This weekend, we here at TVD Seattle are wishing you a very happy “Local Seattle Musician Christmas Weekend!” For many people this was the first week of Christmas and this weekend will explode with holiday shoppers, peppermint mochas, and fake Santas who promise things they can’t deliver! But what’s better than ringing in the beginning of the holidays with some good ol’ lovely Seattle’s Best (I mean musicians, not the coffee.) Enjoy!
Friday, 11/30 – Deep Sea Diver at Neumos | Deep Sea Diver is the project of Seattle singer and multi-instrumental musician, Jessica Dobson. Before forming the band, Dobson toured and supported several bands, including Beck, The Shins, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and at one time was signed to Atlantic records. She has been in the music business since her teens and, oh man, does it show.
The band formed in 2011 with husband, Peter Mansen on drums and Michael Duggan on bass. Deep Sea Diver’s first release, History Speaks is an indie-rock, soul-searching album so powerful that it cannot be listened to just once and the band is easily a contender for a best new artist of 2012. They are making their final stop in Seattle this Friday at Neumos—and as a band I respect, I will be there in full-form, so look for a review of the show by yours truly next week.
On top of being able to experience truly brilliant and original music, there are a couple of other things to look forward to at the show on Friday. I’ve been told by Dobson that she will be performing an ominous, yet melodic and festive Christmas-themed song that will put the audience in the mood for a strong glass of eggnog and the bitter cold.
And for those of you that are a fan of vinyl (isn’t that why you’re on this site?), Deep Sea Diver has their last 60 vinyl copies of History Speaks with them on tour, and I know that many of us, myself included, would love to wake up on December 1st with an early Christmas present keeping us warm.
Wild Belle and Pretty Broken Things will be opening for Deep Sea Diver at the 21+ show. Doors open at 8PM and tickets are $12 advanced.
Saturday, 12/1 – Mayors of Liberty at Barboza | Seattle-based Mayors of Liberty are the perfect blend of blues, rock, and folk, and fronted by Kirt Debique whose voice is sweet and reminiscent of TV on The Radio lead singer, Tunde Adebimpe. However, Debiques’ voice is deeper and cuts through the folksy sounds that the mixture of the guitar, violin, cello, and various other instruments create.
Mayors of Liberty is composed mainly of Debique, Stephen Miller on guitar, and Kevin Cluppert on bass, but they recruit various performers on their latest album, Another Day in the Dream Factory. The additional musicians add an intriguing and intricate melody to the bands‘ sound. Mayors of Liberty will surely put on an interesting show if they invite all the additional musicians that added to Another Day in the Dream Factory to perform with them at Barboza this Saturday.
The Cocktail Revisionists and Breaks and Swells will be opening for the band at the early show at Barboza this Saturday. Doors open at 7PM and tickets are $8 advance.
Sunday, 12/2 – Chaos Chaos (formally Smoosh) at the Crocodile | Chaos Chaos is the new project of former Smoosh members and sisters Asy and Chloe Saavedra. The Seattle-based duo debuted their first album as Smoosh when Asy was just 12 years old and Chloe was 10 years old. As Smoosh, the band performed indie-pop songs and found success performing on KEXP and opening for bands such as Death Cab and Cat Power.
Both have beautiful voices and know how to work with one another to make a smooth and almost soulful sound. Now that both are legal they are ready to mix it up and move in a little different direction as Chaos Chaos. The band has added different instrumentation and a more pop-rock sound that channels both Tegan and Sara and electronic-pop artists such as Robyn and La Roux, to their music.
On their new EP, “S,” the band retains their pop sound while stepping just far enough in a different direction to show that they’re still working together and looking to grow.
Dionvox and Land of Pines will be opening for the band at the all-ages show on Sunday. Doors open at 8PM and tickets are $10 in advance.
