Spokane, Washington. Artists in Washington’s second-city have long sought to carve out a space in the shadow of the legendary scenes on the west side of the state. The Lilac City is often an afterthought to the many touring bands passing through the PNW…and to the trendsetters along the coast, Spokane is a far-off backwoods outpost that might as well be in the Midwest. Yet, the city’s blue collar underdog vibe has been evident in its outsider scene that has ebbed and flowed throughout the past five decades of American underground music. It’s the type of town where, given the right conditions, folks can come together to create a special community centered on music, art, and progressive DIY ethics. 

Spokane is currently home to a burgeoning all-ages scene that has steadily expanded in the years following the pandemic that decimated indie spaces across the country. Centered around long-running venues like the Big Dipper and Neato Burrito, and complimented by garages, basements, and backyards, a literal all-ages, multigenerational DIY punk community has picked up steam in recent years.

Beneath The Falls: A Spokane DIY Sampler collects a cross-section of the current Lilac City scene. Inspired by regional compilations that have become legendary in the American underground, Beneath The Falls is both a celebration of the friendship and camaraderie forged in a fly-over scene, and an unveiling to the underground community at large. At its core, the LP is a small “p” punk compilation featuring a range of sonic styles, all united by DIY ethics and outsider approach. Although the sounds are diverse, the tracks flow seamlessly, complimenting one another from start to finish. It’s not hard to hear an emerging Spokane sound, if not at least a general vibe. While not an exhaustive list of all the great bands calling Spokane home, Beneath The Falls highlights a wide swath of the east side community. Long-time scene veterans Belt Of Vapor, Loomer, Blunt Skulls, Jangled Nerves, and Ben Jennings are joined by up-and-comers Hayes Noble, Hell Motel, Dairybaby, Jumbotron, and Bad Trip Motel. Taken together, the comp features artists who played their first shows across four decades - from the 1990s to the 2020s! It’s truly a testament to the power of all-ages DIY punk. 

Released by Spokane-based label Two Two One Press, Beneath The Falls was compiled by the husband and wife team of Brett and Rose Noble. Brett Noble explains, “while we are recent transplants to Spokane, we came up in similar scenes outside the major cities of the Midwest. We immediately recognized that same feel that attracted us to the punk community as kids back in the 90s. Rose adds “there’s a lot of mixed-bills and a tight-knit and growing community of artists that support one another’s endeavors. It’s great to go to shows and see a range of bands, kids taking photos, others making videos, interviewing each other - a scene of participants.” According to Brett “there’s a throwback feel and it speaks to the times - people want to create and escape their screens and take on an increasingly autocratic world. There’s wonderful things happening here and in towns all over the country. We wanted to help capture what’s going on in our backyard and share it with people on the outside. He continues, “underground music scenes and art communities are massively important in mid-sized cities and fly over communities. They bring people together and give folks the skills and confidence to create and organize. People bond over music, see and hear different perspectives, and ultimately see that they have the ability to shape the space they want to exist in. Now, more than ever, we need those communities and spaces to connect and organize. One of our major goals with the label and the shows we do is to help facilitate that.”

Just as it’s important for people to come together to create, it’s equally important for these transmissions to connect scenes across the country. There’s a lot to appreciate coming out of places outside the major population centers, and it should comfort all of us to know people are putting their heads down, coming together, and making things happen. Beneath The Falls seeks to share that piece of Spokane with the world.