You know you’re getting older when you get asked to play the band in a big TV commercial, and it’s an ad for lite beer. Still, it’s something of a coup that Seattle’s thinking man’s bar band Shuggie will kick out the jams at the Showbox Thursday, singing about Bud Lite’s cool, crisp flavor for the cameras. Don’t try to crash the party, though; the audience has been carefully selected for maximum telegenic rockage. . . . New York indie label Tiger Style just can’t keep their mitts off Seattle’s hot properties. They’ve signed 764-HERO, who’ll record later this year for a 2002 release. Tiger Style also dashed local label Barsuk‘s hopes of adding the American Analog Set to their roster, alongside the likes of Death Cab for Cutie and Sunset Valley. The Austin band went with the New York label rather than join the Barsuk team and will issue their next disc later this summer. . . . Pedro the Lion have decided to camp out in the studio a while longer, pushing back the release of the already titled Control to mid-2002. . . . And no one should be too surprised to hear that the sun has finally set on Sunny Day Real Estate. No official word, but straight from one of the horse’s mouths, so we’ll believe it. Done’s the word also on Bay Area major-label hopefuls Creeper Lagoon. Doesn’t anyone stay together any more? At least for the kids? . . . Now, on to the shows: We were torn between Cinerama and Mogwai last Tuesday, but figured that seeing what David Gedge is up to should take top priority. Good thing, because openers the Magic Magicians once again made us tingle with their heartfelt indie valentines to AM rock. They also graced the audience with one very special FM moment, a sweet and sexy cover from the esteemed catalog of New Jack swinger and KUBE superstar Usher. Between sets, a run to the Showbox for a smidgen of Mogwai was greeted with the words, “Sorry

ladies, they’re on the last song.” Of course, in Mogwai Land, that meant a solid 25 minutes more wall-of-sound boombastics. A mere half-hour later, our ears filled with the sweet ring of tinnitus and our internal organs properly liquefied, DOON headed back to the Croc, where it turns out all the hopeful Wedding Present fans were in for some crazy luck. Last time through town, Gedge didn’t even mention his better-known band; this time he offered no less than four WP tunes, including ripping renditions of “Blue Eyes” and “Bewitched.” . . . After seeing Kingsbury Manx crank the volume to 11 and carefully blend Appalachia with psychedelia at the Crocodile Friday night, we’re convinced of the North Carolina band’s prowess. As if that weren’t enough, Calexico followed them to the stage and whipped up a weird concoction of rock, mariachi, and free jazz, augmenting the usual band arrangement with pedal steel, vibraphone, and muted trumpet. . . . Red House Painters had a tough show to follow Saturday at the Croc, but Mark Kozelek and company came through with a refined, almost stately set. The usually prickly singer and actor—he’s following up his appearance in Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous with a role in Crowe’s next film—was on his best behavior, though he did get in a few jabs at the sports bar-like venue the band played in Portland the night before. . . . Because there is no such thing as too much indie rock, DOON also took in the Doves gig at the Showbox Sunday night. The crowd appeared thin for openers the Webb Brothers, a Chicago band whose album Maroon just came out on June 5, despite being released to wide acclaim in England like a year ago. Business picked up by the time Doves hit the stage, but you had to wonder if The End‘s influence is waning. The station’s played the single “Catch the Sun” to death, and they went to the trouble of hanging about 600 banners around the

Showbox, yet the place was only half full. . . . Among the general freakie-deeks running through Fremont Friday night, look for the supersized Sonic Boom squad; the beloved record store has signed up more than 100 runners for a team that’ll sprint 3 miles to the finish line. . . . Remember when we said we were absolutely done with all the Sigur R�B> talk? And you believed us? That was so cute. Anyway, you’ll forgive us when we give you a Web address where you can watch their video in Quicktime: www.bolditalic.com/sigur.mov. See now, wasn’t that worth it?

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