photo by Ron Henry

Cheerio, lads and luves! We here at Three Imaginary Girls suggest you enjoy a hearty dish of fish and chips (beans optional), put your bracers on, hop in your lorry (but continue to drive on the correct side of the road for your own safety) and come out for what will be a bang on array of music from across the pond. This will be a week of indie-pendance for all! In the spirit of diplomacy, there’s a little something out there for everyone this week- some well-loved favorites of classic rock, the romantic and droney, and the blippy and electric, all presented to you in the Queen’s English.

10/10/09: Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3/Young Fresh Fellows @ Crocodile: English oddity Robyn Hitchcock had his finger in about every pie of the fine art bakery. As a painter, a writer, a comic strip artist, an actor and a musician, he brings whimsy and surrealism with him to every project. Come and witness a strange man in a strange land doing what he does best.

10/11/09: Passion Pit/E-603 @ Showbox: British beatmakers Passion Pit bring flavors of Of Montreal, Arcade Fire, and a little Postal Service for dipping from across the pond. Lead singer Michael Angelakos claims to want to be the next Randy Newman. Can you hear the collective confused “blink blink?” of the eyes of Passion Pit fans everywhere? Yeah, we don’t get it either, but we like it!

10/12/09: Metronomy/Fool’s Gold @ Nectar: With glowing attached to their chest, they may look like skinny, paler, taller versions of ET, but that’s not the only thing that makes these electronica artists so unique. Be prepared for a wild night of dancing, light shows, and synchronized routines. Fellow countryman Roger Daltrey will performing at the Showbox SoDo, if you prefer your rock and roll a bit more like a good bottle of wine.

10/13/09: Butthole Surfers @ Showbox: This will be a night of nostalgia for anyone who had the misfortune of being in high school in the 90s (I don’t think I’ll ever forget the lyrics to “Pepper” for as long as I live!). Gibby Haynes and his band of long tall Texans are back and ready to rock. Though they’re not English, they have punk sensibilities. They’re loud, brash, and occasionally vulgar, just like the good ol US of A!

10/14/09: Why?/Mt. Eerie/No Kids @ Vera: Anticon label hip-hop act Why? are touring on their recently released 4th album Eskimo Snow. Lead MC Yoni Wolf and company aren’t the average hip-hop act. They bring elements of indie-rock and folk (?!) to their flow and the result is surprisingly refreshing. Don’t miss the chance to see some of the coolest hip hop from down Oakland way since Del tha Funkee Homosapien and Too Short.

10/15/09: Monsters of Folk @ Paramount Theater: Coming together like a beardy Voltron, Jim James, Connor Oberst, M. Ward, and Mike Mogis form Monsters of Folk. These guys put the super in super group. When these fellows hit the stage, the entire audience might just keel over from the collective vapors. Smelling salts may be in order.

10/16/09: Hey Marseilles/Fences/Mason Lindahl @ Vera: The collective love for this band here at Three Imaginary Girls is well documented. This group is the cat’s pajamas, the bee’s knees, the tastiest taco on the platter… you get the notion. They would be on Top of the Pops, were it still on the air in Merry Ole England. They’re at the top of our pops, anyways, so go show some love!

See you out in about, drinking tea with my pinky up!

Pip-pip
Mary Kwatkosky-Lawlor (Imaginary Mimi)
*Three Imaginary Girls*

In high i-pod rotation:
Crayon Angel
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
These United States

(Three Imaginary Girls is a Seattle-based website that showcases the great music of the Northwest and beyond to music lovers worldwide. We post a Seattle live show calendar to help you fill your day-planner with loads of great shows, as well as record reviews, live show reviews, and an imagi-blog to entertain you throughout the day.)

Lydia Goolia

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s featured selection, chosen by Midday Show host Cheryl Waters, is “The Reeling” by Passion Pit from their 2009 album Manners on Frenchkiss Records.

It’s easy to see why Michael Angelakos and Boston’s Passion Pit have evolved into one of the most talked about bands of the year. Reportedly written as a romantic gift to his girlfriend, Angelakos songs quickly got into the hands of friends and fellow students and formed the Chunk of Change EP. Now a five-piece, Passion Pit has a fresher, bigger sound on their fancy debut studio album Manners. “The Reeling” is the first single from their new album and a perfect song to segue way from the old material to the new. Fans of bands like Friendly Fires and Cut Copy will love the danceable electropop with higher production values, and fans of Passion Pit’s early songs will find the same infectious hooks the drew them to Chunk of Change.

Passion Pit has played a spirited session in our very own studio at KEXP last year and recently performed at this year’s Sasquatch Music Festival. Currently, they’re on tour in the UK, but you can find out when they’ll be back and read more about the band on their website and MySpace page. Seattleites, take note: the band is scheduled to play the Showbox at the Market on October 11th. Here a couple of songs, “Sleepyhead” and “Better Things,” from their session last year:

^{King Khan & the Shrines}

The first day of the 2009 Sasquatch Music Festival was an amazing success, beautiful weather and great bands like Kings of Leon, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bon Iver, DeVotchKa, M. Ward, Doves, King Khan & The Shrines, Passion Pit, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, Vince Mira, James Pants, Mos Def, Champagne Champagne and a whole lot more! Check out the first round of photos from Kyle Johnson:

Yeah Yeah Yeahs:

Bon Iver:

Mos Def:

King Khan & the Shrines:

M. Ward:

Passion Pit:

Champagne Champagne:

Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band:

Others:

^{Vince Mira}

^{Ra Ra Riot}

^{Sun Kill Moon}

^{Blind Pilot}

^{Arthur & Yu}

^{Animal Collective}

This week, John Vanderslice finally releases his latest, Romanian Names, which he previewed live on KEXP in Berkeley a few months ago. He’ll be back live on KEXP this Friday, May 22, at 2PM to perform more songs from the album.

Among the most anticipated releases, around this station at least, are Apostle of Hustle, Passion Pit, Jason Lytle (formerly of Grandaddy), Jarvis Cocker, Tori Amos, and White Rabbits. Other strong contenders for your weekly wages, whose previous albums you’re likely to have heard on KEXP, include Au Revoir Simone, The Field, Federico Aubele, Jeffrey Lewis, and a 2-disc collection of rarities from Iron & Wine. If you’re looking for something new, try the self-titled debut from Malaysian-born singer Zee Avi, whose sweet voice recalls Nora Jones and Regina Spektor at times. For other outstanding female voices, try Headless Heroes, which features Alela Diane on vocals, and British songwriter Polly Scattergood, who also debuts with a self-titled release. Check out the rest on Largehearted Boy’s list and preview these fine tracks: