FYM ON THE LIST: THE CAPTIOL HILL BLOCK PARTY • 2011- SEATTLE WASHINGTON, USA

The 2011 Capitol Hill Block Party was a success- It was three days of great weather, spirits, culture and music in Seattle's hippest neighborhood. FYM's thoughts below on the people who made each day so special to us:

BLOCK PARTY DAY ONE: Thurston Moore hit Friday's main stage with passion and sincerity- rocking through an impressive set of his fuzzy classic sound. Moore spoke of his affection for Seattle, always supporting his music projects, and his love for Elliot Bay Book Company.

Frontman Wes Miles (pictured above) along with the rest of Ra Ra Riot's talented crew- rolled out a pleasant series of hits in front of a packed main stage crowd, proving to be a perfect soundtrack for summer. 

Along with the music, The Capitol Hill Block Party is also about supporting a great community. We had the pleasure of running into rockstar hair stylist Franz Falkowski of Emerson Salon (FYM's favorite place to get our haircut in Seattle Washington, USA).

FYM captured a beautiful moment over by The Vera Stage, as a bubble machine added to the relaxed Friday afternoon ambiance. (The Vera Project is an all ages venue, silk-screen studio, art gallery- done right, located in Seattle Center, click HERE for more details).

Seattle hip-hop guru SOL, commanded an epic- ready to party Vera crowd with an inspiring set, followed by autographs and pictures with his fans.

Even outside of the party gates, boundless musicians filled the pockets and alleyways eager to showoff their sonic prowess- The Ten Man Brass Band (pictured above) notice the girl in the lower left-hand corner quietly reading as the monumental sound fills the streets.

BLOCK PARTY DAY TWO: Above, Seattle's Michael Benjamin Lerner of Telekinesis (Merge Records), ripped through a fiery set of indie pop confection. The band also features Cody Votolato (The Blood Brothers, Jaguar Love, Head Wound City) on guitar.

(click all widescreen photos to expand for detail, like Telekinesis above!)

Our highlight of day two was being able to see The Handsome Furs live for the first time. Dan Boeckner (pictured above) along with his wife Alexei Perry, tore through a foot-stomping collection of jams off their latest record- Sound Kapital (Sub Pop Records).

Along with the hits Boeckner also explained that the husband and wife duo road-tripped the whole way to Seattle from Montreal Canada. And propositioned the audience for any leads to finding some psychedelics (mushrooms). Dan later joked that they already had some, making their next stop in Montana assuredly a memorable one.

It's hard not to be won over by lead singer of Best Coast- Bethany Cosentino. The L.A. trio is an FYM favorite, and they didn't disappoint the animated Seattle crowd. Listen to their triumphant debut Crazy for You on Mexican Summer Records HERE.

BLOCK PARTY DAY THREE: Seattle Blues/Rock outfit My Goodness, dominated the main stage, Sunday at The Capitol Hill Block Party. Now that The White Stripes have called it quits, this guitar/drum duo is, dare we say, primed for position as a contender as the next best thing. 

Missed their set? See these guys for free in August at the Mural Amphitheater opening for Black Mountain at the KEXP sponsored event. More info HERE.

The Posies proved that they still play with as much heart as in the ealry 90's. These regional heroes, rocked out in front of a young crowd, laying down all of their hits to some fresh ears, with several dedications along the way. 

FYM was super stoked for a surprise guest appearance during The Posies set by Visqueen beauty- Rachel Flotard. We still can't get over how hard this Northwest favorite still rocks live!

FYM's highlight of day three was absolutely BATTLES. The New York trio truly delivered something special on the main stage Sunday afternoon. It's the destruction of standard band composition, subjugating a lead vocalist role in their band, championing video remix, and creating digital rock orchestral perfection.

John Stanier (formerly of Helmet), pictured above, is the backbone of Battles ferocious sound. He plays as Ian Williams mixes vocal stylings of digital entities projected on pixelated backgrounds.

Battles were one of the few bands to hit the main stage during the afternoon with an enteraining backgroud behind them, (plus FYM can always appreciate the use of Helvetica type used well). Learn more about their music HERE.

The Explosions in the Sky closed out Sunday evenings main stage lineup. These Texas post-rock instrumental warriors played with just as much heart as any band we saw over the past three days.

The modern day rock symphony has a new record out in 2011 called Take Care, Take Care, Take Care. Listen to their best release yet HERE.

As a whole our weekend at The Capitol Hill Block Party went exceptionally well. It's the perfect-sized event that never fails to deliver top-notch local, regional, and nationally acclaimed music to the heart of an incredible neighborhood in Seattle. Thanks again to Steve Manning and the Block Party crew for making this weekend possible. Want more Capitol Hill Block Party Photos? Like forYoungModerns on Facebook and view our extensive collection of pictures from the entire weekend, HERE. Cheers, FYM.

