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Kay Kay & His Weathered Underground, We are Wiley & more in This Week in Indie (part 1)

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground – He Momma (MP3)

Jon Wiley
Lightspeed Champion

It’s another busy weekend of shows, so much so I’m breaking this week’s TWiI into two parts. First and foremost on tonight’s (7/9) agenda is the We Are the Wiley benefit at the Shank featuring Lightspeed Champion, Adam Green and Chairlift. Besides being a great lineup in and of its own, the money goes to a good cause. As you may have read in an earlier post, Jon Wiley — who fronts Spacecamp when he isn’t playing in Adam Green and Lightspeed Champion or being an all-around good guy — had a scare earlier this year that left him diagnosed with MS, and a mountain of medical bills. Like most musicians out there, Jon’s has no insurance so please come tonight and help out. The event is co-sponsored by Wanduta, a new national organization designed to support and protect independent musicians, and all proceeds go towards Jon’s medical bills.

And you’ll get to see Lightspeed Champion play his killer new stuff (he was great at Mercury Lounge a couple weeks back), headliners Chairlift who have gotten better as a live band every time I’ve seen them, and the always unpredictable Adam Green. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Spacecamp didn’t play a couple songs too, seeing as they’re the backing band for both Adam and Lightspeed. Admission is $15 and is 21+.

Kay Kay and his Weathered Underground
Kay Kay and his Weather Underground

Philadelphia’s Mewithoutyou and Atlanta’s The Dear Hunter (not Deerhunter) and on tour together and are playing tonight (7/9) at Music Hall of Williamsburg and tomorrow (7/10) at Bowery Ballroom. But I’m not hear to talk about them. Opening for both shows are Seattle’s Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground who are one of the city’s best bands though maybe you’ve never heard of them as they don’t play outside of their hometown too often. A musical collective that expands and contracts anywhere from 10 to 15 depending on the show, Kay Kay are led by Kirk Huffman and Kyle O’Quin who have other many bands on thier own. (Huffman in particular stays very busy.) Their self-titled debut is clearly in love with the lush, baroque pop of the late ’60s and early ’70s: think The Zombies (or Colin Blunstone’s first solo album), The Left Banke, and Harry Nilsson. If you wanted more recent comparisons, Jellyfish, Jason Falkner or The Format. It holds up to those comparisons pretty well too, as you can hear on their highly-recommend self-titled debut, which was released on vinyl and digitally last year and came out on CD in May of this year. It’s too bad they aren’t doing a headling date of their own somewhere, but who knows when they’ll make it back this way?

Those Darlins @ Bowery Ballroom (more by Toby Tenenbaum)
Those Darlins

And a couple other recommended shows tonight: I’ve been really enjoying Those Darlins‘ just-released debut album which is sort of like garage rock Tammy Wynette — and they are a lot of fun live. The whole bill is solid: Jon Spencer’s rockabilly explosion Heavy Trash, and the amazing Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers. And if you can’t make it tonight, they play Southpaw tomorrow (7/10) with Country Mice and the So So Glow.

Finally, if you haven’t seen The Drums yet, they play Public Assembly tonight, but you’ve got lots of chances to see them.

Tour dates, videos and flyers after the jump….

Lightspeed Champion

The Drums

Lightspeed Champion w/Spacecamp – Mercury Lounge 6.17.2009

Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground – “Momma”

Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground – 2009 Tour Dates
07.09.09 Brooklyn, NY. @ The Music Hall of Williamsburgh w/ me without you and the dear hunter
07.10.09 New York City, NY. @ The Bowery Ballroom w/ me without you and the dear hunter
07.11.09 Boston, MA. @ The Middle East Downstairs w/ me without you and the dear hunter
09.05.09 Seattle, WA. @ Bumbershoot Arts Festival – The EMP

Those Darlins – “Wild One”

Those Darlins – 2009 Tour Dates
Jul 9 Mercury Lounge New York, New York
Jul 10 Southpaw CD RELEASE w/ We Are Country Mice and The So So Glos Brooklyn, New York
Jul 11 Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jul 13 Club Cafe Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Jul 14 Beachland Tavern Cleveland, Ohio
Jul 15 The Pike Room at The Crofoot Pontiac, Michigan
Jul 16 Radio Radio Indianapolis, Indiana
Jul 17 Schuba’s Chicago, Illinois
Jul 18 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, Minnesota
Jul 20 Rock Island Brewing Company Rock Island, Illinois
Jul 21 Slowdown Omaha, Nebraska
Jul 22 vaudeville Mews Des Moines, Iowa
Jul 23 The Record Bar Kansas City, Missouri
Jul 24 Off Broadway St. Louis, Missouri
Jul 25 Hi-Tone Memphis, Tennessee
Aug 29 Courtyard Cafe Urbana, Illinois
Sep 12 Original Highland Festival Louisville, Kentucky
Sep 18 Bristol Roots and Reunion Festival Bristol, Tennessee
Sep 19 Bristol Roots and Reunion Festival Bristol, Tennessee

The Drums – 2009 Tour Dates
Jul 09 – JezebelMusic.com July Feature Show @ Public Assembly – Brooklyn *
Jul 22 – The Bell House w/ My Teenage Stride, Paul and the Patients, New Numbers – Brooklyn
Jul 24 – Europa – Hartford, Connecticut
Jul 29 – LIT w/ The Americans, Tiny Fights, Street Gnar – New York
Jul 30 – Sound Fix Presents THE DRUMS @ Rooftop Films! (outdoor show!) – Brooklyn
Aug 05 – Great Scott – Boston
Aug 07 – Don Hill’s / Mondo indie dance party – New York
Aug 14 – Glasslands w/ Racoon Fighter, The Sundelles, and TBA – Brooklyn
Aug 29 – INSOUND 10 Year Anniversary bash! (daytime show!) – Greenpoint
Aug 29 – Littlefield – After The Jump Show – Brooklyn
Oct 21 – Santos – Oh My Rockness CMJ showcase – New York

*w/ Living Days, Zambri, and Kordanë