By Claude Iosso After a heavy dose of heavy indie, delivered at full volume over the weekend, the first Psychic Salamander Festival looks like a keeper. Healthy crowds converged on Remlinger Farms in Carnation, Washington to see a parade of electric guitar mavens, headlined both nights by the Flaming Lips and Modest Mouse. The Lips …
By America’s National Parks™ In 2026, America will celebrate the 250th anniversary of declaring independence from the British. This milestone invites families, history buffs, and travelers to walk in the footsteps of Revolutionaries and reflect on the ideals and sacrifices that created the foundation of our nation. One of the best ways to honor the …
Pork Fat is a slice of soul-soaked nostalgia brought back to life by three longtime collaborators. Out now on Music Factory Records, this greasy, groove-heavy jam reunites guitarist Ari Joshua with saxophonist Skerik, organist Delvon Lamarr and drummer Grant Schroff — an all star comb of which each member has held down countless club gigs and venues across the globe. Years before their …
Photo by Tiffany Tomkinson LISTEN TO ‘ABOVE THE WATER’ SEATTLE, WA — Above the Water, the debut album from indie rock/folk band Her Mountain Majesty, is now available on all streaming platforms. With echoes of Alabama Shakes, Hurray for the Riff Raff, and Brandi Carlile, the record delivers a fierce, emotionally charged soundscape rooted in …
Photos by Holly Homan On the evening of June 25 I headed to Seattle’s foremost punk club El Corazon. Playing was Chicago punk rock veterans Pegboy. The Dollyrots were one of the supporting acts and since they’re one of my favorites, I was inspired to see five punk bands play in one night. I would …
Photo by Sophia Schrank ON NEON GOLD RECORDS HERE THE FOLLOW-UP TO HER STUNNING VIRAL OFFERINGS “VEGAS VENETIAN” HERE + “DINNER FOR ONE” HERE Today, the 21-year-old Washington State-based artist Mollie Elizabeth reveals her third track “Until We Meet Again” via Neon Gold / Virgin Music. Mollie Elizabeth notes: “I think we all have people that we only truly get to visit in our dreams- …
To appreciate Seattle’s Kingdome, one either had to be a desperate sports fan or not know any better. I was a bit of both, having moved to Washington State in ’76 at age 8. Grey. Monolithic. Ugly. And those were apt descriptions for the dome’s exterior. Inside wasn’t much better. It always seemed to be …
Escape From the Zoo Come to Seattle For a Fun Filled Night of Four Outstanding Bands, by Holly Homan
Photos by Holly Homan It was a warm Friday evening on April 25 when I ventured out to Vera Project to see Escape From the Zoo. I saw Escape From the Zoo last year at Punk Rock Bowling and was blown away so I was excited they were playing in Seattle. Their scruffy looking singer …
Shocked and quite saddened to learn of the passing of one of my “cult heroes,” illustrator Mark Zingarelli. He died on Friday of unspecified causes, aged 72. I sought him out on Facebook years ago, for he had illustrated a great “dining” strip for The Rocket, “Eatin’ Out With Eddie.” Years before writing for the …
Behold this exclusive premiere live video of Royal Blunder raising $2738 for Doney Coe! It was skillfully and intimately shot by bassist Bruce Watermann’s wife Linda Burnett. Royal Blunder is the Pacific NW’s latest Uber-catchy punky power pop party, filled with incredible hooks and songs ablaze with joy and insights about love and truth. Their debut …
All photos by Holly Homan On the evening of March 7 I ventured to downtown Seattle to Madam Lou’s. Boston ska band Big D & the Kid’s Table were playing. I arrived just after they hit the stage. Their charismatic singer, David McWade now has grey replacing his blond hair, but his boyish charm and …
Robert Deeble is a supercool American aesthete working in Seattle. His recordings have been noted for their orchestrated arrangements and lyrical content. His seventh and latest endeavor The Space Between Us reflects on the relationships that become frayed in a partisan era with a deeper longing for connection. The album is the result of a four year partnership …
Caspian Coberly + Star Anna play March 5th at Barboza in Seattle bringing crackling new music and full band energy for a damn good cause. Caspian’s got fresh tracks from his upcoming album… you’ll wanna hear this live. Star’s rolling in with her full band and playing songs from her new record. → Bring pet …
Photo credit to Aaron Coberly Please rock seriously with “Shepherd’s delight”, the new single from Caspian Coberly’s forthcoming album, Starlight, set for release on April 11, 2025. Starlight is a collection of timeless songs, reminiscent of late-60s and early-70s masterpieces like T. Rex’s The Slider, John Lennon’s Imagine, and Derek & The Dominoes’ Layla. Caspian wrote, produced and played all instruments. Coberly is a Seattle native that …
Photo Credit: Adam Whitmore If you’re still trying to figure out what The Bug Club are all about, imagine Jonathan Richman bought a really big amp & a time machine and found himself somewhere on a Nuggets compilation. Or perhaps Ray Davis buddied up with Sterling Morrison, got really into The Minutemen and agreed that songs …
