Terrain 2010

When, where: Tonight at 5 p.m. at Music City Building, 1011 W. First Ave.

Cost: Free, all-ages welcome

Now in its third year, the Terrain Northwest Art Exhibit is becoming something of an institution for the budding indie-art scene in Spokane.

Presenting art and music that's framed by largely lesser known indie, urban, youg and up-and-coming visual and performances artists, Terrain isn't your typical First Friday fare. The event helps brings local underground art above the surface.

Previous Terrain's have seen break dance battles, psych-folk freakouts and dance parties in bank vaults, all surrounded by cutting edge visual art spawned by mostly Spokane area minds.

Terrain 2010 continues that tradition and then some. This year's expanded arts extravaganza is the stage for 64 Northwest artists presenting 179 original works plus live music by at least seven musical acts, headlined by Spokane-bred DJ James Pants. 

Stones Throw Records multi-instrumentalist and internationally renowned DJ Pants released his third album on the venerable LA-based indie label in June. While's Pants' full length debut, 2008's "Welcome," was all about retro-electro, and the followup, last year's "Seven Seals" was an excursion into psycho-cult eccentrics, the six-song EP, "The New Tropical" is Pants' ode to summer, laced with rumpshaking bass and rooted is slow-burning lo-fi love beats.

While Pants, aka James Singleton, is currently a resident of Denver, the new father and husband has been known to pop back to his former home in Spokane for special occasions in the last year, including New Year's Eve and Elk Fest. Pants returns this weekend to headline Terrain for the second year in a row, cutting genre-clashing jams from his eclectic collection of vinyl.

The rest of the Terrain '10 music bill is filled out by wax wizard DJ Likes Girls, who will be spinning records between sets and at the evening's onset; Sueno Del Verde is the new side project of experimental drum and synth duo Please Draw In Me; originally billed as a solo act, frontman Kevin Cameron is now listed as appearing with his full band, Americana scorchers Silver Treason, featuring Makers guitarist Jamie Frost; Jazz is an art-punk band led by outspoken, ghost-obsessed singer/guitarist Ramsey Troxel; members of indie-band Space Age Fur have morphed into The Soul and The Machine; Yarn Owl is is currently one of the most popular indie-folk-rock bands coming out of Pullman, highlighted by Tim Meinig, formerly of Band of Horses.

There is also an announced possible secret show Terrain organizers are not confirming because, well, then it wouldn't be a secret.

The Terrainian action continues on Saturday with the Wrap Up Party on Saturday at 10 p.m. at Mootsy's, 406 W. Sprague Ave., with sets by Portland junkbox bluegrass-punk duo Hillstomp and local punk-blues band Whiskey Dick Mountain. Cover for the Wrap Up Party is $5, 21 and older only.

Terrain music schedule:

6:30 - Sueno Del Verde (experimental)

7:30 - Silver Treason (country/Americana)

8:30 - Jazz (art-punk)

9:30 - The Soul and Machine (indie-rock)

10:30 - Yarn Owl (folk-rock)

11:30 - James Pants (electro/turntablism)

A version of this story appeared in today's Spokesman-Review Newspaper.