OurStage

...And this one also stopped in to grab some of that delish Lapsang Zhivago tea (okay, among you coffee drinking nerds, even my fave Lapsang Souchong is an acquired taste, but hey...) at Sureshot coffee, and guess what? There was this kickass band playing (they're called 'Radiolake', and they have the coolest femme drummer who can really bang those skins baby!). They sound like 'Band of Horses' meets Nirvana and gets tweaked by this one's fave band, 'Dead Confederate', and yet they're so original and so refreshingly original. Way better than those clone bands that all sound alike and look alike these days. Very much like the bands this one loved when she was just moving to Seattle from Chicago, in '87, before the evil condo conversion of every piece of land happened to this evil, little city. They'll be playing at The Skylark (in West Seattle, and a place this one hopes to sample for her other column in The Seattle Sinner) on April 11th, at Flight's in Everett on April 25th and at Bop Street Records in Ballard on May 17th. Go see these guys, and fall deeply, happily in love with them as this one has. Oh, and they have an ep with songs on it this one hopes will weave themselves into the television show she hopes is made from the serial story, 'Young Blues' (in this very column!) someday dahlings. Do see the female drummer in the next print version of this column in two weeks in Seattle Gay News. You'll see, Olga rock (that's her name my little spring tulips).

Do-it-yourself (DIY) bands are the norm these days. Any band with modest talent, a computer, and some software can crank out, at the least, a tolerable record. In the league of DIY, Radiolake is an A-list act. This electrifying group is hard working both on and off stage. When they’re not entertaining fans, they’re at home recording. The members also pitch in with other band tasks. Percussionist Olga Moreno, is a prolific graphic artist and designs Radiolake’s gig posters. Lead guitarist Brandon "Norm" Smith is the band’s recording engineer. Frontman and rhythm guitarist Lee Lester is laid back, crooning lyrics waxing poetic about life in general. An allure to Lester’s voice calls attention. Smith’s guitar stylings are fluid and precise, reflecting Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and Coldplay’s shimmering rock. And Moreno’s full-on-assault drumming style stays with you long after hearing the final beat. Lester often reminisces about starting the band at midnight on January 1, 2007 in Radiolake’s hometown of Moses Lake, Washington. He says that it was Moreno’s natural talent that convinced him there was something more. The group moved to Seattle in the summer of 2007 and has been a regular favorite at West Seattle’s Skylark Café. "Earlier on we were edgier and more in your face," Lester says. "Now we’re all about structure and melody." Moreno adds, "Yeah, more refined." A debut album is in the works. Influences include Band of Horses, Death Cab for Cutie, and Youth Group. For more band info, check out www.myspace.com/radiolake