the Music Lounge by Albert Rodriguez - SGN A & E Writer

The Blakes are Seattle's next breakthrough act, Chris Walla interview, backstage with Switches

by Albert Rodriguez - SGN A&E Writer Not since Death Cab for Cutie or Modest Mouse has a Seattle rock band turned tons of hype into major record label signings, mainstream breakthroughs, Grammy nominations, and sold-out concerts across the US of A. These are two groups who made it, from the many that didn't and were guaranteed to. The time has now come for The Blakes. to show their stuff. And from me to you, their stuff is hot. The local trio, comprised of Snow Keim (bass, vocals), Garnet Keim (guitar, vocals) and Bob Husak (drums), has a very strong shot at becoming Seattle's next big thing. A colleague at Ticketmaster tipped me on these guys, saying he couldn't stop listening to an advance copy of their self-titled debut. It had the same effect on me when I got my copy and listened to it. While on an indie label, The Blakes sound far better than the vast number of shitty groups on larger labels. The opening track "Two Times" got my immediate attention, a scorcher of a song that put a smile on my face almost as wide as the first time I heard Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" or Alice in Chains' "Man in the Box." The reality is that it takes more than one music writer and a few industry folks to propel a new rock band to fame. But I've got a feeling, deep in my gut, that The Blakes are gonna shoot to the top and draw thousands and thousands of fans. Your earliest opportunity to catch this dynamite threesome in person is February 15 when they perform at Chop Suey for only 10 bucks. That's a bargain considering the possibility they could be playing The Showbox by year's end. The band's CD was released late in 2007, but it's just begun making the rounds. You can ear-sample tracks from it, including "Two Times," at www.myspace.com/theblakes and also take a listen to "Vampire," "Pistol Grip," and "Streets." Even punk legend Iggy Pop is praising The Blakes, stating on their website, "This shit is good." Check these boys out for yourselves and see if you agree. I tried to get Matt Costa. on the phone this week, but it never happened. He's too busy touring in Europe and growing a beard. The good news is that Chris Walla. is equally busy, yet not THAT busy to squeeze in an interview. In fact, the Death Cab for Cutie member will talk about his debut solo project Field Manual in next week's issue, and I'll ask him to pick some of his favorite Grammy nominees as the awards ceremony is a weekend away. The February 8 edition of Seattle Gay News also happens to be our Valentine's issue, so we'll find out if Walla has any cheesy love songs to recommend to the lovers of this world. And outer worlds - I like to believe Martians are getting it on. Who's performing at this year's Sasquatch Festival? We won't know until the end of February. Although, I've heard The Cure is likely to be on the two-day roster. Oddly enough, R.E.M . has an off day on the West Coast that weekend. Hmmm. The Gorge is too much of a hassle to get in and out of for me, so I'm headed once again to the Virgin Festival and possibly the Tempe Music Festival - two smaller outdoor events taking place in-city as opposed to out in the boonies. But for those who make the Sasquatch trek yearly, stay glued for updates here in "The Music Lounge." Finally, my friend and I hung out backstage at Neumos last Friday night with Switches. They rocked that stage to a packed house, with lead singer Matt Bishop sporting a just-purchased vintage T-shirt. We talked about porn backstage, and about clothes - each member of Switches bought something earlier that day at a Capitol Hill boutique called Pretty Parlour. Tom, the group's new bassist (or guitarist, I get them mixed up), bought a shirt in Vancouver BC the day before with the lettering "Everybody's Gay." The shirt has images of famous Gay people, and some teetering on the non-hetero fence. I spoke mostly with Ollie, the cutest member of the group, who asked if I'd keep his girlfriend company at the Portland show the following day. Each Switch is sweet and kind, adorable and Gay-friendly, and each is a veteran beer guzzler. And each has large feet. And you know what they say about big feet. Big hands, baby. Next week, it's Chris Walla from Death Cab for Cutie in "The Music Lounge."