Photos: The Head & the Heart and Decemberists @ Bumbershoot

Two of my all-time favorite bands both made it to Bumbershoot this year. The Head and the Heart were an amazing surprise since they weren’t originally slated to be there, but there they were at the Toyota stage early Saturday morning to start my festival weekend off the best way possible. Then a little later, it got that much better as I sang along in the crowd to the Decemberists. They played several of their yet-to-be-released songs from their upcoming album (yay!). These two shows made the weekend. Seriously. For more shots from these shows and the rest of the weekend, check out the flickr collection.

THE HEAD AND THE HEART

headheart9

headheart13

headheart11

headheart2

headheart8

headheart7

headheart1

THE DECEMBERISTS

december2

december9

december6

december10

december4

december3

Photos: Civil Twilight and Edward Sharpe @ Bumbershoot

It’s hard to believe this post has two epic bands like Civil Twilight and Edward Sharpe, and that it was just the beginning to the lineup of Bumbershoot last weekend. They put on fantastic shows, I just wish there was more time to hang around and listen to them.  For more photos of these and other bands, check out the flickr collection.

CIVIL TWILIGHT

civiltwilight5

civiltwilight2

civiltwilight4

civiltwilight1

civiltwilight3

EDWARD SHARPE AND THE MAGNETIC ZEROS

sharpe6

sharpe4

sharpe8

sharpe5

sharpe10

sharpe2

Photos: Surfer Blood & Japandroids @ Bumbershoot

Surfer Blood and Japandroids were two of the acts that played the Broad Street Stage on Bumbershoot’s final day. I wish I could have caught all of Japandroids’ set (I had to run to another stage for pix) but I can’t wait to see them for a full show. I like their speed. I also enjoyed Surfer Blood, a band I don’t want to miss next month – they play Neumos with the Drums on October 4th. Some of my photos from Bumbershoot:

surferbloodbumber7

surferbloodbumber6

surferbloodbumber2

surferbloodbumber1

surferbloodbumber9

surferbloodbumber3

surferbloodbumber5

surferbloodbumber10

surferbloodbumber4

surferbloodbumber8
Surfer Blood

japandroidsbumber7

japandroidsbumber3

japandroidsbumber1

japandroidsbumber5

japandroidsbumber2

japandroidsbumber4

japandroidsbumber6

japandroidsbumber9

japandroidsbumber8
Japandroids – all photos by Dagmar

Videos: O. Children & the Drums

I am so into O. Children right now that I had to put up two of their videos, “Dead Disco Dancer” and “Ruins”. The other week I interviewed the band’s singer, Tobias O’Kandi (to be posted here soon). The British band’s self-titled debut LP is kind of goth and totally great.

ochildrenprphoto
O. Children – photo by Owen Richards

You’ll get a chance to see Brooklyn’s the Drums at Neumos on October 4th – until then here’s “Down by the Water”:

thedrumspr
the Drums

Show Review & Photos: BOMBA ESTEREO @ Bumbershoot (En Español tambien)

By Ellie Mansfield
Photos and translation by Anthony Guerra Jepson

BOMBA ESTEREO has a kind of sound that can never be duplicated! They have an eclectic style that never stops. Many songs they place under their own genre they call “cumbia psicodelica” (psychedelic cumbia). As a live band BOMBA ESTEREO is a mix of cumbia, electronica, reggatone, champeta (from the Carribean coast) with a bit of rock ‘n’ roll on drums. This is is an intense mix of Afro-Columbian Funky Psychedelic Jam that will blow your mind! On vocals Liliana Saumet has a passionate voice and is fully invested in the live performance! Her voice flows over the audience in a blanket of audacious but soothing melody that pumps them up. Her ’80s sense of style is funky and interesting. In true Columbian style BOMBA ESTEREO played two more songs after the stage manager told them “no.” Their last song “Fuego,” was full of classic BOMBA ESTEREO energy and excitement. You will never be disappointed if you come out to see BOMBA ESTEREO live!

En Bomba Estereo hay un tipo de musica que no se puede duplicar! Tienen un estilo eclectico que no deja de bombear. Muchas de sus musicas las ponen bajo el genero llamado de “cumbia sicodelica”. Como una banda en vivo BOMBA ESTEREO es una mezcla de la cumbia, electronica, reggaeton, la champeta de nuestra costa Caribena con un pocoton de rocanrol en la bateria. Son una mescla intensa de un jam afro colombiano electro funky sicodelico que les va a volar la cabeza! En los vocales Liliana Saumet tiene una voz apasionada y esta invirtiendo su talento en la performance en vivo, que tambien se nota madurada desde su ultima visita a Seattle. Su voz fluie sobre la audiencia cubriendo la gente con un sonido audacioso pero tranquilizante con un dub-styley reggaetronico.
Su senso de estilo medio ochentero es funky y interesante. En el estilo verdaderamente Colombiano, BOMBA ESTEREO tocaron dos musicas mas despues que el director del encenario les dijo que “no”. Su ultima musica “Fuego”, lleno de energia y agito clasico de BOMBA ESTEREO. No te decepcionado quando los vea en vivo. Pues ojala regresaran a Seattle con su buena energia. Y buena nota.

photos by anthony guerra jepson

photos by anthony guerra jepson

BOMBA_0907_17BOMBA_0907_18BOMBA_0907_19BOMBA_0907_20BOMBA_0907_21BOMBA_0907_22BOMBA_0907_27BOMBA_0907_28