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New Music You Shouldn’t Miss  – The Stranger

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New Music You Shouldn’t Miss  – The Stranger


Lucha Luna
Brilla Brilla
(Self-Released)

One of Seattle’s most interesting new groups, Lucha Luna consists of vocalist Eva Vazquez and percussionist/synth manipulator Thomas Arndt. You may know Arndt as percussionist for exceptional eclecticists Day Soul Exquisite and Vazquez for her time in Toxic Tears and Savi. On their debut album, Brilla Brilla, they team up for a tantalizing fusion of reggaeton, punk, cumbia, and EDM.

In a 2024 Slog post on Day Soul Exquisite, Arndt revealed their immersion in Brazilian music, and the intro to opening track “Ritmo Eternal” appears to contain an arresting riff on berimbau, a single-stringed Afro-Brazilian instrument that produces a wonderfully warped twang. Eventually, a beautifully eerie keyboard melody sparkles over a menacing yet celebratory rhythm and synth bass, as Vazquez sings in Spanish with steely resolve. Throughout these seven songs, she’s a commanding presence on the mic, ranging from punkish agitation to heart-fluttering featheriness. “Manzana Prohibida” is as exhilaratingly tense as PiL circa Metal Box, as Vazquez sings with a gripping urgency. On “Camino por la Noche,” unusual, metallic percussion timbres and ill Roland 303 blurges cohere into a vibrantly dirge-y cumbia white-knuckler. With its superb dynamics and arrangements, interesting array of instruments, and extranjero percussive timbres, “Camino por la Noche” exemplifies Lucha Luna’s specialness.

A lot of Latin-diaspora music sounds cloyingly cheerful (I know, it’s a me problem), but Lucha Luna add a welcome degree of edginess and distortion to these styles. They excel at threading post-punk darkness with Latin American rhythmic sabor. There just isn’t much in Seattle that sounds like Lucha Luna. ¡Respeto!

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Black Viiolet
Dark Blue
(Adrenalin Fix)

Nicole Laurenne plays organ and sings with the Darts, a femme-powered Seattle quartet who kick garage rock into vibrant new life with fishnet-stocking-clad legs, as evidenced by their new album, Halloween Love Songs. But moonlighting as Black Viiolet, the multi-instrumentalist/songwriter goes off on a radical tangent into torch-song trip-hop.

Like an American Amy Whitehouse fronting a jazz-loving Morcheeba, Black Viiolet traipses into familiar territory, but she imbues Dark Blue’s songs with alluring mystique and lyrics informed by the ache of being away from your new lover while you’re doing something you love, i.e., touring. Laurenne wrote these 13 tracks in the Darts’ van while on the road, and you can feel the longing in them. Absence makes the words burn brighter.

Laurenne’s nuanced singing—which would make the late David Lynch stub out his cigarette with gusto and pay close attention—dominates, but her deft keyboard playing and beatmaking elevate the music to the top 10 percent of this overcrowded field. Drummer Gregg Ziemba, double bassist Evan Strauss, trombonist Basile Conand, trumpeter Jean-Gatien Pasquier, and saxophonist Paul Cadier fill out the noir-ish portraits with restrained, impressionist daubs and a soupçon of funk. The result makes any listener feel way more sophisticated and rich than they have a right to. Even Dwarves’ notorious hell-raiser Blag Dahlia appears on vocals and arrangement on a remix of the elegantly lubricious “One” and can’t break the enchanting spell.


Seattle-area musicians can send music to NewSeattleMusic@TheStranger.com for possible coverage.

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Seattle, WA

Who will be the next Seahawks owner? One possible bidder invests in the 49ers

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Who will be the next Seahawks owner? One possible bidder invests in the 49ers


The Seattle Seahawks’ new ownership group may be just like the old one: a team of basketball owners.

In addition to being the first known bidders for the Seahawks, Mittal and Grousbeck were the only names listed on their letter of interest to the Allen Estate. Since Mittal lives in London, Grousbeck would likely be running operations from Seattle and live there part-time, as per Sportico.

But wait, there’s more.

Vinod Khosla, an investor in the division rival San Francisco 49ers, has also been named as a potential buyer. Last year, Khosla was one of a few nearby investors to purchase equity in the 49ers, with the team’s total valuation reaching north of $8.5 billion at the time. The specifics of the individual stakes were not made public, but Sportico reports that Khosla’s was the largest of the group.

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The Seahawks are valued at just under $7 billion, but they will likely be sold for more. If Khosla were to purchase the team from Jody Allen, he would obviously need to sell his stake in the Niners. This type of move is becoming increasingly common in today’s NFL, which has seen former Pittsburgh Steelers minority owners David Tepper and Josh Harris acquire the Panthers and Commanders, respectively.

Harris, who bought a controlling interest in the Commanders in 2023, purchased the team from Dan Snyder for over $6 billion, the largest figure for such an acquisition for an NFL franchise. No matter who ends up purchasing the Seahawks from the Allen Estate, Harris’s record will surely be broken.



