Reissues are the curse of any hardcore fan or collector. By being in tune with your roster of faves, you faithfully grab everything a band throws out -- great or mediocre -- often amassing a half-dozen CDs or more, depending on the band's longevity. But labels don't know the meaning of too much.

Earlimart is one of those bands that gets showered with critical praise, yet floats quietly below the mainstream radar. They’re the indie world’s version of the TV show Mad Men -- slow to develop and stridently true to what they do.

With BarlowGirl coming to Kennewick on Oct. 5, I'm going to take the chance to look at the state of Christian music. It used to be that gospel and the bombastic pop of the likes of Carmen were about all you could get your hands on. You could even throw in Amy Grant, but when she went secular pop for a bit, the backlash hinted at how hard it was for the genre to break through to the mainstream.

I tuned in to watch a bit of Fashion Rocks 5 this week, and during Beyonce's half-hearted take on Etta James' At Last, I couldn't help but think about the art of the cover song.

"Not bad for a Thursday night," a member of the Family Robinson band said settling into their set at the Red Room in Kennewick. "That's what I always say ... Every Thursday," replied band leader Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, with a laugh.

It’s been a see-saw battle for Kennewick’s Red Room in its quest to become the premier venue for indie music in the Tri-Cities. I’ve written about them several times in no uncertain terms as being a little lax in reaching their goal.

We've all done it at one point or another putting on a record to get through troubled times be it getting dumped or losing a loved one more permanently. The Dave Matthews Band on Friday at the Gorge used their own tunes to draw out their own feelings of loss for their former sax man LeRoi Moore who died just last week.

They weren't sure they'd even enter, but The Slooches out of Milton-Freewater sure were glad they did after taking top honors at the fair's battle of the bands.

There's something to get excited about at the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo -- and it's not holding your sweety while listening to Air Supply try to recreate their magic in Making Love Out of Nothing at All. It’s the fair's Battle of the Bands on Aug. 22. And its collection of local acts is about the best lineup since the Meltdown Musicfest in June.

Just before jetting out of town for the wedding (more on that later), I took in a westside act playing at the Yakima Sports Center.

There's something to be said for couples deciding to ditch the wedding DJ, grab an iPod and crank it up at their receptions.

My wife has recently become overwhelmed with my CD collection.

Tri-City Events just announced that a live 11-track CD culled from performances from the Meltdown Music Fest last month is finished.

My latest obsession has taken over the newsroom late Saturday nights. Shortly after we punch the button to send your Sunday morning paper to be printed, the lights go down, the disco lights up (not really) and I pump Girl Talk's latest album out of my tiny iMac speakers.

Remember Soundgarden's video for Black Hole Sun? It's still as clear to me as when I first saw it in 1994. My jaw dropped about as far as the distorted faces.

They say it all the time when a young singer-songwriter talks about experiences beyond his years: You have to have loved to write a love song; experience loss to write its bitter foil.

If you were as disappointed as I was when the news broke that Rocky Votolato wouldn't be coming to town because 321 Art Space closed down, this will come as good news.

It's hard to escape politics these days, even when seeking solace in music from an already terse presidential campaign.

I've made quite a few references to the Fleet Foxes over the last few weeks. I try to stop writing about them but they won't let me.

This weekend is shaping up to have some quality music goin' on in the Tri.

2008's halfway point is here and gone and it's time to assess the best.

In the middle of touring for their new album Narrow Stairs, there was little time for Bellingham's Death Cab for Cutie to spend much time doing interviews during their stop last month at Sasquatch Music Festival.

You may have heard that Wilco will be making a stop in Spokane on Aug. 21 at the INB performing arts center. But another interesting tidbit is that the band will be performing at the Jackson Hole Music Festival in Wyoming on Aug. 16-17.

This year's Sasquatch Music Festival probably blew up the template for every other prior incarnation of the event. About 60,000 people enjoyed great bands, great performances and great weather (for the most part).

Whew. What a weekend.

GEORGE — You wouldn't think an acoustic guitar duo would be a big draw at a massive indie and rock festival where big names like The Cure, R.E.M. and the Flaming Lips garner the most attention.

GEORGE — The Hives, a Swedish garage rock/ punk band, were the first major band to play the main stage Monday at Sasquatch.

GEORGE — In contrast to how I felt about The Cure, Seattle's Death Cab for Cutie took a crowd already amped up by Michael Franti's set and took it a step further.

GEORGE — I wasn't sure about this last night, so I had to sleep on it.

