While I'll always respect them for going out at the top of their game (The Woods is simply one of the best swan songs of all time), but DAMN I miss this band somethin' fierce:

Local band the Pharmacy, who recently re-located to New Orleans, released a new single today, "Wait in Vayne." For some reason this new tune evokes images of a 50s diner and poodle skirts. While that might turn you off at first, I definitely suggest giving it a listen. Over the soda fountain beat, the Pharmacy layers swelling instrumentals as well as Beatles-inspired vocals that plead "Try to treat me right/Don't leave me up night after night."

Listen to "Wait in Vayne" now.

Their pop-rock boppin' attitude is returning to the Pacific Northwest during their "Weekend in Seattle," Friday July 10 at the Vera Project and Saturday July 11 at The Comet. The Pharmacy will also be releasing a new song next Monday, check their MySpace for updates.

Photo of Jim Fairchild and his chicken friend courtesy of Janet Weiss

Though Jason Lytle seems to be getting most of the post-Grandaddy press, former Grandaddy guitarist (and Portland transplant) Jim Fairchild's been making great solo music of his own under the moniker All Smiles, and his second solo album, Oh For The Getting and Not Letting Go, came out today. While it certainly hasn't passed by unnoticed, it also hasn't received the same level of media attention as his former bandmate's recent release. Fairchild's first solo record, 2007's Ten Readings Of A Warning, was a sparse, elemental example of what you can accomplish with straightforward pop songwriting-- i.e. guitar-voice-percussion. Songs like "I Know It's Wrong" and "Pile of Burning Leaves" are the kind of perfectly simple song that sticks to your ribs and ride on little more than a perfectly-tailored pop refrain and the emotive power of a vocalist who believes the words he sings.

But Fairchild's sophomore effort, Oh For The Getting and Not Letting Go, gets a lot more adventurous with the instrumentals. Distortion, heavier rock guitar riffs and louder, more aggressive percussion pervade this record. At times, the volume and all the extra accoutrements sometimes distract from what Fairchild's really good at: finding a really memorable melody and serving it simply. While it's not that the bigger sound doesn't work for Fairchild, it's still his quieter, simpler songs-- of the sort he favored on Ten Readings of a Warning-- that showcase his talents best.

NPR blogged that authors Sarah O'Brien and Lacey Soslow of the book Geeky Dreamboats got a few guys right (Michael Cera, Jason Schwartzman, Justin Long) in their celebration of the word's sexiest straight-A studs, but were off the charts by naming Kayne West and Jake Gyllenhaal as geeks.
To give this post a Reverb spin, here's my top 5 list of comely music men highlighted in the book:

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SW's resident pop writer, Erika Hobart (pictured on left with Lady Gaga), will be on KIRO-710 AM tonight talking about the Jonas Brothers concert that she covered on Sunday. If you read her review, you'll know she was a little weirded out being a twenty-something reporter in a sea of screaming tweens and teens. So she'll be talking about that, and waxing on other topics of pop importance tonight at 9 p.m. during the Too Beautiful to Live segment hosted by Luke Burbank. Tune in or listen online and you'll certainly be amused.

Chantal Anderson

There have been some rumors about this online for a few months, but as of today, it looks official. VIBE Magazine is folding. It's another profound loss for the print industry of journalism, especially black journalism. Since 1993, VIBE was seen by a lot of people to be the premier black music, fashion, and lifestyle magazine for a certain demographic. Some of the best music reporting I've ever read came out of VIBE. Recent readers of the magazine might not understand that last sentence -- these haven't exactly been its glory years but I can remember incredible articles on Tupac Shakur, Wu Tang Clan, and Master P by writers who got it, and weren't just writing to sensationalize. I had a subscription when I was a teenager and learned a lot about music journalism long before I thought I'd ever get into this profession. I can remember writers and editors there like Kevin Powell, Cheo Hodari Coker, Dream Hampton, Rob Kenner, Sasha Jenkins, etc. giving me something to look forward to each month. I feel privileged to have written for them and feel sad that they're going away.

With VIBE out, that leaves only two major magazines left, XXL and The Source, covering urban culture and lifestyles. Considering how crappy The Source is (can't even remember the last time I purchase one) it looks like urban reporting at the major magazine level is dead in the water. But...I also think it's a fine time for young journalists to be witty enough to craft a new model for the future of print media (if there even is one). Blender folded earlier this year, Paste is on the skids and it doesn't look good for this industry as a whole. So folks are going to have to create something brand new that's not as dependent on advertising to survive because those dollars are gone.

Do people know that Robin Pecknold has a solo show coming up at Neumos? It's hard to tell from my vantage point: I get emails about concerts all the time -- but I feel like there isn't a big enough buzz about this show. So let me shout it out so that you hear it clearly: Robin Pecknold of the Fleet Foxes is playing a solo show at Neumos on July 11.

It's a benefit show for the Vera Project and if having Pecknold on the bill isn't good enough, Throw Me the Statue are playing as well. I've been listening to their new album which drops August 4th and I think it's a staggering piece of work. They did a good job putting it together and when it comes out, local audiences will have a whole new respect for this band.

Since this is a benefit show, paying $15 to support some amazing artists and the Vera Project is practically nothing. So buy some tickets people. But we've also got a pair of tickets to give away to this show. So if you're feeling lucky, shoot me an email with the words Vera Project in the subject line and a winner will be chosen at random next week.

Born Anchors play a free in-store at Sonic Boom in Ballard tonight at 7 p.m.. It is freeand all ages. Also, there is this:

Emilie Simon (pictured) plays the Crocodile, 8 p.m., $10

Those Europeans sure love their electronic music, and in Emilie Simon's case, we can't blame them. Simon's girlishly wispy vocals are similar to those of fellow chanteuse Charlotte Gainsbourg, only she's backed by an otherworldly aura and killer dance beats that have made her a critical and commercial success in her native France for years. She's released both floral- (The Flower Book) and plant- (Végétal) themed albums and composed the score to the original March of the Penguins. Songs like "Dame de Lotus" feature driving electric guitars and hypnotic melodies, while her music videos singularize her as impossibly cool ("Flowers" turns Simon into a claymation doll amongst a population of creepy toys, à la Tim Burton) and impossibly sexy ("Fleur de Saison" depicts her posing nude as vines wrap around her body) all at once. Yet Simon accompanies her music with exquisite lyrics that expose the tenderness underneath all that edginess. ERIN THOMPSON

For a lot of us, the past 5 days have been a non-stop Michael Jackson marathon. Even if you don't have cable and have missed the round the clock coverage regarding Jackson's life and death, folks are still playing Jackson's greatest hits at bars, clubs, or at home as a tribute to one of the best entertainers to ever life.

It's almost to a point where folks are MJ'd out. I thought I was -- until I came across this clip of a pubescent Michael -- no longer a kid, but far from the man he would become, singing with the Jackson 5. The afros in this video are out of control, the choreography is cute, and I actually wish that more R&B groups would harmonize and dance like this today.