death cab for cutie at the grammy awards, lifted from HRO who probably took it from getty.

Via Hipster Runoff [#], a photo of Death Cab for Cutie sporting blue ribbons to raise awareness of an important issue facing the music industry:

“Autotuning is a digital manipulation, a correction of a singer’s voice that is affecting literally thousands of singers today and thousands of records that are coming out,” said the group’s frontman, Ben Gibbard. “So we just want to raise awareness while we’re here and try to bring back the blue note. … The note that’s not so perfectly in pitch and just gives the recording some soul and some kind of real character. [associatedpress]

Way to go guys, but I’m pretty sure the last track on the Bon Iver EP is a joke. Right?

* 7:00 PM: Zoe Weil, author of Most Good, Least Harm: A Simple Principle for a Better World and Meaningful Life, is at U-District UW Bookstore to discuss how we can live a life that improves conditions for ourselves, others, and the planet. Weil is co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education and author of Above All, Be Kind: Raising a Humane Child in Challenging Times.
[LINK]

* 7:30 PM: Town Hall Seattle, Pacific Science Center, and University Bookstore present author Jonah Lehrer, author of the brilliant Proust Was A Neuroscientist, to discuss his new book, How We Decide. I’ve never had the privilege of hearing Lehrer speak, but his writing is clear, fluid, and interesting. Highly recommended reading! In the Great Hall, Town Hall Seattle, $5.
[LINK]

* 7:30 PM: Seattle poet David Horowitz visits Elliott Bay Book Co. to read and sign his fourth collection, Stars Beyond the Battlesmoke. Read excerpts from his work [here].
[LINK]

a new generation of kindles will be shipped in late february.

It turns out that most of the rumors and leaks were accurate. Today Amazon announced a brand new, prettied up, thinner and taller version of kindle, their wireless electronic ink portable reading device. While I was kind of skeptical of version 1.0 and am slightly embarrassed to admit that my own reading rate hardly justifies the purchase, I will admit that I was thoroughly impressed when I played around with a kindle at home over the holidays last year. The latest, at the same $359 price point, looks even slicker and more tempting. But because Jeff Bezos and Stephen King showed off the new version in NYC instead of in Amazon’s own beautiful hometown of Seattle, we’ll have to rely on second-hand hands-on accounting from shinier, happier bloggers who got a chance get their paws on it this morning at the Morgan Library for first impressions. [gizmodo]

Wallingford purveyor Trophy Cupcakes is making the jump across I-5 to University Village, if this window announcement is to believed. Now nearby residents won’t have to make the cross-town trek to Royale in Ballard. We wonder if this means that the Village is becoming more hip, or if indie cupcakes have gone mainstream.

this caucasian quintet will be bringing to funny to seattle on monday

the Whitest Kids U Know graduated from live sketches to YouTube to a television show on IFC. While laughing at their absurdist antics from your couch or desk (depending on how work-appropriate your office considers skits featuring, for instance, a corporate executive forced through bondage gone awry to bring an asian prostitute to a board meeting) has its own appeal, laughing at them on stage as part of an audience of other laughing people while servers bring you cocktails is far more classic.

They’ll be taking their show on the road and stopping at the Triple Door on Monday. We’ve got a pair of tickets so that one of you can experience the hilarity live and in person for free. Hurry and send and e-mail to seattle.metblogs at gmail.com with “wkuk” and I’ll pick a winner by Monday morning.

// 9 February, 21+, doors at 7, show at 9pm $15 [tripledoor]

With a wonderfully sunny week behind us, what better way to usher in a classic Seattle winter weekend than with rain, rain, and rain? Hopefully the clouds will break long enough to get the little ones their vitamin D fix, but since the odds are stacked against it, there’s plenty of indoor (and covered outdoor) fun awaiting Puget Sound families this weekend. At least we’re not competing with the Superbowl for things to do.

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Ghosts of the Great Hall: Pirates, Shipwrecks and Lost Treasures
Experience this popular educational exhibit, open one-time only to the public. Receive a map of the Museum’s Great Hall and wander through, seeing historical figures talk about their past, photos, and documents on display. Figures include D.B. Cooper, Francis Drake and more.

Date: 02/07/2009
Time: 1-3 p.m.
Place: Washington State History Museum, Tacoma
All ages, $6-$8 for general admission

Museums on Us
If you’re a Bank of America cardholder or employee then head to the Museum for free the first weekend of the month! View the exhibits, participate in any workshops and maybe even find a new appreciation for art.

Date: 02/07/2009 – 02/08/2009
Time: During museum hours
Place: Tacoma Art Museum
All ages, Free to BofA cardholders

CampFair
Don’t miss one of the largest camp fairs in Washington. Find the perfect summer camp or program at CampFair 2009. Meet representatives from over 75 camps and programs for all ages, preschool to adult, including day and overnight camps.

Date: 02/07/2009
Time: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Place: St. Thomas School, 8300 N.E. 12th St., Medina
All ages, Free

Ethnic Celebration
Share the tastes, sights and sounds of the various cultures of the community. Take in the International Marketplace, ethnic demonstrations, kids activities, and two stages of music and dance.

Date: 02/07/2009
Time: 10 a.m.
Place: Washington Center for the Performing Arts, Olympia
All ages, Free
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* 7:00 PM: Julia Alvarez visits Adams Elementary School to celebrate the Second Annual Adams Reads the Same Book. Adams Elementary students read Tia Lola, although Alvarez is promoting her new book, Return To Sender.
[LINK]

* 7:00 PM: Jim Shultz, co-author of Dignity and Defiance: Stories from Bolivia’s Challenge to Globalization, talks about Bolivia’s grassroots movements to control the exploitation of the country and people’s resources. Shultz is founder and executive director of the Democracy Center. UW Kane Hall, room 310.
[LINK]

* 7:00 PM: Kathleen Rooney, author of Live Nude Girl: My Life As An Object, and Kyle Minor, author of In the Devil’s Territory, are joined by local author Jonathan Evison (All About Lulu), at UW U-District Bookstore.
[LINK]

* 7:30 PM: Poets Andrew Joron and Andrew Zawacki visit Open Books: A Poem Emporium.
[LINK]