GEORGE — If there was award for "perfect artist pick at the perfect time," then it would go to the Sasquatch organizers for picking Michael Franti and Spearhead right now.

GEORGE — I watched a crew of workers in orange jumpsuits begin to prop up a massive red, yellow and blue circus tent Saturday at Sasquatch.

GEORGE — Canadian duo Tegan and Sara were awfully chatty today at Sasquatch.

GEORGE — Two great bands from California just put on two great sets this afternoon at Sasquatch.

GEORGE -- I jinxed it. It's just after noon, and it's pouring.

GEORGE, Wash. — A great start to the Sasquatch festival overall.

GEORGE, Wash. — It was two years ago that I saw Neko Case at Sasquatch.

GEORGE, Wash. — I wouldn't call him a rock star, but Rainn Wilson (The Office) just came out.

GEORGE, Wash. — I’m finally here at Sasquatch after a trans-Canadian horror story that involved me losing a lot of sleep and my cell phone.

The odyssey begins. The Sasquatch Music Festival has arrived. I've been marking down the days and making mental notes of how this is all going to play out. Tent ... check. Gallons upon gallons of water ... check. Notebook, camera ... check. Band schedules ... check.

It's become en vogue over the past few years -- time-honored bands putting forth a dramatic return to form after slowly drifting from what their loyal fan base coalesced around in the first place.

When was the last time you heard of a band blowing up in the Tri-Cities?

“I’d be a roadie if I was younger,” says Rocel Dimmick as she settled into her chair recently in the coffee shop at Hastings in Richland.

It's not every day that the Tri-Cities gets a new venue with promoters who have the taste to bring in indie acts like Brooklyn, N.Y.'s Man Man (toured with Modest Mouse) and Virginia's Erin McKeown.

There's nary a spot in the Tri-Cities with enough foot traffic to prompt a musician to plop down and play for passers-by. Although, I did hear a guy slaughtering American Pie in front of a Tri-City liquor store around Christmas.

Ever had a dream shattered? And I’m not talking about Santa Claus here -- that’s just part of growing up. More like someone you’ve idolized. Many a Little Leaguer can identify with the recent steroids inquisition ... but mine popped up again last week with the 25th anniversary release of Thriller.

There was a gaping hole in my preview of upcoming summer music festivals two weeks ago. The Gorge's Sasquatch Festival had yet to announce its Memorial Day lineup. But after hunting for a little more info, I turned up a reader-generated blog from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that says the lineup will be announced Feb. 25.

It's Grammy time ... and there are so many questions. Will Amy Winehouse get her due even though she's gone completely batty? Will Kanye West throw another conniption fit even if he doesn't win? Well, space doesn't allow breaking down a record 110 categories, so here's the skinny on what the major players will do:

While scouring the music blogs this week, I saw on Pitchforkmedia.com that Death Cab for Cutie recently announced the title for their new album, Narrow Stairs.

Radio conglomeration's ugly effect on the airwaves is no more evident than here in the Tri-Cities. Sure you can hear country, top 40 and rock when you want it, but what if you're looking for something new? Radiohead just had a brief spot at the top of the Billboard charts, but did you hear them on any of our major stations?

Just as former Idols were being dropped from labels like overhyped teams in the NFL playoffs, American Idol came back in what will likely be a triumphant return to form.

I tried hard not to delve back into 2007, but the recent spate of music in movies has been too impressive to ignore. All in the latter half of the year, Hollywood put out some amazing movies where music doesn't just provide a soundtrack -- it drives the plot.

So here it is -- my top 10. We’re not one of those mega mags that get shipped every release under the sun, so there’s still much out there that I’ll have to claim ignorance to. What follows are the albums I purchased this year that have found a steady place to stay at home in my CD player and/or iPod. Some surprises maybe, but regardless, these picks won’t disappoint.

As if there weren't enough Osmonds in the world already, Marie Osmond made thousands more feel like they were part of the family Dec. 20 at Toyota Center in Kennewick.

This year in music was just like any other lately if you didn't know where to look for the good stuff. Radio and music videos were dominated by the usual suspects like Rhianna and Fergie beckoning you with sexy curves rather than groundbreaking tunes.

Something inherently changes in you when you get married. It's been a full two months since the wedding, and I haven't struggled with these changes any more than right now.

Is fame the overriding goal for any musician? It seems like it is these days because what good is your music if people aren't hearing it --? You know, the old tree crashing in the woods adage.