Two of my former editors have died in 2024. Dawn Anderson, publisher and editor of Seattle’s Backlash and Backfire magazines, had recently been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. Dawn published the first interview with Kurt Cobain, in 1988. For many fans, that alone is qualification for “legend” status. And she was a fucking legend, someone …
It’s Saturday night November 9 and I trekked to Everett, WA to a friendly but cozy club called the Black lab Gallery. The Skablins were headlining. It’s been about five years since I last saw them. They came on stage and immediately caught fire. Sax player Heather Beck admitted she was down over the results …
Pexels. CCO Licensed. Holiday season is fast approaching and many of us will be thinking of gifts for our friends and family. If you’ve got a loved one who is a baseball fan, a baseball-related gift could prove to be a hit. However, it’s possible that they may already have received their fair share of …
Penguin Books, 1997Design by Jesse Marinoff ReyesPhotograph by Roberta Bayley Probably the only cover that I’ve done that came to approach (minor?) iconic status as far as I know. There was a time when young art school students would approach me asking if I was “THE Jesse Marinoff Reyes” who designed it. The first edition …
This track has evolved into an anthem for composer and guitarist Ari Joshua, who has performed and recorded it with over a dozen lineups. The latest version offers a stripped-down, boogaloo organ trio setup, featuring the talented Skerik on saxophone, Delvon Lamarr on Hammond organ, and Grant Schroff on drums. This iteration contrasts with the psychedelic, version released by Ari’s RAaR Trio. The …
Peter Hook stands front and center on the Showbox stage, shouting out the lyrics of “Love Will Tear Us Apart” as the audience sings along. He points at the crowd, almost blessing them as he delivers the grim chorus from Joy Division’s biggest hit in a commanding monotone. This was the only way the two-hour …
On the warm evening of September 20 I ventured to the south part of Seattle to an intimate little club called Clock-Out Lounge. The headliner was a Phoenix band called Playboy Manbaby. I saw PBM at Punk Rock Bowling last year and was very impressed so when I learned they were playing in Seattle I …
Seattle’s emerging rap artist Highway has unveiled his latest single and video for “Dream Soda” directed by Noahsocold under Victor Victor Worldwide/Geffen Records, accompanied by a captivating music video. Building on the success of his previous hits like “Self Love” and “freestyle 2 (Ganger Flo),” this new release adds another standout track to his impressive …
I once went on a date with Charles R. Cross – often known as “Charley.” It was the first time we’d formally met – though he’d said hello to me in passing, maybe once. I was a regular contributor to The Rocket, coming by once a week or two to pitch assignments or drop some …
[Seattle, WA] August 12th, 2024 Pearl Jam has released a new live music video for their current single “Wreckage”, filmed at their May 16th Las Vegas show. The single, along with the first release and title track “Dark Matter” went #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, marking the first time Pearl Jam has accomplished consecutive #1’s on the …
Tacoma’s Jerry Miller, who made his mark in music history as one of rock’s greatest guitarists almost 60 years ago, is dead at 81. Miller was one of the guitarists in Moby Grape, a band with an incredibly vivid, unusual and brief career that began in the mid-late 1960s. A wiki read is advisable if …
FFO: Dinosaur Jr., Hüsker Dü, Doug Martsch Hayes Noble is a 19 year-old artist / guitarist currently based in Spokane, WA who plays in the style of some true indie / punk legends like J Mascis, Doug Martsch or Bob Mould. Today he’s announcing his sophomore LP, As It Was, As We Were (out June 21 on 2-2-1 Press) and has shared the …
Famed air pirate Dan Cooper (that’s the name he used when he purchased his ticket at Portland Airport from Northwest Orient Airlines 53 years ago) is believed by some true crime mavens to have died somewhere in southwestern Washington state after parachuting out of a hijacked jet November 24, 1971. Not everyone believes this semi-official …
TOO MUCH TOO YOUNG: THE 2 TONE RECORDS STORY –RUDE BOYS, RACISM AND THE SOUNDTRACK OF A GENERATIONBY DANIEL RACHEL WITH INTRODUCTIONBY PAULINE BLACK (THE SELECTER) CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED NEW BOOK CHRONICLES REMARKABLE HISTORY OF CROSS-CULTURAL BRITISH YOUTH MOVEMENT AND SUCH BANDS AS THE SPECIALS, THE SELECTER, MADNESS, AND THE BEAT BEST-SELLING AUTHOR DANIEL RACHELSET FOR …
An Ideal For Living Cover Art, credit: Joan LeMay Pre-Order Available Here First Book To Highlight The Format Features Contributions By Nearly 50 Music-Industry Veterans Including Britt Daniel (Spoon), Molly Neuman (Bratmobile), Chris Slusarenko (Guided By Voices, Eyelids), And Many More Today, author and veteran music writer and editor Corey duBrowa announces his first book, An Ideal For Living – A Celebration of …