Blog: Dance Hall Hips

One name made this years Capitol Hill Block Party more epic than ever: Sonic Youth. The New York indie rock veterans are arguably the largest band to grace the festival's bill, ever, and proved to be worth way over the $20 ticket prices. The booze-filled fest was hosted under a rare scorching Seattle sun, making it a tiring but celebratory event. Regardless of the boiling heat, flannel, beard, and skinny jeans ensued, as well as local celebrity sightings of the Fleet Fox and Long Winter kind. And suprisingly, the street-cart food was amazing: phad thai and red curry, fresh [...]

A lot's changed in five years, more specificially the direction and scope of Seattle's own Death Cab For Cutie. It's been roughly half a decade since I last experienced the band's live show, supporting the release of Transatlanticism. In that amount of time, the venues have gotten larger, their popularity skyrocketed, their reach gone worldwide. When Ben Gibbard and crew stepped on stage at Marymoor Park, I felt a little bit disappointed, not in the realization they were now, five years later, a different band, but in the realization I'd passed up so many opportunities to see them [...]

Robin & Aja Pecknold by Sarah Jurado (via Three Imaginary Girls) Pitchfork-acclaimed, Seattle-centric Fleet Fox frontman Robin Pecknold rattled the ears of a packed house last Friday with his golden pipes. Without being shrouded in band member's harmonies and musical stylings, Pecknold was left to fend for himself (save a few songs where J. Tillman jumped on drums), proving he could just as easily leave the blog-friend Washington band and make it on his own. He played a number of covers, including Neutral Milk Hotel's 'Two-Headed Boy' and Fleetwood Mac's [...]

The Holy Mountain (presumably named after the surrealist epic) is an "art space" next to The Victory Lounge along Eastlake, and it fucking rocks. To start, colorful robots and wacko geometry adorn the walls, giving the whole space a carnival atmosphere. It's a very relaxed space; you can smoke, and tallies of PBR can be had for a mere $2. The atmosphere is great for hanging out, but don't expect the bands to play any earlier than eleven o'clock, because the scheduling is also relaxed. Past Lives, last Friday's headliner, [...]

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the Three Imaginary Girls-hosted "Top of the Croc" concert at, where else, the newly renovated Crocodile Cafe. The 'Girls' treated us to the likes of BOAT, Tullycraft, "Awesome" and iji. Having never attended a Croc show in any of its incarnations, it was an experience in-and-of itself just to walk in the doors. At 23-years-old, I felt like a youngin'. Self-consciously I felt like an inexperienced Seattle-ite and concert-goer. In the back of my head I knew I had never seen the rise and demise of the grunge scene first hand, something [...]

DADFAG Telepathic Liberation Army Fun Fun Fun

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photo courtesy of Hips The title pretty much speaks for itself. The lovely St. Vincent is putting out a new album, Actor , May 4th. Here's a sneak peak at her latest efforts. St. Vincent - "The Strangers"

The 80's rockers Depeche Mode are hitting the road this summer, enlistening the sunny tunes of Peter Bjorn & John. Maybe a bit of an odd pick, but it'll give the indie one hit wonder some more new exposure, which'll be great for their up-coming release, Living Thing which comes out the end of this month. Here's when they'll be playing together: 07-28 Washington, DC - Nissan Pavilion 07-31 Boston, MA - Comcast (Great Woods) 08-01 Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata 08-03 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden 08-10 [...]

Britney Spears has been known to grab attention from time to time, whether it be her first Rolling Stone cover, her faux-nude outfit at the VMA's, or her panty-less masquerades. Her latest Circus tour is no exception. A 2-minute video preview of the tour reveals, flashy choreography, a variety of costumes, and...nipple tassels? Whatever puts food on your plate, I guess. Watch the questionably NSFW video here

After a few postless months, Dance Hall Hips has moved to a new URL. Why, you ask? To start a new phase in our blog's growth. Dance Hall Hips is expanding to much more than a blog; we've got news, album reviews, and concert recaps. Not to mention multiple writers and photographers. Be sure to [...]

keep running into article after article about this girl, and it's gotten to the point that I can no longer ignore her. Janelle Monae's style is striking, original, and her goals are admirable: "If I could make a wish come true, it would be to redefine the stereotype of young African American females, the type of music we write, how we wear our hear and dress." Monae's already got a Grammy nomination under her belt, as well as Christmas-oriented Gap commercial , not to mention an EP released on Diddy's Bad Boy label, and a mentor by [...]

I've started school again and it's been somewhat busy/hectic with moving in, schoolwork, classes, training for a new job on campus, socializing, etc. This is why I haven't updated lately. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. I'll try and get the ball rolling soon, though. Thanks. -Dance Hall Hips

The Grynch Thao & the Get Down Stay Down Thao & Me Band of Horses Beck Beck

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE: "Omaha, NE's tap dancing five-piece, Tilly and The Wall , will be performing on the series premiere episode of the newly revamped 90210 , airing September 2nd on The CW. The band will be performing "Pot Kettle Black" at a character's not-so-sweet sixteen"

Get it Here!

'Tis the season to get political, so I thought MTV's latest outcry might stir up a good conversation (or, in the very least, bring some conspiracy theorists out of the woodwork). The popular music network has recently released commercials depicting modern day Martial Law in the United States, making comparisons to 20th century/WWII concentration camps: As much as MTV is a medium for America's youth, their opinions, and their politics, I was a little taken aback by these commercials. They're [...]

A friend of mine referred me to a music video for "A Modern Promise" by a band called Francis & the Lights, recently. The video itself is clean, crisp, and quite beautiful while staying unbelievably simple. The band, on the other hand, sounds like a sensual dance party at Prince's house. Check it:

That's right, Dance Hall Hips now has an official theme song, courtesy of Wrapping Paper ! The band was generous enough to provide a wonderful example of their personal songwriting skills with a Dance Hall Hips-themed track. The Minnesota-based band promises you a personalized song with any purchase of their latest efforts, the Hold Up the Neon Sign EP. Now that's fan appreciation! Speaking of fans, be sure to become a fan of Dance Hall Hips on Facebook , now!

"I don't support terrorism and never have. As a Sri Lankan that fled war and bombings, my music is the voice of the civilian refugee. Frankly, I am not trying to start dialogue with someone who is really just seeking self-promotion." -M.I.A. (via P4K )