Sound Off!

Here's the key rule of this year’s Sound Off!, the EMP's annual Battle of the Bands: "All band members must have been born on or after March 4, 1990." In other words, you're old! No, no. In other words, all the people in the bands that compete in Sound Off! must be under 21. Previous winners include younger versions of current favorites the Lonely Forest, the Globes and Brite Futures, all of whom signed to record labels shortly after their victories. What you witness during the four rounds of Sound Off! (the finals are March 3) is Seattle's musical future.