Words. Graphic. J Thomas Codling. Photos. FYM Posse.

FYM PREVIEW: THE CAPITOL HILL BLOCK PARTY

FYM will be gearing up all week in preparation for one of the most important events of the year in Seattle- The Capitol Hill Block Party 2011! This concert series is a true representation of Seattle culture at it's finest. For three days next weekend (July 22, 23, 24) South Capitol Hill, becomes a Music/Food/Cultural powerhouse- offering up notable sonic performances from local/regional/national bands, incredible food choices, and the ambiance of roaming the streets of one the most eclectic, flourishing neighborhoods in Seattle Washington, USA.

BLOCK PARTY DAY ONE HIGHLIGHTS:

UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA: FYM's Los Angeles Senior Writer, Will Sellers, recently picked this Portland Oregon based three-piece as one of the Best Bands of 2011 in our mid-year artist wrap-up (which can be viewed HERE). FYM expects similar free-spirited, psyched-out, trailblazing vibes as heard in ballune posted above- when UMO hits the Neumos Stage from 4:15-4:45pm this Friday. It's a can't miss set, and a special opportunity to see such talent performing live in a tremendous intimate space!

BOAT: Seattle transplants- BOAT, are a perfect merger of kinetic storytelling and playful indie-pop sensibilities. They will be our next stop on Friday, performing at 5:00pm on the Vera Stage. Listen to their bright, chorus driven single Lately above- And also expect BOAT to be showcasing the best tunes off their March 2011 record Dress Like Your Idols. The album was released by Magic Marker Records and can be heard HERE.

RA RA RIOT: The lovable band from Syracuse New York- Ra Ra Riot, perform an hour long set on the Main Stage this Friday from 7:45-8:45pm. FYM had the chance to catch this group at last year's Bumbershoot Music Festival. Expect to see a diverse group of instrumental prowess, with passionate sparkling vibes, as found on the bands second single Too Dramatic, off 2010's sophomore release The Orchard.

THE ROLLING STONES: Seattle has a Rolling Stones cover band (posed as a summertime fun project) that is comprised of some this cities most notable musicians. We cannot wait to see Jordan Blilie (The Blood Brothers-RIP, Past Lives, and Head Wound City) put his sassy vocal stamp on Mick Jagger's peerless frontman legacy with the Stones. Other members of the Seattle-based cover band are: Devin Welch (Shoplifting, Flexions) and Justin Deary (Whalebones) on guitars, Nat Sahlstrom (Chromatics) on bass, Tyler Swan (Truckasaura) on drums. Find 'The Rolling Stones' live on the Cha Cha Stage closing out the night from 11:30-12:30pm, Stoked!

A special thanks goes out to Steve Manning for making FYM's coverage of The Capitol Hill Block Party possible again in 2011. Check back later this week as FYM provides our highlights of Day Two and Three of this year's Block Party! For more information on this event click HERE.

-Cheers, FYM.

Thoughts. Graphic. J Thomas Codling. 

FYM: BUMBERSHOOT HIGHLIGHTS DELOREAN!

FYM's Art Director found a pair of free tickets taped to the back of a phone booth (thanks to following Bumbers twitter Friday afternoon) for Sunday's eclectic Bumbershoot line-up, and was pleasantly impressed when we caught DELOREAN.

Hailing from Spain, Delorean supply unique world soundscapes, with bouncy rhythmic energy that sent this 40th Anniversary Bumbershoot crowd chanting to the sky.

These guys tore through their set, with a new order of tunes perfect for giant arenas of dancing neon-children, centering themselves with an intimacy that would fit perfectly in the club. Do not miss Delorean live! They made even the most awkward on-lookers shake and hop to massively accessible dance music.

Check out their psychedelic epic Stay Close:




Splashed with rays of sunlite, Stay Close is FYM's offical JetSet anthem! Allowing us to trek on into the unknown with a sense of hope, and discovery.

Other notable performances came from the likes of Billy Bragg. His solitary presence on stage with just a guitar backing him, gained more respect than most full line-ups on this evening. He sang through a meaningful set of rebellion songs, with Woody Guthrie covers peppered in, all the while drinking hot tea on the Starbucks stage. (how punk is that)

Ra Ra Riot showed our good buds at daytrotter.com some love by sporting the signature Daytrotter shirt on stage at Bumbershoot this year. Click here for Ra Ra Riot free tunes at Daytrotter, and more information on how to get one of those bossy shirts!

And the 90's Portland icons The Dandy Warhols closed out our Sunday evening. Courtney and crew, played through a string of hits, showing off a variety of tunes from their deep catalog (new hits record out now).

Thank you Bumbershoot for the tickets! FYM had an enjoyable evening on your dime, watching an eclectic a la carte menu of diverse music!