Seattle's the Snakebites are back...and when I say back, I mean with their first album in a decade! That's due for a pretty damn huge celebration, and that's exactly what's going to happen. The Snakebites are having two separate release shows for Blue Curse #2 - one at the LoFi Gallery in Seattle on the 22nd and one in Portland at the Kenton Club on the 23rd. What's extra chill about this, is that two Portland bands will be helping the Snakebites (and other Seattle band Prom Queen) with their release parties. Former Deli Portland Artist of the Month nominees and lovely bunnies Laura Palmer's Death Parade will be joined by dark poppers the Slutty Hearts as the part of the Portland support team for both shows. 

Come out and join the party! Tickets for the Kenton Club show are $5 and the show starts at 9pm. 

"In the pocket" is a phrase used by music geeks to describe bands that are just... feeling it. And after a few years and some lineup changes, Portland's Slutty Hearts are there. Watch the closed-eyed communication between the band as singer Marisa Laurelle bashes a cymbal with a tambourine, smiling out lyrics about love crimes, and you'll see the prowess of musicians that have paid their dues. The confidence of their live set is obvious, yet there is a vulnerability that brings them to the level of the crowd. Combining the gritty realness of punk with the slick veneer of pop without sounding forced and pretentious isn't easy, but this band does it effortlessly - and with style. Catch them at the Trillium in Hood River July 3rd, or when they'll be covering the Kinks for Ray Davies Day at Bunk Bar July 15. - Just Dave