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Meet the ‘fuel mitigation specialists’ protecting Pierce County from wildfires

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Meet the ‘fuel mitigation specialists’ protecting Pierce County from wildfires


As Washington faces a spring with severely low snowpack, fire districts across the state are ramping up preparations for Wildfire Awareness Month. At Central Pierce Fire and Rescue, some of the most effective team members are focusing on prevention, through meal time. 

Station 96, now affectionately nicknamed “The Goat House,” deployed a herd of goats to serve as official “fuel mitigation specialists.” These four-legged lawnmowers are tasked with clearing thick vegetation and maintaining the retention pond area around the station to ensure dry brush doesn’t become fuel for a potential fire.

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Central Pierce & Fire’s “fire mitigation experts.” (FOX 13 Seattle)

The ‘G.O.A.T.’ of mitigation

While they may not look like your typical firefighters—and they certainly lack a sense of professional decorum—officials say the herd is setting a regional standard for wildfire prevention.

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“They are the GOAT of […] fuel mitigation,” joked Wildfire Coordinator Jake Weigley.

The strategy is as practical as it is adorable. By having the goats graze the land, the department avoids spending crew downtime on weed whackers. This keeps firefighters ready for what they do best: responding to emergencies.

“It does save the taxpayers money, because our crews are able to focus on training and responding to calls,” Weigley said.

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The “GoatFundMe’ account

Despite their official titles, these specialists aren’t on the public payroll. Their snacks, veterinary care, and general upkeep are funded internally through a “GoatFundMe” account, which is supported entirely by voluntary contributions from fire department and county employees.

The department hopes these stubborn workers will inspire residents to take notes on their own “defensible space” at home. Much like the goats clearing the field, fire officials recommend homeowners hardscape and remove any fuels that could carry a fire toward buildings.

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Central Pierce & Fire’s “fire mitigation experts.” (FOX 13 Seattle)

A heightened season of awareness

The timing is critical. Following a winter with low precipitation, officials are on high alert for the upcoming fire season, though the full severity remains a question mark until the summer heat truly hits.

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“We’re in a heightened level of awareness based on our snowpack and precipitation over the winter,” Weigley said. “But until fire season really gets started, we won’t know how severe it will be.”

Residents interested in meeting the herd can monitor the Central Pierce Fire and Rescue Facebook page for upcoming station events and community open houses. They ask to protect the goat’s health, you do not feed them.

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To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.

Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.

The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting from FOX 13 Seattle reporter Taylor Winkel.

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Bryan Woo returns to dominance in Seattle Mariners win – Seattle Sports

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Bryan Woo returns to dominance in Seattle Mariners win – Seattle Sports


Bryan Woo was the best pitcher the Seattle Mariners had in 2025 as they made their run to the playoffs.

He looked like that guy again on Wednesday afternoon.

Seattle Mariners 3, Atlanta Braves 1: Recap | Box score | Standings

Woo shook off a pair of recent shaky outings to go six scoreless, one-hit innings to lead the Mariners to a 3-1 win that clinched a series victory over the MLB-leading Atlanta Braves.

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The 26-year-old right-hander worked around a pair of walks while tying his season-high with nine strikeouts.

Woo had a 2.25 ERA through his first five starts of the season, but he ran into trouble on Seattle’s last road trip, allowing seven runs on nine hits including four home runs at St. Louis on April 25. He struggled again last Friday, giving up four runs in the first inning and six runs total over six frames in a loss at home to Kansas City.

Those two outings pushed Woo’s ERA up to 4.61, but he lowered it to 4.02 on the year with his start Wednesday.

What Rowland-Smith sees in Woo’s recent struggles

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With Woo dominant on the mound, the Mariners’ offense didn’t need to do too much to build a lead against the Braves. Seattle went up 1-0 when designated hitter Cal Raleigh came up with no outs and hit into a bases-loaded double play in the third inning, scoring catcher Jhonny Pereda.

Julio Rodríguez contributed with a little more volume in the sixth inning, blasting a 436-foot solo home run to center off of Braves starter Martín Pérez to put the M’s up 2-0. And after the Braves scored one in the eighth, team RBI leader Cole Young added some insurance by bringing home Josh Naylor home with his second double of the game.

The Mariners came back to beat Atlanta 5-4 on Monday, then had to bounce back Wednesday after falling 3-2 Tuesday night following Braves slugger Matt Olson’s go-ahead homer off of closer Andrés Muñoz in the ninth inning.

Seattle improved to 18-20 with the win, while the Braves dropped to 26-12. It was the first series loss of 2026 for Atlanta.

Houston Astros lose star Carlos Correa for season

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The M’s are off Thursday, then begin a seven-game road trip at 4:40 p.m. Friday against the White Sox in Chicago. Mariners Radio Network coverage on Seattle Sports of that series opener will begin at 3:30 with the pregame show.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• Top prospect Colt Emerson snaps slump with HR, three-hit game
• M’s prospect Kade Anderson could benefit from new challenge
• Mariners place Gabe Speier on IL, add two lefty relievers
• Mariners showing some concerning signs on defense
• Seattle Mariners prospect Felnin Celesten on a tear in High-A






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