We Recommend
Olympia's Broken Water is terrifically mesmerizing. Listening to the avant-garde, shoegaze threesome forces a sort of centering that is hard to come by. For instance, when typing and listening, I literally had to pull my fingers from the keyboard, lay my head back and close my eyes will the talents
Guides
Interviewing Fruit Juice, voted the Best New Band in Olympia by you lovely readers, was the best band interview I've done in a long time. It may have been the bottle of wine I finished prior, or it may have been the band's own intake of whiskey and beer, but
Guides
"Our role isn't to create popular bands," says Johnson, "we're just here to document them." The founder of K Records, Calvin Johnson, who dug into hearts with his bands Beat Happening, Halo Benders and Dub Narcotic Sound System, who played records on Evergreen's independent radio station, KAOS, when he was just
Arts
"Live, from our studios somewhere in cyberspace - it's "Beats and Eats" - a happy hour for your mind," says the announcer, in the style of early radio and TV broadcasting, voice booming over a catchy background jingle. "The virtual lounge is open. So come inside, grab a stool and
We Recommend
This week the entire bill rules. I wish I had room to dive into the history these bands have, how deep their ties to the music scene run, how stellar their dynamic is, like the patterns of a mandala, reaching into the organisms of time and space and stitching elements
We Recommend
I love my music-writing gig. I can choose to preview any show I want. There isn't a scene I'm attached to. I'm not stuck with dreadlocks or a mohawk or a cowboy hat or a fedora or a trucker cap. I can listen to whatever I want, whatever the mood,
Viva South Sound
From the Salish tribes that dot the coast, to the Evergreen students that dot the bars, the city of Olympia is unique. With its temperate climate, beautiful mountains, nearby ocean and lush forests, people are drawn to Olympia's natural beauty. And with its cultural hub of creativity, from up-and-coming musicians
Arts
With The Beatles playing in the background, the rhythmic familiarity mingling with the scents of ink and must, Last Word Books in downtown Olympia feels like it always does: welcoming and mysterious. Basil, the black cat, still mills around, meowing at the occasional customer, and an employee sits behind the till,
We Recommend
Where do you rock on Valentine's weekend? How about McCoy's, where the crowd is rough and the music is loud. Saturday, Horse bodies, DBST and 10 Cents in Oklahoma will be playing for all the lovesick South Sounders, bringing a well-round bill of classic rock. Horse Bodies,
Features
In honor of our anti-Valentine's Day-themed issue, in which Volcano staff wrote bitterly about the woes of dating, love and relationships, I have decided to be anti-anti and write about the positivity of love. To be specific - to observe the random acts of love that surround us at any
Features
John Dillinger, the depression-era outlaw whose gang robbed two dozen banks and prompted the induction of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is the inspiration behind the name Dillingers Cocktails and Kitchen, a new business located at 404 Washington St. in downtown Olympia. And, oh how apropos. Not only was the building
We Recommend
At first listen, Dead Winter Carpenters surprised me with their high-energy alt-country. The skilled fingers of the guitarist diddling up and down the neck, the easy vocals, telling stories of the road, the woods and the law, the combination of bass, drum, harmonica, fiddle and viola in a big sound,
Viva South Sound
Sara Sparrow is an entertainer. She is a contortionist, an aerialist, a dancer, a master of acrobatics and a teacher. She has, as she calls it, "a circus background." She performs at the monthly "Brotherhood Takes Flight" show, where she occasionally guest performs with the Tallhouse Arts Consortium. "I don't know of
We Recommend
Full Moon Radio, the female trio who has been on my must-listen list for at least a year, has added a fourth female member AND is playing their first Tacoma show. So, for those of you who live north of their normal playing ground of Olympia, and haven't had a
Arts
Sara Sparrow is an entertainer. She is a contortionist, an aerialist, a dancer, a master of acrobatics and a teacher. She has, as she calls it, "a circus background." Many of Sparrow's shows are performed in Seattle, where she does solo and collaborative work and is a member of the Aerialistas,
We Recommend
Sara Sparrow is a member of the Aerialistas, "Seattle's Original Aerial Girl Gang," with whom she has performed internationally on several occasions. However, she does perform in Olympia as well - specifically, at the monthly "Brotherhood Takes Flight" show, where she occasionally guest performs with the Tallhouse Arts Consortium. Her next performance
We Recommend
Most of the time, my music picks are of my own accord, bands I've loved for years, or maybe a hot new number a friend has turned me onto, or I found while bar hopping. This time, my pick comes from the boss, Pappi Swarner, who has a great ear
Liquid
Ah, winter in the South Sound, when the wet and cold finally get to us, cutting through layers of rain gear and wool socks to spore viruses and respiratory infections into the lungs and sinuses of even the hardiest of souls. So on an especially congested night, when your chest is
We Recommend
Said in the growliest voice ever: "METALTOPIA 2014 IS ABOUT TO MELT YOUR FACE OFF." Yes, it's true boys and girls, five of the northwest's most badass metal bands are converging in one place - the magical Track House, where bands play, beers flow and miracles happen. Black metal, doom
Features
You know how you can walk into an establishment and just get a good vibe about it? When something in the atmosphere - the lighting, the feng shui, the colors and space flowing just right - and you know you want to hang out there? Well that was my immediate impression