British rock band Elbow recently released their fifth studio album, Build a Rocket, Boys! to expected acclaim. The band has also released a short documentary on the album which aired on the UK’s Channel 4 last week and is well worth watching as a neat look at what goes into making an album:

For twenty-five years Giant Magnet has been bringing the world to Seattle children via the International Children’s Festival featuring art and cultural performances from all over the globe.

This year’s festival begins on May 10 and continues through May 14 at the Seattle Center and then heads to the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts in Tacoma May 16.

The exciting events this year include three companies from China brought to the Northwest via a special partnership with China’s Ministry of Culture, music from Ecuador and India, puppets from Tasmania, and a variety of performers from the US.

Hands on activities for kids at the Arts and Crafts studio located in the Seattle Center Northwest rooms include projects to make an Ecuadorian rainstick, an Indian beaded bracelet, a Chinese Face Changing mask, and Japanese origami. Kids can head outdoors for hula hooping and bouncy balls, always a good time. And still there’s even more so plan ahead to be there.

Noise for the Needy is a musical festival that rocks out to support people who could really use a helping hand. From June 7 through June 12 at a variety of Seattle venues, this year’s festival helps raise funds for Real Change.

The full line up can be found on the NFTN website but highlights include: Detroit Cobras, The Fucking Eagles, Brendan Perry of Dead Can Dance, The Golden Blondes, The Builders and the Butchers, Akimbo, Honeybear, The Pharmacy, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band and many, many more. Be sure to get your tickets early.

Ah, Coachella. Three days of music and other arts in the company of a hot, sweaty, jam-packed crowd with a blazing sun beating down on you all day long…who would want to miss out on that experience?

In all seriousness, despite the inconveniences that a desert festival presents, Coachella is popular because the organizers always manage to put together an amazing collection of performers. This year’s lineup includes more acts that you could a dozen fists at, with headliners like Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, Kanye West, and the Strokes, and a whole heaping ton of other performers, from Duran Duran to the Black Keys, Cee Lo Green, Broken Social Scene, Gogol Bordello, The Aquabats…and the list just goes on and on.

There’s good reason to be sorry you’re not able to make it, but don’t worry. Just because you can’t be there doesn’t mean you have to miss out. Moe Bar, right next to Neumo’s, will be screening all three days (April 15, 16, and 17) of the festival on two flat screens and a large drop projection screen at the back of the bar. The stream should start around 5 pm on Friday and not only is Moe kicking it all off with their usual Happy Hour specials of $3 wells and microdrafts, $2 domestics, there is absolutely no cover charge for the streaming event. When you get hungry, be sure to slip over to the Pike St. Fish Fry.

The Moisture Festival is a three week festival of live comedy/ variete performance. That is, it’s a collection of shows where anything might happen when artists are given the stage with a live band so that they can perform pretty much anything they can both imagine and make concrete. There are aerialists, can can dancers, rope acts, clowns, jugglers, and a long list of everything else.

The festival begins on March 17 with an opening night show at Hales Palladium and continues until April 10 with shows at the Palladium, ACT Theatre, Open Space on Vashon, and the Georgetown Ballroom. There are four burleseque shows over the weekend of March 25 – 26 and Variete shows as often as four or five times a week until festival end.

Mark your calendars now: The folks at SIFF and the Moisture Festival have teamed up to give Seattle movie and music fans a real treat in the form of a presentation of The Adventures of Prince Achmed with live music by mutli-talented musical duo Miles and Karina who will be performing a live score with accordion, guitar, viola, banjo, glockenspiel, percussion, slide whistle, and much more.

The Adventures of Prince Achmed was the first full length animated film, released for the first time back in September of 1926. The film was huge sensation at the time and remains exciting today, eighty-some years later. Director Lotte Reiniger invented a silhouette technique that allows for a full range of motion and complex backgrounds that keep the eye drawn to the screen. An exciting adventure tale taken from “The Arabian Nights”, Prince Achmed is a fun film, interesting not simply because of its age.

The film screens on April 4 at 7:30 at SIFF Cinema; tickets are likely to go fast, so you may want to purchase in advance so that you don’t miss your chance to see this great movie with a great live score.

Enjoy the following:

Fujiya & Miyagi “YoYo”:

http://www.tellallyourfriendspr.com/singles/FujiyaAndMiyagi-Yoyo.mp3.zip

Oberhofer “Away Frm U”:

http://www.tellallyourfriendspr.com/singles/Oberhofer_AwayFRMU.mp3.zip

Oberhofer “Petz”: http://www.tellallyourfriendspr.com/singles/Oberhofer-Petz.mp3.zip

Warm Ghost “Open the Wormhole in Your Heart”: http://www.tellallyourfriendspr.com/singles/WarmGhost-OpenTheWormholeInYourHeart.mp3.zip

Colin Stetson “Stars In His Head (Dark Lights Remix)”
:http://alteredzones.com/posts/796/colin-stetson-stars-his-head-dark-lights-remix/

The Dodos “Black Night”:

http://www.tellallyourfriendspr.com/singles/Dodos.BlackNight.mp3.zip

Andy D “Hey Tina!”:

http://www.tellallyourfriendspr.com/singles/AndyD-HeyTina.zip

MAKE OUT “What U Doing Later”:

http://www.tellallyourfriendspr.com/single/MAKEOUT.WhatUDoingLater.mp3.zip

Guards “Swimming After Dark”

Oberhofer Neon Indian Cover “Should Have Taken Acid With You”

Asobi Seksu “Trails”

Jonquil “Get Up”

Delicate Steve “Butterfly”

Bear in Heaven “Fake Out” (Glass Ghost remix)

MAKE OUT “I Don’t Want Anybody That Wants Me”