Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Thursday, October 22nd

Hello Dear Readers,

I went and saw Leonard Mynx play at Berbati's last night. Solid. He had three guitars going and it sounded pretty good. There were a few minor sound issues that got sorted out. Honestly, the restaurant is not designed to have live music, so the fact that they make it work at all is impressive. Anyway there was at one point some sweet guitarmonies. The openers, John Heart Jackie, were pretty good. I was told that Jennie Wayne, the girl in John Heart Jackie has a solo thing that I need to check out. It is called Jennie Wayne. I listened to it and indeed liked it very much (so pretty). Anyway these shows look good to me.

Thursday October 22nd

Doug Fir is having a show with Alela Diane and Merrisa Nadler (Brooklyn). This is a folk show. So. What's the big deal? The big deal is that both of these ladies are really good. I first saw Alela play a while back in 2005 at PDX Pop. I was immediately taken with her voice and the starkness of her solo performance. After one song, I ran down to the merch table and was lucky enough to purchase one of the few remaining copies of her then self released album Pirates Gospel. It is so good. Her take on folk is very traditional in the acoustic elements. And while on her last album she added more instruments, it still maintained the county side folk that I love. I have not heard much of Merrisa Nadler, but I really like what I have heard. It sounds more like the folk from the 60's . Like something from a peace loving whatever flower power hippy dippy persons record collection. But in a good way. I could be way off here. But regardless, I really like it. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.

Ella Street Social Club is having a show with Il Gato (San Francisco), Monique Full of Grace, and Paschal Coeur. I like it when bands actually have a good description of themselves on their myspace page. Sometimes when I am lazy I like to just cut and copy it in these write ups. Check out this about Il Gato, 'The current incarnation of Il gato may best be described as indie-baroque-folk: utilizing the repetition of the loop pedal and a broad palette of instrumentation (acoustic guitar, trumpet, violin, mandolin, banjo, upright bass, harmonica, melodica, banjo, drums, etc.). Il gato writes emotionally complex songs about love and loss and how if you are going to be a lover in this world you are undoubtedly also going to be a loser and how maybe that isn't such a bad thing. Maybe it is even a beautiful thing." Pretty accurate. Monique Full of Grace makes slow paced music that is pretty good. I especially like the toy piano driven number on her myspace page "Sad But True". It kinda has a Buddy Holly feel. Paschal Coeur say they are soul. They kind of go for that sound, but the lead sings voice falls a little short of soulful. But it is good. Most of the songs that are posted on their myspace are live. They are pretty tight. It reminds me of like a less poppy Dirty Mittens. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.

Tonic Lounge is having a show with Olina, Prairie, and Silver & Glass. Olina is a band apparently formed by friends who wanted to play each others songs. The end product is a sleepy American band that will playing tonight for your pleasure. Prairie is in the same ballpark, thought they have been at it a bit longer and there fore to, me seems a bit more polished and have more indie rock in the mix. Good stuff. The show is at 9:30 PM.

Dunes is having a show with Worker Bee (Bay Area), The Man Dies, and Ghosting. I like Worker Bee. I have not heard of them before, but I suggest you check them out. They make kinda moody indie rock that knows makes good use of band dynamics to slowly build a song from the beginning to end. I suggest you listen to their song "Come Back" on their myspace. Very nice. The Man Dies doesn't have any music on their myspace. Ghosting does, though. It sounds like some pretty to pretty cool soundscapes with some "ghostly" vocals mixed in the woven layers of distorted sounds. I could not find a cover listed anywhere, but the show is at 9 PM.

If you see me at this show please say "Hi". Then, if you choose, you can have a conversation.

-Ben


Alela Diane plays tonight at Doug Fir.