Music Two shows in, and it’s already clear how rocking this new lineup is. MusicfestNW was the perfect way to build up momentum for our two-week West Coast tour. Recording with Larry Crane at the Ace Hotel and playing our T.L.E. show at Rontoms sparked a good fire to light our way. Unfortunately, Jade couldn’t come out on our little jaunt, so we’re like a three-legged dog pulling some new tricks. Our ...   More

Music Utah is long—perhaps too long. You think about these things while driving through endless deserts and plains. It took us what seemed like forever to get across the state. That day’s companions: Das Racist (Noah’s hypothesis: It’s a joke band; If you like the joke, you like the band. I just love that someone semi famous is shedding a little light on ethnic studies as a discipline. I have ...   More

Music Day 6 stats:Pulled over: 2 Threatened with drug dogs: 1 Van breakdowns: 2 Transmissions shot-to-shit: 1 Nights at Motel 6: 1 Shows cancelled: 2 Record labels trying to rescue us: 1 [8 am, Wednesday] I'm at a Motel 6 in Hays, KS with four other tired boys and an immobile van. Yesterday was a tough day. We got pulled over by some red-haired cop who said he smelled "dope" in the van. He began to threaten ...   More

Music We are super-stoked to have one of our favorite Portland bands, Church, keeping a tour diary. Huzzah! Wed September 23rd – Olympia, Wa – The Northern First day of the tour starts off well at The Northern, a new all-ages showspace in Olympia. This place is rad and efficient – all volunteer run, good sound, nice people! We were joined by our local favorites Ocean Age, who played ...   More

Music The Knitting Factory, Boise, ID, 10/2/09 The local rock station here (100.3 The X) is, as far as I can tell, a completely unique and singular station in commercial radio. They pick what they play! It's amazing. Like stepping back in time to the era when DJs could do that. Sure, they play a lot of the stuff you hear on standard stations, but they also spin bands you might not have ever heard, ...   More

Music I woke up in Louisville next to a weed whacker. I was in Allyson's spare room which she had not yet unpacked. This is not the first time I've woken up next to gas powered lawn care equipment. Last time, it was a leaf blower. This is my life. Six years ago, my old punk band played a show in the backyard of a skatepark hostel (yes, a hostel just for skaters) on a sunny afternoon in Louisville. ...   More

Music Tues September 29th – Boulder, Co Survived camping! Marshmellows, fire-roasted saltines, and shiskebobs. Long drive today through Wyoming (ALL of it), but we had some encouragement along the way: God bless Wyoming. We played our quietest set ever at Laughing Goat Café in Boulder Co. Very friendly crowd – they kept telling us to play louder, but the sound guy kept telling ...   More

Music We left California and drove through the Mojave desert yesterday to meet up with the Grown Children last night in LAS VEGAS. Played the final night of the Neon Reverb Fest at The Bunkhouse. WGG went on first to a small, but enthusiastic crowd. But by the time Jared and the crew went on the house had filled up. They put on a great show as usual. Folks loved em! All the locals at the venue were really ...   More

Music Thermals frontman Hutch Harris was rad enough to take us up on our offer to keep a diary while touring China last month. It will appear in three parts this week. Disclaimer: This journal is my personal account of the Thermals' recent trip to China. It is in no way intended to be a historical or political lesson about China. Certain information has been censored for your protection. — Hutch ...   More

Music Everyone knows that the down time on a tour can be rather, well, boring. Sometimes you have to goof around a bit. Last week local psychedelic-pop trio Nurses left on a big national tour supporting Sweden's the Tallest Man on Earth, and the guys were nice enough to make us an exclusive video tour diary. Here's part one, and check back tomorrow for a second round of shenanigans featuring more pain killers, ...   More