Art by Casey Catherwood

Download "Head East" at remond.gov/medialab

"Cairo Kids" by Zephyrs

From the recording facility at the Old Fire House teen center in Remond comes "Head East," a compilation of Eastside bands, recorded by young engineer Dylan Wall. The album follows in the tradition of other Fire House comps and the "East Infection" CD, featuring lots of singer-songwriter fare and a ripple of industrial/experimental music. The standout is "Cairo Kids" by punk rock band Zephyrs, with its catchy songwriting and lyrics about hanging out at Cairo in Seattle — an artistic place with many of the same values as the Old Fire House, like inclusivity and free expression. The Fire House permanently changed the Seattle music scene in the '90s. I wrote about that era here. And while these new bands aren't having that impact, "Head East" is proof that the place is still musically vital.