The Weekend Preview: Post Holiday Slump Edition

Presents have been opened, balls have dropped, corks have been popped and now all we have left to look forward to is a couple more months of S.A.D. (if you didn't get that full spectrum desk lamp you asked for). But fear not, the days only get longer from here and these shows should help get you through. . . the next few days at least.

Tonight!
Friday, January 4

The Das Llamas boys put it best in their MySpace post today, so here it is:

In case you haven’t heard, the Crocodile Cafe recently shut it’s doors with zero notice to their employees leaving them knee deep in shit creek. And, with the addition of the recent departure of Pony/The Bus Stop/Manray/Kingcoras, jobs for people in the bar/club industry are few. Come help some bros pay some bills tonight with a second benefit featuring us and
-The Intelligence
-The Girls
-Coconut Coolouts
Chop Suey
1325 E Madison St
Seattle, WA 98122
six bucks
IMPORTANT
In a random coin toss where we all cupped each others nuts and slapped each others asses, we ended up first in the line up... so that means we're playing first. 9pm or so. You do not want to miss this show. REALLY!!!

The first one was a blast, and hopefully they'll have some more Jim Anderson-autographed Croc floorplans to raffle off!

T.V. Coahran plays the Bikery Benefit at the Vera Project, 1/4.

If helping the old Croc employees out isn't your bag, lend some benevolence to the Bikery folks, with a benefit at the Vera Project featuring Ribbons, T.V. Coahran and Grand Hallway. Travis Ritter talked up T.V. in this week's Short List, saying this:
Not many can rock the squared-off Charlie Chaplin mustache and sea captain hat like the toy piano/guitar-playing T.V. Coahran, a musician as eccentric looking as he sounds. His songs are charming lo-fi pop concoctions, whose key creative ingredients must stem from huffing magic markers with Ariel Pink, watching a Sid and Marty Krofft children’s program on mute, and listening to The Beatles, forward and backward.

Ma'Chell enlightens us on the subject of the Harborrats this week as well:

It's easy to be icked out by the term "blue-eyed soul". It conjures images of middle-aged white dudes raping the soul of Sam Cooke and it's been applied to everyone from yacht-rocker Michael McDonald to the Off the Wall stylings of Justin Timberlake. But in the case of Sam Russell's Harborrats, whose past EP's have run the rootsy gamut between the Killer and the Boss, the term is apt. Recently cementing their line-up with two new members (on keyboard and strings), tonight's gig will showcase tunes from the forthcoming full length,The Legend of Christoper Moon.
They play tonight at Jules Maes Saloon, 9 p.m. $5.

Saturday!
January 5

Sonny Bonoho competes in the 2nd Annual Freestyle Championships at Chop Suey, 1/5.

Hip-hop reins the 206 tonight with Devin the Dude holding court as a judge for the 2nd Annual Freestyle Championships at Chop Suey where some of Seattle’s finest lyricists will be ready to take the stage (and the $4500 in cash and prizes at stake): Cool Nutz, Certified, Neema of Unexpected Arrival, Mr. DOG, Emmanuel, Sonny Bonoho and more will step to the mic, representing the 206 with entirely unscripted rhymes intended to leave their rivals without words, whimpering off stage, tails between their legs.

In Fremont, KEXP has enlisted Seattle's finest hip-hop superheroes Grayskul to play twice tonight for their monthly Audioasis show at the High Dive, this time around to benefit Seattle arts non-profit, Arts Corps—highly deserving with comprehensive arts education programs for kids in grades K-12, entirely free of charge. This isn’t any glorified child care with finger painting either: the kids can sing up for classes like dancing—from break to Brazilian—illustration, photography, sculpture, music recording and more. 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. $7.

Sunday
January 6

Cock and Swan play Chop Suey, 1/6.

Ma'Chell calls for all A&R reps to sit up and take note of local duo Cock and Swan, who play tonight at Chop Suey with Corridor and A Pack of Wolves (8 p.m., $5). From this week's Short List:
They say it's better to give than receive, so I'm going to give every talent hungry label rep out there a little belated holiday sugar. There's amazing band in Bothell called Cock and Swan (also releasing fabulous shit under the moniker Dandelion Gold) and if you're looking for something that will appeal to shoegazers, audiophiles, technogeeks, stoners and indie kids alike you gotta sign this band! Married duo, Johnny and Ola churn out warm, sweet, ambient tunes with production that captures the organic nature of their musical process, while attaining a technical perfection that never seems forced or overdone. They're latest, Marshmallow Sunset, sounds exactly like it's title and is currently available online, but set for hard release soon and it's just as great as their newly reissued 2006 EP Noon Hum. A&R peeps, you’re welcome in advance! MA’CHELL DUMA LAVASSAR