So I saw Slowdive last night, and I was in the front row, and I literally felt like I was experiencing the death of my body at the end. It was transcendental and beautiful and I literally almost cried. I never thought in a million years that I'd have the opportunity to see them perform together live, so it was a dream come true in every sense of the word. *********

pixz:
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I don't really know what to say except that my ears might be bleeding. And I'm glad.

I was hesitating about going because the person I was supposed to go with couldn't, so it was my first time going to a concert solo (been ditched halfway through one, but whatever), but I couldn't miss Swans for a second time.

Grouper opened first and started 30 minutes after the doors opened. There were surprisingly few people there during that time, so I got front row. I've been a fan of hers for a couple of years now and I think her…

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Oh, Lana banana.

There is a lot I could say about Lana Del Rey's show, but I mostly want to say that it was fucking exhausting. I spent thirteen hours waiting outside to make sure me and my three friends got the barricade, which we did. The show itself was lovely— Lana was on point and her band was really great. Acoustics at the WaMu theater kind of sucked, but I could deal with that. The worst part was the crowd.

I am not kidding when I say that I spent the entirety of the show warding off…

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I've been a casual fan of Sonic Youth since my junior year of high school, when I heard Sister (1987). I had become even more interested in Kim Gordon in particular due to the fact that she produced one of my favorite records of all time, Hole's Pretty on the Inside (1991). If you're familiar with Sonic Youth or anything Kim Gordon has been involved with, you'll know how unorthodox she is— in fact, I'd call her more of a performance artist than I would a musician, especially after having seen her live.

Anyway, I knew that Sonic…

Scout Niblett— what a fucking show. After having seen Courtney Love last month in Seattle, going from the rather high-profile rock show that Love puts on, to such an intimate and personal experience that is part of Niblett's repertoire was enthralling to me as an audience member.

Niblett was preceded by locals Hungry Ghost, who I quite enjoyed, and P.G. Six, from Brooklyn. Hungry Ghost was jammy and folky and rock and roll all in one— great guitars, and the drummer was impressive. P.G. Six was understated and quiet, but put on a handful of heartfelt folk…

If you couldn't tell from my listening history which includes over 10,000 Hole plays, I'm a really big fan of Courtney Love. Like, a huge fan. I find her lyrics compelling and vivid, she's incredibly smart, and most of all, she's thick-skinned enough to give all of her detractors a "fuck you" and continue to do her thing. She's braved a lot of shit and been through horrible things, and the fact that she's even alive is a monumental accomplishment. She's an underdog, and she's inspiring. I never get tired of her or anything she's done.

I saw her…

Morrissey at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (8 Mar 2013)

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I've had a terrible crush on Morrissey for several years now (not just him, but his music, and his hair), and I was super bummed when he postponed his fall US tour. Fortunately, I was able to make it to the re-scheduled show, and it was fucking great.

The opening act, Kristeen Young was interesting but just not my thing (she reminded me of a weird cross between Diamanda Galás and Björk, which is strange because I like both of them). After she finished her set, there were multiple…

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Last fall, a pouty-lipped songstress took internet music culture by storm when she unleashed her moody track "Video Games"— a plodding ballad accompanied by a music video consisting of vintage film stock and 8mm footage assembled by the artist herself. I was first introduced to her through this music video, which my brother had sent to me, and I initially dismissed it. Pretty, but boring, I thought. That was in October.

Fast-forward to January— I had just gotten out of the hospital from a cancer surgery and was weak and moody. I wasn't working, so I spent…

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1) Live Through This (1994)

Most Hole fans will agree that this is the band's quintessential album; their "magnum opus", if you will, and they're probably right. In terms of chronology, the record works as a bridge between the band's noise rock beginnings and their more polished pop years, and serves up some of the greatest rock tracks of the decade. Courtney Love's lyrics are clever and intelligent, and her rhythm guitar serves as a solid backdrop for Eric Erlandson's skillful guitar work.

It's a strange album in the sense that it's mournfully quiet and slow at times (tracks…

Fri 14 Oct – St. Vincent, Cate le Bon

I think I'd be understating Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) if I said that she killed it last night, because it was beyond that. Welsh singer/songwriter Cate le Bon opened for Clark, playing some almost Celtic-sounding songs and belting them out with a voice that I'd describe as a contralto Nico. It was soft and pretty but also really powerful and she seemed a bit shy, but I give her props because she held her own and her work was interesting.

As for the main attraction, well— this was my…