Some artists we enjoy: 31 Knots, Air, At The Drive-in, The Beastie Boys, Beck, Blonde Redhead, Book Of Maps, Built To Spill, Cursive, The Dead Science, Death Cab for Cutie, The Detachment Kit, The Dismemberment Plan, Dr. Dre, Elliott Smith, Explosions In the Sky, Garrison Starr, Gentle Giant, Gillian Welch, Les Savy Fav, Le Tigre, LKN, Ludacris, Mahavishnu Orchestra, The Mars Volta, Menomena, M.I.A., Minus the Bear, Modest Mouse, Mogwai, Outkast, Portugul. The Man, Quasi, Queen, Radiohead, Rainer Maria, Regina Spektor, Rilo Kiley, Rush, Shannon Wright, Silversun Pickups, Sleater-Kinney, Snoop Dogg, Spoon, These Arms Are Snakes, The Unicorns, The Velvet Teen, Tegan and Sara, Versus, Viva Voce, Weezer, Yes.
Rad Seattle bands you should know:
Conservative Dad, Juhu Beach, We Wrote The Book On Connectors, Zero State Reflex, Panther Attack, Hungry Pines, Lake Of Falcons, 1-2-1-2, Madraso, The Resets, X-Ray Press, Kiss Her For the Kid, Danielli, Ms. Led, Tennis Pro, Town Crier, A Gun That Shoots Knives, Open Choir Fire, Biography of Ferns, Shorthand For Epic, Iceage Cobra, The Whore Moans, Thee Emergency, Blue Scholars, Exempli Gratia, Ghost Stories, Heather Duby, Magneto, Phobophobe, Blue Light Curtain, Key Note Speaker, Diamond Cut Diamond, Post Harbor, Bronze Fawn, Bad Dream Good Breakfast, Megasapien, The Endeavors, Scarlet Room, this list will continue to grow.
Sounds Like
Rumblefish
"Naming her musical outfit after a canyon in Missoula, Montana, Jamie Henkensiefken’s H is For Hellgate creates stripped down, straight up, progressive indie rock with an earnest minimalism that takes listeners back to those important moments in life (breaking up, making up, letting go)."
NadaMucho.com
"H Is For Hellgate churn out tricky indie-prog constructions onstage with little apparent effort. The boys in the group mug and pose endearingly, while the two young women sternly apply themselves to the serious task of rocking the hell out. They were my favorite local discovery of 2007, and I try not to miss any of their Seattle shows."
Seattle P.I.
"A fascinating blend of folk, pop, indie rock, progressive rock and classical, with a hefty dose of riot grrrl energy. "
Three Imaginary Girls
"[H Is for Hellgate] is a welcome, quirky addition to the Northwest oeuvre of indie-rock. "
Seattle Weekly
"H Is for Hellgate evoke flashes of early Liz Phair, delivered with a prog-rocker's ear for arrangements"
Out There Monthly
"And when she nearly whispers, 'I can't tell you anything you haven't already heard from Ben Gibbard,' you're mostly inclined to believe the opposite."
Disheveled
"The Seattle Quartet’s new album on Stereotype records is a compelling work. Jamie Henkensiefken wrote and engineered a CD that runs through many genres. The music is as much progressive, as it is indie-rock. It has danceable hooks and progressive breaks. The music is tight, the songwriting is excellent"
Cursive Mag 1.1
"I hate Jamie Henkensiefken: she makes the music I wish I made, and makes me dance to it."
Eugene Weekly
"Their music is straightforward rock, loaded with heavy guitar. Henkensiefken's moody vocals and socially conscious lyrics recall the early low-fi sound of Sleater-Kinney."
Missoula Independent
"Parts of the album wander through territory similar to the indie rock she's recorded simply as Henkensiefken. This time around, though...she's also experimened with instrumental songwriting heavily rooted in her appreciation for classical music as well as 'some straight up pop songs too, which I have a place in my heart for.'"
Seattle PI
"Jamie Henkensiefken severs the biting, unpredictable guitars from math rock and grafts them onto riot grrrl-style dirges on this debut. The result is simultaneously cold and calculating and passionate. In short, it's human."
**ABOUT H IS FOR HELLGATE**
When Jamie Henkensiefken transplanted herself to Seattle in 2002, she brought with her the spirit and sound of her hometown, Missoula, Montana, and its infamous Hellgate Canyon, known for it's fierce cold winds, but also for its majestic and ominous beauty. It seemed a natural encapsulation of her songwriting: articulate, urgency-driven guitars paired with the subtle elegance of mild-mannered craftsmanship, so she borrowed its name.
In 2006, Jamie self-recorded the self-titled H Is for Hellgate debut record in her basement, on which she played every instrument under the influence of post-work exasperation and red wine. In the process, she met bassist Ben Baier (We Wrote the Book on Connectors), and guitarist David Thomas, (Zero State Reflex)who both contributed on a few tracks. With Drummer Marie Calderon, the transformation of her solo act into a 4-piece band was complete, and the band quickly started playing locally. Jamie almost punched a girl at their first show at a party at her old house, but "that's kind of a long story."
H Is for Hellgate's sound is a unique blend of indie rock (think The Dismemberment Plan, Sleater-Kinney, Black Mountain) and Progressive Rock (Mahavishnu Orchestra, The Mars Volta). This is to say that it rocks with brains in its head and isn't afraid to take chances. The album is diverse, tight, and extremely musical.
JAMIE HENKENSIEFKEN HAS PLAYED SHOWS WITH:
Firey Furnaces, The Long Winters, The Forecast, The Used, Les Savy Fav, Erase Errata, The Butchies, Bitch and Animal, Tracy + the Plastics, The Gossip, New End Original, The Divorce, Jen Wood, Scream Club, many more.
H IS FOR HELLGATE HAS PLAYED SHOWS WITH:
Kelley Stoltz, Vetiver, Earlimart, Tiny Vipers, Idiot Pilot, Voyager One
We're done recording of our second album at Avast! in Seattle. HOORAY! Check back for the release date and subsequent tour(s). Or, if you're too lazy to check back, sign up for our mailing list below and we'll let you know when we're playing and where you can get the next record.
Request the new stuff on the radio! Drop a line to KEXP or rainydawg.org.
Last night was the live music equivalent of sinking a three-point shot at the final buzzer... when you were already winning the damned game by a million points.
"An artist is someone who produces things that people don't need to have but that he - for some reason - thinks it would be a good idea to give them."
Andy Warhol ------------------------------------ so on that note , here is a reminder to all U U's out there in myspaceland ..........incase you didnt know or receive the cordial invitation ............. our new little debut EP "Phazes" is out and available to U
for a limited time free dowload ! ! !
it is 4 your listening Pleasuah
:> VV
PS if you already have downloaded or have a copy, then thanks a gazillion, and thanks for being a power animal
CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NOISE 4 THE NEEDY TRIPLE THREAT!!! H is for HungrySeaSharks. yeah! and btw, Jamie we're dopplegangers / ted kopplegangers!!! at a couple of Pines shows i've had a total of 3 people come up to me and say, "wait, you're not Jamie". true!
Great show last night--you shredded, as always. Jamie H. is god, and great with A.D.D. kids!! Great hanging with y'all--you've always got a place to crash here!!
You should cancel your show in Edmonds and come watch us at the Comet. We'll give you a cookie and some bubble gum...now how is that not a screaming fucking deal???!
