Tonight in Seattle: Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Fang Island, and more!

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, The New Law, Justin Timbreline @ Barboza | 8/05 | $12 Adv (Get Tickets) | Doors at 8pm | 21+

Photo by Andy Willsher

Preview by Bebe Besch:

You know everything you hate about the seriousness of dance, electronic, and even dubstep music? Throw those things away and you’re left with Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (abbreviated as TEED), the dance project of Oxford’s Orlando Higginbottom. With entertainment and enjoyment in mind, Higginbottom has successfully crafted his debut LP, Trouble, released on June 12, which celebrates the lighter side of electronic music by incorporating vibrant dance melodies with the layering of his own vocals.

What’s more, Higginbottom knows you’re paying for proper entertainment at one of his shows. In the live setting, a Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs show is known for elaborate light set-ups, glitter canons, dancing dinosaurs, and Higginbottom’s always extravagant dinosaur costumes or head pieces. Recently Higginbottom even held a fan contest where submissions were taken for the next TEED headpiece. A fan’s involvement and fun experience has always been the main concern for a TEED show – ensuring everyone enjoys themselves. It’s unknown when the new headpiece will make its live debut, but it’s certain TEED will provide more than your average dance party this Sunday night at Barboza’s stage.

‘Extinct’ might by in Higginbottom’s stage title, but the night will be contradictorily alive with his songs, especially as he will be preceded by the work of local producers The New Law, who create organic and instrumental synth hip-hop, as well as Justin Timbreline who will take the stage first for the night.

Fang Island, Zechs Marquise, Jenny Invert @ The Crocodile | 8/5 | $10adv (Get Tickets) | 8PM | All Ages

(Fang Island) Photo Credit: Mike Garten

Preview by Mark Naborzyck:

Fang Island are bringing their “Party Rock” tour to The Croc on Sunday. Let me reiterate – the “Party Rock” tour. Need I say more? With infectiously uplifting hooks, smartly crafted songs and enough riffs to resuscitate Thin Lizzy, Fang Island are quickly becoming a media darling and the antithesis to the recent trend of ditching instruments for Mac Books and drum machines. This Brooklyn trio is the new definition for what the summer should sound like.

Coming off of their buzz-bin popularity for 2010’s self-titled album, Fang Island went back in the studio to approach the ever feared sophomore follow-up. What came out of it was, Major, a blisteringly anthemic 45 minutes of music that makes you feel like you can climb Mt. Everest and slay a yeti. This is celebration rock. This should be arena rock and they’ll surely play at volumes loud enough to try and peel the paint off of The Crocodile’s walls.

It’s the peak of summer; crack open a beer, bring your best air guitar and brace your neck for a night of rock. Before Fang Island takes the stage, El Paso’s Zechs Marquise will bring you their funky space-age brand of instrumental psychedelia. If Ennio Morricone scored westerns that took place in the cosmos with heavy distortion, reverb and a bag full of Wah Wah pedals, this is what the score would sound like. With three members sharing the same bloodline as Omar Rodriguez Lopez, guitarist for At The Drive-In and The Mars Volta, it should come as no surprise that this will be a full on guitar assault.

Opening for the night will be Seattle’s own, Jenny Invert. With their up-tempo, vaudeville style of piano balladry, they should get this, “Party Rock,” crowd started on the right note.

Sure, you might be reluctant to come out for a show on a Sunday night. Even if you party a little too hard though, these anthems, still coursing through your muscle memory, will wake you up with enough energy Monday morning to make sure you’ll still make it to work at 9am.